Stuff from the end of 2013...

Just a dump of events that finished off our 2013.  Lots happened but I cannot go back and put together a post for each event.  So...here you go.

Lorien turned 12 on November 8th.  Once you are 12 in our church you are old enough to go into the temple (dunt-dunt-daaaaa).  Will and I got to take Lorien on her first temple trip with the youth.  It was sweet to see her excitement and talk with her afterwards about her experience.  

Clare got glasses!  She looks like a mouse...a sweet, wonderful, adorable mouse.  She was having trouble seeing the white board at school so we got her eyes checked.  Now she and I can wear glasses together.

We attended the last Stanford home football game.  This season was a fun one to watch.  Go Stanford!

We hosted our family for Thanksgiving.  I cooked the turkey.  When I was getting the turkey ready for the brine Adell was looking at the wrapped turkey nervously.  Finally she asked, "Momma, is the turkey's head going to pop out when you open it?"  She was imagining a live turkey wrapped up in that blue and white plastic.

The Thanksgiving dinner spread.

Colter is still as troublesome as ever.  Even when having a tea party with Adell.

Lorien started playing the viola this year.  She has never played a string instrument before and it was a rocky start.  She had her winter concert just before the Holiday break.  Will and I went without any of the other children (good choice).  The concert was lovely and Lorien played well.

We picked out a Christmas tree and got that sucker decorated.

And finally, a month and a half late...we had Lorien and Wyatt's friend birthday parties.  Wyatt picked a "Nerf Gun" party.  Originally he wanted to hire a gaming company to come over and set up laser tag.  After a little research we discovered that it would be more cost effective to buy a bunch of Nerf guns and have a war.  Lucky for us Target was having a buy-one-Nerf-gun-get-one-1/2-off sale.  The party was a hit...and no one shot their eye out.

Lorien wanted to have a Dr. Who party...because she loves that stuff.  Also, because it was the 25th anniversary of Dr. Who in November.  Lorien and her friends had ice cream, talked about all things Who and watched an episode of the show.  I think it was a hit but I am not a nerd so I don't know for sure.

One lovely thing about celebrating the kids birthdays so late.  Our friends, the Clarkes, were back in the states for a visit.  They have been living in Amsterdam for the last year.  They are some of our favorite people and our kids have birthday-partied with them just about every year since we became friends.  We've missed them--and will continue to miss them until we can convince them to move back to California.  

Good bye 2013!  You were a good year.

Adell's birthday

The last November birthday!  Ugh, be careful on Valentine's day people...that's all I am going to say.

Adell turned 4 tonight.  She has been counting down the days since Lorien and Wyatt's birthday.  We even made a paper chain for her to count down with.

Some how my children invented this family tradition where on your birthday the other kids get to decorate the living room armchair with scraps of fabric.  I love this tradition because it always leaves my fabric supply in a tangled heap--it is awesome.  This year the kids started adding an umbrella to the decorated chair--extra awesome.








Adell is very into rainbows right now.  Everything in her life needs to be rainbowed.  She organizes her stuff into rainbow order.  During the weeks leading up to her birthday she kept telling me about the cake she wanted.  Rainbow, rainbow, rainbow.  Sometimes she would add other details (mini donuts, pink ruffles of frosting, chocolate chips) but mostly she stuck with rainbows.


I obliged and made her a rainbow cake with rainbow frosting.  Adell was delighted...Clare was too!


Seriously, it was a lot of food dye.  Our septic tank is going to be very colorful over the next couple of days.  Is this how unicorns are made...


Happy birthday my 4th baby.  We all love you!

Friends in the fall

Remember my "secret mission" to lure our old friends back to California some day?  Turns out I didn't even need to make it a mission of mine.  They kind of wanted to move back here anyway.  So, the husband got a job and they all moved out here!  I am such a lucky girl!

We love this family.  Not only are they kind and lovely people--they are super fun!  We met up with the Salisburys one afternoon for a park day.  They have kids that match up in age with most of our kids so everyone has a good time.


We used the pic-nic blanket to gather leaves into a gigantic pile.

Then we took time burring the children in the leaves, jumping in the leaves and having leaf fights.


It was super fun.


Naturally, because the Salisburys are super cool people, other park attendees came around to join the leaf fun.  At one point in a leaf-throwing-battle I looked around and realized I was playing with a group of stranger's children.  All of my kids (and the Salisbury kids) had moved on to other activities.  It was still fun.


It wasn't all fun and games for Adell.  She got upset about something--I cannot remember what.  It took a while to get her cheered up.  Look at those crocodile tears...pathetic.

Babies are fun...but kids are much more fun...

I love new born babies.  They are the best!  Will does not like babies...they are not entertaining in anyway.  He cannot wait for our babies to grow up and be fun.  I cannot stand it when my babies grow up.  We make the perfect team.

Colter has crossed the line from perfect-little-baby I could enjoy forever into big-kid-entertainment child Will can enjoy forever.





Colter tolerates Will's shenanigans pretty well.

Sisters

So Lorien and Clare have this really contentious-sisters relationship.  Mostly, Clare does things that are normal for her age and stage and Lorien gets insanely annoyed by those things.  To calm the waters I've tried showing Lorien home videos of her acting the exact same way (way back when) Clare does.  Lorien is unmoved.  I am not sure what to do about it.  They are going to be sisters forever and I really love my sisters.  I guess I didn't always love them so I should just let nature take its course?

Anyway,  a few weeks ago I came across this note.  Clare had to do a word search for her spelling homework and have someone solve it.

The note melted my heart.  Maybe Lorien and Clare are not as far away from being best friends as I think.



This note says: "Lorien I tried to make it hard because other than mom you are the smartest girl I know.  From Clare".  Clearly, all this spelling homework isn't doing wonders for her actual spelling.  We all know I cannot spell to save my life so I am not going to throw stones.  Mostly, I just wanted to post this note because (according to Clare) I am super smart.  Take that spelling!

One more thing...

Even the Earth was excited to celebrate Lorien and Wyatt's birthday on November 8th.  We had an earthquake late at night on November 8th.  Will and I were in our bedroom, I was watching Downton Abbey and wrapping Lorien's presents for her celebration the next day.  Will was working on his computer.  I heard a loud thud like one of the kids fell out of bed (but louder...like all five of them fell out of bed at the exact same time) and then the doors to our bedroom started rattling.  I looked at Will and he looked at me.  He stood up and put his computer down.  By the time he had taken one step to cross the room to me the shaking stopped.

We've lived in California for almost 10 years and this is only the second earthquake I've felt.  Will has felt more.  This one was 2.9 on the Richter scale and the epicenter was only about a mile away from us.  I'll admit--I thought it was cool.  I don't wish for earthquakes but I appreciate the amazing way the Earth works.  I know these little quakes relieve some of the pressure--hopefully preventing a really big earthquake from coming our way.

Will went to check on all of the kids--they all slept through it--except for Wyatt.  Wyatt was awake when Will went in to check on him.  So, thanks for the birthday party Earth.

My "birth" day...

*

Twelve years ago, today, I became a Mother.  Lorien was born very early in the morning on November 8th.  By this time of the day I had been a mother for what felt like a long time (almost a whole day).  I had spent the entire day before in labor.  Labor started around two o'clock in the morning and Lorien was born in the one o'clock hour of the morning--the next day.  I remember walking around the sidewalks of Everett, Massachusetts with Will and thinking "Some day I will have lots of children.  I will have done this whole labor-baby-birthing thing more times.  Some day, this day will be far away and I probably wont remember much about it."  That some day is now.  Twelve years is a long time ago.  However, I was wrong.  I remember a lot about that day.  I remember being sick and tired.  I remember being excited and nervous.  I remember falling in love.  I have a record of that very first birth in my journal and in Lorien's baby book.  I wont record it here, not now.  But I will tell you how awed and in love I was with that new born baby.  She was (and is) so precious and perfect.

I love you Lorien Cara.

Ten years ago today, I became a Mother to two children.  Wyatt was born very late at night on November 8th.  By this time of the day I had been in labor for several hours and was ready for the baby to come out.  I was in the hospital, riding the waves of labor pains.  My newly-turned-two-year-old daughter was with friends, totally unaware of the brother coming her way.  I remember the relief of birth with Wyatt.  He was born without an epidural (the one and only) and it was hard.  I remember the new feelings of awe and love I felt for this new person.  I remember how perfect and wonderful he was (and is).  I remember being amazed that other women throughout previous generations of time had done this very thing in very different circumstances.  I remember being so grateful for the blessings of health, safety and the miracle of this new baby.  I have Wyatt's birth story recorded in my journal and his baby book.  Someday I'll share that story too.

I love you Wyatt James.

Oh I am so thankful I get to be a Mother!  I am so thankful for my children--even if they drive me crazy most some of the time.  Happy birthday Lorien and Wyatt!


*Picture info: Wyatt making his tenth birthday wish.  He asked for 4 different kinds of cookies for his birthday cake: M&M, sugar, ginger bends and red velvet cake cookies.  This year, Lorien and Wyatt decided to celebrate their birthdays on separate days.  I guess they were sick of sharing the attention every November 8th.  Lorien's big day is tomorrow.  I'll add a picture of Lorien after her celebration.

Here she is.  Will took Lorien out for lunch for her celebration day.  They got sushi and then took some mango-sticky rice to the park for dessert.  How did my baby get so big?

Pumpkins become Jack-o-lanterns...

It took "forever" according to the children...but we finally got around to carving pumpkins.  The big kids all picked big pumpkins this year and all three big kids were allowed to carve their own pumpkins.  It has taken me many years to hand over the knives and let them create whatever they want.  Previously, the children were all owed to draw their designs and Will or I would carve them out (making necessary changes).  This year Lorien, Wyatt and Clare all carved their own pumpkins.  No one lost a finger or got stabbed--in fact--there wasn't a single scrape.  They did a great job.  The kids loved coming up with cool jack-o-lantern faces and carving them out.  Some had pirate-patched eyes, others had scars and a mouth with vampire teeth.  I have a creative bunch of kids.




















We carved pumpkins while watching the last game of the World Series.  GO RED SOX!

This is Halloween...

Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie?  I am never sure.  Maybe it is just a holiday movie and you can watch it anytime after September 20th but before Valentine's Day?  Anyway, that is not really important.

Halloween is over.  We did it.  Wyatt has been planning on being Gandalf the While this year for a good 9 or 10 months.  Before school was out last year (around the time he finished reading the first Lord of the Rings book) he started making his staff for the Gandalf costume.

Gandalf the White?  Really?  As mentioned in a previous post, I could only imagine this costume turning out in one of two ways: Father Christmas or deity.  Wyatt's insistence that he would wear a white wig and beard did not ease my worries.

With that kind of pressure hanging over my head I knew I would have to start Halloween costumes early this year.  Did I mention it is a "make costumes" year at our house?  So, I was on the hook for five (FIVE!) home made costumes...one of which was Gandalf the White.

Lorien decided to be a weeping angle from Dr. Who.  If you don't know a whole lot about Dr. Who, I invite you to send Lorien a letter asking her.  She has become a super fan and loves telling people about the Doctor.  Seriously, ask her.

Clare decided to be the China Girl from Oz the Great and Powerful.  Her costume idea was my favorite because I knew I could make a pretty dress she could wear to church after Halloween was over.  I knew it would still be a lot of work but the dress would be useful.

Adell changed her mind about twelve times before I bought the fabric and told her she couldn't change her mind again.  She ended up being Ariel--the mermaid--in a princess dress.  Does that make sense?  Just wait, the pictures will help.

Colter--you know this baby was just lucky to get fed and diapered during the weeks of constant costume making.  I did feed and diaper that baby religiously--he only wanted for motherly attention.  (Therapists call that "benign neglect".)  Whoever's costume I was sewing at the time had to be the "mother" when Colter needed love.  Forget about getting a high-quality-well-thought-out costume from me.  I decided he would be a frog...because I had a green shirt and cut up a hooded towel from his infant years to make a frog hat.  Easy-peasy.  I think I made his costume 15 minutes before we walked out of the house for the church Halloween party.  (Does the phrase "church Halloween party" sound strange to you?  Maybe "church Pagan celebration" is better?  Nope, it is not...)

Anyway, I started a Pinterest board for Halloween ideas.  This board might just be the one and only time Pinterest was not just a way of wasting time for me.  It really helped me find and keep costume ideas; moreover, it was a great reference as I went about sewing each costume.  So, one useful Pinterest board, one...  Oh wait, Pinterest was helpful a year-and-a-half ago when I planned Clare's birthday party...  Pinterest is totally useful...totally!

Here are some pictures.  I was super sad to realize I never took a group shot of all the kids in their costumes together.  Lame.  But hey, I spent all my time making these costumes...not taking pictures of the process or end result.  Still, lame.

LORIEN

Lorien and her little friend group.  These are some lovely girls and I am pretty thankful for them.  They were all going to dress as Dr. Who characters.  The girl on the left is Briar Rose, or River Wind, or Wind Song?  Something like that...she is a girl in the show...ask Lorien.  The next girl is one of the Doctors...I don't know which one, she is holding a Sonic Screwdriver.  The next girl decided not to go along with the rest of the sheep girls.  She is something from the internet...I don't know.  And then there is the weeping angel, awesome!

WYATT

At school this year they held a Mother-Son Monster Mash.  Wyatt and I went--in costume.  It was a great trial run for his costume.  Everyone came up to him shouting "Gandalf!  Hey, Gandalf the White!"  My fears seemed silly.  Lorien made him the pipe as we were walking out the door for the party.  Then there was the church party.  I wouldn't let him take the fake pipe to church.  We Mormons don't smoke--anything--I thought it would be inappropriate.  His staff got broken at the school party.  So he was just a guy with a white wig, white beard in all white clothes...at church.  People kept muttering "Is that--er--ah?"  A few brave church goers asked if he was Moses. (I didn't see that one coming!)  Clearly, I should have let my son smoke at church.

Gandalf the White at the school parade on Halloween day.

CLARE

I was so excited about Clare's costume I got it done in September.  She wore it to church a couple of times--before Halloween!  Really, I owe the whole costume to my sister-in-law, Heather.  She came over to the house with her serger for two days to help me sew.  It was awesome.  I've never used a serger before and now I think I need one.  Also, Heather was there the day my Dad called.  My father never calls me--we have more of a "facebook only" relationship.  So, you know it wasn't going to be good news.  This phone call was for announcing my sister, Camie's, cancer might have spread to her brain.  Heather hugged me while I cried, cleaned my house and watched my kids while I kept on crying and calling other family members to get more of the story.  It was awful.  I am so thankful for all of my sisters and sister-in-laws.  Truly, my brothers married wonderful women and I married into a family where all the men married wonderful women.  Heather being such a dear during this time is just one of the many examples of awesomeness from my sisters and sister-in-laws.  I am so thankful for all of them.

Look how I skipped over Clare's costume info...poor middle child...

Clare loved her costume and was so adorable in it.  I don't know if a lot of people knew who she was right off the bat.  The movie came out a while ago.  But once she explained a little bit everyone got it and loved it.  I think Clare loved getting to wear eye make up and lipstick the most.

**post edit**Will says I need to brag more about Clare's dress.  He says people aren't going to know it is white lace sewn over blue fabric.  It really is a cool dress and Clare looks so pretty in it.  I give all credit to the serger.

**second post edit** the cancer did not spread to my sister, Camie's, brain--just her lungs.  Bullet dodged?

ADELL

Do you get it now?  Ariel--the mermaid--as a human princess?  Adell happened to see a picture of a similar dress on Pinterest while I was wasting time looking for costume ideas.  It also happened to be the day I was going to the fabric store.  So that is what she had to stick with.  She was very happy and her costume was done early too.  She wore it all the time--as a result some of the tulle was ripped by the time Halloween rolled around.  She asked for an Ariel wig, which I found and bought.  However, as soon as she tried it on she told me she didn't want to be Ariel any more.  I told her she didn't have to wear the wig and she was cool with being Ariel again.

Up there is a picture of Adell and Sadie.  Sadie was Marry Poppins--could you tell.  One of my other sister-in-laws, Angela, made that costume.  I want her to make one for me.  I would be the most amazing mom if I was wearing that dress every day.  I swear, there would be all kinds of singing and parasol twirling and spoon-full-of-sugaring going on.  It would be awesome.

COLTER

So I didn't get a picture of Colter until after trick-or-treating was over.  He wouldn't keep his hat on and he was more interested in the flashlight than looking at the camera.

Here are some sloppy screen shots from my Pinterest board so you can see what I was trying to go for with each kids costumes.  I think I did a pretty good job.  All of the kids were very happy with their costumes.  Score one for me!

So that was our Halloween.  We have enough candy to give us all diabetes by Thanksgiving and the kids are doing their best to make it actually happen.  Colter "got" Halloween when we went out trick-or-treating.  Will would set him up at a door and when the candy came around to him he'd take a piece and put it in his pumpkin bucket.  Will said it did get to the point where Colter would just hold out his hand for candy as soon as the door was opened.  That's my boy, Mister Manners.   Happy Halloween.  I am going to bed.

Cross Country Running...

Ahh, cross country season.

Lorien and Wyatt ran cross country last year and both liked the sport.  Lorien did not want to admit she liked running--but she did.  This year, Clare was old enough to be on the team so we signed all three big kids up.  Lorien was not happy.  She claimed to hate cross country...we made her do it anyway...character!

All three kids did a great job.  It is a pretty easy sport and the meets are fast.  The season is also shorter than some of the other fall sports (win, win, win).

The first meet is always crazy!  More runners attend than at other meets, you have to park on a four-lane street (that would be considered a freeway in Maine) and hike up a big hill to the park.  It is nerve-wracking to say the least. Cars zoom by at 50 miles an hour--did I mention the lack of side walks?  Urban living...I love it.



The first meet and last meet of the season are the only ones with a K-2 age group.  At the other meets there are two age groups K-5 and 6-8.  Because of this added younger age group Clare ended up placing in the top 10.  She was very surprised and we were so proud.

Woot-woot!  Go cross country runners!  Wait, where is the baby?

Two of this year's meets were at our home course--which was so awesome!  We didn't have to drive far, parking is a dream (in the high school parking lot) and there are plenty of places to sit and watch the race.  We didn't end up going to the second race at our home course.  The flu hit our house the week before and I decided we needed a week to recover.

The second to last race was another crazy one.  But not because of location or parking--the course is tricky.  The ground at the start of the race is covered with fine dirt and gravel.  Kids end up slipping and falling at the start of every race--especially the boys--they are so darn competitive.

Colter and Adell love to cheer the big kids on.  Colter puts his hand up to his mouth (more covering his mouth than amplifying his shouts) and yells out random noises.  Adell jumps and cheers her heart out as each of her older siblings run by.  

I found the baby--four weeks later...

At the end of the season, Clare was in love with running.  She did hurt her knee at the start of the season--actually riding her bike to school--and so she ended up having to sit out some of the season.  But she loved running and had fun running with friends.  Wyatt liked cross country too--however, he was/is also doing soccer so he had an activity every day of the week.  It was exhausting.  I think we might have to make him pick--cross country or soccer next year.  Lorien?  Oh Lorien.  She hated every second of the season.  She tried to negotiate her participation at every practice and meet.  She walked...a lot.  Both Will and I wish she would have let herself like it.  She had a good time last season and admitted that she liked cross country.  This year she seemed determined to hate it.  I think it was because she didn't have any friends participating (Wyatt and Clare had several friends from church and school participating) and she was in the next age group for the races.  Last year, as a 5th grader she was one of the oldest racers in her group.  This year, as a 6th grader she is one of the youngest...and some of the 8th graders are super-model tall.  Anyway, I don't think she will participate next year.  At least, we wont make her...