the note

The note the kids left on the countertop in the kitchen the morning (Friday) we had to brush the sand off our feet, pack it up, say goodbye to the beach house and drag ourselves back to Utah.
The teens got up at 6:30 am for some last minute surfing, good work team members.

sharing the wave

Three kids, one wave. I clicked 1 second too early to get everyone standing up. I love Doheny waves.

baby, there's a shark in the water

Who feels like a swim?

Thank goodness for the cast cover (and the wetsuit) for not keeping this kid out of the water. It's fun to watch and listen to comments from passerbyers as they try to figure out what is going on with the blue rubber arm. I think the webbed finger aspect makes up for having a cast on your arm when it comes to paddling into waves.

A little light reading in cousin Megan's hammock.

This little fella wandered into the house and the kids easily caught him, I think he was a little dehydrated and was missing his mum. We set him free as soon as possible, he was looking too feeble and exhausted to keep as a pet for very long.

cast art

The first question one might ask is what color was the cast? The answer is green. As we left the doctors office with the brand new cast (about 2 weeks ago)F told me he wasn't going to let anyone write anything on it, ever. Oh well, so much for that plan. 

Paint pens come in very handy at times like these, even better than Sharpies on fiberglass.

There should be a cast decorating contest, and the winner gets, um, let's see... all their medical bills paid!

This piece of art stays on for another week, then the doctors will take it off, take out the pins that are holding the ulna bone in place (sticking out of the skin but buried under the cast), put a short cast on and he'll be able to bend his arm once again.

The original x-ray... ouch!

lake day

We got together with the cousins at Deer Creek this weekend- everyone brought their floaties and water toys (for some this means their full scuba gear... Auntie April) life jackets and trucker hats.

 ...plastic bags and duct tape

When it gets too hot you'll resort to getting submerged any way you can while still keeping the cast --and the pins under that cast-- dry.

Cousins, diggin' in the sand. M has her 'pretty' bathing suit on, if it's not decidedly 'pretty' she'll discard it for another outfit, Precia (her mom) loves this. Thanks to all who planned the fun, life is complicated and busy and why do I need to get pushed out the door for an afternoon of relaxing? 

A day by the water is just what we all need- that means you too.

Tie-Dye Party

Super Dad Steve O has been preparing for this party for weeks... he ordered all the supplies from Dharma Trading- a great resource for all things tie-dye, and they were off...

We made a trip to the local thrift store and picked up some white dyeables. We found these white pants that Q cut off and worked some magic on (go ahead and remark on the unfortunate placement of color...) she'll just be able to discern which of her friends and family are polite and well mannered from, well, the rest.

Tank top for M (from the thrift store, thank you) turned out cute with the little white beads and stitching not dyed, good work on the collared shirt too.

Team broken arm, with the job of rinsing and 'accidentally' spraying each other quite a bit too, keep the cast dry please boys.

The team above all made themselves matching rasta colored tank tops. If it were me... the tank top would fit lengthwise, once I got it pulled down around my middle. But in their case, I think we are going to have to take off an inch or two to insure it doesn't get mistaken as a skirt.

first broken bone

My dude F broke his arm at Camp Woodward in Pennsylvania yesterday. He's been a ski camper all week- working on his ski jumping, flipping and grinding skills-- loving every minute of it.  Apparently, he fell hard on a box jump and broke both bones just above the wrist- ouch. It was a bit of a compound fracture (the bone sticking out) so they whisked him into surgery to make the necessary repairs and add a little hardware, I think temporary though- on the hardware. Luckily his Dad was there with him and they fly back tomorrow.

Poor fella, it's going to be the summer of the cast, no more par-core for awhile.

finally feeling like summer

Today feels like the first day of summer- first of all it's finally hot, it's supposed to hit 90 degrees (hallelujah!) and I for the first time yet this summer I basked in some sunshine at the edge of a body of water.  How can such a simple act make one feels so good? The kids played (in but mostly out of the still freezing water) and I read (book group book: Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld) and napped. This sort of activity (or lack of activity) is what summer is all about.
Deer Creek is lookin' beautiful, completely full and Mt. Timpanogos in the background...

danger, intrigue- the thrill of the hunt

What is an easter egg hunt without a little menacing peril? ...prickery bushes...

I hope you're current on your shots...

 hideously deformed creatures

 stagnant, murky depths

    about that tetanus...

splinters anyone?

dizzying heights

...and here they are, the brave and tireless hunters. The final report in-  the best easter egg hunt ever,  thanks to the fear factor. 

 This final picture will become one of what we call the 'cry baby series'. You know the memorable group photos from your childhood with everyone but you in the picture. As you drearily speculate, "Where the heck was I when that picture was taken?" and "does my family care at all about me?" 

Then, your mom takes a look and imparts, "No, don't you remember? You were just throwing a fit when that picture was taken."

So, just to keep things clear in future scrapbooks, (no more racking your brain, "was that the year I spent a week in the hospital after falling off the storage container or just the time I just being a chump and refusing to be photographed??") if you are mid-tantrum, you still have to be in the picture- then we can laugh about it later- one day later (and for the rest of your life). That'll teach 'em.

new additions

The longhorn ladies in Escalante have been busy this spring. Here are two of the new additions to Adam & Kristen (my brother and sister-in-laws) herd. That's Freckle-face standing next to his mother Brittney and baby Won-ton with the white triangle on her face.

Here is yearling Q-tip with the kids and Roscoe wearing the cone of shame. When you chase cars and get stitches in your leg that you can't leave alone you find yourself in a cone for a few weeks, and a bit doggy depressed...

Feel your anger running through you...

...and channel that angst into Dinner Art. (Mashed potato, broccoli and gravy lion by dinnertime performance artist, age 13)

Parents of teens out there- and you are painfully aware if you fit into this category (younger parents, go ahead and glimpse your future)- I would recommend taking a minute and reading the article, 'Feel Your Anger Running Through You' from the March 27th New York Times Magazine, very insightful, funny, helpful and spot on.


Also from the Times:

How Shakespeare Invented Teenagers
Published: March 25, 2011

Shakespeare described the terrifying beauty of the adolescent so early in its development, and so definitively and so thoroughly, that it is only slightly an exaggeration to say that he invented teenagers as we know them today. “Romeo and Juliet,” his extended study of the humiliations and glories of adolescence, is the biggest hit of all time and, unlike most of Shakespeare’s works, it has never slipped out of fashion. It has been adapted across genres and eras, into operas and ballets and musicals. The most popular brand of Cuban cigars: Romeo y Julietta. State laws that allow judges to exempt minors from statutory-rape charges are called, naturally, “Romeo and Juliet provisions.”

This shouldn’t be surprising: People just love to watch a couple of dumb kids make out and die. (And they are awfully young, these dumb Veronese kids: Shakespeare doesn’t ever tell us Romeo’s exact age but we know that Juliet is just 13.) The great French scholar Philippe Ariès concluded that for most of the Medieval period “people had no idea of what we call adolescence, and the idea was a long time taking shape.” Yet our whole modern understanding of adolescence is there to be found in this play. Shakespeare essentially created this new category of humanity, and in place of the usual mix of nostalgia and loathing with which we regard adolescents (and adolescence), Shakespeare would have us look at teenagers in a spirit of wonder. He loves his teenagers even as he paints them in all their absurdity and nastiness.

Of course, the most important feature of adolescent rebellion is that it’s doomed. In this, as well, Shakespeare was right there at the beginning. He defined what it means to be “star-cross’d.” The opposition between the adolescent and the mature orders of the world can have only two possible endings. One is comic: the teenager grows up, develops a sense of humor, marries, has kids, moves to the suburbs, gets fat and becomes boring. The other is tragic: the teenager blows up in a blaze of glory. We much prefer to live the comedy. We much prefer to watch the tragedy.

Adapted from “Flaming Youth,” a chapter in “How Shakespeare Changed Everything,” by Stephen Marche (Harper, May 2011).

on the door

In this house, everyones got a sign on their door. It's a serious business- your door message- not to be taken lightly or ignored. I have personal experience being reprimanded for not heeding the posted words of warning, no one is above the law here. As of this morning, this is what I found posted:

Various emotions, feelings and personal declarations on display- get the crap out of my face, I just want to be left alone and C (age 6) just wants to make art.
I'm feeling a little left out, apparently, Steve O and I need to work on a sign for our door. I'm thinking something like No Kids Allowed, Enter If You Dare, or how about, and we could set a precedent here...- Do Not Enter Without A Personal Compliment or Have A Great Day Chumps... (I just can't help myself.)

grande finale

St. Patrick's Day went out with a bang...
-one trip to the instacare for stitches (broke glass science kit tool in the hand, 2 stitches)-
-attended a piano concert, the pianist was a long, lost friend from high school-
-dinner at the Crazy Train burger joint at 9 pm, with a couple of extra kid friends in tow-
-then a traffic stop for a headlight out in borrowed neighbor's car (ours is in the shop again...) with too many kids for number of seatbelts... my sob story of the evening's events worked and I got off with a warning- thank you lucky leprechauns foot.

 Let's hope today is a little less eventful concerning brushes with the law and trips to the hospital, but not less on fun... my little M is 11 today, and we're gonna party.   Here's to the one of the happiest, hilarious and peaceful gals I know. Happy Birthday!

Hey, get off the shed!

This shed, inelegantly deposited in the sideyard of our house, (our petite substitute for a third garage bay)- lovingly nicknamed the "Outhouse" or "Sport Shack" has been calling F's name since he first set eyes on it. I missed the vision of what exactly he was planning until I went outside yesterday and found this scene unfolding. Oh well, if you can't beat 'em join 'em- Steve O climbed up too and helped plan the big jump. 

A small crowd gathered- our whole family and the young, impressionable Calderwoods' risking the cold to watch the scene unfold and embed some fresh ideas of how to behave when they turn 13 or so. 

Thank goodness he had his helmet on... what a good example.

Special thanks to the Calderwoods' for reminding us of this Saturday Night Live skit, we are so glad you are big SNL fans too and that you're the kind of neighbors to applaud this type of behavior, or at least turn the other cheek and not call DCFS. 

always be Knolling...

A newish sort of word, used (and I think coined) by Tom Sachs in his 'Working to Code'  film made by the Neistat Brothers,  Knolling is the process of arranging like objects in parallel or 90 degree angles as a method of organization.
The film, 'Working to Code' is a lengthy 21 minutes, that will keep you smiling the whole way through- a glimpse into other folks personal space- including the space between their ears is always filled with awe and wonderment.
I can't help thinking, knolling is the slightly OCD cousin to what I (the Mom) do everyday- I need to coin a word here... There should be a film made called "Living in This House to Code" (for kids and some spouses too...) involving precise instructions on how to pick up after yourself in the kitchen, bathroom and your own room- then specifically how to throughly clean all of these spaces by yourself. Or even a film called "Afterschool"- (I can dream, can't I) I think you can imagine what it might include- specifics on homework, snacking, practicing instruments, friends, facebook, sport practice. I could then happily cancel my weekly, parental, motivational lecture series, short yoga breathing sessions and eye rolling practice and just set all the cherubs/hooligans down to re-watch the film whenever they conveniently forget what comes next.

Speaking of youngsters... F, my second oldest turns 13 today. Two teens in the house- it's funny and scary how fast time moves, the older you get. We're lucky to have such a amazing fella- full of energy- as you can see here, (Grandma Jan and Grandpa Owen can appreciate this picture) smart as a whip and funny too. Happy Birthday dude!
Looking forward to a long weekend in St. George, watching the birthday boy play soccer and relaxing too. Have a great President's Day weekend.

kid note

I found this note/drawing among M's (10 yrs.) papers. Purely fictional she assures me... but I want the story on John and his gal Jen R. and where does she get her nails done?

gingerbread

In keeping with holiday tradition and because the kids wouldn't stop hounding me... we (finally) made gingerbread houses.

We managed to get 4 small houses out of one batch of gingerbread, thank goodness, a few wreaths and one evergreen tree too.

A couple of regular houses, one A-frame and a modern design that looks a lot like a church built in the 70's- everyone was happy armed with handfuls of sugar plums and candy canes ready to decorate. I think I might have gone a little overboard on the amount of candy, but you don't want to perhaps impede the serious builder with a lack of proper sugary & colorful ingredients.

M's house has star shaped windows...as you can see, the Dots (candy) are so irresistible, one has already been snatched and gobbled off the front entryway.

Apparently, a fancy yard means more than a really elaborately detailed house, or maybe it's just easier to pick M&M's off a flat surface a little later on. I think that's how you know you're not a kid anymore- eating candy off a gingerbread house sounds kind of like drinking water out of the gutter...

19 wonderful years

Today, we have been married 19 years. I can't believe I'm old enough to say that.
This isn't our engagement picture, but one from the roll of film shot that day. Can you see why we didn't use it? This picture says so much, and is wrong for so many reasons-  First of all- what is with my dress? It used to be one of my favorites, I wore it all of the time- in this picture I could have weighted 200 lbs. or 100 lbs. (OK, maybe not quite 100 lbs.) and no one would ever know. How am I suppose to gauge how I'm doing 19 years later with a fit like that?
Then there are Steve O's ripped jeans, this speaks volumes for family history and fashion buffs alike...
The crazy face? Funny, I've seen Steve O pull many faces since, but I don't think I've ever seen this one again- he sure does love getting his picture taken.
Ahh- good times, these 19 years, I wouldn't change the last 15 for anything (this is his joke, not mine).
Happy Anniversary dear.

Laser sailing

A Sunday sail Steve O and Q- at Jordanelle. In a few months the ski hill you see in the background (Deer Valley in Park City UT) will be covered with snow.
I'm kind of excited about it, kind of not.
I think I'll just focus on the upcoming Labor Day weekend- the grande finale o' summer fun.

school lunch

First grade is tough- little ones need to adjust to the long day of sitting still and listening, not wandering about doing exactly what they want, when they want to do it.
Tough stuff.
C started 1st grade on Tuesday and his mood has been deteriorating all week. This is very hard for me, the Mom, to watch the little fella stress out about going to school the next day, crying himself to sleep. Trying to get to the bottom of the problem and find out what exactly was making him so sad, I quizzed him on the possible problems- the kids, curriculum, teacher, having to sit still so long, shiny happy faces, too hot or too cold, lunchtime, recess...
Roughly all of it, was his reply, but then he shared that lunch makes his tummy hurt, before and after he's actually eaten. Recess- not much better either, he imparted.
At this point his 10 year old sister M, who had been listening to the who conversation chimed in, "Eating lunch in the school cafeteria is freaky- those kids are crazy." She paused, perhaps for emphasis, and then continued to add details after reading the skeptical look on all our faces- the crowd was growing, Q (14 yr. old) had now joined the conversation.
"No really Mom," M pleaded and then began to demonstrate, "the kids get their corn dogs, peel off the corn coating and then wiggle the cornless dog around on the stick." She made a dorky face as she illustrated the event and those involved, "all the boys laugh- they think it's SO funny!"
Then Q chimed in, "It's true! I've see it, you should see them squeeze the grease out of the grilled cheese sandwiches!" another demonstation followed.
I begin to get the picture, it comes back into focus- all my days spent in school cafeterias when I was a kid. Oh dear, I recall the madness. The noise, sights and smells- hundreds of kids, lots of food, spotty supervision.
Who doesn't remember scavenged containers filled with ketchup, mustard, juice, milk and grilled cheese sandwich grease... hurriedly mixed together with corn dog sticks then passed around on a dare, potato chip bags exploding all around you, naked hot dogs on sticks-
My tummy is started to hurt too.