The world has combined to stop me from blogging. But don't worry, I'm picking up the torch again. I've missed so many wonderful things in the last year. I've got hundreds, maybe thousands of pictures with stories to go along, that haven't been chronicled at all. I've failed!
I'd like to make a list of obstacles that I'm overcoming now so that the blog can live on:
1. Kids. Yes, they are my reason for blogging, but--and this may come as a surprise--they also take a lot of my time.
2. Hormones. I have to be in the right mood to write. If I write when the inspiration isn't there, it comes out sounding cross, negative, snarky and uninspiring. If you look through, you'll see a post like that every now and then :) Much of 2012, I was battling some hormonal imbalance that caused spikes in whatever hormones make me mean or depressed, and it was happening more intensely and twice as often as it ought to. Once I had to leave church because I COULD NOT smile. Spencer politely suggested I go home. I went home and ate chocolate and watched General Conference on my DVR from my bed, and the whole world was better off that way. Anyway, most of last year I was in this uninspired mood.
3. That hormonal imbalance was miraculously cured! By a pregnancy! Which meant that the remainder of 2012, I was lying on the couch trying not to vomit and having only the energy--physical and mental and emotional--for the absolute necessities.
4. My computer got knelt upon. It was my fault. For Christmas we went to Chicago and I left my laptop in the back pocket of a seat, a seat that was folded down for access to the back seat. Caitlin innocently knelt on the seat as she climbed out of the van and CRACK! the screen is all messed up. I tried to keep using it, but it's pretty completely useless. So all my pictures are waiting to be put on Spencer's comp.
5. I got a new camera! yay! But that also has been delaying my blogging as I'm still working on how to download them, etc.
Okay, there are all the reasons. I list them only to remind myself what this time was all about. What was going on behind the sad lack of posting.
Just last week I made the first year of my blog into a book, and I'm anxiously awaiting it in the mail. It was so rewarding to put that book together and I am now very, very grateful that through the years I've kept this blog. What would I do without those written accounts of what our life was like? And the ride isn't over yet, and so I continue.
On to the blog-future!
"There's a tire swing, baby, at the end of our rope"
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Cadence vs the Tooth
Cadence is 6 1/2. She has been checking her teeth daily since she was 5 years old for a loose tooth. She has waited in anguish for her turn. She has longingly admired cousins and friends who's teeth have gone missing.
And then one day, it happened. A loose tooth! Front bottom left. She loved it. She spoke of it often. She wiggled it endlessly and asked often when it would finally come free. I tried to help her to be patient but she isn't exactly built that way (and who of us is? :) ).
A couple of weeks ago I sent her off to practice her piano and then noticed after a few minutes how quiet the house was. I turned around to investigate and found her near the front door. Like this:
I was so proud of her drive to get that tooth out at any cost. After several attempts to slam the door shut and yank the tooth out, which didn't work because the twine was longer than her distance to the door, she got one of those lightbulb ideas. Her face lit up and she changed her approach. Instead of slamming the door closed, she would use the twine to pull the door open. When the door flew open, it would smack her in the face and VIOLA! the tooth would be knocked out. Genius! Honest, I can't make this stuff up.
Then next day when she got off the bus, I noticed she wouldn't look right at me or smile, and then I noticed the small tooth-sized treasure box in her hand. I looked up and ordered her to show me her smile, which she couldn't help but do, though she tried not to. And there it was. WAIT! Let me get the camera!
Later in the day she admitted quietly that her plan was to not tell anybody that her tooth had fallen out, so that she could see for herself if the tooth fairy were real. Clever little thing!
That night as the tooth fairies were climbing into bed, Mr. Fairy said, "THE TOOTH!" Phew, they almost totally ruined that magical moment in a child's life. He went to the room to make the trade and came back a little befuddled. He handed Mrs. Fairy the note Cadence had left with her tooth:
I can't seem to upload the picture so this is what it said, in adorable six-year-old handwriting:
"Dear, tooth fairy Have fun with
My tooth. I Hope I get $1.25 for it
Sincely,
cadence"
Well, that was considerably more than the Fairies were planning to pay. But Mr. Fairy knew just what to do. They don't pay him the big bucks for nothin'. He responded that to earn 1.25, she'd need to lose 5 teeth, but that, since this is her first tooth, he would give her the quarter for the tooth, PLUS a Canadian quarter. Just this once.
In the morning, Spencer went to get the girls up for scriptures and he was able to witness Cadence checking her pillow.
"Dad, this looks like your writing. Did you write this?"
---Er, uh, what is a parent to do about that?
Don't worry, Spencer didn't sweat it (that's why I pay him the big bucks).
"Yeah, Cadence. Do you really think I would dress up like a fairy and fly down the chimney just to put this under your pillow!?!"
"Oh, yeah, you're right, Dad."
Happy Childhood Intact. Phew.
And then one day, it happened. A loose tooth! Front bottom left. She loved it. She spoke of it often. She wiggled it endlessly and asked often when it would finally come free. I tried to help her to be patient but she isn't exactly built that way (and who of us is? :) ).
A couple of weeks ago I sent her off to practice her piano and then noticed after a few minutes how quiet the house was. I turned around to investigate and found her near the front door. Like this:
I was so proud of her drive to get that tooth out at any cost. After several attempts to slam the door shut and yank the tooth out, which didn't work because the twine was longer than her distance to the door, she got one of those lightbulb ideas. Her face lit up and she changed her approach. Instead of slamming the door closed, she would use the twine to pull the door open. When the door flew open, it would smack her in the face and VIOLA! the tooth would be knocked out. Genius! Honest, I can't make this stuff up.
Then next day when she got off the bus, I noticed she wouldn't look right at me or smile, and then I noticed the small tooth-sized treasure box in her hand. I looked up and ordered her to show me her smile, which she couldn't help but do, though she tried not to. And there it was. WAIT! Let me get the camera!
Later in the day she admitted quietly that her plan was to not tell anybody that her tooth had fallen out, so that she could see for herself if the tooth fairy were real. Clever little thing!
That night as the tooth fairies were climbing into bed, Mr. Fairy said, "THE TOOTH!" Phew, they almost totally ruined that magical moment in a child's life. He went to the room to make the trade and came back a little befuddled. He handed Mrs. Fairy the note Cadence had left with her tooth:
I can't seem to upload the picture so this is what it said, in adorable six-year-old handwriting:
"Dear, tooth fairy Have fun with
My tooth. I Hope I get $1.25 for it
Sincely,
cadence"
Well, that was considerably more than the Fairies were planning to pay. But Mr. Fairy knew just what to do. They don't pay him the big bucks for nothin'. He responded that to earn 1.25, she'd need to lose 5 teeth, but that, since this is her first tooth, he would give her the quarter for the tooth, PLUS a Canadian quarter. Just this once.
In the morning, Spencer went to get the girls up for scriptures and he was able to witness Cadence checking her pillow.
"Dad, this looks like your writing. Did you write this?"
---Er, uh, what is a parent to do about that?
Don't worry, Spencer didn't sweat it (that's why I pay him the big bucks).
"Yeah, Cadence. Do you really think I would dress up like a fairy and fly down the chimney just to put this under your pillow!?!"
"Oh, yeah, you're right, Dad."
Happy Childhood Intact. Phew.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Bad Guys Don't Eat Quiche
The kids keep saying stuff I swear i wont forget which means that it's likely I won't even be able to tell Spencer that night what it was. So I'm going to record a few of my favorites. The title of the post is from dinner last night when we had quiche. I'm not sure who said it first but soon they were all in agreement and saying it repeatedly to assure eachother of it's veracity. You'll notice that bad guys come up a lot around here.
Just now, I told Layla to stay on the couch watching a movie so that I could shower. To that she said in her sugary-sweet voice, which each word prounouced clearly and separately, the way she does, "Can I come and see yo' bottom and see if you have a taiw (tail)?"
Campbell's prayers have been focused on mainly one thing lately: bad guys. Please bless all the bad guys to want to be good guys, or please bless that no bad guys come but if they do, Abby will bite them and Cadence will punch them and Layla will scratch them and I will kick them and punch them, because I really want to punch a bad guy. Or, please bless Miss Leslie (preschool teacher) that no bad guys will come but I will punch them if they do...
Last Saturday as we were cleaning the playroom, Cadence (who was constantly trying to create a persuasive enough argument to get her out of the rest of the work) began complaining of a very minor scrape or bump. Spencer reminded her of Gramps Clive's addage "Pain is an old friend". "Oh, Dad...you don't have to tell me about pain. I've had my foot bleeding, I've had a fingernail fall off, I've had my thumb ripped off, I've had...." and on and on as she listed every major and minor injury she could recall. Then she proudly showed me her muscles and said, "See mom, did it make me stronger?" Just as Gramps says it does :)
Another thing Cadence has done which has really impressed me is her piano practice. She's only been in lessons for about a month and she was assigned this week a really simple, but complicated compared to the 3-note songs she's been playing, Ode to Joy. After several minutes of practice, she became exasperated. She and I continued to work and work and I became leary of her getting too frustrated and having bad feelings towards piano (which I want to stall as long as possible!) So I suggested she move on to her other book and we'd come back to that piece tomorrow, telling her that the rest might help her improve. She refused! She kept saying in frustration: "Oh, YOU PIANO!!! I JUST DON'T WANT TO..." I kept expecting her to finish that with, "do this" or "try" but it was: "NOT GET THIS SONG!!"
She tried and tried and tried. Then i had to make dinner, and she kept trying! She practiced that song at least an hour that night, and then as soon as she got home from school the next day, and every day this week. She has worked and worked at that song. She loves hearing herself play it. She told me, "I don't actually like the way it sounds, Mom. But I love being able to play it." Ah! It's like a mom's dream come true! Oh please oh please let that never change!
Just now, I told Layla to stay on the couch watching a movie so that I could shower. To that she said in her sugary-sweet voice, which each word prounouced clearly and separately, the way she does, "Can I come and see yo' bottom and see if you have a taiw (tail)?"
Campbell's prayers have been focused on mainly one thing lately: bad guys. Please bless all the bad guys to want to be good guys, or please bless that no bad guys come but if they do, Abby will bite them and Cadence will punch them and Layla will scratch them and I will kick them and punch them, because I really want to punch a bad guy. Or, please bless Miss Leslie (preschool teacher) that no bad guys will come but I will punch them if they do...
Last Saturday as we were cleaning the playroom, Cadence (who was constantly trying to create a persuasive enough argument to get her out of the rest of the work) began complaining of a very minor scrape or bump. Spencer reminded her of Gramps Clive's addage "Pain is an old friend". "Oh, Dad...you don't have to tell me about pain. I've had my foot bleeding, I've had a fingernail fall off, I've had my thumb ripped off, I've had...." and on and on as she listed every major and minor injury she could recall. Then she proudly showed me her muscles and said, "See mom, did it make me stronger?" Just as Gramps says it does :)
Another thing Cadence has done which has really impressed me is her piano practice. She's only been in lessons for about a month and she was assigned this week a really simple, but complicated compared to the 3-note songs she's been playing, Ode to Joy. After several minutes of practice, she became exasperated. She and I continued to work and work and I became leary of her getting too frustrated and having bad feelings towards piano (which I want to stall as long as possible!) So I suggested she move on to her other book and we'd come back to that piece tomorrow, telling her that the rest might help her improve. She refused! She kept saying in frustration: "Oh, YOU PIANO!!! I JUST DON'T WANT TO..." I kept expecting her to finish that with, "do this" or "try" but it was: "NOT GET THIS SONG!!"
She tried and tried and tried. Then i had to make dinner, and she kept trying! She practiced that song at least an hour that night, and then as soon as she got home from school the next day, and every day this week. She has worked and worked at that song. She loves hearing herself play it. She told me, "I don't actually like the way it sounds, Mom. But I love being able to play it." Ah! It's like a mom's dream come true! Oh please oh please let that never change!
Some Notes About the Clive-ings
It's no secret that this blog has been neglected lately. Sorry blog. I've had a writer's block that is directly related to the fact that I've been lying on my couch feeling horrible since November, for the same reason that I've been not as nice/fun as usual--baby on board. being pregnant makes me a little more cynical and my writing reflects that. So I've avoided sharing my thoughts. But now I'm ready to take up the wonderful task of documenting our sweet/funny life. Starting with Spencer and followed by me: (pictures coming soon)
From Spencer's Journal this morning:
My kids keep saying different things that crack me up so I thought I'd write them down. Don't think I do nearly enough of this...
Cadence to Campbell while we were at the dinner table a couple days after Campbell got her new glasses: "You know, kids with glasses can't do popular things."
The other day I was trying to get my kids excited about different cultures and to have a more global mindset... that is one thing that is hard to cultivate in whitebread Arkansas. I spent several minutes telling them great things about different cultures and places I've lived/visited. I told the girls how excited I am to take them to see great countries and cultures.
Cadence - "Well, I don't want to see different countries if it takes too long to get there."
Mom - "We'd go in an airplane so we could get there fast."
Cadence - "That sounds like it would take too long and I would throw up on the airplane. Maybe we should just go to Missouri."
Cadence and I frequently have great conversations in the car on the way to school. Here are snippets of some of those:
Cadence - "I don't like going to school. At lunch sometimes I have to sit next to Indian people and their food smells SO bad."
Cadence - "What do you do in your job?"
Me - "I figure out which of Walmart's commercials make the most money and tell people to spend more on those and less on commercials that don't make much money"
Cadence - "Are you going to be in a commercial?"
Me - "No"
Cadence - "Why not?"
Me - "When you watch TV do you see people as good looking as me on it?"
Cadence - "No"
Me - "They don't want to put me in a commercial because it makes people uncomfortable to see someone so good looking on TV."
Cadence - "Oh, I get it."
Cadence as we were driving past a deer carcass that we've been watching decompose into a pile of bones over the past year - "Dad, on our next Daddy Daughter date we should go see those dead deer bones."
Me - "Wait... you want to go see dead animal bones on our next Daddy Daughter date with your sisters?"
Cadence - "Well, maybe we should wait for my birthday Daddy Daughter date so it can be more special. And then we could go to jump zone."
Campbell just went to the doctor and got glasses last week. The day she came home she was hilarious about her sight... having learned for the first time that she actually doesn't see things very well. She was sitting at the table when I came home and she said "I can't see vewy well." She put her head sideways and held one thumb over the other one. "I can't see which one's my fumb." She also started staring at her plate "Is it puwple? I can't see. It's too bwurwy."
We are at a weird stage where Cadence has started to back talk a lot and Layla is in her tantrum filled threes... making Campbell our easiest going kid for the first time. That being said, she isn't without her moments. A couple weeks ago I sent her to her room for misbehaving and she angrily stomped up the stairs. She went into her room and slammed the door. Then she opened it again and yelled, "FINE. I'm going to slam the doow even hawder. HMMPHF!" Then she slammed the door harder. Then she opened the door. "That's because I'm mad at you... HHMMMPHF!" Then she slammed the door again.
Campbell is very charming too. When I put her to bed she keeps stopping me from leaving "Wait! I want to give you another kiss." Then she has fun with it. Sometimes she'll kiss me in the ear. Sometimes she'll blow a raspberry on my cheek. and sometimes she'll get a crazy look in her eye and hold my face still and come in to kiss be on the lips while fighting back laughter at what a "gross" thing that is. Each time she gives me one of these "gross" kisses she starts to laugh hysterically as I wipe it off.
Layla likes to make a big event of me leaving in the mornings for work. If I start to leave without giving plenty of one on one attention to her I'll hear "NOOO... WAITTT" from whatever part of the house she is in as she scurries toward me for our goodbye. Here are a few things she'll do / say at that goodbye:
Layla - "Did you brush your teef? Blow my mouf!!" Then she opens her mouth wide so I can blow in it and she can taste the minty freshness of my breath (kind of weird).
Layla - "I didn't give you a kiss!!" She franticly runs over to me and then grabs my face extremely tenderly half closes her eyes and slowly and dramatically plants one on my cheek. Very cute.
Just yesterday... Layla - "NO! Dad! Don't GOOO!" She runs up, stops at my feet and lies down on the ground. "I'm a hotdog. Eat me!" I pick her up and start to gobble her. "Wait! You forgot the ketchup!" I pour fake ketchup on her and start to gobble. "Wait! You forgot the mustard!" I pour fake mustard on her and start to gobble. "Wait! You forgot the pickles!" I put pickles on her and then gobble her up.
---------------------
Mardee's Addendum:
One of my favorite things that Campbell and Layla holler as Spencer and Cadence drive away, "Bye Daddy! Don't forget to follow the Golden Rule!!"
Layla has become completely obsessed with "lips", which is how she refers to any lip-product. She is especially fond of, and apparently dependent on "pink lips". I'm not sure how to feel about this, since, as you may know, I myself have been completely attached to "lips" since I was about 10. And still am.
Campbell loves to look around and take in the scenery. Especially when riding her bike. One afternoon as we rode along the bike trail she was particularly distracted. Her head was rolling around on her neck like a pool ball. I kept hollering, "Campbell, watch where you are going!" and then she'd hit an unexpected bump in the path and be jolted back to reality. For about 1 1/2 seconds. "Campbell, watch where you are going! Look ahead! Straighten out! Campbell! You are about to wreck into...." Too late. Her head had rolled around her shoulders and failed to notice that she was going write off the path, which dropped down about a foot and was speckled with trees and shrubbery. Into a bush and up and over she went. She screamed and I couldn't really see her. I halfway jumped off my bike only to remember that I had Layla sitting in the child seat in the back, meaning I really couldn't do a thing with my bike! And Spencer was way ahead with Cadence. Poor kid. She wasn't really hurt, luckily. Not like the time the kids refer to as, "Lolli-lolli-lolli-POP!", Wherein she failed to break on a downward slope and flipped over her bike into a bush going full speed. Yay helmets!
Quick little story that amused me:
The other day in the car I was listening to an old playlist that I made when Cadence was just a tiny baby and, therefore, had no need to discern which songs were appropriate for their listening. My girls love to listen to the lyrics of songs and we enjoy discussing what the lyrics mean. So as we drove the song "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson came on. I love the song because it portrays emotions so strongly and vividly and I enjoy pondering what life incident she is talking about (decidedly the messy divorce of her parents), and yet, the lyrics are basically saying, "I blame you for my inability to progress emotionally". So I listened to the whole song wondering if a) The song is going to portray the message that it's okay to hang our emotional stability on the actions of another, and that we must find somebody to blame for our emotional trouble, or b) this is a great opportunity to discuss the way the song expresses emotions and where the emotions came from and how deeply they are felt, etc.... So I sat, sweating, wracking my brain, trying to decide if I should turn off the song or expose them to this message.... am I ruining them, or giving them a chance to expand their understanding of the world of emotions?
The song ended while I still sat, stressing. Then I asked Cadence, "What do you think that song was about?" Cadence answered with an air of confidence, "it's about how she's so in love and it makes her happy."
Guess sometimes I overthink things...
Cadence is also really paranoid of getting sick and being unhealthy. She self-monitors her dessert-intake and will refuse cake or family night treat if somebody around us is sick. All the girls ask regularly how healthy the food they are eating is, i.e., is it healthier than a carrot? Healthier than fruit snacks? healthier than cake? Somewhere in between? As soon as Cadence feels a symptom she begins to panick and asks all kinds of questions, "what happens if I throw up at school?" "What does a sore throat mean? Do I have strep throat?" "How sick will I be?" It's wonderful that when she feels anxious about getting sick she asks to pray with me. this is how her prayers go: "Dear Heavenly Father, Please please please please please please please please please please please please bless me to not get sick and that I'll stay very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very healthy. Help everybody in our family to stay healthy and especially please please please please please please please please please please please please please bless me to be healthy, In the name..." I promise you I'm not one bit exaggerating, either. Sometimes she wants to pray TWICE. I usually offer to say the second one, in the interest of time :)
Every night I pray that Spencer and I can have the guidance of the Spirit to help us to please please take these strong, bright spirits we've been blessed with in our homes, and to point them in the right direction and give them a love of truth and righteousness. There are a million other things we dream of teaching these kids, but we're learning a little more each day that they have already come to this earth ready to rock it. We just want them to do it in the right way.
I also sort of secretly pray that this next baby will be an eager to please, cooperative, bookish type :) (and that it will miraculously be twins in spite of already having ultrasounds that show just one, so that I never have to be pregnant again).
From Spencer's Journal this morning:
My kids keep saying different things that crack me up so I thought I'd write them down. Don't think I do nearly enough of this...
Cadence to Campbell while we were at the dinner table a couple days after Campbell got her new glasses: "You know, kids with glasses can't do popular things."
The other day I was trying to get my kids excited about different cultures and to have a more global mindset... that is one thing that is hard to cultivate in whitebread Arkansas. I spent several minutes telling them great things about different cultures and places I've lived/visited. I told the girls how excited I am to take them to see great countries and cultures.
Cadence - "Well, I don't want to see different countries if it takes too long to get there."
Mom - "We'd go in an airplane so we could get there fast."
Cadence - "That sounds like it would take too long and I would throw up on the airplane. Maybe we should just go to Missouri."
Cadence and I frequently have great conversations in the car on the way to school. Here are snippets of some of those:
Cadence - "I don't like going to school. At lunch sometimes I have to sit next to Indian people and their food smells SO bad."
Cadence - "What do you do in your job?"
Me - "I figure out which of Walmart's commercials make the most money and tell people to spend more on those and less on commercials that don't make much money"
Cadence - "Are you going to be in a commercial?"
Me - "No"
Cadence - "Why not?"
Me - "When you watch TV do you see people as good looking as me on it?"
Cadence - "No"
Me - "They don't want to put me in a commercial because it makes people uncomfortable to see someone so good looking on TV."
Cadence - "Oh, I get it."
Cadence as we were driving past a deer carcass that we've been watching decompose into a pile of bones over the past year - "Dad, on our next Daddy Daughter date we should go see those dead deer bones."
Me - "Wait... you want to go see dead animal bones on our next Daddy Daughter date with your sisters?"
Cadence - "Well, maybe we should wait for my birthday Daddy Daughter date so it can be more special. And then we could go to jump zone."
Campbell just went to the doctor and got glasses last week. The day she came home she was hilarious about her sight... having learned for the first time that she actually doesn't see things very well. She was sitting at the table when I came home and she said "I can't see vewy well." She put her head sideways and held one thumb over the other one. "I can't see which one's my fumb." She also started staring at her plate "Is it puwple? I can't see. It's too bwurwy."
We are at a weird stage where Cadence has started to back talk a lot and Layla is in her tantrum filled threes... making Campbell our easiest going kid for the first time. That being said, she isn't without her moments. A couple weeks ago I sent her to her room for misbehaving and she angrily stomped up the stairs. She went into her room and slammed the door. Then she opened it again and yelled, "FINE. I'm going to slam the doow even hawder. HMMPHF!" Then she slammed the door harder. Then she opened the door. "That's because I'm mad at you... HHMMMPHF!" Then she slammed the door again.
Campbell is very charming too. When I put her to bed she keeps stopping me from leaving "Wait! I want to give you another kiss." Then she has fun with it. Sometimes she'll kiss me in the ear. Sometimes she'll blow a raspberry on my cheek. and sometimes she'll get a crazy look in her eye and hold my face still and come in to kiss be on the lips while fighting back laughter at what a "gross" thing that is. Each time she gives me one of these "gross" kisses she starts to laugh hysterically as I wipe it off.
Layla likes to make a big event of me leaving in the mornings for work. If I start to leave without giving plenty of one on one attention to her I'll hear "NOOO... WAITTT" from whatever part of the house she is in as she scurries toward me for our goodbye. Here are a few things she'll do / say at that goodbye:
Layla - "Did you brush your teef? Blow my mouf!!" Then she opens her mouth wide so I can blow in it and she can taste the minty freshness of my breath (kind of weird).
Layla - "I didn't give you a kiss!!" She franticly runs over to me and then grabs my face extremely tenderly half closes her eyes and slowly and dramatically plants one on my cheek. Very cute.
Just yesterday... Layla - "NO! Dad! Don't GOOO!" She runs up, stops at my feet and lies down on the ground. "I'm a hotdog. Eat me!" I pick her up and start to gobble her. "Wait! You forgot the ketchup!" I pour fake ketchup on her and start to gobble. "Wait! You forgot the mustard!" I pour fake mustard on her and start to gobble. "Wait! You forgot the pickles!" I put pickles on her and then gobble her up.
---------------------
Mardee's Addendum:
One of my favorite things that Campbell and Layla holler as Spencer and Cadence drive away, "Bye Daddy! Don't forget to follow the Golden Rule!!"
Layla has become completely obsessed with "lips", which is how she refers to any lip-product. She is especially fond of, and apparently dependent on "pink lips". I'm not sure how to feel about this, since, as you may know, I myself have been completely attached to "lips" since I was about 10. And still am.
Campbell loves to look around and take in the scenery. Especially when riding her bike. One afternoon as we rode along the bike trail she was particularly distracted. Her head was rolling around on her neck like a pool ball. I kept hollering, "Campbell, watch where you are going!" and then she'd hit an unexpected bump in the path and be jolted back to reality. For about 1 1/2 seconds. "Campbell, watch where you are going! Look ahead! Straighten out! Campbell! You are about to wreck into...." Too late. Her head had rolled around her shoulders and failed to notice that she was going write off the path, which dropped down about a foot and was speckled with trees and shrubbery. Into a bush and up and over she went. She screamed and I couldn't really see her. I halfway jumped off my bike only to remember that I had Layla sitting in the child seat in the back, meaning I really couldn't do a thing with my bike! And Spencer was way ahead with Cadence. Poor kid. She wasn't really hurt, luckily. Not like the time the kids refer to as, "Lolli-lolli-lolli-POP!", Wherein she failed to break on a downward slope and flipped over her bike into a bush going full speed. Yay helmets!
Quick little story that amused me:
The other day in the car I was listening to an old playlist that I made when Cadence was just a tiny baby and, therefore, had no need to discern which songs were appropriate for their listening. My girls love to listen to the lyrics of songs and we enjoy discussing what the lyrics mean. So as we drove the song "Because of You" by Kelly Clarkson came on. I love the song because it portrays emotions so strongly and vividly and I enjoy pondering what life incident she is talking about (decidedly the messy divorce of her parents), and yet, the lyrics are basically saying, "I blame you for my inability to progress emotionally". So I listened to the whole song wondering if a) The song is going to portray the message that it's okay to hang our emotional stability on the actions of another, and that we must find somebody to blame for our emotional trouble, or b) this is a great opportunity to discuss the way the song expresses emotions and where the emotions came from and how deeply they are felt, etc.... So I sat, sweating, wracking my brain, trying to decide if I should turn off the song or expose them to this message.... am I ruining them, or giving them a chance to expand their understanding of the world of emotions?
The song ended while I still sat, stressing. Then I asked Cadence, "What do you think that song was about?" Cadence answered with an air of confidence, "it's about how she's so in love and it makes her happy."
Guess sometimes I overthink things...
Cadence is also really paranoid of getting sick and being unhealthy. She self-monitors her dessert-intake and will refuse cake or family night treat if somebody around us is sick. All the girls ask regularly how healthy the food they are eating is, i.e., is it healthier than a carrot? Healthier than fruit snacks? healthier than cake? Somewhere in between? As soon as Cadence feels a symptom she begins to panick and asks all kinds of questions, "what happens if I throw up at school?" "What does a sore throat mean? Do I have strep throat?" "How sick will I be?" It's wonderful that when she feels anxious about getting sick she asks to pray with me. this is how her prayers go: "Dear Heavenly Father, Please please please please please please please please please please please please bless me to not get sick and that I'll stay very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very healthy. Help everybody in our family to stay healthy and especially please please please please please please please please please please please please please bless me to be healthy, In the name..." I promise you I'm not one bit exaggerating, either. Sometimes she wants to pray TWICE. I usually offer to say the second one, in the interest of time :)
Every night I pray that Spencer and I can have the guidance of the Spirit to help us to please please take these strong, bright spirits we've been blessed with in our homes, and to point them in the right direction and give them a love of truth and righteousness. There are a million other things we dream of teaching these kids, but we're learning a little more each day that they have already come to this earth ready to rock it. We just want them to do it in the right way.
I also sort of secretly pray that this next baby will be an eager to please, cooperative, bookish type :) (and that it will miraculously be twins in spite of already having ultrasounds that show just one, so that I never have to be pregnant again).
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
bad parenting part 2
We're back here and thank you for joining us for our second installation of how to be an irresponsible parent, where we look deeper into the magical adventure that Spencer and I went on while we left our kids behind!
In today's episode I will share the details of our time in Budapest. And here we go...
To our great advantage, and pleasure, a dear, dear family that Spencer knew in Romania, has since returned to their home country of Hungary, and so we contacted them to let them know we'd be in Budapest and we'd love to see them, if it was convenient for them.
Convenient or not (surely not, but they'd never say it), they transformed into the House of Rusz Bed and Breakfast/Travel and Tour Guide Company. The picked us up from the train station, fed us a lunch fit for a king, (mmm, chicken Paprikash), and then started our sight-seeing tour. After years of hearing of Reka, Timea, and Norbert, it was so fun to finally meet them. Reka made sure I was always bundled up and never left behind :), Timea provided the itinerary and historical information, and Norbi provided a little manliness for Spencer to not feel too left out :) Not that he really needed to feel left out, Reka made sure he felt like a king!
Here are some of the wonders of what Spencer and I have decided is the most romantic city in the world:
Did I mention in Vienna I was reeeeeally tired? Well, I was, a little. So I missed most of the lovely country-side as we trained from Austria to Hungary, but the sleep was so dreamy!
After taking us to the mission-home/branch meetinghouse to "freshen up" a bit, we headed towards Castle Hill. And that's literal. Castles on a big hill. Over looking the river that separates Buda from Pesta. Wowza. It was breathtaking.
This bridge crosses the river and is lit up at night by hundreds of lights. The Rusz's timed our tour perfectly so that we would come to the bridge just as the sun set and the lights came on. It was magical. There's a legend about those lions that guard the bridge. Something about the artist saying that if anybody could find an imperfection they could have something awesome. Oh, man, my story telling is becoming an awful lot like my joke telling.
We stopped and took a picture of another couple who was trying to take this picture themselves. It was so picturesque that spencer and I thought we'd try it. It looks like it worked better with a tiny little part-Asian with not so many layers and with her hair done. Guess I was not factoring that in when I imagined how perfect this picture was going to be. It was still a peftect moment.
It was pretty dang cold. Everybody was lending me their layers because I'm a baby.
Ancient buildings with countless versions of natural spring water baths. Hot tubs, cold tubs, tepid tubs, etc. And a whooooole lotta elderly people. Can't blame them. It's hard to explain, actually, how this is such a great experience. It was freeeeezing outside, by the way. But that water felt dreamy. Hey Spence---remember those mafia-ish old people who were playing floating chess as they presumably planned their next political coup? They were rad.
We headed over to the famous Cathedral (I can't even remember what it's called now. Dang it.) Timi was feeling a little stressed and needed some time alone with her chinese food, so Reka and Spencer and I went to the cathedral and gave her some decompression time :)
At first we thought these hand-painted murals on the ceiling were lovely. Then we realized they were actually mosiacs. And we were astounded. I can't fathom the patience and perfection that required.
Reka, though a member of our church, loves this place and feels a special warmth and reverence there. I thought this picture of Spencer and Reka in such a place was an appropriate ending to our Budapest story.
After the cathedral, Reka and Timea took us to the train station, with much fear and worry that we would never make it through the rest of Hungary without them. I felt the same way. It was nerve-wracking to say good bye to them and then wonder how in the world to even know if we were getting on the right train, and then how to transfer trains between there and Romania, with no Hungarian guides. We were so grateful for all the ways they opened their home to us, made precious time for us, fed us, guided us, and entertained us. What a wonderful family. There is no tourism as valuable as being in the home of a native and hearing and seeing from their end.
And then off we were, on our own.
I have to admit I was extremely nervous when it got time to transfer and it was late at night, it was raining, we were hungry, we were still in Hungary, and we weren't sure where to stand or how to not miss our next train. But the Lord was looking out for us, and helped us find the ONE passenger who spoke Hungarian and Romanian. She sat with us and made sure we got off at the right time, helped us order food at the tiny little stand at the station, and made sure we got on the next train. Glad that our next stop would be were people speak Romanian, we settled in, and relaxed a little, until the border patrol asked to look at our Passports. This is normal, of course, but when you are in Eastern Europe and you've seen those movies about innocent tourists being abused and taken and confused and used by border patrol who speak some language they don't understand.... I was concerned when they rudely took our passports away somewhere where I couldn't see. And then when they took my HUSBAND somewhere where I couldn't see. I knew they were in the connecting area of the two cars, so I kept my eyes and ears completely tuned to that door. Well, obviously nothing happened. They just asked him questions in Romanian about our stay and were of course brusque and not polite but nobody got detained or anything.
And then we made it to Romania!!
And that is another installment. Thanks for tuning in!
In today's episode I will share the details of our time in Budapest. And here we go...
To our great advantage, and pleasure, a dear, dear family that Spencer knew in Romania, has since returned to their home country of Hungary, and so we contacted them to let them know we'd be in Budapest and we'd love to see them, if it was convenient for them.
Convenient or not (surely not, but they'd never say it), they transformed into the House of Rusz Bed and Breakfast/Travel and Tour Guide Company. The picked us up from the train station, fed us a lunch fit for a king, (mmm, chicken Paprikash), and then started our sight-seeing tour. After years of hearing of Reka, Timea, and Norbert, it was so fun to finally meet them. Reka made sure I was always bundled up and never left behind :), Timea provided the itinerary and historical information, and Norbi provided a little manliness for Spencer to not feel too left out :) Not that he really needed to feel left out, Reka made sure he felt like a king!
Here are some of the wonders of what Spencer and I have decided is the most romantic city in the world:
Did I mention in Vienna I was reeeeeally tired? Well, I was, a little. So I missed most of the lovely country-side as we trained from Austria to Hungary, but the sleep was so dreamy!
We suddenly felt we were not in (Ar)kansas anymore, when we arrived in Budapest. I don't think we were expecting it to feel so foreign! I think the thing about Hungary is that we get used to being able to get by without knowing French, German, Italian, etc., since if you know English you have a sense for at least some of the roots of the words, and if you see the word written, you can kind of figure it out, plus so many people speak at least a little English. So you can get by as a tourist most places in Europe. But as far as I know, Hungarian isn't related to any other language and I'm pretty sure they just use the entire alphabet in different scramblings for each written word. Those people must be SMRT. Anyway, it was impossible. Thank GOODNESS for our hosts!
First thing, they took us back to their apartment to feed us a lunch for royalty! This is Reka (getting into the fridge) and Timea (at the sink) preparring our Chicken Paprikash and some yummy soup, corn, etc.
After lunch we jumped on the bus and started our tour. This is called "Hero Square" and if you look closely you can see that each set of columns houses a statue of a notable King. Timea had studied the history of each king in the square and thoroughly educated us. Spencer and I are kind of nerds for things like that. We couldn't have done better if we had paid for a tour, I KNOW that.
This is maybe the national library? Hmm, don't remember. But there are buildings everywhere you look that have murals and columns and are rich with history hundreds of years older than our oldest buildings. It's crazy!
After taking us to the mission-home/branch meetinghouse to "freshen up" a bit, we headed towards Castle Hill. And that's literal. Castles on a big hill. Over looking the river that separates Buda from Pesta. Wowza. It was breathtaking.
This bridge crosses the river and is lit up at night by hundreds of lights. The Rusz's timed our tour perfectly so that we would come to the bridge just as the sun set and the lights came on. It was magical. There's a legend about those lions that guard the bridge. Something about the artist saying that if anybody could find an imperfection they could have something awesome. Oh, man, my story telling is becoming an awful lot like my joke telling.
We stopped and took a picture of another couple who was trying to take this picture themselves. It was so picturesque that spencer and I thought we'd try it. It looks like it worked better with a tiny little part-Asian with not so many layers and with her hair done. Guess I was not factoring that in when I imagined how perfect this picture was going to be. It was still a peftect moment.
It was pretty dang cold. Everybody was lending me their layers because I'm a baby.
After we crossed the bridge we walked along a lovely little street until we found a little "Piano Bar" restaurant. It was cozy and there really was a pianist playing for us. We sat down to order and then they told us that they don't take credit cards. Wha?!? So Spencer and Timi ran to the nearest ATM and accidently pushed the wrong button and got less cash than he planned. He realized it but figured it would be enough, having checked the prices. Well, when he got back he realized he had unknowingly looked at the prices of only the appetizers and that he was not going to have enough cash. But we were already ordering so what could he do? It was getting cold and late and so he just hoped that we would have enough. In the end, we of course didn't. Spencer had to borrow money from Norbi and Timi (which we paid back, sheepishly) and use a $10 US to tip, which really made Norbi mad. In the end, it was a lovely meal with even more lovely company so it was all good.
Spencer was excited to see that a couple of the Cliff and April Clive family Christmas Newsletters were permanent decorations in Reka's and Norbi's Room/living room.
That night we went back and spent the night in their apartment. Timea gave up her bed and planned to sleep in the same room as Norbi and her Mom, but she didn't really sleep much, as she had postponed her preparations for a big test in the morning so that she could show us her town.
Spencer had committed to take me on a "date" and have some alone time even though we were going to be with mission friends for a great deal of this trip. So the next morning we ventured off alone, much to the disapproval of our tour guide, who didn't think we'd make it on our own and insisted it was "impossibly" expensive. One of the things we wanted to do most in Budapest was the Bathhouses.
After our super romantic date (and after Timea's test) we met back up with Reka and Timi and went to see the Parliament building and instead saw a line from there to here. So we tried our best to schmooze our way in, but all the tours were booked until long after our train was supposed to leave, so we had to say farewell to that idea. But this garden across the way was worth seeing. This is Cadence's favorite picture from our trip:
We headed over to the famous Cathedral (I can't even remember what it's called now. Dang it.) Timi was feeling a little stressed and needed some time alone with her chinese food, so Reka and Spencer and I went to the cathedral and gave her some decompression time :)
This one actually had an elevator, which we forced Reka to take with us. And which is why I enjoyed this vista more than most, possibly :)
I didn't mean to take a picture of "two shining domes" (Spencer's words, not mine), but here it is. Pretty regal, eh?
This cathedral was truly impressive. The giant red marble columns whispered the devotion and blood, sweat, and tears that were given to erect a symbol of dedication to Christ.
Hey there, conference center, found a friend for you:
Reka, though a member of our church, loves this place and feels a special warmth and reverence there. I thought this picture of Spencer and Reka in such a place was an appropriate ending to our Budapest story.
After the cathedral, Reka and Timea took us to the train station, with much fear and worry that we would never make it through the rest of Hungary without them. I felt the same way. It was nerve-wracking to say good bye to them and then wonder how in the world to even know if we were getting on the right train, and then how to transfer trains between there and Romania, with no Hungarian guides. We were so grateful for all the ways they opened their home to us, made precious time for us, fed us, guided us, and entertained us. What a wonderful family. There is no tourism as valuable as being in the home of a native and hearing and seeing from their end.
And then off we were, on our own.
I have to admit I was extremely nervous when it got time to transfer and it was late at night, it was raining, we were hungry, we were still in Hungary, and we weren't sure where to stand or how to not miss our next train. But the Lord was looking out for us, and helped us find the ONE passenger who spoke Hungarian and Romanian. She sat with us and made sure we got off at the right time, helped us order food at the tiny little stand at the station, and made sure we got on the next train. Glad that our next stop would be were people speak Romanian, we settled in, and relaxed a little, until the border patrol asked to look at our Passports. This is normal, of course, but when you are in Eastern Europe and you've seen those movies about innocent tourists being abused and taken and confused and used by border patrol who speak some language they don't understand.... I was concerned when they rudely took our passports away somewhere where I couldn't see. And then when they took my HUSBAND somewhere where I couldn't see. I knew they were in the connecting area of the two cars, so I kept my eyes and ears completely tuned to that door. Well, obviously nothing happened. They just asked him questions in Romanian about our stay and were of course brusque and not polite but nobody got detained or anything.
And then we made it to Romania!!
And that is another installment. Thanks for tuning in!
Friday, June 1, 2012
The Adventures of a Arkansan May
For those less fortunate of you to NOT be one, that is pronounced "Are Kansan" Like you are saying somebody from Kansas, only slightly better :)
Turns out May was a pretty exciting month around here! We started the month off in perfectly fantastic style by sharing a wonderful weekend with our dear dear friends the Hutches. We love us some Hutches. And it turns out their days of being Arkansans are numbered (bittersweet feelings here...), so good thing we did this. We enjoyed showing off our new museum, having a lunch picnic, and then after naps and playtime, heading off to the main event:
DEMOLITION DERBY, baby!!! It was fun to see several of our friends there, too. Man, we love dem derbies. One of these days, guys, it's going to be me...
Look at these kids! They are growing up so much. I could go on about how when we moved to chicago There was 3-yo J, 2 yo Cadence, 1 yo Nico, and Newborn Campbell...
Spencer was beginning to feel pretty gun-ho about being rugged around these parts, so he ordered a camping trip one Friday morning. Well, it was the friday before Memorial Day and no reservations had been made, so we called our friends and asked if their Missourri property was available, which it was. Then I had the uncomfortable task of inviting my friends to get in the mood for a last minute camping trip. yeah, no luck with that :)
The camp:
The dog.
The cuteness:
So it was just the Clives vs. the wild, which turned out to be a great night. One of my truly favorite memories of all motherhood was made that night, actually. After a weinie roast and smores (and pink and yellow Peeps, Layla will remind you), we went out into the meadow and tried to catch fireflies. They were everywhere, it was truly magical, and the girls were so in to it! Words are typically my weapon of choice, but I simply can't give words to describe this magical moment...
The next morning we walked down to the stream and fished some more. We caught a little guy and let him go, after kissing him, of course. We chased frogs. We caught polliwogs. We learned about crawdads. We got soaked. In pajamas. We headed back to camp covered with ticks.
Campbell's first fish:
But it was fun and a great way to make memories, so yes, Spencer, I enjoyed it. :)
The next adventure was our Last Minute Memorial Day Party Boat Day. That was a good one! Sunday after church Mark came up with this plan to rent a 42' pontoon boat on Beaver lake and take several families out all day. So we did. Ah! What fun! Smallwoods, Hatches, Flemings, Thompsons, Clives and Wrights, who brought their ski boat. Holy Canoli, that was a great idea, guys.
There was swimming, tubing, fishing, popsicling, grilling, napping, sunbathing, foot-racing, and romantic-toasting (oh, and it WAS our anniversary, you know that, right?).
That night Spencer and I went out to celebrate our anniversary and went to bed at like 10. Ten! that's some anniversary date :). But we were pretty tuckered. Not as tuckered as we were going to be.
The traditional anniversary picture, above.
You see, there is a magical week in the world of Walmart called "Shareholders'". In this week, hundreds of Walmart associates and shareholders descend upon our vast metropolis of Bentonville for the annual Shareholder's meeting. But, since Walmart owns the souls of most performers, via their labels who depend on Walmart for a great deal of their business. It's an exciting week.
This year the free concerts were Carrie Underwood and Cheap Trick opening for Aerosmith. Free, ladies and gents. So of course we went. And had a great time! All the shows were REALLY good.
So, that's exhausting. Plus my kids weren't sleeping at night. So yesterday my eyeballs were like a zombie's. Red and drippy and heavy. And my body was slow and heavy. And my brain was all but non-responsive. And we went to bed at 8:45. And that is how you end the Adventurous month of Arkansan May.
Turns out May was a pretty exciting month around here! We started the month off in perfectly fantastic style by sharing a wonderful weekend with our dear dear friends the Hutches. We love us some Hutches. And it turns out their days of being Arkansans are numbered (bittersweet feelings here...), so good thing we did this. We enjoyed showing off our new museum, having a lunch picnic, and then after naps and playtime, heading off to the main event:
The next May adventure was fishing! Since Campbell wasn't feeling well, Spencer took Cadence and Layla and Campbell and I had a day to ourselves. The girls were excellent sports but were extremely spoiled. Five rainbow trout were ascertained that morning, and the girls think that every cast ends in a fish. Each catch had to be kissed by each girl.
Above: eeeeeeeeek! they are so cute. I can hardly stand it. (the kids, not the fish)
After the fishing trip they stopped by the "Buss Stop" for legendarily, unneccessarily large ice cream cones. Yum!
Spencer was beginning to feel pretty gun-ho about being rugged around these parts, so he ordered a camping trip one Friday morning. Well, it was the friday before Memorial Day and no reservations had been made, so we called our friends and asked if their Missourri property was available, which it was. Then I had the uncomfortable task of inviting my friends to get in the mood for a last minute camping trip. yeah, no luck with that :)
The camp:
The dog.
So it was just the Clives vs. the wild, which turned out to be a great night. One of my truly favorite memories of all motherhood was made that night, actually. After a weinie roast and smores (and pink and yellow Peeps, Layla will remind you), we went out into the meadow and tried to catch fireflies. They were everywhere, it was truly magical, and the girls were so in to it! Words are typically my weapon of choice, but I simply can't give words to describe this magical moment...
The next morning we walked down to the stream and fished some more. We caught a little guy and let him go, after kissing him, of course. We chased frogs. We caught polliwogs. We learned about crawdads. We got soaked. In pajamas. We headed back to camp covered with ticks.
Campbell's first fish:
We got back to camp and began taking down the tent and packing up the van. I was very overwhelmed with ticks covering my children so I changed their clothes and buckled them into the van to watch "Spirited Away". Not very rugged, but hey, remember I had Lyme Disease? Not very happy about ticks just now.
We got everything packed and ready to go and then couldn't find the dang dog. In the last hour of our adventure she had finally decided that she liked the wild and had gotten a little over-zealous about it. After two hours of looking for her ( = two hours of picking up ticks), we left. Without her. Spencer sighed and suggested we get a roomba and name it Abby.
Isn't she cute? What a sweet thing to be left in the wild.
When we got home, just as we suspected, we had a voicemail saying our dog was found. Phew! Spencer went back to get her and then we spent the rest of the day trying to get ticks off of everybody and everything. I can't tell you the total number of ticks but if I had to guess I would say about 50, including the dog's. 
Isn't she cute? What a sweet thing to be left in the wild.But it was fun and a great way to make memories, so yes, Spencer, I enjoyed it. :)
There was swimming, tubing, fishing, popsicling, grilling, napping, sunbathing, foot-racing, and romantic-toasting (oh, and it WAS our anniversary, you know that, right?).
That night Spencer and I went out to celebrate our anniversary and went to bed at like 10. Ten! that's some anniversary date :). But we were pretty tuckered. Not as tuckered as we were going to be.
You see, there is a magical week in the world of Walmart called "Shareholders'". In this week, hundreds of Walmart associates and shareholders descend upon our vast metropolis of Bentonville for the annual Shareholder's meeting. But, since Walmart owns the souls of most performers, via their labels who depend on Walmart for a great deal of their business. It's an exciting week.
This year the free concerts were Carrie Underwood and Cheap Trick opening for Aerosmith. Free, ladies and gents. So of course we went. And had a great time! All the shows were REALLY good.
I couln't help myself from getting a little "dolled up" for Aerosmith. My shirt says "I [Fender] 80's". It was perfect for both the concert and the Demo derby. good stuff.
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