Thanks

Thanks for reading my blog today. It makes me feel connected. Thanks to the C family for having 6 kids for my 5 to hang out with over at their lovely home today. There's someone for everybody. The food was awesome and the kids played night games outside in the cul-de-sac until 7:30pm.

Thanks for the people who help me with things that I cannot do myself. For JL who gives my big boy a ride to seminary each morning. For the home teacher who looks under the hood of my van to check for the possibility of low steering fluid. For the couple who came and stayed with my kids so I could go to the movies with my girlfriends- thanks! For the family who came over and shared the most delicious brownies with us for family home evening. Those were really good-thanks!

We are truly blessed this season with all of our needs being met. The graciousness of others is very humbling. It is teaching me how to be when I am on the other side of this mess. I just had to take the photo of these turkey blow up lawn decorations that we passed on the way home from Thanksgiving dinner. I think that one turkey is injured and the other one is carrying it on it's back into the woods and to safety. Much like my many friends helping me out at this challenging time in my life. What did you think they were doing? I know I know- but I don't think that's how turkeys do it. I could be wrong. Maybe it's just the inflatable turkeys. Oh I am so off track with this post now....

I wish you the best of everything this Thanksgiving day. A shout out to my dearest T! Love you babe!

D is looking nervous in the tree at the C's.  He wouldn't come down and later fell asleep up there....


Eliza wants to swing, or as she would say "go Wee!" referring of coarse to what she would say not what she would do in her diaper if put in the swing. But maybe it's both.... hmmm.

I want to share with you

This touched me so much today....

Update

As if I don't blog enough already right?  But I feel like I have been treating my blog like a writing contest and that gets lengthy.  Just something to snack on this time...

A list of updates:

1-A is grounded from markers- for life.  She leaves them out for Baby Girl to get and we currently have markers on bedspreads, markers on hardwoods, markers on babies.  It is bad.

2-Middle Boy may have an ulcer.  He complains of stomach pain a lot.  He may also be trying to dodge school because he is letting his grades slide.  Not good.

3-Little Boy has a snaggle tooth (pegged lateral for my dental friends) coming in.  It's tooth #7 (or the one right from center for my non-dental friends).  It looks funny, can we do a veneer on a 9 year old?  How about a flipper?

4-Baby Girl is talking in sentences and taking off her own diaper to sit on her potty.  She is still over a month from turning 2.  Time goes by too fast!

5-N has his appetite back.  We are letting the medications slide a bit since he is now a trained puppy getting himself up and out the door at the unGodly hour of 5:00am.  He comes home giddy and hungry.  His grades are seemingly okay so far, so we shall see.  I am anxious to see him put some weight back on.  He looks anorexic!

6-I thought it would be non-stressful to have a family over last night for FHE (family home evening for my non LDS friends; Latter Day Saints also also); but even though they did the thought and brought delicious brownies I spent the entire day cleaning house for them.  Too stressful!  The boys were made to help me quite a bit and N mentioned in front of this family that the house is clean due to Mom's henchmen.  Where is he picking up these things?

7-This was still lengthy.  Sorry english majors out there.  T says I need to say things without so many words.  I am going to end now and get kids off to school.

Middle Boy

Here you see my Middle Boy 'E'.  At the risk of sounding pompous in my blog I would like to devote this post to him and only him.  The other kids will come later on sometime.  This one is all about E.  Being a middle boy, sometimes it's easy to feel looked over.  I know E has felt this way before because he used to pull his baby brother's hair in an act of jealousy every time someone mentioned Little Boy's lovely red curly locks.  E wouldn't just pull it, he would twist it up around his finger a few times and give it a good yank upwards.  It was then when we (his parents) would look at each other and know that we needed to pay E a bit more attention.  

E likes sports.  He used to spot basketball hoops in people's front driveways as we drove around town.  "Hoops!" our 2 year old would verbalize almost before saying "Ma Ma and Da Da." E likes cars.  He is the best in our family at recognizing and defining moving vehicles from a distance.  We always know there is a nice sports car around when we hear Evan's voice from the back seat saying "sweeeet!"

E is sensitive.  He has taken his Dad's deployment the hardest.  E is my 'finder of things'.  He is serious.  He wants to achieve things.  He always has a good argument up his sleeve.  He loves money.  He loves having a goal and working for it (usually something he is saving his money for). Incidentally he has earned a lot of money finding things for me.  He loves animals, especially dogs.  E is handsome and has his great grandma Fronk's beautiful blue eyes.  He is shy around girls and they are not shy around him. (trouble!)  He has a mean jump shot but is unfortunately very short.  I love E's low giggly laugh.  He likes to goof around with his older brother.  Little boy wants to be just like E.  E is slow to anger but when his fuse finally runs out- you better watch out!  He is good to his baby sister.  He is good to his mother.  He misses his Father.

 I love E!

the Underdogs

The other day T treated a 5-6 year old girl with 2nd degree burns over 30-35 % of her body.  Her name is Bon, and she has been in our prayers constantly.  The girl was close to our daughter's age and he said thoughts of her have been with him every since the incident.  Not only was this girl a victim of accidental burning but then the following day a 2 year old boy came in with a similar wound from 'sitting in boiling milk' (?!)  Maybe over a low cooking spot I assume.  T was much more prepared for this one.   Both burnings were probably due to neglect.  Both within a day of each other.  Neither child was with a parent when brought to the gates of the base.  

I can't help but think of another burn victim who's story I have been following along with thousands of other bloggers like myself.  Stephanie Neileson's case is a different one though.  She has the support of her family and the support of the bloggosphere.  I read an article about her that related her waking up experiences with her husband by her side cheering her on.  He had also been in the plane crash that caused her injuries and suffered less severe burning. But he  could help her, comfort her, let her know that he knew how it felt to wake up to this new and overwhelming truth.  His mother had been there for him when it was his waking up time.  Stephanie is a wonderful person who I am moved to tears about almost every day.  But there are lots of wonderful people.  Lots of victims.  Lots...

Who will be there for these poor Iraqi children?  Will they even get the kind of care they need?  Will it be enough?  How is it that some are blessed with so much and others are seemingly left uncared for?  I know that life is unfair and that things have a way of working out for everyone.  I just am sometimes left to wonder, and then I wonder what I will do about it.  I, who have been given much...

I believe that God has a plan for each of us.  That he loves us each individually and the same.  I had a loving mother who taught me this truth through her example.  When there was a less lovely, less popular, less designer-clad woman sitting alone in church, it was my mother who would seek this woman out in relief society and sit with her.  

I was present at my mother's side no doubt listening in to what was going on, when she told a peddler at the door that God loves us all.  He had been going door to door asking people for any kind of work to put money in his pocket.  He was Tongan I believe and had said something about not being as good as us.  My mother hugged him, and told him it wasn't so.  I will never forget that.  

Sometimes I get angry at the populars of the world who seem to have everything handed to them.  It's a problem I sometimes think I need to work on.  When I was a teenager and was cute but shy and didn't get too many dates (due to shyness and I think being labeled as stuck-up... not due to uncuteness btw), I had the horrible experience of being lined up on a blind date for my Jr prom.  My best friend was also lined up and we doubled.  The dates were relatives of my Mia Maid advisor from church.  They were handsome and a bit grabby.  When they saw who had been announced prom queen they also had the wonderful quality of asking us "Why her? she's not that great..."  What they didn't know was that she was popular by association with her big-deal family.  She was also very nice, but the big deal that was made about her was pretty overdone.  And still continues to this day... Do I sound bitter?  I just don't understand why we don't get that everyone is special in their own way.  We should be reaching out to the less-haves and giving less praise and attention to those who already have a lot going for them.  

When I told T that I had bought some expensive purses from and online auction benefitting the Nielsons he was okay with that, but he also pointed out to me that there are lots of burn victims out there without blogs who weren't big-deals beforehand.  "Wonder where their online auctions are being held at?" was his comment.  I knew there was a reason I loved this man so much.  Like my mother- he gets it.

Want to waste some time?

Press Here  Don't press the image of the dot on my blog.  That will get you the image only.  I see not many of you have been doing this right instead press the link I have placed at the beginning of this paragraph.  Sillies!

Wink, blink, nod

Well the good Lord above must have known I needed a boost today because I got not one, not two but three compliments (of sorts) today lifting my ego considerably. Now I am no looker, but I had it when I needed it. Nothing to recoil at either mind you, just holding my own and still a bit vain, so you can see why these three things meant so much to me.

The first incident was when I was volunteering in A's class and a young 5 year old boy clearly winked at me. Directly.... with impact! I sometimes will wink at the kids and he must have picked up on it- winking at the winker. At the time of 'the wink', the class was participating in quite the congo-line of squirrels. I guess they are starting a new unit of squirrel study and they were pretending to be squirrels marching, eating nuts, and wagging their bushy tails around the two connecting classrooms. I thought it was funny how the teacher reminded them repeatedly that 'squirrels do NOT talk.' Apparently they do wink. I was touched.

The second flirtation (and it should be called such for it was nothing less than flirting) happened outside the school where there was a construction worker standing on the sidewalk. He saw me coming and I smiled and said "hello." I guess I was rather charming because the man who I shall describe as an African American male in his early 50s with a slight Caribbean accent then greeted me with a "look at dis beautiful woman walkin by, hello to you" I smiled and nodded and wondered a bit if I should be so friendly. Don't want to raise his hopes up too high. I thought about telling him I was taken mahn, but I was halfway to the car by then and didn't really think it wise to turn around. Still it made me feel sorta admired and nervous at the same time.

Then the last thing that happened was that while I was in line at the grocery store. A female store manager said when addressing the clerk checking out my groceries (or was that all he was checking out... hmm), "when you are finished helping this nice young woman you can take your break" Yes folks, she called me young woman. Did she know that I just turned 40? That probably would have surprised her. It wouldn't have been the first person to be surprised by the news.  Myself included.

So I was walking tall today with all these attentions. I must be doing something right!

What a Day!

We like to play a little game in my family called 'Tell me your goods bads and funnies of the day' I am not sure where we picked it up, but sometimes it helps to get the ball rolling in the conversation department. So to vent a bit on the blog tonight I will present to you my goods bads and if I have any, funnies of the day. Let's think positively and start with the goods. Hmm... Having a bit of a hard time with that one. We'll come back to it so as to end on a good note. Bads, where to start? How 'bout let's go in order of the events of the day- mm K? N forgot to take his ADD meds this morning so he forgot lunch money, forgot to tell me about it in the car on the way from seminary to school, and forgot his violin. He probably forgot more things, but fiddle dee dee I forget what... Plus, after school he was as goofy as a clown without ADD meds on board. Only this clown did not have any good material to work with and was hungry and grouchy as well.

Big Girl was feeling lonely at school so she decided to spend a good hour or more in the nurses office chatting away until I could get there. And I am learning a thing or two about this school nurse. She's not really a nurse at all and she likes to talk... A LOT. So maybe she was feeling a bit lonely and needed some practice taking temperatures on little girls who are pretending to be sick. Someone should tell her that 99.8 and 99.9 aren't really that high for a temp and if it goes up by .1 that doesn't mean "it's heading somewhere" it just means the thermometer isn't accurate each time you stick that thing in her ear. Audrey spent the rest of the day tormenting her little sister and running around the house. She would also get really grouchy when I called her a 'big fat faker.' (Touchy!)

My funnies where when I read my friend Eileen's blog about a place called Middlefart. That's a funny name for a place. I also thought it was a bit funny that when E's coveted, self purchased, gotta-have-it-please-mom sweatshirt arrived in the mail it was 2 sizes to big for him. That was also a bit sad since he was so let down. Oh another one of my bads (yes, back to the bads) was when we were writing letters to our dad in Iraq and N was outside the room and E confided to me that sometimes he doesn't like his brother N. I had to admit that sometimes N is hard to like. But I didn't say that one out loud. It was good (see now I'm on to the goods) that even though N was sassy and wouldn't do his laundry folding job that he was repentant enough to not argue about his punishment. It was good that for most of the day I was able to keep it together- why oh why did the missing band-aides have to push me over the side? It was actually that and the simultaneous recorded call from the high school that I only got to hear the last important words of (thanks E!) that pushed me 'over the side' (as we still say since 5 year old N coined that phrase for us long ago). More goods- I need more goods. I IM chatted and video conferenced with T today, that was good. Phone call from a good friend was good. I am looking at a 10:00 pm bedtime here so that is good. (about 2 hours earlier than usual) I am alive and kicking, and as Scarlett Ohara (my heroin) would say in her southern drawl "tomorrow... is another day!"
PS there's no milk in the house- I just couldn't end on a good note could I?

One of these things is not like the other...

Nathan gives me a birthday massage with my new gadget

A delicious birthday cake made by my new friend Lia

Lovely birthday flowers sent to me by my Plucky (they did last all week and were still in bloom on 11-11 despite the early delivery).

Some disturbingly long toenails on Little Boy that could put an eye out if we are not careful

Team Cougar

One thing that is sorta my Dad's mantra is that we are "_______s and they are tough" (maiden name removed for privacy purposes but imagine a tough sounding last name like the 'Gritts' the 'Moxys' or perhaps the 'Cougars'). I can remember him telling me this when I was away at school for the first time at Colorado Northwestern Community College. It was a whole 300 miles from home, and to console me before leaving he said something like, We are tough as nails and we have that Cougar Bounce! You'll be fine! Then when they left, I plopped my 18 year old self on the top bunk of the room I shared with the room mate I had yet to meet, and bawled my Cougar eyes out. But he was somewhat correct. After about 2 weeks, my Cougar bounce started to show and I was snarling at people and showing my Cougar claws. I had to bravely recruit patients to be my guinna pigs in the dental chair- that took courage! I had to turn down endless invitations to go to keggers. I had to fight of frisky boyfriends, go to church alone, and on and on. I invented a ritualistic thing to show myself I belonged to H hall (the only co-ed dorm btw). Every time I passed a certain spot in the dorm hallway I touched a red button that had some unknown purpose. It was more like a light than a button. It didn't trigger anything- just a habit like the Notre Dame football team touching their 4 leaf clover dude on their way out to the football field. (Didn't you see Rudy?) It seemed to give me power and soon my mealy-mouthed room mate Pam was touching the button too. A trend setter!

Months later when I would call home with a problem with my hard life my father would again mention my Cougarness and I started to believe him. We cougars were like invincible or something! The toughness truly came from my Father's side. So he was most proud of it. I recall my youngest sister actually having a dream of being chased by a tiger and instead of being afraid, she mounted the tiger and rode off into the sunset.... Cougar bounce my friends.

Some in my family are not Cougars. They come from a different blood line. My family is combined. Dad will often point out the differences. The 'Milkmaids' have a calmer disposition. Slow to anger, but sensitive and sometimes grudge holders. Never needed spanking. Not the Cougars. I was spanked plenty of times and even recall a time when Mrs Stansfield my kindergarten teacher one-handedly grabbed my cheeks and closed her grip on my face to stop me from sassing or something. Did I get nervous or sad? NO! My Cougar roared up and through those squished up cheeks I stuck my tongue out! Can you believe I did such a thing? Well I did. And I was sent to Principal Eddenfield for it. (Real names used- it was 35 years ago for heaven's sakes!)

When my husband talked to my dad about the idea of asking for my hand in marriage, he has a clear memory of something my Dad said to him about my capabilities as a wife and mother. "K is strong, and strong-willed. Treat her nicely and she will respond in kind, but one word of cation... Never pinch her cheeks, it's like unleashing an avalanche!" (kidding). He went on to give this great advise though "When you decide to start a family she will serve you well. She could probably handle like 6 or 7, maybe 8 kids.... but you two better talk that over and decide what you'd like to do" (gee thanks), Troy was a bit taken aback. We've settled for 5 but that is nothing to sneeze at and I am sure I could have handled more due to my Cougarness and all. But we have done okay I think.

Medical school, residency, being a military family, and living overseas have all been hard things. But once again, my Dad would say time and again "You are a Cougar and you can handle anything that comes your way."


So where am I going with this? I guess I am trying to screw up my Cougar courage since it was my first crybaby day today. I may have some Milkmaid moments, but deep down I am a Cougar, and just may be indestructible. So worry not for me people. I am sticking out my symbolic tongue at this deployment thingy. At least for today.