Earthquakes

Ok, Keryn, as our resident geologist, even if earthquakes aren't your forte, what is your take on the 250 earthquakes in three days that have shaken Yellowstone?

Nativity Play

Here is a great memory from our Christmas last year with my side of the family. Enjoy our own special Christmas Pageant.



And here is part 2.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve has always been my very favorite part about Christmas--the lights in the dark night, the anticipation, the final practice of the Christmas play, the testimony meeting...Christmas morning is always fun, but Christmas Eve is always more spiritual.

So I wanted to tell you all how much I love the gospel. I am so grateful for the opportunity we have to have the Spirit in our lives. I am grateful that I have a testimony of Jesus Christ and His redeeming sacrifice--and I am so grateful that I can repent and become a better person. I am grateful for my family--my own little (growing) family, with my marvelous husband and my sweet children. I am grateful for my big extended family as well--I love you! Thank you for being my family. Thank you for marrying into our family (those of you who made the choice to join the craziness). Thank you for putting up with me, for helping me become a better person, for loving me.

Merry Merry Christmas, everyone. God bless us, one and all!

RE: Aaron

You're not the only one, Jenafer. I felt the same way while watching the show. But I thought it was awesome that he gave $100,000 to that homeless shelter. That was way awesome. I was okay with giving money to Aaron, because it didn't seem to make any difference in the amount he gave to other people. It was exciting to see my cousin on national TV, though! And if he truly does go into the wheelchair making business, I hope he does fabulously well. My Gid-kid hopefully won't need one, but you never know, and it would be nice to get a good wheelchair if he does!

Love you all very much. It was a topsy-turvy day for everyone today--we were all of us out-of-sorts. Probably because tomorrow is the longest night of the year, naturally.

correction

We took our pictures. They turned out great and we will get them on Dec 23, so I will send them with Mom, to give to David and Telima, to give to Keryn. And I will be able to give them to LaDale and Samuel, of course, so everyone will have them soon! Thanks!

Aaron's performance

Don't get me wrong. I love our cousin and he is a great, worthy kid. But I hope that you all understand that when I watched that show, all I could think was...Don't give it to Aaron! He's fine! He has good parents, who love him, a good home, ect. Give the money to the homeless teens who are about to be thrown out of their building! Aaron's fine!

I was really glad he did indeed give the biggest chunk of money to the homeless teens, and I understand from Mom that the twenty thousand Aaron did get has been put aside for his education, (It's what I would have done!) but I also noticed that the show was very careful not to show Aaron at his house. That would have destroyed the illusion that all the money went to needy individuals.

On another note, I have just spent the last twenty-four hours running, running, running, trying desperately to clean, cook, entertain...just generally trying to keep ahead of a dozen eleven, twelve and thirteen year old boys. In case you hadn't guessed, Benjamin had his slumber, excuse me, sleep over party last night. (slumber parties are for girls!) He specifically asked me to not call bedtime, but instead to call it 'curfew,' then he asked me what curfew meant!

Now, I have to run, run, run again. This time to get everything done so I can fully enjoy my visit with Mom and LaDale. We have family pictures today at 1:00. It's a little late to get them out to everyone for Christmas, but we'll get them out as soon as we get them back.

On another note, I haven't been able to get as work done on my book as I had hoped and it's not quite done yet. I have another chapter, maybe two, to finish and then I'll send it out. If you would like to see what I have gotten done, email me and I'll send it out to you unfinished. But really, I should be done soon enough, so I would suggest waiting.

Love ya all!

WOW

That is so awesome, Samuel--it would be so cool if you got to go. And you already have a passport...what an experience that would be! I'll cross my fingers for you.

(Say "hi" to Adam's little doll Heber for me!)

And happy birthday Ephram, too! We had a pretty fun evening with Telima, Tyler, and crew, eating spaghetti, doing presents, and watching Aaron Fotheringham on "Secret Millionaire". Which was really amusing, to be honest. Awesome, but funny.

If you didn't get to watch it, you can catch it on Hulu.com

And tomorrow is spina bifida clinic and Gideon's CT scan (it's just a baseline scan to have for reference, there's nothing wrong with him). Not looking forward to that, but such is life. Love you all!

Wow!

That is about all I can say. Samuel, just wow! Congradulations! I really hope that you can go. Count me in to help out around here at home so you can take advantage of that great opportunity. If I thought it would make a difference I would even volunteer to babysit so Caren could go with you! WOW!

Also, Happy birthday to two beautiful big brothers (And little brothers, too!)
Happy Birthday, Ephram and Gideon!

Potential Opportunity

I just recieved an email from one of the faculty over the fellowship I have this year. He informed me that there is a chance I could go to Taiwan this summer for 2 and a half weeks to discuss teaching nanotechnology to k-12 students. I do not know if I will be able to go but I informed him of my interest in going. I'll let you all know as this unfolds. SKT

Two years ago...

It was snowing like this, too, only instead of being in Spanish Fork, Bradley and I were in South Jordan, just about heading out to a doctor's appointment to see if we were still going to induce Baby Dule in two days. Except I was pretty sure I was in labor. And I was...because my darling Gideon-boy was born that evening, just before 7pm.

Happy 2nd Birthday, big boy. You've done so much more than I thought possible that winter evening, when I looked at my bruised, tiny, sweet boy in the incubator, as they got ready to transfer you over to Primary's. I love you!

Something that doesn't happen often

Well, the TV program I was watching was just interrupted with some news. They just announced that all schools would be closed tomorrow because of the snow. We are going to have a Snow Day. Of course, what closes our schools would only be a slight dusting in Colorado. We just simply have no way to clean the roads off. The airport is not closed but most of the flights are delayed or canceled. Just a very untypical day here in the sunny city of Las Vegas.

AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so impossibly old! My sweet, little baby boy is 12 YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But on the up side, I now have a built in babysitter!

I guess I'll live.

Labels

As I have about 10 minutes free time right now (free time meaning I am choosing to write as opposed to grading papers, writing lesson plans, doing my laundry, or fixing dinner) I will add a quick update to the blog.

One: I think Mom ought to paint an intricately detailed world map on her ceiling that way when it's late at night and she's reading or watching t.v. and needs to look up a location, she can simply shine a high powered flashlight above her and find whatever information she needs on her ceiling. Michelangelo- eat your heart out.

Jenafer- about your question- as with most things in life, there is no easy answer because the answer, in my opinion, is both yes and no and here is why? Actually- in my quick ten minutes I cannot give you an adequate answer. I believe it is true that part of our ability to perform is based on expectations- whether you are a child or an adult. I guess it depends on where your expectations come from. Some people get their expectations from a label (gifted, learning difficultly, smart, dumb etc.) For some people in the world- this is the only expectation they know.

A statement I have heard in my classroom often is, "Well, she's in Tag (Talented and Gifted)," when a Tag student gives a correct response to a question. I hate it because it seems to preclude that another students (not in Tag) could have come up with that same correct answer. It almost seems to exclude the "non" Tag student from even trying to find out the answer. In addition- it does not credit the Tag student for any research or work of his/her own to find the answer, as if he/she was born with the correct response, that it required the no effort on his/her part to find the correct answer. I think labels used in that manner demean both students in their efforts and abilities.

On the other hand, there has to be some way to understand a student's ability and learning styles so we (as teachers) can challenge that student so they can both grow and succeed- both the "TAG" students and the "LD" students (learning difficulties). It is a tough tight rope.

On the third hand- isn't it great, though, when our expectations can come from somewhere totally different- The Lord. Not that this doesn't exempt us from labels from the world- but it does allows us to put those "labels" in the correct framework to use or discard as needed to complete the work the Lord has sent us here for.

Goodness- look at the time. I need to get out of here and I haven't read this over to proofread it. I hope it makes some sense. Love you all and Merry Christmas!!!

LaDale

RE: Babe in Toyland

Wow, Jen. I'm trying to give the most charitable explanation for that little boy's parents...it IS possible he just wandered out of the house after waking up in the middle of the night. I still have little nightmares about the time about three months ago that Mercy went looking for me, at 3 am, outside...let me tell you, thank heavens for the Spirit, mother's intuition, or whatever. I found her on the front steps, crying, for her Mommy. And trust me, the doors were locked and everything.

Still...freaky. Makes me want to invest in a chain for my doors.

About schooling...yes, I'd like to hear LaDale's take on that. When she comes out from under the last week of school with her...active...ten year olds.

Question

This is actually specifically for LaDale.

I read an article today that a Montgomery, AL school district has decided to drop the gifted designation for their higher achieving students. They say that this will in no way change the previously denoted gifted schooling, just the name it is called by.

The reason's given for this name change is that the tests used to judge who takes these classes seem to favor White and Asian children as they qualify for the program at double the number of Blacks and Hispanics. Officials seem to think that the kids not labeled as gifted are being slighted and made to think that they are unable to achieve academically.

Now, I know my kids, but have never been exposed overmuch to large numbers of kids and their studies. So my question to you, LaDale, is...Do you think that the failure to be labeled gifted is indeed making those kids feel that they can never achieve academically, so they never try? Or is this whole thing simply political correctness gone wrong?

Who else has seen this?

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=11116126&ch=4226713&src=news

Has anyone else seen this? I just want to know where this child's parents were? Also, I know that the employee who left the door unlocked was probably fired, but thank goodness he did! I shudder to think of what might have happened to this little guy if he hadn't been able to get into the toy store.

Nevermind about the boomwhackers, this is what I really want...

Or, you know, a Fezzik T-shirt or a Vizzini T-shirt...

Re: Caren's thought

Thank you so much for the suggestion. It is something we have actually tried in the past. Unfortunately, it didn't work. Heather can't seem to get over her anger and frustration to get anything out of it. Heather seems to go into an almost self loathing behavior that disturbs me on many levels. She says that she "doesn't deserve anything good" and is kind of punishing herself for her breakdowns.

We keep trying though. She does love to draw! By the way, she hasn't had a break down today. We managed to get through church without tears! Yeah!

a thought to consider

when i'm stressed out i find that i really enjoy cleaning. It helps calm me. {doing things with my hands is very therapeutic} Beading, drawing etc. Cleaning is my favorite though. Anyway Jen here is a thought for heather. I know she likes to draw, so when she's upset try to get her to do something draw, paint color etc. Maybe it will help calm her and allow her to cope. I'm not claiming that this will work, but hey it's something to try if you want.

love caren

Heather and tweens

I'm sorry, Keryn. I am not going to write a parenting book. But I do appreciate your offer to buy that book. But I would never make you do that! You would just have to constantly call me and ask for my advice and pearls of wisdom. We would spend so much time on the phone that Mercy would be forced to be a perfect angel just to have some parental attention. Then she would grow up and go away!

Love ya!

So juicy SWEET!

(We likes oranges, yes we do, presssscious.) (Especially the little clementine cuties you can buy this time of year.)

About Heather: darned if I know. Be sure to learn all the mysteries of tween-age girls so that by the time Mercy hits this age, you'll have written a best-selling parenting book about it. I'll buy your book and therefore avoid all the whining and angst that comes with that age!

Oh, and: SNOW!!!!!!! Lots and lots of it. Gorgeous, blizzard-y, very very nice.

Happy Winter!

Mom's ceiling and whining children

First of all, I've got nothing for you, Jenafer. I'm still trying to be consistent and strong with Katy's 2 year old fits. I wouldn't have any clue what to do with a 10 year old throwing fits. As for mom's ceiling...well, I think she should go for more of a jungle theme. You know, green with parrots and panthers, lots of beautiful flowers, and of course, vines hanging down for the grandchildren to swing across the room on. I think it would be really cool. =) So, that's my vote! Love you all!

Fair Warning

I feel it only fair to warn everyone in my family about a very serious issue that has the possibility of affecting each and every one of you. That very serious issue is the severely annoying whining of my oldest daughter. Heather is trying every ounce of patience I posses as well as all that I beg the lord to bless me with.

Case in point. Yesterday, Benjamin had a scout camp out. Since he wasn't going to be around, Heather begged and received permission to have a friend spend the night. So did Jacob. Heather's friend, Angel, ended up not being able to come without any real explanation why. Jacob's friend did come. Heather screamed, cried, sat in the corner and rocked, and generally was very annoying for about two and a half hours. Every time she saw Jacob's friend she renewed her fits because, "It makes me sooooooooooo sad to see his friend. Angel must not be my friend. I guess I won't be her friend anymore. If she was really my friend, she would have come over. She hates me! I just know that she does! She doesn't want to be around me anymore!" And on, and on, and on!

I tried to ignore her. I tried to explain to her that Angel does still like her, that sometimes the answer is just no. I tried to explain that her parents hadn't met me and that could very easily be the reason Angel couldn't come over. I tried to ignore her again. Finally, I told her that if she still wanted to do this, she needed to do it upstairs in her room where she wouldn't bug anyone else.

The good news, after she calms down, she morphs back into my sweet little girl who played with her younger brother and his friend and even eventually invited them to sleep on the floor of her room because I wouldn't let them sleep downstairs on the couch.

Any advice or tricks in dealing with all this would be greatly appreciated!

PS. She does this on average once a day. At least she doesn't do it in school anymore. Her teachers have told me that she has really improved in the attitude department since she got her own room. So that's at least something!

My Ceiling

So, I just want to say that if you have any suggestions about how I should paint my ceiling, you should get them to me soon. I am going to have it finished before I leave for Arizona for Christmas. That means that by next Saturday.

Keryn, I have had ward parties like that. I remember one year that the Santa didn't show up until after 8:00 pm. The people in charge were trying to keep everyone busy but the kids were all going crazy. David was screaming because he was tired. The rest of our kids were mad because we wouldn't let them run on the stage like "everyone else" (maybe 2 kids) were doing. And then when Santa showed up, Mrs. Claus tried to tell the story she had prepared for the party. It was the worst Christmas party for me that I can remember. We couldn't leave earlier because we had told the girls that Santa was coming and they were not leaving until they could see him and talk to him. What a nightmare.

Jenafer, I agree that I need to write more on this blog so just keep reminding me.

Re: Ceilings

Mema's ceiling: The Solar System. With comets, moons, asteroids, space ships, little green men, the works. It would be a good look, don't you think?

Jenafer, actually my children did do all the things I said they didn't. Unfortunately. I'm trying to pretend I have angel children, but I'm afraid that my purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others. Or to make other parents feel good about their children.

Fortunately I have a great husband, and a forgiving, helpful, always-ready-to-whisk-a-child-away ward family, as well.

Now, if you will all excuse me, Gideon just dumped about four cups of uncooked rice on the kitchen floor.

Sigh.

Re: QOTW

I have always preferred the Sistine chapel look myself!

Love ya all!

new qotw

So mom told me she is painting her ceiling. I made the very very helpful suggestion of painting
"You are here" on it.

Surprisingly enough she did not go for it. So the question of the week is what should mom paint on her ceiling?
love caren

Re: Re:

I have decided that I will always post an answer to a post on the blog. I check this thing four or five times a day and would like to see it become a bigger communication facilitator. So I will do my best and get started.

Keryn,
I love the boomwhackers! I've decided that I want a set for myself, although I will probably have to wait for my birthday next October before it's feasible. I looked them up on Ebay and there are some sets on sale there for over $180! Considering the cost of them directly from the website, they had better have four full chromatic octaves or more for that price to be justified.

Also, I'm glad your kids behaved so well for the Ward party. It's always so nice when that happens. Not to mention that everyone tends to think your absolutely the best parents ever! (I happen to agree with them, of course!) I wish you angel children for every holiday party you attend for the rest of the year. And that goes for everyone else in the family, too!

RE: Redneck wisemen

Hee hee, Jen! How about this one? You might have a five year old if one of the shepherds was picking his nose for the whole congregation to see.

Not that this happened to me last night at the ward party. And of course Gideon didn't wig out while sitting on his daddy's lap at the piano, while Bradley tried to accompany a double trio of women singing Mary's Lullaby. And the double trio didn't turn out to be a duet, with me and one other woman the only ones showing up. And Mercy didn't cry when she didn't get to be part of the nativity (But I need to be Mary!). And Ezra didn't dissolve into tears because he forgot to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas.

But Heber did sleep through the whole thing, practically. And when Santa showed up on the stage, Ezra quietly asked Daddy if this was the real Santa, and then, after thinking a minute or two, shouted from the audience, "Thank you for my waffle blocks!"

Christmas party

Every year Jeff gets a daily joke type calender. Until they stopped producing them, it was always the Far Side calender. Since they have stopped, we have tried Dilbert, Garfield ect. But none of them have quite fit with Jeff's sense of humor. Last year, we gave him a You Might Be a Redneck if... calender. Wednesdays joke was, You might be a redneck if...during your church's Christmas pageant two of the three wise men were smoking.

We would be in real trouble if this one were to apply to us! The three wise men at this Saturday's ward party are my eleven year old son, Benjamin, and his two eleven year old friends, DJ and Todd. If any of them have a smoking habit, then we all have bigger problems then whether or not we might be rednecks!

New Recipe

One of the sisters in the ward makes this for all of our ward functions. I just got the recipe from her and thought I would pass it on.

It is really delicious chili!

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. Chicken (Cook and Cut)
1 Med. Onion Chopped
1 tbs. Oil
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
½1/2 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 Cans White Beans (drained)
14 1/2 oz. Can Chicken Broth
2 Cans 4 oz. Chopped Green Chilies
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Whipping Cream

Sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil, add beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in whipping cream and sour cream. Garnish with cheese, olives and chips.

Just in case you were at a loss...

On what to get me for my birthday: Boomwhackers

You can hit them with mallets, but more fun (especially for Senior Primary boys) is to whack them on your head to make the music.

Don't they look way fun? I want them for my little preschool, too.

(And check out the Seattle Men's Chorus concert clips using boomwhackers--doing Silver Bells and the Hallelujah chorus.)

Because.....

I ask my kids all the time why they are so cute.
I've heard many answers over the years,
Jacob's favorite was always, "Because I'm Jacob!"
But my current favorite answer to this question is what Erica has been saying for the last few weeks, "Because I have curly hair!"

Ornament on Tree

I am a Christmas Tree.
I, too, loved Thanksgiving. It was great but I have to say that I love my own bed.

Once there was a snowman...

I'm a little disturbed that both you and Caren are snowmen, Samuel. After all, you live in Arizona...in the sun...

At least Jen is an angel. Sorry that I EVER doubted you, Jenafer!

Re: Christmas Ornament

I am a snowman. Love you all. SKT

All That Sleeping Made Me Hungry

So saith Mercy after Bradley's Christmas party (she fell asleep on the drive home).

(And I have a kidney infection. So it's not contagious...NOW I tell you.)

Re: Christmas Ornament

Hey, I'm a Christmas Tree also!!!

RE: Christmas Ornament

I'm a Christmas Tree!

(Which I love, incidentally.)

Thank you, everyone, for Thanksgiving weekend. I had a marvelous time. The only way it would have been better is (a) if I wasn't sick and (b) if Jen and her family had been here. I sure missed you a ton. Except my head kind of spins to think about adding an extra seven people in my house. That would have been...interesting.

I am still sick...lovely, isn't it? I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, to see if we can get to the bottom of this fever. I'll update you all when I can.

No snow, yet. LaDale, I'm jealous!

(You are very welcome, Caren! I love you.)

QOTW

It told me that I'm an angel.

Finally, quantitative proof of what I've been telling you all these years!

new qotw

what christmas ornament are you? Heres the link.

www.blogthings.com/whatchristmasornamentareyouquiz

i'm a snowman
love caren

my little tribute for thanksgiving {a little late}

my parents were able to have all their children and grandchildren with them for thanksgiving. {It's been a long time} It was awesome!
I had a fabulous time with the Tobler side as well!
I have come to think of some of my trials as a blessing. In which i will express gratitude. {even though it's very hard to be grateful for them a lot of the time} I think that my children's developmental problems are for me. I need to keep myself busy and focused on them to feel joy with their every new achievement instead of being taken over by my pain. I also think that because i know what it feels like to be in pain, i have become more sensitive to others.
{and yes i am completely self absorbed}
thank you keryn for your comforting words. They mean a lot to me.
i'm really glad i am a part of this family
love caren