Monthly Archives: June 2011

Everett was due October 1st, 2009. I was greatly anticipating his arrival, and was – perhaps – the most antsy I’ve ever been with the anticipation of a birth. Olivia had come right on her due date. Cal came a few days early with a scheduled induction. I decided I wanted Everett to come on his own, but also didn’t want to push my luck in the health risks (plus, let’s be honest, I just wanted him here!), so I decided I would wait one extra week. If he didn’t come, then I would schedule an induction for one week past his due date.

On the 7th I went to the Dr’s, and with no signs of going into labor, I scheduled an induction for the following morning. It wasn’t ideal, but it didn’t look like I had any other choice.

That night we were all ready to go. Olivia and Calvin were going to Kellie’s in the morning just until Lois could come get them. I was to call the hospital at 7 am to see if they had room for me (inductions always take second priority to natural labor, go figure). Bags were in the car. At 11:00 I ate my last bowl of cereal (you can’t eat after midnight), kissed Wyatt and went to bed.

At about five thirty or six, after having tossed and turned in bed for a couple hours, I decided to get up and take a hot bath. I just couldn’t get comfortable, but then – I was over 9 months pregnant, so I didn’t think too much about it. I also figured the excitement (like Christmas times 10!) of what was coming was keeping me from sleep. A nice hot bath helped me relax. Then I got up and helped the kids get ready to go to Kellie’s. I called the hospital and they told me to come on in. I remember shuffling the kids down the hall, and I turned to Wyatt and finally admitted – ‘I think I might be in labor anyway. I really hurt.’

Still, there was no sense of urgency, so when we stopped at Kellie’s, Wyatt took the kids and their supplies in, and stopped to chat while I waited in the car. That’s when I really started to hurt. It finally dawned on me that it wasn’t constant pain – it was pain every few minutes. Not sharp, not overwhelming, just achy exhausting sort of pain. I waited for Wyatt . . . and waited, and waited, and waited. He seemed to take an aweful long time. Finally I called him on the phone and told him he needed to come NOW.

I was more curious if this was what labor was like (see, even though this was my third baby, I had never really felt labor pain. With Olivia, my water broke, but I didn’t start contractions until they gave me pitocin – and then I got an epidural; and with Calvin, I was induced, so again, I didn’t have contractions until after I already had an epidural). When we got to the hospital, they checked me in, and came in to start my induction, but first they checked me. I remember Dr. Larsen laughing and saying – ‘No need for an induction, you are well into labor.’ (Ok, I was at a 5, which is only half way, but still . . .)

So instead of inducing labor, they actually had to try and slow it down. I was Strep B positive and needed at least 4 hours of antibiotics before he was born. Once that 4 hour mark hit, they said I could start pushing, and Everett was born about five minutes later.

So – basically, it came down to a game of Chicken – Everett wasn’t going to be born unless we made him. But once we tried, he wasn’t going to let us have the satisfaction. He was going to do it on his own. Silly, sweet, lovely boy.

In 2010 my blog crashed . . . twice. Both times left me scrambling to try and recover lost data. After lots (and lots) of work, I have been able to recover my entire blog except the months of August/September/October 2009. Those stories are lost forever I’m afraid. So yesterday I was sorting through some old pictures of about that time, and I thought – I really need to repost some of these stories/memories.

So, bear with me – between the old art posts and the old memory posts, and the general posts, I’ll have lots of things going up over the next several weeks!

Calvin started swimming lessons today. Olivia would have too, but you know, impetigo.

Anyhow, he did great – blowing bubbles, floating on his back, smiling for his mamma when she wanted a picture. Mmm . . . sunshine and babies. Is there anything better?

Wyatt came home early, ready to play! We rode 4 wheelers up and down the street and around the neighborhood looking for people to play. We found Jill and Alan, who came over and had home made ice cream in the shade of the tree, and the kids ran around playing freeze tag in the sweltering heat.

Later we decided a small fishing trip was in order. We packed Calvin’s new pole, and the other gear, and decided to try our luck at the Discover Park pond – which is about a mile down the street from grandma’s house.

As it turned out we had great luck. We caught no less than four fish (maybe more, there was part where I left and took Olivia and eJo to the playground, leaving Wyatt and Cal to do their thing).

Each fish was admired for what it was: TINY.

The kids enjoying torturing each fish with pokes, and prods before throwing it victoriously back into the pond.

Wyatt enjoyed being stuck by flying fishing hooks a couple times, and mamma enjoyed keeping the kids from falling in the lake (Cal did fall in up to his knees, thus the under-roo pictures later).

Afterward we went to grandma’s house for a jump on the trampoline and Moose Tracks ice cream cones. I have a theory that the amount of crud on your face at the end of the day is in direct correlation with the awesomeness of the day. As you can see, it was an awesome day for these kiddos.

The Mountains of the Moon – ‘El Dorado,’ EA Poe;
The Forest of No Return – Babes in Toyland;
The Field of Hypo-Allergenic Flowers – My mom’s idea;
The Enchanted Tree – a tree that lived down the street from me growing up;
501 Cherrry Lane, Hauna Lee – From ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’;
Stonewycke – Poem from 7th grade;
Eden – as in ‘The Garden of . . .’
Camelot – funky 60′s musical among other things;
Dharma, Dragon of the Sea – 90′s tv show I liked;
The Sea of Dreams to Come – Shakespeare reference;
The island of Shallot – home to the Lady of Shallot;
The Pirate Ship Crome – 7th grade poem.

I’m pretty sure this is circa 1998.

I am home from church today with Olivia, who is sick (the annual bout of Impetigo).

So I started my pot roast, and loaded the dishwasher. (Because Saturday is a special day, but we’re not always completely ready for Sunday).

And when I was done loading the dishwasher, I went to put in the detergent (I use Electrasol Tabs from Costco), and then . . .

Calvin wasn’t there to put it in. I had to do it myself.

And that made me sad in a sentimental sort of way.

Because ever since he was a wee little thing, toddling around behind me, he has put the detergent tab in. He would sit patiently and wait while I loaded, then as soon as I pulled the soap out, he would run over, take it from me, place it in it’s little compartment, close the compartment door, close the dishwasher, and push the power on button. It has been his thing ever since.

And I love having little shadows under foot, just waiting for their chance to be a big helper. And it should always be remembered that Calvin put the detergent in the dishwasher.

On Monday; when the sun is hot
I wonder to myself a lot:
“Now is it true, or is it not,
“That what is which and which is what?”

On Tuesday, when it hails and snows,
The feeling on me grows and grows
That hardly anybody knows
If those are these or these are those.

On Wednesday, when the sky is blue,
And I have nothing else to do,
I sometimes wonder if it’s true
That who is what and what is who.

On Thursday, when it starts to freeze
And hoar-frost twinkles on the trees,
How very readily one sees
That these are whose — but whose are these?

On Friday—–

“Yes, it is, isn’t it?” said Kanga, not waiting to hear what happened on Friday.

This is a charcoal done in high school. People can never tell it’s me. Oh well.

This illustration . . . well, it makes me giggle.

I remember I drew it on Andi’s floor, with her chalks, which I always admired, and was extremely jealous of (for some reason it never occurred to me to go buy my own). Andi and I did a lot of art on her floor growing up. I don’t remember if I was in high school or college when I drew this.

Puff - sometime in 1999 - 2000?! I remember I learned how to play "Puff the Magic Dragon" on the guitar when I lived in Russia, and I imagine this illustration has a direct coorelation to that.

-Deck

-Murray House

-Business

-Baby

-3 Children

-Summer

This is a picture that I did first as a tile mosaic for a table (in my basement). Later Andi left me her computer as she left for six months to Taiwan. As a recent graphic design graduate, she had all sorts of cool programs – Photoshop, and Illustrator. I spent the next six months feebly teaching myself these programs. This is the first Illustrator illustration I ever did (don’t worry, I got better! I’ll put those up soon enough).

Anyhoo – it’s an illustration, obviously, of the Last Day of Summer – aka, September 21st – aka – Wyatt and I’s wedding day. Oh, glorious day!

Picture done sometime in the winter-ish of 2002.

So, one of the things I’m pretty good at in life is making dinner. Laundry – not so much (although I am on load #2 for the day as I type this).

Dinner is easier for me because:

1) I don’t mind cooking (usually)

2) I like to eat (always)

But I’m always scratching my head, trying to think: “What should I make for dinner tonight?!”

There are the staples that show up regularly at our house: Lemon Chicken Pasta, Chicken Enchiladas, Stroganoff, and in the summer, hamburgers – easy, have everything in the cupboard sort of meals. We eat those like once every two weeks. But for some reason, if I go more than that, I feel bad. Like I’m not giving my poor family enough variety.

It should be said I cook according to what sounds good to me. I know there are some things Wyatt doesn’t love. I know there are things the kids just plain don’t like. But I make it, so I make what I want to eat. I have tried to tone it down a little over the years – last fall I went on a curry kick, and we were having curry like once a week. Now it’s only once in a while, and I try to make it very mild so the kids don’t have to cry through dinner.

This is getting mo’ rambling.

So in an effort to try and curb the brain effort that goes into “making dinner” I’m creating a little menu for myself. I’m going to list 10 menu plans, with a good mix of slightly complicated to super easy meals so that depending on my mood/time/schedule I will be able to choose seven of these through out the week, have the ingredients on hand, and be able to make dinner without having to worry about it.

Menu #1

Meal 1:
Hamburgers
Corn on the Cob
Watermelon

Meal 2:
Marinated Chicken
Marinated BBQ Veggies
Barbequed Bananas

Meal 3:
Ranch Chicken
Rice
Steamed Veggies

Meal 4:
Pasta Primavera
Steamed Veggies
Eclair Dessert

Meal 5:
Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Steamed Veggies

Meal 6:
Shepherd’s Pie
Steamed Veggies

Meal 7:
Braised Balsamic Chicken
Rosemary Red Potatoes
Green Salad

Meal 8:
Chicken Fajitas
Mint Brownies

Meal 9:
Chicken Tagine
Couscous

Meal 10:
Pot Roast
Potatoes, Carrots, Onions & Celery
Salad

two gentleman came to my house and dug/set/poured all the footings for my deck and cat-walk. Ain’t life grand?!!

I have vague memories of coloring this during my creative writing class as a junior in high school. My creativity in writing must have been lacking that day.

This is a little illustration I did in the fall of 1999. (I remember, because I was in Russia. I did a lot of art in Russia). There’s a nursery rhyme about counting magpies, which the Counting Crows turned into a fabulous song. This illustration is based on the lyrics of the song (Murder of One) -

One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for girls and four for boys
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told.

Please don’t mention the obvious kinetic reality problems of this picture – I think of them every time I see this. Sigh.

go swimming ❀ go to a parade ❀ go to the zoo ❀ go to a resturaunt ❀ picnics in the park ❀ play with friends {drake, emmett, jaxon, kennedy, bradon, cousins, etc.} ❀ light the kerr lanterns ❀ read Mr. Poppers Penguins ❀ go on bike rides ❀ go to ‘Movies in the Park’ ❀ camping ❀ the rodeo ❀ eat watermelon ❀ eat popsicles ❀ grandma’s house ❀ fishing ❀ paint pictures ❀ paint rocks ❀ horse back riding ❀ ice cream cones ❀ hiking {bell canyon, silver lake, etc.} ❀ tin foil dinners ❀ wheeler farm ❀ art in the park ❀ sleep out on the trampoline ❀ sidewalk chalk ❀ have a talent show ❀ four wheeling ❀ grow sunflowers ❀ play in the hose & sprinklers ❀ take naps ❀ have a pen pal ❀ start a bug collection ❀ go to the library ❀ drink lemonade ❀ buttlerville days ❀ 4th of july fireworks ❀ have a pet toad ❀ make an ant farm ❀ go to the splash park ❀ go to the museum {church history, art, natural history, etc.} ❀ go to the great salt lake ❀ make cup cakes ❀ go ice skating ❀ eat snow cones ❀ play games ❀ go to 50¢ movies ❀ go to temple square

This is boy, Everett.

He is: well, he’s a lot of things. He can kill you with his withering scowls. He can warm you with his mischievious grin. He has the most frustrating sense of independence. He is my most cuddly baby ever.

So, for the past little while – few months, eJo has been very uninterested in his mamma. He is all lovey dovey for his dadda, he swoons over his dog, Daisy, and he can’t resist tagging along with Olivia and Calvin everywhere. But when it comes to his mamma, he seemed to care less.

First, I have to say, I’m used to this reality. All of my children prefer their dad to me. I chalk it up to the novelty factor. Second, I understand that the other kids (and even the dog) are more entertaining than me – all I ever do is clean and cook and cook and clean. So it doesn’t surprise me that I’m trumped by pretty much every one else. But that’s not to say it doesn’t hurt.

Now I know, you’re thinking what I thought: “Get over it, self, you can’t go around having your feelings hurt by an 18 month old baby!”

Still, when we had a Girls Night + Everett, and Olivia, Ejo & I cuddled under the blankies for an evening of “How to Train Your Dragon” and Everett kept climbing away from me to cuddle up to Olivia, I couldn’t help but tear up . . . just a little. When Wyatt asked about it later, (as I was still tearing up at the thought of it) I lied. I made up a lame excuse of something or other.

Because what mother wants to admit her baby doesn’t want her. And what mother wants to add to the humiliation by admitting it makes her insecure.

So that’s why when one Sunday three weeks ago, when the nursery leader brought a hysterical eJo to Sunday School, and that truley distraught boy refused even to go to his daddy, instead clawing his way over to my arms, I felt a little redeemed. I felt a little happy. Not at his unhappiness. No, I cuddled and cooed and patted him to comfort. But I felt happy in my own mother-ness again. It was a good reminder of what motherhood is: the last one your child wants to turn to, but the first one they do turn to when things really go wrong.

And I guess that’s kinda the goal anyway: to raise children who are strong, capable, and independent, who no longer need their mothers to stroke their backs or their egos, but instead to cheer them on as adults, ready for their own flight in this world. But I’ll always be there for you, Everett, when things really do go wrong. I will always be cooing and cuddling you in my heart.

Today I woke up feeling exhausted.

It could have had something to do with the fact that I was up at 3:00 am with a regurgitious baby.

I had an early morning doctor appointment. He told me I was severly anemic. “Take these iron supplements three times a day.” Last time the iron supplements made me throw up. But I’ve been SO exhausted (on my bad days, like today) that I thought I don’t even care if I do throw up, I just want to have energy more than two days a week.

I have taken my supplements twice today. I have not thrown up. I am still exhausted.

I felt justified by medical reason to take a 2 and a half hour nap. My house is a mess (even more than before).

I got a bike trailer. When I came home from Costco last week, I turned to Wyatt and told him “I made an impulse buy today.”

An impulse buy four years in the making.

Because anyone who knows me knows that impulse purchases – DEFINITLEY NOT MY M.O.

Having a bike trailer is everything I thought it would be. Every day – two or three times a day – I round the kids up, and we go on bike rides around the neighborhood. Calvin whines that his legs are tired, unless we are going somewhere he wants to go. And then he has legs of steel.

Olivia cruises ahead, then circles back for those of us who go so slow. She is so confident on her bike this year. She is practicing riding without various appendages (one handed, no feet, etc.).

And I cruise along, very slowly, on my awesome bike, with my awesome trailer, with my even more awesome baby sitting contentedly in the back. It’s a great way to break up the day.

On Tuesday Wyatt came home, and the first thing he said to me is “I am trying to find a babysitter. I want to take you on a date.”

Which made me happy.

But he ended up going out with his brother instead. I could have been annoyed. I was even tempted. But in the end, it just wasn’t that big of a deal. (Now it must be said, Wyatt made plans with Jared before he offered to take me out. He hadn’t mentioned said plans to me, and when Jared came over, Wyatt said “Oh, I didn’t know we had confirmed.” It was just one silly communication mess with Wyatt trying to do too much.)

I wanted to watch Dirty Dancing, which has been on my DVR for a month now. But my sisters weren’t around. And watching Dirty Dancing at home alone, while you’re husband is on a man-date with his brother is more depressing than even I could handle.

So I started reading “The Problem of Pain” which is lovely of course.

I am also reading “The Little Prince” to the kids.

Olivia seems intrigued by a planet where volcanoes are swept and trees can take over. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes this morning was her own illustration of his charming home.

Ask yourself, has the sheep eaten the flower? Yes, or no? And you will see how everything changes.

The Kerr lanterns are ready to be put in the tree. I redesigned the mechanics of them, and I think this could be the best year ever.

It is now Friday (I started writing this on Thursday).

Did you know you can buy art supplies on eBay? It even looks promising (deals! deals!). Yesterday, during my nap, I dreamed that I spent $100 ($100!!) on paint brushes. It was awesome.

When I woke up, I considered the eternal consequences of such a purchase, and decided against it. (Impulse buys- remember?).

Instead I went to Walmart and bought dishes – plastic dishes, which has been on my errand list for a few weeks. Because I am officially at the stage of life where dishes disappear from my kitchen never to be seen again. I didn’t even have a full dishwasher’s worth of cups/plates/bowls that the kids could use, and only three glass cups for Wyatt and I.

Now I have 16 plastic tumblers, and 16 kids sippy’s and 8 more plastic kid plates.

I am trying to get my house clean today. It has not been cleaned – all at once – in about three weeks. It is 11:58 am. I have cleaned all three bathrooms. I should stop writing really uninteresting stuff, and go clean my laundry room.

Today I woke up feeling summery.

That feeling of: energy, freedom, relaxation, don’t-particularly-care-that-the-bathroom-is-a-mess-ish.

And the sky outside had clouds that make for lovely paintings.

And I wanted to paint.

And then I thought of making glass stars.

And making paint shirts for my kids.

And then I realized: it could be an expensive day.

But I also realized: I have half a billion projects I’ve already started/planned that I still need to finish. So I’m making my list so I can remember and not be tempted to go for a free-for-all at Dick Blick or Hobby Lobby.

Projects I’ve started that need to be finished:
Emily’s book
Kerr Lanterns
Olivia’s Room (which includes)
Paper stars
Paper puffs
etc. etc.
Everett’s baby blankie
Boys room

But I did think I should buy a toad today – a really awesome, big, fat sucker that the kids can keep all summer (until they inevitably lose it in the grass). I wish I knew where I could get one free – because of aforementioned predetermined loss. Do you know of anyone with a big fat toad they want to give away?

Remember a few years ago, when I first found out SuperCal was on his way? I was so overwhelmed . . . what would I do with a boy?!

Turns out Boys are a TON of Fun! Whether it’s being met at the door with a handful of worms, or searching the car for three days for “what on earth is making that smell!?” only to be asked by Calvin as we’re in the car – “Mom, did you take my pet snail?”

Boys are fun. They are full of adventure and good nature. They are skinned knees and big tears and bigger grins. They take giant bites of everything. They act first, think later. They have hearts of gold.

They really are made of frogs and snails and puppy dog tails. And I love having two. I can’t wait to have three!

Dear Olivia,

Today you graduated. GRADUATED!! From Preschool.

I have heard the snide, the non-parents, and the unimaginative say that pre-school graduation is overkill. To them I say bleh! Preschool graduation is a celebration! A recognition of accomplishment in young lives, and the acknowledgement that they are ready for greater things.

Like kindergarten. *Sniff.*

And you are ready for kindergarten. You are ready because you can check off all the kindergarten ready markers from the list. But more than that, you are ready because you are kind. You are generous. You are thoughtful. You will be a great student and friend, and you are ready for big things.

Oh, Dear O, the Place’s You’ll Go!

(If you're 7 months pregnant, and wearing a mumu, try squatting to increase attractiveness)