MY LIFE RULES!

How cool is my life? I mean, seriously. If my life were a cereal, it would be called Marshmallow Cocoa Awesome Puffs. If my life were a novel, it would be called "A Tale of Too Much Awesomeness" and it would be on the bestseller list FOREVER. Look at these kids....look at that amazing husband....

I love summer. I love parade and firework season. I love my kids. I love my husband. I love my life right now. It rules!

Joy!

On Friday night, we went to a Peter Breinholt concert. For those of you who are unfamiliar with him, I rearranged my music so that my first four songs are his. He's a Mormon singer/songwriter that I've been listening to since college. I think I have my brother, Ryan, to thank for introducing me. He has been performing for 15 years and...well...I've been a fan for about that long! A little plug for him: he just released a greatest hits album and it's great. I just love the mellow style, the acoustic guitar, the fun atmosphere of his concerts, and most of all, that his shows tend to be outside and in the summertime. There is nothing quite so fun to me as going to an outside concert in Utah. Something about the music, the mountains, the night air--it gets me every time. This concert had an extra edge, though. The opening act was The Singing Children of Africa choir. I could not control the joy I felt at watching them perform. My grin was so wide that my face ached. I was so overcome that I couldn't help myself. I HAD to stand up and dance. A little later in the show, the kids went back up and danced on the stage while Peter performed and the entire audience...or at least the dancing portion of the audience...went and danced up front while the children danced on the stage. I had so much fun that it was literally all I could think about. When I got home, I still had joy flowing out of my fingertips. I had to turn on some music and dance SOME MORE! Even though it was one o'clock in the morning, my patient husband just looked at me, asked me if I was okay, and then rolled over and went back to sleep.

Look at these beautiful children....

Here are the girls:

And the boys:
They were inspiring to me. I wanted to watch them, to be close to them, to listen to them sing, to feel the joy that they feel, and to dance, dance, dance! It opened my mind and my heart and made me wonder if I've given anyone that kind of joy. Check them out. They have a few more weeks in Utah and you can still catch up with them if you hurry. Maybe they can put a little spring in your step. Be careful, though. You may just find yourself with an uncontrollable urge to dance!

Up, up and away

They say the early bird gets the worm. It's true! On Saturday, Maddox and I woke up early and we noticed some hot air balloons in the sky. Since Hadley and Lincoln were still asleep, Stewart stayed home with them while we went to see if we could get a closer look. It was the Highland City Fling and so we headed off toward our city building. And....we found a man giving hot air balloon rides to some of the kids. It was quite early in the morning and there were only a few people there waiting for their ride. Maddox and I hopped in line and we got a turn. I've never ridden in a hot air balloon before!

We called home and told Stewart to bring Hadley over so she could have a turn. By the time she arrived, the balloon was getting too hot and they were just doing quick, short rides for children only. She did get a turn, as well, but not quite the turn that Maddox and I had. It was truly the perfect beginning to a day. Thanks, Maddox, for waking up WAY too early for a Saturday. Love ya, Buddy!

I'm sailing, I'm sailing!

I've been thinking about Bob a lot lately. Yeah, I know, I'm married to someone else. Don't worry, Stew, I'm not thinking about Bob like that. I'm thinking about trying new things and how much FUN it can be. Of course, whenever I am doing something new, I feel the uncontrollable urge to start screaming, "I'm sailing, I'm sailing!"

Case in point, I tried yoga last week. I don't know why I've never tried yoga before but I haven't. Guess what? It is amazing. I loved it. "I'm doing yoga, I'm doing yoga!" I have caught myself a few times since my yoga classes saying things like, "let it go" or, "let it be okay". I guess the relaxation is kicking in. I left everyone at home, rode my bike to class, and truly enjoyed the first few hours of my morning. It's a great way to begin a day that promises to have many hours full of screaming children.

A few days ago, my family got those big black truck tubes and floated down the Provo River. I have done it a few times before but I think I saw a few other people in my family have "I'm sailing" moments and it was such a blast. I love watching other people have those "I'm sailing" moments almost as much as I love having them myself!

I really started thinking about this at swimming lessons today. Maddox and Hadley are both having lessons at the same time and as I was running back and forth between the two classes to check on them and make sure everything is okay, I realized that neither one of them had any fear of the water. Of course, my deaf child has no fears of anything, EVER! In the pool, that's as true as always. She's just as happy as can be. When it was time for the back stroke today, she took off across the pool like a little fish. Even her teacher was shocked at how fast that girl can swim. She may not always catch every word of the instructions since her processors are off and she's relying on lipreading skills but she does really well. Maddox is also fearless and loved every second of it but I am never sure with him. He sometimes balks at new things and is very reluctant to try something until he has watched for awhile. I was pleasantly surprised to see him hop right in and put his face in the water to blow bubbles.

When I watch my kids living...I mean, really living, I feel an ache in my heart for all of the things that I am not doing that I love to do. I am at the period in life when I just get to hold a baby most of the time. That means not too much swimming, not too much yoga or bike riding and not too much sailing. Oh well. I know this is just the period of life that I'm in and that someday, I'll miss this. (Or will I?) But...I want to sail, darn it!

Haves and Have Nots

200 Have and Have nots: The bold ones are the ones I have done. Thanks, Rebecca. I had fun reading your list. Now I have a few more things to add to my list of things to do before I die, too!

1. Touched an iceberg

2. Slept under the stars

3. Been a part of a hockey fight

4. Changed a baby's diaper (try five before noon today.)

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Swam with wild dolphins

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a tarantula

10. Said "I love you" and meant it

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (4th of July on the Boston Whaler. Bring back any memories, anyone?)

14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise

15. Seen the Northern Lights

16. Gone to a huge sports game (well, maybe BYU games aren't HUGE but I think that Cubs baseball games are huge. A matter of perspective, perhaps?)

17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty (You can't even do that anymore, post 9/11, can you?)

18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables

19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope

20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment (at the dentist...for some reason pain makes me laugh. Weird, right? Child birth was hilarious!)

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Bet on a winning horse

23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (those are the best ones. Then you can really enjoy your day!)

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Taken an ice cold bath (Russia...)

28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Ridden a roller coaster (Have I ever turned down a ride on a roller coaster? I don't think so!)

31. Hit a home run

32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (Always!)

33. Adopted an accent for fun (Stewart didn't think it was funny...)

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors (truly amazing, life-changing, even)

35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment

36. Loved your job 90% of the time

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Watched wild whales

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach (to watch the sea turtles lay their eggs.)

41. Gone sky diving

42. Visited Ireland

43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited India

45. Bench-pressed your own weight

46. Milked a cow

47. Alphabetized your personal files

48. Ever worn a superhero costume (wonderwoman underoos...does that count?)

49. Sung karaoke

50. Lounged around in bed all day

51. Gone scuba diving

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Done something you should regret, but don't

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Been in a movie

60. Gone without food for 3 days

61. Made cookies from scratch

62. Won first prize in a costume contest

63. Got flowers for no reason (Thanks, Scott. Hehe.)

64. Been in a combat zone

65. Spoken more than one language fluently

66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone (not a fist fight, though. I've never been in one of those.)

67. Bounced a check (oops.)

68. Read - and understood - your credit report

69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy

70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did

71. Called or written your Congress person

72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over

73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge

74. Helped an animal give birth

75. Been fired or laid off from a job

76. Won money

77. Broken a bone

78. Ridden a motorcycle

79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph

80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon

81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing

82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days

83. Eaten sushi

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read The Bible cover to cover

86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about

87. Gotten someone fired for their actions

88. Gone back to school

89. Changed your name

90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands

91. Eaten fried green tomatoes

92. Read The Iliad

93. Taught yourself an art from scratch

94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating (fish are animals, right?)

95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt

96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language

97. Been elected to public office

98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream

99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care

100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you

101. Had a booth at a street fair

102. Dyed your hair

103. Been a DJ

104. Rocked a baby to sleep

105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
(and lizards, too! The benefit of a Florida flat roof!)

106. Raked your carpet

107. Brought out the best in people

108. Brought out the worst in people

109. Worn a mood ring

110. Ridden a horse

111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap

112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe

113. Buried a child

114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play

115. Been inside the pyramids

116. Shot a basketball into a basket (but probably only once!)

117. Danced at a disco

118. Played in a band

119. Shot a bird

120. Gone to an arboretum

121. Tutored someone

122. Ridden a train

123. Brought an old fad back into style

124. Eaten caviar

125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need

126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant

127. Published a book

128. Pieced a quilt

129. Lived in an historic place

130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage

131. Asked for a raise

132. Made a hole-in-one

133. Gone deep sea fishing

134. Gone roller skating

135. Run a marathon

136. Learned to surf

137. Invented something

138. Flown first class

139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite

140. Flown in a helicopter

141. Visited Africa

142. Sang a solo

143. Gone spelunking

144. Learned how to take a compliment

145. Written a love-story

146. Seen Michelangelo’s David

147. Had your portrait painted

148. Written a fan letter

149. Spent the night in something haunted

150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane

151. Ran away (I still want to sometimes.)

152. Learned to juggle

153. Been a boss

154. Sat on a jury

155. Lied about your weight

156. Gone on a diet

157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget

158. Written a poem

159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox

160. Gotten food poisoning

161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission

162. Hiked the Grand Canyon

163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks

164. Gone to the opera

165. Gotten a letter from someone famous

166. Worn knickers

167. Ridden in a limousine

168. Attended the Olympics

169. Can hula or waltz

170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books

171. Been stuck in an elevator

172. Had a revelatory dream

173. Thought you might crash in an airplane

174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert

175. Saved someone’s life

176. Eaten raw whale

177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint

178. Laughed till your side hurt

179. Straddled the equator

180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing

181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival

182. Sent a message in a bottle

183. Spent the night in a hostel

184. Been a cashier

185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

186. Joined a union

187. Donated blood or plasma

188. Built a campfire

189. Kept a blog

190. Had hives

191. Worn custom made shoes or boots

192. Made a PowerPoint presentation

193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course

194. Served at a soup kitchen

195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube

196. Know CPR (Infant, of course. I have had that darn class twice.)

197. Ridden in or owned a convertible

198. Found a long lost friend

199. Helped solve a crime

200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

*If you want to join the fun, simply copy and paste this list to your post. Bold the ones that apply to you. Have fun!

Oh...they really DO love each other!

Do anybody else's kids start fighting the minute they wake up? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I'm a bit of a fighter myself. But, really, can't they just finish their breakfast before they start crying about someone (Maddox) who hit someone else (Hadley) because someone (Hadley) is sitting in someone else's (Maddox's) chair? Or someone (Maddox) who spit at someone else (Hadley) because someone (Hadley) told him it was HER turn to say the prayer? Seriously, you guys, you are fighting about a prayer. KNOCK IT OFF!

So...is there evidence that they are good people who really love each other but are just trying to exercise a little bit of independence? I think so!

Whenever Lincoln is crying, one of his siblings comes running to his rescue to coo at him, hold him, put a toy in his chubby hands or do a silly dance for him. He is the lucky one. Nobody is fighting with him yet!

Hadley has recently discovered that she can use the microwave. I never used to let her touch things in the kitchen but she has blossomed into a child who loves to read and follow instructions. Of course, that carries over to preparing food and I am now allowing her to do some things for herself. It's great, by the way! But on subject, this morning, she fixed oatmeal for herself and for her brother. She knows just how Maddox likes it and was so sweet to him. This is just one example of how well she takes care of her brother. I have had moments of feeling proud of her and moments of feeling guilty about it. I'm so proud that she can be so helpful, is so grown up and is so thoughtful. I feel guilty because before I had Lincoln, she never had to take care of Maddox. I always did it. I know, I know... it's part of growing up. Do I have to let them grow up, though?

How about Maddox...? Well, the evidence that he loves his sister with him is always and never there. I say always because he has such wonderful intentions and I say never because the reality is that he's a boy who is rough, crazy and forgets all about his intentions. I don't think he means to spit at her or hit her quite as often as he does. I think (hope?) he knows it's wrong. I interpret it as his way of telling her to quit bossing him around, to quit mothering him, to quit being the "big sister". But when it really comes down to it, his entire face lights up when Hadley is around. When he woke up from his nap today to find that his sister had gone to play with a friend, he was devastated.

In my reflections on my kids and how they relate with one another, I am reminded of my own childhood and my relationships with my siblings. I know we had our ups and our downs, our times of being close to one another and our times of hating one another. The interesting thing is that even now, as adults, we have those times. There are some of my siblings that I have much more in common with and others that can STILL push my buttons and make me want to clobber them. Does that mean I don't love them all? No! Of course not! So I guess when my kids are fighting over the breakfast that one of them (Hadley) so lovingly prepared for the other one (Maddox), I can count my blessings that they have each other and hold my breath and wait until one more (Lincoln) adds his bowl of oatmeal to the kitchen bar and joins in the morning squabble.

"IT" IS BA-A-A-A-ACK....

Okay all of you moms out there, I need help with this one. Maddox has the "It" again. That is how we have oh-so fondly named this horrible stomach ailment that he keeps coming down with. "It" is the very same illness that ruined our family trip to California. Here's the deal:

"It" began in April and lasted for almost 3 weeks until our doctor finally treated Maddox for giardia. We assumed he picked up something at the petting zoo, one of his favorite places, and ate it. He does that. Weird, I know. Anyhow, "It" gave him almost constant diarrhea and then nighttime vomiting. The Dr. treated "It" and "It" left. Three weeks to the day of the giardia treatment, "It" returned and lasted only for one day. Exactly three weeks after that, another appearance of the "It". And now, exactly 2 weeks after that, well, we are sitting home washing his sheets, comforter, towels, and Maddox is finally sleeping. Maddox, "It" and I were up all night long and I had to cancel my trip to Boston for today to attend my grandfather's wedding. We have taken cute little cups of poop to the hospital lab for analysis and they have tested for all types of bacteria, parasites, etc. No luck. All negative. "It" is a squirrelly, slippery problem, apparently. Ew. No pun intended on the slippery part. But seriously, my pediatrician has no clue what to do for "It" at this point.

So has anyone ever seen or heard of something like this? I know my kids tend to have health issues that border on bizarre but this one is just really puzzling. We can't get in to see the pediatric GI specialist until September. That means, on the current schedule, at least 4 more rounds of "It". I can't handle "It". I would post pictures of "It" but I think that would be a little overboard. Suffice it to say that whatever "It" is, you don't want "It", you don't want to be in the same room as "It" and, as a smell sensitive person, I can attest to the fact that I have never in my life smelled anything else like "It." HELP! "It" stinks!