Kick-tastick Holiday

For Memorial Day we went on a family outing.

Here we are getting ready to go with our usual antics. We stopped to buy Caitlin a brush. She can't go anywhere without her brush.
We bought lunch at KFC. They now serve grilled chicken, so Joseph says we have to call them KGC.
We ate our lunch at the park.

After lunch, Jacob and Preston played on the playground. While Joseph, Caitlin and I visited the Gardens.

Caitlin and Joseph sure have a good friendship.

We found the biggest Easter basket ever.

After lunch we went on a hike in Robe Historic Canyon.

On our hike, Caitlin described everything with the word kick.

She thought it was kick-awesome to hike next to Joseph and his kick-normous brain.

They had a kick-rockin' time.

Here she is with her kick-skinny dad.

She thought throwing rocks in the river was kick-weird, but she did it anyway.
Kick-whoa!

She thought this climb was kick-awful. It was also kick-painful and kick-lame.

The trail is supposed to follow an old railroad. Due to rock slides and washouts, here is what is left of the railroad. That is kick-sad.

Here's Caitlin's kick-noying brother. At least that's what she thinks. Kick-nice.

We stopped for a kick-licious snack. Caitlin kick-snarfed two granola bars.

Here's Jacob helping Preston cross a kick-dangerous spot.

Kick-sweet.

Here's Preston, deep in thought, contemplating the beauty of nature and the demise of the old Robe railroad. Caitlin thinks he is kick-smart.

It was a kick-deckish hike and a kick-tastick holiday, at least according to Kick-Caitlin. Kick-bye.

Why Are We Going to the Y

Jacob will start Boy Scouts in July. He will be our second scout, so we are pretending we know what we are doing this time through. Yesterday, we took him to the pool to see if he can swim well enough to pass the scout swim test or if he will need to take swimming lessons this summer. Roger administered the test. Much to Jacob's dismay, he will need more practice and a few lessons.

While Roger and Jacob played in the water, I went to work out. I was there all alone, so I took a picture of the empty room.

Now you can see what it looks like, only usually it is filled with people. I was the only Y member dumb enough to exercise inside on such a BEAUtiful Saturday. I really enjoyed having the whole place to myself. I always worry about what I look like while I exercise, especially when I do clumsy things like hit myself in the head with the handlebars or try to go fast. I also don't enjoy exercising next to smelly people, especially ones with gas. I must admit, the gassy ones who like to turn on the fan and point it toward themselves when I am downwind, just kill me. They say you have to breath while you exercise, but on these occasions, I try not to. So you can see why it was so, so nice to have the room to MYSELF!

Meandering In Mind and Body

I have been supplementing my morning workout at the Y with an evening stroll. Sometimes the boys go with me.
We have a lot of fun wandering around the neighborhood.
I enjoy hanging out with my two youngest children because it makes me feel younger. If I pretend they are my only children, I feel very young and free. I hang onto every moment meandering in my mind and with my feet.

Selected for Select

Jacob tried out for the select soccer team again this year.
He made it! Good job, Jacob!!! Here he is at his first practice.

For the first hour of his soccer practice, I walked around the field getting some exercise and taking pictures. To the north of the soccer fields, there is what appears to be an overgrown tree farm. At first glance, it looks like natural forest, but if you look closely, you can see the trees are all in rows. And then there's this oddity: fine shrubs growing wild. Reminds me of my children . . . and myself.

Every Day is Mother's Day (but without the guilt)

Preston and Jacob gave me flowers for Mother's day.

Preston waters them for me every day. Speaking of Preston, here he is heading off to school this morning.

Jacob refused to comb his hair before going. He said "Nobody really cares." I guess that's how fifth grade boys feel. I remember sitting in fifth grade one day and realizing I hadn't combed my hair before school that day. I was very embarrassed. But Jacob is not me.

It was a beautiful morning. Very clear and sunny. A great day for allergies.I hope they had fun at school today. It's not much longer until summer break.

Ah, such sweet treasures of motherhood. I have never enjoyed the public formal observance of Mother's Day. I don't really know why. I do enjoy the family celebration. The simple gifts from my children and husband. The quick notes of appreciation. Those are nice. To me, the real thanks, the real honor is, however, the everyday sweetness of being a mother. It's the priveledge of watching children grow and succeed. It's the honor of having them ask important questions and then taking time to listen to my answers. It's the sweet whisperings of the spirit, knowing that God cares enough to guide me as I guide them. It's the everyday moments when, like a breath of fresh air, I get to enjoy who my children are and what they are doing. Everyday is mother's day, but without the stress and guilt inducing parts.

One Smart Girl

This evening we attended an honor night at Caitlin's school. Caitlin was recognized for her awesome GPA.

She got a medal, a certificate and best of all some cake.

She is moving on to high school next year, so she will miss hanging out with her pals here at Totem.

Eagle Court of Honor

Joseph will receive the Rank of Eagle at a special court of honor on May 30, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Ryan L. and Evan P. will also be honored at that time. I know pride is bad, so I just feel an immense amount of naches (Naches - Joy: Gratification, especially from children.)

Roger asked me what I mean when I say I feel naches, so I guess I'd better explain. Naches is a concept I learned from the book "Emotions Revealed." It says, "How do you feel when you hear that your son or daughter was accepted by the best college, performed beautifully in a recital, got an award from the scout troop, or accomplished anything else that matters? We could say proud, but it isn't specific enough to the pattern of physical sensations parents feel when their child accomplishes something important, perhaps even exceeding the parents themselves. In Yiddish, however, there is a specific word for just this experience: naches. Author Leo Rosten defines naches as 'the glow of pleasure-plus-pride that only a child can give to its parents.'"

He goes on to say "Naches ensures parental investment in facilitating the growth and achievements of their children. Unfortunately, some parents don't feel naches when their children excel, reaching beyond what the parents have done. Such envious parents are often competitive with their children, which can be very destructive to both parent and child."

I don't think it's always parent-child competition that causes parents to suppress their feelings of naches. I believe that in a religious culture that tends to shun pride as an evil emotion, sometimes parents deny themselves the feeling of naches (consequently denying their children the nurturing that the expression of their naches brings) in an effort to be "holy." In my opinion, the sweet, pure feelings of naches is an appropriate, godlike emotion that parents should nurture in themselves and express to their children.

"Well done thou good and faithful servant," is one of the ultimate expressions of naches. I think our children need to hear that from more than just God and at more times than at the final judgement.

Wow, now I need to go eat my baked potato.

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My Crazy Projects

Here's what I've been doing in my spare time.I checked out these books from the library. I've been reading a lot. I've been collecting pictures of church history events to share with my Sunday School class. Next week the lesson is on fasting. I had a hard time coming up with pictures to go with that subject.I've been working on an index of the best general conference talks for each gospel subject. I hope to publish it someday and make some money so I can pay more tithing.I have been weeding my flower beds, trimming my bushes and doing other chores around the yard a little each week, rain or shine, mostly rain. See, no weeds!I have been using my neighbor Jill's fabulous secret family roll recipe at least once each week. My kids are so amazed. They didn't think I knew how to bake. Thanks to Jill, I have a new skill.I have been working out at the Y on the elliptical trainer everyday. My goal is simply to not fall off for 25 minutes. One day, I fell off at 22 minutes. Another day, I hit myself in the head with the arm handle. I have been stretching most days with this great stretching video. I've done it so much I have it memorized. Now I do the stretches while I watch Glen Beck. Sometimes the blood shooting out of my eyes gets in the way of my stretches. (If you don't watch Glen Beck, don't take the bloody eyes thing literally.) I've been eating chocolate. Yes, even though I am allergic to it, I find I can eat one piece a day. This is my chocolate box. It will probably last me until Christmas.
I've been working on learning "Da Tempeste" by Handel. This is a recording of Beverly Sills singing it which is appropriate because it is the aria that propelled her to fame. It just propels me to lie down on the sofa in exhaustion. Anyway, I like to pretend I sound as good as Beverly Sills when I sing it. It helps my self-esteem.