Creekside

Today we received a delightful invitation out to the Grover Farm- which is located a little past Columbia, Mississippi- to let the kids spend the day at the creek. I said yes, please! and we headed off to spend the day with friends. And that’s how we ended up spending an entire day on a creek bed, munching and chatting while the kids wore themselves out to the point of complete exhaustion. Also, today I got sunburned for the very first time this summer. (Where was Kitty to make sure that I reapplied my sunscreen??) A few thoughts from a delightful lazy day today:

• Kids thrive outside
• Minnows are absolutely worth the effort to catch
• There is nothing better than a line of rope strung over the water to keep the kids busy for hours
• Max loves to throw rocks in the water
• I love my friends here in Mississippi
• I enjoy hearing kids answer their mothers with “Ma’am?” when their name is called
• There is freedom living in a place where things aren’t scheduled to death, so that everyone- even parents with teenagers- can pick up and head to the creek with a couple hours notice
• I adored seeing the older teenagers playing with the little kids
• The creek (which is fed by two natural springs) was deliciously chill- a welcome change from the bathwater temps at the pool these days
• I like the freedom of rural living. The kids can run and run and run and not bother anyone.
• Ernie got to tube down the swift moving creek with the big kids and he loved hanging out with the older crowd.
• There is nothing more interesting to little boys, than looking through marshy grass to see what might be living there (luckily they were really loud and they didn’t disturb any snakes)
• The church is true no matter where you live. It was a blessing to share feelings of hope and faith today while watching the kids play and feeling the cool creek water on my feet.

(I have very few pictures from today since Max kept trying to drag me through the water and I was highly concerned about our nice SLR getting damaged. I really need to buy a small pocket camera.)

Hitchhikers on the Road to Nowhere

Little Ernie told me today that he has had a particular song stuck in his head for awhile now and that it keeps running around in his mind in circles “like bikers circling a hitchhiker on the road to nowhere”. (Excuse me?) The comment left me a bit dumbfounded, so [since I didn’t know what else to say] I told him I was sorry that he had a song stuck in his head and then I complimented him on his excellent use of descriptive language. 

Where do kids come up with this stuff? 

Quote for the Day

When we can say "no" not only to things that are wrong and sinful, but also to things pleasant, profitable, and good which would hinder and clog our grand duties and our chief work, we shall understand more fully what life is worth, and how to make the most of it.- Charles Stoddard

Figs and Blueberries

Ernie scheduled his upcoming staff training at one of my favorite places here in Mississippi: Mitchell Farms. Since Ernie had never actually been there- he needed to drive over and check the place out. We, of course, went with him.

And when we got there I discovered that the fruit I have literally been waiting to eat my entire life was there, with buckets for pick your own! Yes folks, today I ate my first fresh fig and it was succulent and delicious! We picked figs along with the kids and filled a gallon bucket (which cost us $5).

Then we explored the rest of the farm while we waited for the owner to show Ernie a few things.

 

And then this afternoon- not wanting to waste any of the amazing figs, I promptly made fig preserves and some more blueberry jam since I had the canner out.

Watching the Days Go By

Kitty and the kids left last Thursday. I have been sad. While I love all of my friends here in Mississippi- truly, truly I do- it is like the Balm of Gilead to spend time with Kitty, who has been in my life for 15 years now and has been around for every significant adult decision I’ve ever made. It is lovely to spend time with someone with whom you can communicate in half sentences:

“Remember that time…?”

“Mmhmm…”

“I know, right?!”

And an outsider has no idea that we’re both fondly remembering our favorite restaurant. (Chili’s)

So Kitty left, and life has been busy, and the kids and I are beginning the transition for going Back to School. School starts here on August 6. (Yes, in case your compelled to look at the calendar, that’s a Friday).

And we’ve been in the car driving a lot- because… drum roll, please… I have been to the gym every single morning this week! And after not going for the previous 5 weeks- it’s admittedly been a little hard for me to walk most days.

All this driving, combined with no DVD player in the car, has led to some interesting conversations. Nigel announced that he broke up with his girlfriend Darla. Ernie wanted to know why- and Nigel told him that Darla was just too annoying and that he didn’t like it when she would see him in Primary and shout “I love you, Nigel!” across the room. Understandable, if you ask me.

Emmaline told me that she has a boyfriend, Pacey, from her kindergarten class, but that she never bothered to tell him- so he doesn’t actually know that Emmaline has staked a claim.

Ernie let everyone know that he is going to be sure to eat his meat and vegetables so that his muscles can get really big, because he’s pretty sure that when he goes to college and girls see his big muscles- that the girls will faint in awe. Literally- he thinks that they will faint. This led Emmaline to ask me if I fainted the first time I saw my Ernie’s muscles. My answer: No. (But they were very nice back then, to be sure.)

So life goes on. The kids grow up. I make PB&J’s every day. And we love each other.

Good-bye dishes.

It’s a good thing I waited to buy the dishes that I loved. Our garage door broke.

Ah, well. At least I know where I can find the dishes (hopefully) when I have some extra money again.

Here’s to being a responsible homeowner!

Best. Book. Ever.

I just finished 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families and now I am feeling evangelical about it. I want to push this book on everyone I know. (The last time I felt this way was when I read Twilight- but that was for very different reasons).

Steven Covey wrote a completely inspired and insightful guide to families and the book covered every single topic I’ve been worrying over. It was seriously like all the thoughts and ideas that have been swirling around in my head- plus a bunch that hadn’t occurred to me- were all in this book in a cohesive fashion, with guidelines for implementation. Absolutely invaluable to me.

A sampling of the things that I learned:

• Having regular focused one-on-one time with each of your children will significantly reduce sibling rivalry
• Almost all children already know what is right and what is wrong- they just haven’t made up their mind yet to do the right thing.
• You cannot have a productive difficult conversation (corrective or negative feedback) without having a strong positive relationship already established.
• To give myself a pause button before I respond in a stressful situation

I’ve seriously just started my study. I’m sure that I’ll learn much more when I go back and read it again.

Read it- if you haven’t read it already. I’m going to keep pushing it on you until you do :)

Christmas in July

Somebody needs to stop me. It’s July- so naturally I felt the need to start shopping for Christmas Cards today. And possible Christmas gifts for the kids. And maybe some Christmas dishes too.

It’s my need to plan, people! (As mentioned in my most recent post.) It’s also my need to get things on sale- (fyi: the best time for sale items on toys is in the early fall, when they clearance everything out to make room for the Christmas stuff)- and also to find out how much the things on the kid’s Christmas Lists are going to cost (that way I can start gently guiding them in more affordable directions).

And almost by accident, while perusing Amazon.com- I found this:

Now it’s possible that you may think that this set of Christmas dishes is terrible. They may not be for you. But I cannot lie- I saw them and my heart skipped a beat! I currently don’t have any Christmas dishes and I’ve been looking for a few years now to replace a set I was given a long time ago. But between you and me- I’m not a fan of Christmas trees on my plates. Or snowmen. And I like snowflakes- I just don’t want blue and white Christmas dishes. And given my borderline obsession with pinecones, I think that these dishes are perfection.

Sad news: this pattern is called Garland Spruce by Pfaltzgraff and it was discontinued in 2006. It can currently be purchased on Amazon for an astronomical price ($249 for 4 place settings. I know- ridiculous, right?)

Good news: I found it on Replacements.com and they are selling their 4 place setting sets for $28.99. I’m going to get 3 boxes.

What do you think? Is 12 place settings enough? Or should I buy an extra box and have 16?

Being a Grown-Up

This afternoon, since I have had the good fortune to be called into the new Relief Society Presidency as a counselor. Again. For the third time in a row. (I’m starting to think that the Lord has been trying to teach me something and I apparently have not learned it yet). I had the privilege, with the other sisters in our presidency, to make sure that dinner happened tonight at the stake center for Youth Conference. Dinner was from 5-6pm, followed immediately after by a dance.

So as I was cleaning up dishes in the kitchen, chatting with the grown-ups, shooing scared 14 year old boys out of the kitchen and telling all the overly helpful girls who weren’t being asked to dance that, no, in fact we did not need their help- someone made the comment that they missed being a youth.

Not me. No way, no how. I loved being a teenager, and I LOVED youth conference when it was my time to be there. But I love being a grown up more. When I was a teenager, I hated not knowing for sure what I was going to be or do when I grew up. I’ve never really liked uncertainty and I’m really not great at just drifting, so sometimes being a teenager stressed me out. I am a plan oriented girl. I can promise you this- if there is no plan, I will make one. [Luckily for me I am married to a man who generally tolerates this about me.]

Right now I am happy to be 34 years old. I loved being 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18- but I love being 34 more. And when I’m 40, 45, and 50- I will love that so much more than being 34, because quite truthfully, I like to grow up.

Love is in the Air

Maybe it was the wedding cake we made. Maybe it’s been too many Disney movies. But today, as we drove downtown to return books to the Library, Emmaline started pointing out all the places that Ernie and I could go to kiss. You know, to keep the romance alive.

“See that bridge Mom?…” (the footbridge on the University of Southern Mississippi campus that faces a busy 4 lane road) “…that would be a perfect place for you and Dad to go on a date and then stand on the bridge and kiss.”

“Hmmm”, I replied. “Well, I suppose we could do that.” (because I was only half-listening as I was navigating through heavy traffic.)

“Or you know, Mom. Another good idea is if you and Dad took a ride in a boat. That would be a perfect place for you and Dad to kiss.”

And now she had my full attention.

“Why would we do that, honey?”

“Because you and Dad are in love.”

“Emmaline, do you know what people do when they are in love?”

“Ummm, they kiss because they love each other?”

“Well, yes, they do that too, but more than anything else people who are in love talk to each other. Because when you’re in love with someone, that person is your best friend and you want to tell them everything and people who are in love talk a whole lot more than they kiss.”

Sheesh. For a brief moment, Emmaline had me envisioning a cruel future for her. One where she is expecting to be asked on a date a certain way. Or be proposed to a certain way. Or kissed for the first time in just the right spot, with just the right lighting- or the love wouldn’t be real. I was already feeling sorry for the poor boy who was already doomed to failure because he won’t be, couldn’t possibly be, Mr. Darcy.

I then announced to all the kids (just to clarify) that when Ernie and I are on a date, we do not spend the whole time kissing. We spend the whole time talking. [Well, it’s possible that there is some kissing going on while we’re on a date. Because, let’s face it- kissing is way more fun when the kids aren’t around.]

Wedding Daydreams

Emmaline spotted it last week at the library. It was a big, beautiful picture book all about wedding cakes. She showed it to Ally and Eve, then to me and Kitty, and we all agreed that the wedding cakes in the book were AMAZING and that we needed to check the book out and pour over it’s contents in the comfort of our own home.

That is how we ended up making a wedding cake today. A cake that fulfills every Barbie inspired wedding cake fantasy.

Each of the kids took a turn with the icing bag and we varied the decorator tips to fit individual preferences.

Now the kids are salivating over this lovely cake. The kids have ooed and aahed over the execution and design and Eve has declared it to be “phenomenal!”.

Bone Aching

Bone aching tired. That’s how I feel tonight.

7 kids all under the age of 10 is starting to take it’s toll- but I am having so much fun! The exhaustion is completely worth the joy of watching the kids bond with each other and make memories and play games and do all the things that kid cousins like to do together.

We’ve gone to the pool almost daily. We have obsessed over library books. We have certainly played the Money Game to the point of exhaustion. We have giggled and laughed and whispered and plotted.

Cooper and Nigel have bonded. Eve and Emmaline have bonded. Max begs Ally to carry him all over the house and Ally happily obliges. Ernie and Ally have made a point of letting everyone know that they are officially “pre-teens”.

It’s true that I am so tired tonight I feel like propping my eyelids open with toothpicks- but it is so worth it.

Weekly Recap

Trips to the pool: 5

Hours spent playing the “Money Game” (see below if you’re interested): at least 1000

Number of toys/random objects displaced by the “Money Game”: more than 50

Number of hot dogs consumed: 16 (and counting)

Boxes of White Cheddar Cheeze-its eaten at the pool: 2

Movies rented from Redbox: 3

Movies rented from Blockbuster (only because that movie wasn’t available at the Redbox): 1

Date nights: 2 (me and Ernie on Monday night; Kitty and Ernie on Thursday night)

Girls Night Out: 1 (me and Kitty- rocking the chips and salsa at Chili’s last night)

Pool Items in the beach bags:

• 2 sets of floaties
• 4 kick boards
• 3 bottles of sunscreen
• fluctuating number of goggles (we seem to be constantly losing and finding goggles)

Trips to Sonic for drinks: who knows but it’s been at least twice a day for the last 5 days :)

And just in case you’re wondering about the Money Game, here’s how you play:

Get all the toys, books, random objects you can find. Now, go and dig out the game Monopoly and swipe the play cash. Next, set up a “shop” in your bedroom. This is best done by removing every toy off of the shelves and out of the closet. Then set all the toys/books/etc. on the ground so that they cover every square inch of floor in your bedroom. Every room upstairs should have at least one shop owner. Distribute the Monopoly cash to each player. Now comes the best part- especially if it’s 6 o’clock in the morning. Start shouting at the top of your lungs: “OPEN!!” and then start running back and forth from shop to shop (bedroom to bedroom) and begin ferocious bargaining over prices and items for sale. After the first 15 minutes it’s a great idea to put everything in your shop on sale, so go ahead and start shouting: “SALE!!!”. The more players/shop owners the better. It creates a delightfully chaotic and stimulating environment.

Thank you Cannon Family for introducing our Smith Family to the wonders of the Money Game. I’m not sure how we survived without it.

Vacationland

With Kitty and the kids here, I have one foot in my regular life and one foot in vacationland.

Case in point:

Things I Should Have Done Today

Cleaned my bedroom and bathroom

Put away (or made the kids put away) the laundry

Baked cookies for the new neighbors

Started my talk for church on Sunday

and here’s what I actually did today:

Things I Actually Did Today

Swam at the pool for 2 hours with all the kids

Read my book

Took the kids to a Jumpy House

Went to Chili’s with Kitty for dessert (by ourselves!)

I much prefer vacationland- who wouldn’t??- but I really need to mentally prepare myself for when I have to get back to real life next week. It’ll come soon enough.

Who says boys don’t like Barbie?

After a really, really long day at the pool- the kids are exhausted :) Ernie and Kitty are on a date and so after an easy dinner of pasta with parmesan cheese, broccoli, and watermelon- I told the kids that we would have a movie night and that the movie of the evening would be: Barbie in A Mermaid’s Tale.

You can imagine the disgust on Ernie and Nigel’s faces. The horror and the cruelty, that their own mother would suggest that they watch such obviously female fare. (Max and Cooper- who are 2 and 4- thought it’d be just fine).

Well, the smell of popcorn lured the older boys back in and at the moment all 7 children are sprawling in the living room, wondering how Merliah will defeat her evil aunt and restore the undersea kingdom of Oceana before it gets destroyed.

I love it when everyone enjoys a good movie!

BFFs

A little over 15 years ago I moved to Athens, Georgia and showed up one night at Institute. There was a pretty girl there named Kitty Smith and someone told me that she was looking for a roommate for the summer. So I called her up the next day and we talked like we had known each other our whole lives. We ended up rooming together that summer and then for the entire rest of the time that we were in Athens together.

Kitty is the definition of a “kindred spirit”. Despite her initial upset and concern that her older brother was stealing her best friend, it’s turned out to be the very best blessing in the world to have your best friend turn into your sister in law. We got married 6 weeks apart and we had our first children 6 weeks apart. There have been babies and husbands and travel and moves that at times have sometimes prevented us from seeing each other more than once a year. But despite that, the relationship is solid. Each time we are together, we fall back into patterns and behaviors that have distilled and aged well over time.

It’s delightful to me to spend time with Kitty’s kids and to love them too. I love that my kids adore her and want her around. I love when she visits and does my laundry. I love being able to talk about anything and everything with her and to feel like I am understood.

Ernie and I are starting to consider (I’m still in disbelief as I type this) training for a triathlon (sprint length). Kitty, who recently ran her very first tri, is so excited and wants to do it with us. I love that!

The happy news for me is that Kitty found out last week that her current visit home to the States is now permanent, since her husband just received notice that he is being transferred out of China, and now she is gearing up for a fast international move (with 3 kids, 2 pets, and 1 husband in tow) and anticipating life in Tampa, Florida. I’m just so happy that she will be a quick plane ride away. 

40

Ernie’s birthday is today and it’s the big 4-0! The kids and I went to Party City and ordered a balloon bouquet (actually, I ordered the bouquet while the kids ran around and had their hands on all the tiny little doodads that make the Party Store a kid paradise and a mom’s worst nightmare. [the only thing worse is taking them to Gattitown]). We then proceeded to Ernie’s office where we pulled Ernie out of a staff meeting and the kids shouted “happy birthday!!” and danced around.

Tonight, Kitty and the kids arrived and so we ordered pizza and we’ve happily sat around chatting away and spending time together. Ernie was home for dinner by 5 pm. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate his birthday!

Giddy Up!

Ernie’s mom loves horseback riding and it’s been very important to her to share that love with her grandchildren. So horseback riding we went. The kids all had mixed reactions- some cried, some giggled, and some were way more interested in chasing the chickens.

 

9 children under the age of 10

It’s a little loud here. Actually a LOT loud. There are 9 children (my 9 year old is the oldest of the bunch) and they all feel the need to shout louder than all the other kids because they want to hear themselves speaking. So basically that means it gets louder, and then louder, and then even louder.

We are all together here in one house (Ernie’s parents house). Every night it’s musical chairs with the kids sleeping arrangements. The grown-ups are just trying to hold on to a quiet corner where it’s possible to sleep without little feet in your face.

Meal times are either institutionalized [everyone gets served the same thing] or the moms become short order cooks. Children this young have very different opinions on what they will and will not eat. In this particular group, we have children that don’t like (won’t eat):

• Macaroni and Cheese
• Grilled Cheese
• Peanut Butter and Jelly
• Bananas
• Pancakes

On a positive note, all the kids will eat pizza.

The kids are having a crazy, fun time. For reals. It’s been crazy and all of the kids are having a blast (pictures coming soon)!