Our kids make me laugh every day..

First day of Playschool

lining up all his "naked" crayons.

Joren

Joren, our incessant climber, is constantly asking me: "What happens I fall down here?"

While telling me about his make believe walkie talkie Joren said, "watch mom, I push this button and air comes out. See. AIR!!"

While using a screw and a top to an orange juice concentrate can to "play" Joren said, "Look mom, I have my bery own bideo game!" (if only it could stay so simple.)

Joren proudly held up a piece of black licorice and said, "This is my birth jerkey." and insisted it was birth jerkey for the rest of the day.

"But I'm nice". (if ever Joren gets in trouble)

How can you be mad at a kid that says: "But I wike you"

Joren is constantly squealing and running from our "beast" of a dog and screaming: "Tor wiked me!"

"mom, you my best girl."

"Mom, i need you, I want you. I gone miss you."

If asked why he broke a rule or made a bad choice: "cause I need it." or "I had to."


While flying to Oregon: "This airplane is like a flyboat."

Where did you go today?
"A place wif sticks and hives to wiv in. It was weawy weawy big."

Who are your cousins?
"Jakey and Jake"

Who are your uncles?
"Who and Ha. "

What does your grandma look like?
"She has make up in her purse. Her purse is yewwow yewwow, yewwow, yewwow aww over."

"I'm not Joren, I'm Diego"

Joren is obsessed with all things small and rectangle. It is so weird. Dominoes, post-it not pads, phone batteries, magnets, blocks, pieces of cheese etc. Even pictures in books of small rectangle shaped things attract his attention. He calls them all his mini notebooks or handy dandy notebooks. Everyone hold on to your dominoes. He's swiped them from more than one house!

On Oct 20th Joren decided he was ready to be potty trained and he has refused to wear pull ups or diapers since. He's doing great. All of the sudden the light turned on and he is "in charge". He does not want me to choose his clothes or put on his seat belt or feed him or help him with most things. Independence suddenly happened. bye bye baby Joren. I will miss your baby stage. (of course I won't miss the diapers!)

"I'm not cute, I'm awesome!

Eirik


Eirik can't go on a walk without "GEAR" Today his sweater is his scarf and his headband makes him a great fighter. (of course!)

"This place smells like the inside of apples." Eirik

"Eirik, Did you know we were going to Oregon?"
"Oh, I thought we were going to Degoba."

Questionaire:
Eirik, what are your 5 most important pieces of gear?
1. Elkhorn hammer or knife
2. Black Stallion
3. Grey Cell Phone
4. Magnifying Glass
5. New Black Snowpants

What is the grossest thing you have ever eaten?
Noodles that I threw up.

"I was thinking to plant popcorn trees so I saved these popcorn seeds."

"gasoline is fire that fuels down with liquid. There's little tiny tiny cords that connect together and go into gasoline doors and get used up on fire liquid and helps the big rig go up and get burning. When the gas gets hard again it turns into flax."

"Mom, I've had enough of my life. Your life is way more interesting than mine."

I'm getting a lot of "I NEVER get to ....." or "I ALWAYS..." and comments like "fine, I'll just run away." or "fine, I'll just shoot myself."

"You're breaking my heart."

"You're cracking me apart."

"Oatmeal! This must stand short for the 'oaltimate' weapon!"

While practicing for the primary program: What is your part again Eirik? "I am the father of my Savior?" he said.
"NO! God is the father of my spirit!" I corrected.

Empathy

On the afternoon we learned of Steve's death, my sweet, loving 4 year old followed my distraught husband from room to room trying to console him with these words:

"I wish there was anything I could do for you. I wish I could bring you the moon. I wish I could bring the sun for you or bring all the sharks in the world and let you touch them. I wish I could make anything you want. I wish I could make you an expert at anything you would like or make you a doctor. I wish there was just anything I could do for you daddy. I love you daddy."

Steve's shoes

For the past few years whenever we have seen Steve, he has been wearing these shoes. They were perfect for him. They are sturdy, comfortable, cool, and dependable. On several occasions I told Paul we ought to buy some of the same kind for him. I think we even joked about swiping them. But that doesn't mean I wanted to wake up this morning and see them sitting on the floor on my husbands side of the bed. We got home from Oregon yesterday and I think Paul and I both wanted to come home and pretend for a while that none of the past week really happened. We hoped to get back to our routine and put on happy faces and dry our tears, but as I unpacked Steve's obituary and read our many sympathy cards and Paul wore Steve's shoes around, the reality of what has just happened struck me anew. The tragedy has followed us home and we can't pretend that the loss of our Dad is not as heartbreaking at home as it was at his graveside.

I've never had to grieve before. I didn't know how it would feel. The sorrow is so permeating.
I can only barely imagine the pain I would feel if I lost my Paul after 7 years with him, but I can't begin to wrap my brain around losing him after 42 years together. My heart breaks for my mother-in-law. No one prepares to be a widow at 59. Throughout the whole week Patty was a strength to all of us when I felt we should be the strength to her. I only saw her weep once and it was as the two of us talked and she expressed how lonely she will be. I know she is devastated and yet she was gracious and loving and very present for all of us and her grand kids. She emanated peace. Her words and demeanor testify that she is absolutely sure she will see him again after this life.
The memorial service was beautiful. The chapel and gym were packed nearly to the back wall. There were thousands of flowers. Arinn and I said the prayers, Kim led the music and Ben, Zach, Jeanette, Paul and Kristen and Steve's bishop spoke. Ben gave a moving life sketch. Zach talked of Steve's love for his wife and read excerpts from the love journal Pat and Steve kept. Jeanette, Paul and Kristen shared memories and stories about Steve and I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. Steve's bishop could barely speak as he told of the many many acts of service Steve performed for people. I heard several people say it was the most inspiring funeral they had been to. Steve was real. There was no pretense. No one had to exaggerate to inspire us all to live a better life. It was said that Steve had become so pure that the Lord needed him to come home to do missionary work on the other side. It was true, he had become pure. His priorities were right. He loved God and served him. He put his family first. He died with his Book of Mormon open on his nightstand and his genealogy done all the way back to Julius Caesar. He lived an exemplary and righteous life.

No one in our family had to cook for a solid week and I have come home to another full week of meals provided by my wonderful friends here. The outpouring of love and sympathy we have received has been astounding. I didn't know how much I would appreciate it. I have sometimes in the past shortchanged people when sympathy was due underestimating the amount of sorrow they must feel. I have been solidly taught how to empathize and comfort others by the love we have been shown. I am so thankful for all of you who have called, sent flowers, emails, cards and prayers. Thank you. We are so grateful.

And even though I am comforted; I know he has passed on to a grand reunion on the other side of the veil, and I am buoyed up by so many who love us; I want him back. I don't want his shoes. I just want him back. I will miss him so much.

Grandpa

How do you explain to a child that someone they love is gone? How do you explain that they will never see their Grandpa again on this earth? How do you ever grieve enough that they won't get to grow up with this wonderful man? I am sad for me. I am sad for my Mother in law. I am sad for my husband. And I am so sad for my children. I hope that they can remember how a few short weeks before his death he spent a week straight serving them and loving them completely. I am so grateful that Steve got to meet Teig. I am so grateful that Teig got to meet Grandpa Steve. I am so glad to have this precious photo of them together to hang on our wall.

As he left Michigan a few weeks ago my heart was so full of love for this selfless man. He gave and gave. He worked when he should have been resting, never complaining or letting on that he felt bad. He found a million ways to bless our lives. He found things to fix that we did not know needed fixing. He was so generous. We have so many things because of him. His advise will always stick with me. I never grew tired of talking and laughing with him. He always made me feel appreciated and ok. One day I complained about my hair and he said, "that must be frustrating." He always knew what to say. I feel as if I was just getting to know him and I looked forward to spending lots more time with him. And of course I dreamed my kids would get to grow up with his wonderful example.
When Patty called to tell us the news today I hope I did not hang up on her. I think she said goodbye and hung up before I closed the phone. I think I remember saying, "I'll tell Paul." I wish I had said "I'm so sorry" I was frozen and shocked and left to think:. How do I tell my husband that his father has just died?" I loved him. My heart aches. I will tell my kids about him again and again and again. We will miss him so much.

Dear Dear Steve...

Pure love

"Mother,
I love you more than 1000 hundred and I will never dream of anyone else but you. When I grow up I will marry you. "
Eirik

Teig's room

Sometimes I wish I could be that mom who finds a cute bedset online for their baby's room and just buys it. Easy. But NOOooOOO... I have to invent a new style for each kid and spend weeks making them stuff they don't need for their room they will never remember. :) It actually brings me a lot of joy and since they probably won't remember it, I have to record it here.

This is Teig's baby blanket. I was inspired by a book about these awesome crazy quilts made by former slaves who saved every little scrap of fabric from every piece of old work clothes and hand-me-downs they could get and pieced them meticulously together into a "crazy quilt". It's been years since I saw the book on it and I can't find a reference online, but it was an awesome book. I used Paul's old jeans that I once tried to patch and some of Eirik and Joren's old T-shirts along with other pieces of fabric from favorite old things. I fell in love with this eccentric color scheme with tons of different textures from the shiny yellow fabric to the brown tweed. I gave it a soft grey flanel back and did a really random blanket stitch with floss throughout. I love the zigzig rickrack my friend Charyce gave me from a thrift store find. There's one leftover "penny" from the penny pillows I made last year with Kristen. It's a hodgepodge, but that's what life is and I like the old better than the new usually. It reminds me of our amazing history. We are such products of where we came from and it's worth paying homage to it. My friend Kasey taught me how to bind a blanket and this is my first time doing it. Not hard at all and I love the finished product.

My friend Merillee made some fish that inspired these.




This is the afghan that I found at a thrift store that I fell in love with. I think these colors started all this madness. I just love this for some reason. This is the afghan (below) that my friend Jena MADE for me and Teig! Yeah, I know! I can't believe it either. My mind is still blown every time I look at it. Did she nail all my colors and my style or what? I could not love this more!

These are the two awesome, soft, lovely afghans that PATTY made me when she was in town. I did not know I loved afghans before this year, but now, as you can see, I can't get enough.



and a few more cutie fish.

Forming good habbits

One of the reasons we got a dog was to encourage us to get more exercise. Every night that Paul gets home early enough, we go on a walk. We have really enjoyed this new habit. It's a time when we can talk, the kids get some exercise, we enjoy nature, the dog gets exercise and we are not distracted by the other 1000000 things we have to do the second we get home.
I love it and hope the winter won't put to much of a damper on our new habit.
We realized on our last walk that we better enjoy this moment in life when we are not racing from one after school activity to the next. I have a feeling that life is about to change in a big way in the next few years. Parenthood seems to be a lot about learning to give up your personal time and hobbies one little bit at a time over a long period of time until you almost forget that you ever had any personal time or hobbies and by the time you have forgotten, you suddenly have some personal time again and you have to try to remember your hobbies again. I'm thinking that maybe in a year or two we might try for a baby girl, so if that works out, then I forsee that I might start having some personal time during the day again in about 7 years. hmmm.... how about that? :)

Katie's Pickles

My sister Katie canned pickles last year and gave me the guts to try it this year. They turned out great! It was not that hard and they taste as good as Paul's favorite Clauson pickles.

Thanks Katie! I'll probably end up doing this every year now.

Joren- isms 34months

"One time I dwived to the worwld and I got you to the wowld in my new car, cool new mini van exactly wike my new mini van and there was Africa animals at the wowld like elephants."

"See that dwain? (drain) It's in the shower. Because rain can go in the shower. One time I swimmed in the drain. And I was twapped and there was gates and animals and vey were my pets." "Wow, that really happened?" "Yep it did."

"member? (remember) Member when Luke (Skywalker) dressed up as Eirik?"

"Do you want to go to my dance party? It's weawy fun. It's starting."

"See my stegger? (tiny black piece of square plastic) It's wike a bwack square. I will protect you from my bwack stegger. It can cut and swice (slice) and sting."

"I wike you"

"I can pet myself wif my hand wike zis."

"I know you. you're my mom. (kiss) Wewcome. You're my best giwrl."

Joren lifts his hand up to his cheek and pretends to be resting his face in his hand. "what are you doing Joren?" "I'm just finking." What are you thinking about?" "Mostwy the cwickets."

"One time I smashed an awien (alien) wif my car. Ver was bwood. Yep there was."

Bucket list * check

I always dated guys that rode motorcycles. It's just what I liked. So when Paul decided that I was the girl for him he secretly learned to ride a motorcycle. On a Friday night he picked me up on a Honda and as I jumped on he said, "See Melody, I can be all the man you need."
It was a great ride and as Paul is "all the man I need", I was only a little bummed when 6 years later I had not been on another motorcycle since. As you might have seen in a recent post, we got ourselves a little vintage 1973 Honda CB 100 motorcycle and I officially took it for my first drive this month. SO FUN!! This is not the last of motorcycles for this couple. :)

Home sweet magic home

Our kids dresser broke so I found a couple at Garage Sales and my mom helped me make them "new" again when she was in town. We painted them and then put a glaze with brown acrylic paint over the top to make them look a little used. I love how they turned out.


We also did this cute table that we use for preschool. I love it because it's a finish that I don't have to be too particular about. If the kids get marker and glue and glitter all over it, I don't care.


This is the painting that started the whole room.
I also painted the stools and this paper roll from Ikea barn red.

I was so excited when I caught this rare magical moment of my children reading together. Eirik was reciting what he rememberd of this adorable book called "Way out West with a Baby." He has such a great memory it astounds me.
This room has been such a delight this summer. Those vines outside the window are trumpet vines that are gorgeous with the summer sun through them. Birds come and land in them right outside the open window. Magic

On Time!

I have a great accomplishment to congratulate myself on with a post. :)
I have dropped off and picked up Eirik to and from preschool 8 times and been ON TIME every time! Now is where I make the confession that I think I was late to every single class of High School and college my entire life. I was so notoriously late that I am surprised I did not have to repeat a grade or fail a class or something. It took meeting Paul and having him be honest with me about how rude and thoughtless it was of me to be late to things to start the change. I had to study tardiness.

I learned that if you are notoriously late you probably:

1. are seeking attention, and enjoy getting it as you enter late
2. enjoy letting people think that you are so busy or important that you could not possibly make it on time.
3. seriously think that what you were doing that made you late is way more important than any engagement, and you don't mind if the people you are engaging with know that.
4. enjoy making people wait since it give you power or control

All of these reasons have something to do with pride and selfishness. I never realized what message I was giving when I was always late. I just did it out of habit. I have learned since making it a priority to be on time to things that I think a lot more highly of myself. In my "late" days, I can't tell you how many hours I wasted thinking of excuses to give when I arrived to things. Excuses only made me anxious and fearful because of course they are always lies. I was late because I was prideful and selfish and always thought that what I was doing was more important.
So back to the point.. I was on time for preschool this week 8 times and with 3 children, one nursing, and having to haul out the double stroller and walk a block to get there each time, that, to me, it quite an accomplishment!
I have a new found respect for moms with kids in school. It is a BIG job!
phew!

No more squeaks!

After we got spoiled having my parents and brother visit, we got extra spoiled having Paul's parents come for a week. I made the right choice marrying Paul, not just for him, but for his wonderful parents. I enjoyed every moment of their visit. Patty is wise, generous and kind. One night Paul and Steve went to a baseball game. I sat symbolically at Patty's feet working on recovering a kids chair while she crocheted a blanket for the boys in a nearby chair for hours into the night. We talked and I soaked up all the knowledge I could hanging on her every word. Sometimes I just yearn for someone to tell and show me what to do and Patty is just the example I need. I felt really lucky to have her to myself for a week. She is a marriage and family counselor and people pay her quite a bit to sit down with them for an hour to talk. She did some therapy on the boys. Eirik has had some disturbing dreams and we discovered why and helped him process those feelings. That was really interesting.

We took a day trip to Frankenmouth and Patty and I went to Bronners, the biggest Christmas store in the US. (we weren't that impressed) and then to an awesome antique store where I wanted to buy a ton of things and didn't buy anything. Steve took the boys to Tiny's Farm where they held baby chicks and got peacock feathers and came back with exciting stories about all the animals. Then we went to the outlet mall and Steve and I shopped while Patty and the kids stayed in the car. Steve was a really fun shopping buddy! I could hang with him every day and never run out of things to talk about.

On their first evening here my friend Ruth brought a roast and Yorkshire pudding. It was delicious and Pat and Steve were very impressed.

Steve spent hours fixing things for us around the house. Our dining chairs that have always squeaked.. yeah, he tightened them! He fixed the squeak in our bed and on the 2nd and 3rd stair that has bugged me daily since we moved in. He helped us fix the electric fence and our leaky faucet and the light under the oven hood and the ice maker. Yeah, he's amazing! I love it when he comes to town. Thank you Steve!
The kids loved their visit too. They bought them dollar store toys every day and lots of treats to eat. Since they left Joren has loved Bob the Builder and says that his "grandfaver says he can do whatever he wants" all the time.


We miss you Pat and Steve. Thank you for coming!! XXOO

The end of Summer vacation and my first day of school for the rest of ... forever

Paul finally graduated last year and guess who starts school this year? Yep, Eirik. My first day of kids in school for the rest of ... forever.

One of my friends said to me this week, "I feel sort of guilty, my life seems too easy right now." She has gone from 4 kids at home all summer to just two.
Personally, I have been getting giddy for preschool to start. I don't feel a bit guilty that I had a super easy morning this morning on Eirik's first day because Eirik loved his first day as much as I did. For three mornings a week someone else gets to keep up with his amazing energy for a few hours! Joren and I had a very nice time just being together this morning. I think Joren really enjoyed some alone time where he could play with anything he wanted, no one grabbed, and no one bossed him or bullied him. He just happily played. Eirik's teacher is wondreful and cried at our first parents meeting as she told us how excited she is to teach and how much she already loves our kids. She is fresh out of college and I think she's wonderful! Hooray for Preschool!

The Law's visit

We were in Utah for two weeks this January, but we've had so many big changes in the last 6 months (new house, new car, new dog, new calling, new garden, new KID) that we were really excited to have parents come out to visit. I think every kid secretly longs to have their parent say, "good work, you are coming along well." and that's what I needed. I sort of longed to have my mom walk around our yard and say, "beautiful" and walk around my house and say, "that's lovely dear" and see my children and say "aren't they wonderful" and that's just what she did. I don't think I'm really a validation junkie or anything, but I needed my parents to say "well done." Their visit seemed to go very fast, but I was filled up when they had to leave. They brought an unexpected surprise with them on the 26 hour drive; my brother Daniel!

It was so fun to have some time with him. He brought back to life this awesome motorcycle that our amazing landlords gave to us when we moved into our house. It needed some repair but in one week my brother had it in good condition. The kids love riding it!



We drug my parents on a long walk the day before I was induced. We were trying to get the party started early, but had no luck. The walk was a lot of fun though! We love exploring our neighborhood!






I got to harvest our first vegies from the garden the day my mom came. I'll admit, the yield has been small, but we have enjoyed it anyway.

My parents wanted to take the kids jet skiing. The kids were so excited. Joren got a little bloody nose from belly diving down a hill racing Eirik to the jet skis.
Eirik is sure his goggles are essential. (He doesn't realize that they don't work unless there is rubber around both eye pieces. We don't have the heart to tell him.)


We were so grateful that they got to spend a lot of good quality time with the kids. My mom brought the kids a blow up pool for the backyard and new beach towels. They got to see a movie and go out to eat a couple of times. We miss you family.