What Is Up

Well, here's what's been going on over here...

~ I've been doing the usual: entertaining Oliver, trying (and mostly failing) to keep up with the never-ending household chores, trying to get Jane to do her constant flow of homework; running, staying up late to bask in the silence, trying to get Halloween figured out... the list goes on...

~ I had been a nursery worker at church, but a new gal moved in and requested that calling. There wasn't a need for me if she got called, so I got canned. I actually liked being in there with the little kiddies. They liked me and I didn't have to worry about coming up with intelligent conversation like I (feel like I have to) do in other callings. The Primary president moved me over to be with the Achievement Days girls. That's a nice arrangement since it's only once every other week.

~ I am preparing to run in a half marathon with a few friends on Sat, Nov. 6th. I can't believe I'm going to (attempt to) do it, seeing as I've never participated in any official race before. It was Maria's idea. She brought it up months ago with the promise of a slumber party the night before. Since then, Maria has been having knee problems and isn't likely to participate in the race. But she's still letting us runners come for a sleepover. Now that I think of it, we could have bagged the race altogether and just done the sleepover! Welp, it's too late for that. We're registered. The longest recorded distance I've run so far is 8.4 miles. With only two weeks left, I'd better get my rear in gear!

~ My first choir concert is this Sunday, October 24th. We are expected to know our music well enough to not be buried in it during the performance. Guess I'd better practice some more! The past two rehearsals we've had substitutes filling in for Mrs. Schmidt since her mother was in the hospital and subsequently passed away. It was scary not having our regular director there to iron things out just days before the concert, but she said in a photocopied letter that she has faith that it will go well. Something along those lines. We have to be there to run through everything an hour and a half before showtime. Maybe she'll bring recordings of all the songs and ask us to please just lip sync.

~ Our ward Primary program is also this Sunday. I am so glad I'm not in charge of putting it together this year!

~ Oliver's 3rd Birthday is next Thursday, the 28th! I'm not ready at all!

~ After over two months of searching, we think we've secured a house! Our first house. We've been approved, we made the offer, the sellers made a counter offer which we accepted, and now we're just waiting for the inspection on Tuesday to make sure it's not a money pit. If it's all good, we'll be gone in a month or so. We've only told a few people so far, just in case it falls through. Good thing probably nobody will read it here! It's my blog and I just had to share what's been consuming my time and my mind. I will post more later (or sooner) on the subject, when it is official and when it starts feeling more real to me. I'm excited and nervous and SCARED. Mostly because Cora and Jane keep saying they don't want to move. We can't stay in this apartment forever. They can keep their current friends. We won't be far away. But it still makes me sad for them. I never had to be the new kid at school, so I have no clue how that really feels. I bet it's scary. They are so comfortable where they are. They like their teachers, and I'm sure they will like any teacher, but imagining them showing up the first day at their new school with no familiar faces breaks my heart. We wanted to be somewhere more central to everything and everyone. I'm sure they will do fine after the first little bit. They are both little social butterflies. I shouldn't worry, but I just can't help it.


So that's what's up over here.

Climbing+Cookies+Carnival=Fun!

On a lovely Saturday afternoon -September 18th, to be specific- the kids and I went to Veterans Park to burn some energy. They played on the slides for a few minutes, then I suggested we walk the path to the river. Jane wasn't at all excited about walking. Lazy bum. I told her what an awesome place we were going to, and how much she would love it. She was skeptical, but of course we went anyway.

There is a canal near the tree-shrouded river area we were wandering to. Near the canal is a great climbing tree. I pointed it out and the girls didn't waste any time latching onto it. They are such monkeys... After a few minutes, Jane said the unthinkable. "Mom, this really is awesome!"

That was a rare moment indeed. Usually, Jane makes it her quest to trash talk all of my ideas.


It really is a neat tree.


Oliver opted for his usual activity. No, not dancing. Rock-throwing.


Both Cora and Jane wore Beatles shirts that day, probably to impress me. It did warm my heart a little. :)






The girls helped him up there. Nothing like a little sibling teamwork.




After the first tree we crossed the bridge over the canal and saw a much bigger tree in a field off the path.


Next time maybe they'll wear some shoes appropriate for climbing.



They loved this tree.

Synchronized scooting. :) My kids are so talented.

Easy does it...



After the tree climbing, we traipsed over another bridge to find some "off-road" paths along the river. There are a bunch of beaten down trails that are fun to follow. Soon it was time to get home for Oliver's nap. I can tell it's that time when he starts wanting me to carry him everywhere.


On September 23rd, I made sugar cookies. My mom had agreed to watch the kids so I could go to my sister's Chicks and Giggles show later that night, and when I asked what I could do to make it up to her, she suggested I pay her in cookies. Piece of cake. Er, cookie...

When I got home that night, my mom reported that she had gone into the other room for a minute and Oliver pushed a chair up to the counter, climbed up, and helped himself to the cookies, taking a bite or two out of several of them. I let my mom take the unmolested ones. I just had to smile and shake my head. He puts Cookie Monster to shame.






The girls' school carnival was on Friday, September 24th. I was kind of looking forward to it, kind of not. One of Cora's friends inadvertently decided to schedule her birthday party for the same evening, so that meant we could only stay for about an hour of the carnival. I have no idea why they had a carnival the first month of school when they just had one in May. And they don't even have much to get excited over- no cotton candy, no bake sale, no dunk tank. As a substitute for cotton candy they had "snow cones"; crunchy, flavorless, poor excuses for snow cones. As I sampled some of Jane's, I longed for Judy's Summer Snow Shack... now that is ice well worth consuming!

I guess the highlight of the carnival was the kids getting face painted. Oliver got a guitar, but it turned out looking more like a violin. Oh well. He wasn't picky.

I took pictures of them after we got home and they were getting in bed.



Jane and Cora saw a girl with an ice cream cone on her face, so they both wanted one too.


No, I did not pressure them into choosing that design.




"While visions of (ice cream cones) danced in their heads...."

Sweet dreams, girls.

Waiting For The Train

On Sunday, Sept. 19th, Ryan's dad called us after 4pm and told us there was a steam engine coming through town that would be stopping at the Boise Train Depot. The newspaper said it was scheduled to arrive at 5pm. We woke Oliver up from his nap and got ourselves ready to go!
I wanted to be there to see it approaching. We got there before 5, but as we were walking up to the tracks, a lady told us the train had been delayed (or the newspaper had announced it wrong in the first place) and it wouldn't be there until 7 or 7:30. Bummer!
Since Ryan's parents hadn't arrived yet, and since they live a few blocks away from the depot, we went over there to hang out and wait. And eat brownies. :)

As 7:00 was nearing, we went back over to the depot. We didn't want to miss the train!

This is Big Mike. "He" is parked at the depot permanently, surrounded by a big black fence.


Looks like they could have placed the bars a little closer together. The kids can slink right through! I am glad Oliver didn't go all the way in- it would have taken a lot of coaxing to get him away from the train. I wonder how many kids have squeezed through and refused to come out.


Jane, Ollie, Ethan.


Notice how dim the light is getting.

Hmmm... still waiting for the live train... how about some more pictures by the dead train?



The ghostly depot. My camera doesn't take very good night shots. Too bad the train was so late.

Finally, after 8:00, the moment we'd all been waiting for... The sound of the distant whistle, coming closer, and closer, and closer... ("whistling, whistling, whistling in the dark"...) The giant steam engine rumbled down the tracks into view. Well, sort of. We could see the light and the outline of the black train against the darkness.

This is just the bottom half of part of the engine. It was immense!

Check out those parts!

I wish I could have gotten a picture of the whole engine. But it was too dark, and when it's dark my camera doesn't know what to focus on. Either that, or I don't know how to work my camera. Believe me, I have tried every setting.

If you look closely, you can see the engineer leaning out the side. At least I assumed that's who he was. I could see inside some of the cars, and it was fun to see different workers on board moving about. In the car right behind the engine I could see some shelves with food- crackers and soups and stuff. So that was cute. I guess when those fellas are on long rides they need a good supply of crackers.

Oliver is crazy about trains. The rest of us think they're pretty awesome too. It was a nice evening and I'm glad we got to spend it waiting for that train.

As If September Wasn't Fancy Enough...

On the morning of September 10th, we left for our annual trip to Lagoon with the Lytles. This year Ryan had to work, so he couldn't come. But since he and I already went to Lagoon in July, he tried not to feel too left out. The kids and I hitched a ride with Ryan's parents. We stayed overnight at a Days Inn about 15 minutes away from Lagoon. The kids were excited about that. Jane made herself at home by arranging her assortment of stuffed animals on the bed. Cora wanted to go exploring around the hotel (I didn't let her) , and Oliver and cousin Ethan unleashed their energy by jumping and wrestling on the bed in Grandpa and Grandma's room next door. Grandpa encouraged it; Grandma, not so much. :)

We went to get pizza and found a park to play at.

The next morning we all got ready and went to Lagoon!

We hit the kids' area first. Throughout the day, different adults took charge of the kids so everyone would have a chance to go on rides. It was kind of a small group this year. Only 2 out of 6 of Ryan's siblings (Christy and Jackie) and their families came. And Ryan's niece (Shealyn) and her husband and two kids came. And Bob and Shirley, of course. We missed having the rest of the gang there, but on the bright side, it was easier to keep track of everyone and coordinate plans.

A little boy in line with a sweet mullet. Not a very good picture, but I couldn't do much better without having the mom notice what I was up to. :)

Another angle.


Oliver went on a few rides with Shealyn and Matt's little girl, Alyce. They were good little sports.



Here they are on the boat ride. They look so tiny. I love the color of the boat they chose.



Alyce is 2 and wears glasses. I think toddlers with glasses are so cute! It's sad when they need them so early, but still cute. My nephew had to get some when he was 18 months.


My cute little guy.


Cora, Malory and Grandma Shirley. Cora tied shoelaces around her pigtails. Very resourceful. And cute. :)

Janey and Ollie on the helicopters.

Jane was bored with the "baby" rides this year. She thought she wanted to go on all the big ones, but she's not quite tall or gutsy enough for some of them. Maybe next year...


Oliver and me, Ethan and Eric (in the orange stripes- Jackie's husband) getting off the Dinosaur Egg Drop. I think that's what it's called. It raises way up and drops down halfway and pulses up and down while mildly swishing around. I thought Ollie would like it, but when the ride started he looked a little worried. I thought he was going to cry, but he didn't. He was just wide-eyed and quiet as I encouraged him with smiles and sounds of subtle delight. I didn't want to go overboard with the screaming. ;) So it turned out I thought right- he liked it!

We all met in the parking lot by the truck at 2pm for lunch. Just prior to that, Eric had taken Ethan and Oliver on Rattlesnake Rapids. They got all wet, shoes and all. Oliver wanted me to take off his wet clothes while we ate. Luckily I brought extra shorts and a shirt for him.

I love it when he wants to wear his train hat. He never leaves it on for very long though.

After lunch we went on more rides!
Then we went into Pioneer Village to look around and make our obligatory stop at the ice cream parlor. I went into the candy store and got a yummy caramel apple. I had them slice it so I could share.


Cora (in her new blue Converse) and Malory.


Jackie, baby Tomi, Ethan, Jane and Eric.




We stopped in at all the little museums. The girls were fascinated with all the antique stuff!


Notice Oliver flailing his arms. =) This was right after he had his ice cream.




I wish I could get my hands on a bike like this.


The amazing circus toy setup.


Then we went on more rides! Cora, Malory, Shirley, Jane and I went on the Tilt-A-Whirl together. That one never gets old and always makes us laugh. It's so fun! Throughout the day I got to go on a few rides with Cora and Malory, a few with Jane, a few with Oliver and a couple with Jackie. I felt like I got enough rides in, especially since I'd been there so recently. It was my goal to get to go on some with each of my kids, so my mission was accomplished!

Here Jane and Ollie are back at the lovely hotel. Oops, this was the night before we went to Lagoon.

This is after Lagoon. =)

They sure were tuckered out.

Until next year, that's it for Lagoon.