home.

headed north for the long weekend. safe and happy thoughts. 

back to school next week. sigh. 

Grateful. 

i am always grateful for my cereal, of course! this box came a few weeks ago from my dad. 

(he loves me.)

today i am especially grateful for a caring and supportive husband, and for a network of friends who i can turn to in a pinch if i need help. or Subway. or laundry folded.  

robin and i had to go to the aid of a friend today, who does not have the family support and the close network that we enjoy. it made me realize how different/difficult my life could be if i were trying to do this on my own. 

my love, my friends; i am so, so grateful to have you all in my life. each and every one of you enriches it in a vital way.  thanks.

i would like it to rain, please.  

(photo from here)

big, fat, drippy drops of rain.  maybe a stray cloud or two from Fay? (it's only got to cross a continent, in the wrong direction...) 

please please rain please oh please. 

on another note, i ate the best peach ever to exist on this planet last night.  i almost cried. it was that good.  i've got to get me to a farmer's market!

connor got baptized last saturday.

afterward, he told his dad that he "definitely felt something" afterward. he thought it was maybe the holy ghost, and also a strong desire to go swimming. 
fletcher was a bit obsessed with looking at the water. before we started he kept walking up to people and asking them to open the dividers so he could see it again. he says he's afraid to get baptized, because he will have to put his face in the water.  better start practicing!
yummy food was had, and good friends came. I was pleased that nearly everyone there was someone who was involved directly in connor's life; at home or at church.   we still have cake... 

thanks, uncle mike, for taking pictures. i was a little preoccupied. 

Taaaarrrrr pits!

we headed to the tar pits yesterday - a first time for me.  the whole area there around the La Brea pits and museum stinks like tar. (actually, the scientists call it asphalt)  all of those skulls on the wall are "dire wolves" that died in the pits. (also I will never say "saber toothed tiger" again, as it was pounded into my brain that the appropriate term, people, is "saber toothed CAT") 
there was a hill to climb
and roll down.
and a couple of open pits around the grounds. 

excavation pit 91 was open for an hour while we were there. nobody was working in it but a large man with long pink hair and creative ear piercings was there, telling people about the recent finds (giant tusks) and some projects they are working on soon. Anyone can volunteer to help excavate (Connor's dream come true). You only have to be "16 years old and breathing". 

So if we're still here in 8 years, you can bet he'll be down and dirty with the rest of them.

after hitting the tar pits we headed over to the LACMA where the boys got free memberships until they are 18 (one free adult per child, how convenient), and headed straight to the Boone Children's Gallery.

there were shapes to build with. some kids made a fort. Other's made a tea party. Our kids made a lounge.  
then it was on to the building table which provided cardboard, glue, tape in all colors, paper, scissors, pipe cleaners, etc.  Elle made a mailbox, and so did Connor I think..., and Fletcher made a house for baby jaguar. 
Here they are at home with their spoils. We saw some other cool stuff at the LACMA, like a table and chairs that looked like they were made for the BFG. Also some decidedly NOT cool things, like a sheep in formaldehyde, and a spinning painting, the memory of which still makes me queasy (dizziness, not grossness).
It was a fun day! Thanks, Ubermom (heh) for dragging us out. I'm glad my stomach behaved until after we got home. 

sometimes, like on days when:

1. I feel 97% crummy

2. I don't get jack done around the house

3. I let the boys play video games all. day. long..

sometimes I feel like I'm not doing such a great job at this whole "mom" thing and I look at how big my kids are and how much I still desperately want to teach them and do with them and I wonder if I'll ever, ever manage it.

I take an inordinate amount of comfort from pictures like these. Those kids? Those are happy kids. And I am so grateful for their bright and shining presence in my life and in my home.  Do I deserve it? 

Not a chance. 

Am I gonna keep em? 

You betcha. 

Every few days Fletcher will walk by me, fully preoccupied with something else and headed for some daring mission of epic proportions:

Fletcher:  Mom?

Me: Yes dear?

Fletcher: You're awesome. 

Me: looks up in order to give culprit a big hug, but he's already gone into the other room to do the important stuff. 

And yesterday:

Me: Alright, no more gross talk. Every time either one of you says something gross I am totally taking money out of your allowance! 

not long after this the fletch exits the bathtub and aims his little bum at his brother, and makes shooting noises. Oh yes. The poo shooter. 

Me: That's it! Fletcher I get 10 cents from your allowance this week! 

Connor: No! No don't take it! He's sorry! Take mine instead! 

what am I supposed to do with that?! besides cry a little bit, I mean.  I can hardly send one of them to their room without the other one tearfully asking me if he can go to, so his brother won't be alone and sad. 

so it's nice, on days like these, when I'm feeling a little bit less good-mom-ish and even less human-not-zombie-ish, to remember that even if I'm not doing something right, they are turning out okay so far. 

love you boys.

at this very moment, 8 years ago, I was sitting in front of the computer playing a game with Craig and trying to get a bowl of chicken soup down before we left for the hospital.  I was nauseous from nerves. 

8 hours later we had our first child. Connor was born in Payson, Utah while we were students at BYU.  Craig had just changed his major from art teaching to computer animation and I was supposed to start working at Education Week two days later. (yah, that so didn't happen. I *still* feel bad for the ones who had to scramble to fill that gap...)

His first word was "ball"  - although our Chinese neighbors claimed that he was saying "daddy" in mandarin -  and he ate everything. I kid you not, this kid was a chunk. I should scan photos, but I'm too lazy. 

Now he's tall and skinny and sporting surfer hair and a tan so dark I'm afraid he'll get skin cancer before he's 10.  Right now he and his brother are sprawled across the bean bag, playing Viva Pinata (a birthday gift) before we head to the park. 

Tonight he goes to his first Scout meeting, and Saturday he will be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  

It's a good thing he still loves cuddling and holding mom's hand when we walk places together, or I might have to inform him that his 'growing up' time was over. 

pics to come tomorrow, i'm sure.

i warned you that summer would be boring for you.  this week? after spending last weekend holed up reading that book I managed to get out and get the boys to the park, pool and beach this week. Started our second round of beginning fencing lessons. 

have been reading Writer Mama by Christina Katz, in an attempt to find something I can do with myself to add to the "someday a house" fund.  Started a new bean bag and am thisclose to finishing it. 

the big deal around here? the apartment got new flooring this week! wooot! they tore up the old vinyl in the kitchen, and then put wood-look linoleum in the kitchen, and under the table (imagine angelic voices singing in joy) and in the entry-way. then they put new carpeting in the living room. Add to that our new furniture and recent paint job, and I am feeling fully like a grown up here! (thank heaven it happened before i turned 30..) 

last night I got a girls' night out with 5 friends. what did we do? we joined the screaming masses of teenagers at the Stephenie Meyer concert/signing, naturally. we don't love how fan-girl it's all gotten, but we had to give a peer props. 

(picture stolen from Jen's blog) 

of course, i do not appreciate how stephenie has raised the bar for Mormon housewives everywhere... 

have a good weekend!