This is from an e-mail update I sent out to our families recently:
Here goes my occasional (weekly) update e-mail.
I've updated a little on Bob, but to recap - he just finished football season, his team made it to the championship game and he had fun even though they lost. He was in on tons of tackles as usual. He absolutely loves it.
Although the game was at 8pm, I decided at the last minute that we were ALL going. So, I told everyone they had to be bundled a.s.a.p. (the game before this one had been bitterly cold!) I made them put on thermals under their clothes, snow pants, coats, snow boots, beanies, gloves, and put handwarmers in their gloves or pockets. I was directing everyone & ordering them to hurry while feeding Taycie.
Amidst the chaos, Andrew decided to go fix himself a snack. He tried cutting an apple with a bread knife and sliced open his hand where the thumb meets the hand. He, being the tough kid that he is, just went in and did first-aid on himself. Then he came to me and proudly showed me the 7 bandaids wrapped all around his thumb, which were saturated with blood. (If this would have been Zach, he would have passed out, I am sure)
I told Andrew I would have to remove the fabulous bandage job to check it out. It could have used a stitch or two, but I decided there was no way we were going to miss this game, so we used super-glue instead, at which point he started feeling the pain. He cried and fell asleep. I was starting to wonder how on earth we were going to make it to the game, and I almost put the little ones to bed & assigned Courtney to babysit, but then I thought, "no way, this is Bob's last game".
I had to wake poor Andrew up, bundle him up, and give him some pain killer for his hand. The thought crossed my mind at some point during the evening that when I go to school, I should find a competitive sport to play, and see how my tough football player husband would survive the experience of getting all the kids ready.
We got to the game, only to find that there was NO parking available. I had the kids all get out of the car (with about 20 blankets), and wait for me while I parked the car, and jogged back. We had to pay to get into this game, and when the lady at the ticket office told me that she had to stamp all the kids hands, I think I might have given her a dirty look before telling all my children to pull their gloves off. Anyone who has put gloves on little children will understand, I'm sure.
Spencer had done a fabulous job of bundling himself up. After getting all bundled up, he realized he wasn't wearing red (Bob's team color), so he put on a large red jacket over the top of his snow clothes. He looked like a morbidly obese marshmallow man.
All the bundling up proved to be over-doing it. When we got to the game, it wasn't as cold as last time, and my kids were roasting. They spent the rest of the game peeling off layers, which made them look like a rag-tag bunch. I hadn't thought to make sure they were wearing matching, presentable clothes underneath! And who would have thought to make sure their hair was done, when it would be covered by a snow hat? Experiences like this are good to make sure I don't fall into the sin of pride, I suppose.
Jace decided he was hungry during the game, so he and Spencer walked over to Little Caesar's Pizza and came back with 4 pizzas, crazy bread, and sauce. Jace is very unselfish with his money. If he has money, he will spend it on anyone. He opened the first box, and Aliysa noticed many college students in the stands looking shocked when an entire pizza disppeared within seconds. Everyone was warm, fed, and happy at this point. Even Andrew, whose pain killer had kicked in. Yeay! We all cheered our favorite guy in the world on, and although we wished he could have won, I felt in the end that the lesson my kids learn by watching my husband deal with disappointment is one of the most important lessons they can learn. Bob handles the ups and downs of life with the best attitude I've ever seen. He's amazing.
Now Bob is staying busy with homework, planning his speech for convocation (right, Bob, you're planning it? Not waiting until the last moment?) anyway....he is also already in the planning stages for being on staff for a Boy Scout Cedar Badge course this summer. Aliysa and Jace will both be attending Cedar Badge with him.
Aliysa is super excited for all the snow (we have about 10 inches after a huge snowstorm today), although she's a bit nervous to be driving in the snow. It will be good experience for her. She has just finished up all her requirements for her Young Women medallion. I also have been working through the new Personal Progress program, and I just need to finish up two projects. We will be getting our medallions around the same time. We've had fun working on this together.
We just changed Aliysa from 5th hour seminary (2:30) to "Zero" hour seminary (7:30 am). We'll see how she survives. We're excited about the prospect of not having that in the middle of our day, and it should get us up and going early. Aliysa's two friends Vanessa and Hannah decided to do this as well, so we still will carpool. That makes it nice.
Jace is also taking seminary, at a private school for homeschooled students. They meet just once a week, so seminary is also just on Monday mornings. He enjoys that class.
Today Jace was released as the first counselor in the Deacon's quorum presidency, and was called as first counselor in the Deacon's quorum presidency. :) (New president)
Courtney is now in Young Women's, and she loves it. She had a list of all the things that she could do when she turned 12. One of them was "wear high heels". I'm pretty sure that she has worn high-heels every day since she turned 12. At one of Bob's football games, she wore high heels, but brought flat shoes in a shoe box "so she could run up and down the stadium steps." Each time she came back down to where we were sitting, she would take off the flat shoes, put them in the shoe box, and replace them with her heels. She is so happy to be growing up. We are happy to see what a confident, talented, and wonderful girl she is growing up to be.
Spencer just won the headstand contest at gymnastics again. This year, one of his friends with a competitive streak decided he would try to beat Spencer. They stayed up until they were both shaking, and finally his friend fell down at 16 1/2 minutes. Spencer stayed up for 22 minutes. (Last year he stayed up for 30 minutes to everyone's amazement). I don't know how he does it. His face was puffy when he stood up, but he was smiling! I wonder if the Jamba Juice gift card is worth the agony. He seems to think it is.
Jace was determined to beat Spencer's record, so his whole class gave up early. They weren't even going to try to beat him. Then, his arm popped out of joint (where it was dislocated last year), and he fell down at 2 1/2 minutes. He was so disappointed. But, he has done his physical therapy exercises for his elbow much more diligently ever since then. Zach stayed up for 1 minute, 15 seconds, and Mallory stayed up for 1 minute, 25 seconds.
Mallory loves being 8, and going to her twice-monthly Faith in God activity days. She has a great leader who does such fun things with the girls.
Okay, this is funny. I'm typing this after my kids are asleep. Andrew just walked past my room, went in the bathroom, stayed in there a while, then turned on the light before leaving the bathroom, and walked half-way up to the attic (his room has not been in the attic for over a year). He laid down and fell asleep on the wooden stairs. So, I went and got him, and took him to bed. When I went in the bathroom to turn off the light, I saw a puddle right next to the toilet. Right next to it. Geesh. If he's going to sleep walk, can't he at least move over a foot or so, and make it in the toilet?
This seems to be a family trait lately. The other night Bob and I were sitting on the bed, and Zach walks into our room, into our bathroom (at least they find the bathroom). We heard him going to the bathroom, but it sounded a little strange...we looked over to see him standing next to the tub! When he exited the bathroom, we were laughing, but managed to stop long enough to ask him, "aren't you going to flush?" He looked at us...paused...walked back in the bathroom, and tried flushing the doorhandle. Then he looked confused, and looked behind the door, gave up, and walked out of our room. Still confused, he stumbled...up the attic stairs! Bob went and got him turned around and back to his room. Yes, we're mean to tease him about the flushing, but hey, when you realize you are going to have to clean the tub, you deserve a little fun.
Abby...where to start. She still talks almost unceasingly. She is so, so, so darn cute. I made the mistake of taking her to the library the other day. We explained carefully how you have to be quiet in the library, but to no avail. Sometimes she could be reduced to whispering (a small miracle), but she was so excited about the new experience and all the books, that being quiet didn't seem appropriate to her. I'll have to tell about my experience of trying to get a library card and the "librarian from the dark abyss" (That's a nice name for her) some other time...or maybe I'll try to forgive and forget...
No, I'll just quickly give a synopsis.
"The 100 billion steps to attempt to get a library card:
Drive to Idaho Falls Library.
Be told that since you live in Rigby, it would be cheaper to get a Ririe Library card ($30 vs. $60), which would allow you to also check out books from I.F. Library.
Wait a few months...to the despair of your children.
Finally go to the Ririe library - a room of books smaller than your family room.
Spend $30 on a Ririe library card with the belief that although you never want to return to Ririe library, you can now to go I.F. library.
Wait a month
Go back to the Idaho Falls Library...after a long day of gymnastics...with 9 children, and yes, you forgot the stroller.
Check out lots and lots of books.
Stand in line with excited children
Be told that the policy has just changed (Nov. 1st), and if you have a Ririe Library card, you can only check out 2 books. TWO!
(No, it does not matter that you were told that you could use a Ririe Library card)
Decide (with persuasion from your children) to purchase a $60 I.F. library card.
Go upstairs to the other desk.
Meet the librarian from the dark abyss...(she crawled out for a moment to wait on you, lucky!)
Be told that you need not only your driver's license, you also need mail addressed to you.
Go out to the car and look for mail. Find registration and vehicle insurance with your address on it.
Take it to...her.
Be told that the "board" will only allow utility bills. Or unopened mail with postmarks.
Ask her if she can hold the books for you.
Be told that policy has just changed, and the "board" will only allow you to put your books on hold for...1 hour....
(Luckily she is so strict...so I wasn't able to pull of my crime of going state-to-state to use a false identity to check out books...with my 9 children along. She saw through the ruse.)
Ask what time they close. Be told that they close at 6:00.
Tell librarians that you will try to get back before they close.
Wheel the books back down to the children's library, and ask them to hold them...but only for an hour!
Drive home quickly, with a good discussion with your children about why government-run entities do not have to have customer service. Discuss the benefit of competition in the private sector.
Feed the baby. Tell the kids to make & eat dinner.
Meet husband coming home. Drive quickly back to IF with him.
Get to the library with 2 minutes to spare.
Wait at ....her... desk for over 7 minutes.
Greet her cheerfully as she climbs out of the abyss again.
Be told that "the library closed at 6pm."
Assure her you were there, waiting for her, before 6pm.
Watch as she narrows her eyes and tells you that...she doesn't give out library cards after 5:45.
Politely remind her that she didn't tell you that an hour ago.
Be told that "she can't remember to tell you everything, ma'am!"
(She will not be swayed...she knows a library card thief when she sees one, and she trusts no one!!!!!)
Feel like punching her. Control yourself.
Leave without a library card.
Drive home, thinking of all the things you wish you would have said.
Well, I'm glad I could get that all off my chest.
Cheerfully yours,
Tasha
