On Second Thought, I May Be a Water Buffalo

I used to think I was a mama lion. Fiercely protective of my pups if I ever thought they were in danger, or in pain, or under attack.

Now I'm not so sure.

Please, watch this video and then you can read my obvious metaphor. It is worth 8 1/2 minutes of your life.




Lions: mmm! I'm in the mood for baby water buffalo.

Water Buffs: AAAHHH!!! Run away! Run away!

Lions: Looks like baby water buffalo is on the menu.

Croc: Yeah, that sounds good. Give me some a-that!

Lions: No Way. This baby water buffalo belongs to us.

Water Buffs: WRONG. He belongs to US. SCRAM.

Call me an eternal optimist, but it looks to me like it's never too late for your herd to come to your rescue.

The key seems to be: Once your herd arrives, YOU have to be the one to stand up and run through the pain~ away from the lions~ and into the safety of your herd.

Regarding My Dad

He was the only child between a Navy Sea Dog and a Circus Beauty.

His mother was in her forties when she had him.

He is a master storyteller. I love being his captive audience.

I inherited my insatiable curiosity from him. He certainly nurtured my curiosity. He taught me about Lake Bonneville and the stars in the sky and the water cycle and how to identify a hawk. I could go on and on.

He used to recite Robert Service poetry for us in the kitchen.

I may have inherited my love of poetry from him.

And Stella inherited it from me.

He has strong opinions that he researches extensively. He is actually reading the Obamacare bill!

He is witty and intelligent.

He is a talented wordsmith and photographer.

His is the tortured soul of an artist. (That statement will induce either a cringe from him or a single tear shed at the insight.)

He loves chocolate chip cookies and Coca-Cola. With no ice.

Whenever he sees me he grabs me and squeezes until I can't breathe. 

He lives in Texarkana, Texas, and that is too far away.

We don't spend enough time together. My kids don't  know any of his stories. I don't know if Stella and George have ever heard him tell a story. 

I did get to spend July 12 with him this year. He took the entire day off. Robert and I took the red-eye into Dallas for a wedding and immediately rented a car and drove the 3 1/2 hours to his house.

His only vehicle is a motorcycle so we went around town doing things that require four wheels and a roof.

We bought a new toilet seat, rat traps, and toilet paper.

We learned that if one wants to have their glasses adjusted in Texarkana, Wal-Mart is really one's only option.

We turned his Boston Terrier loose on one of the rats that had taken up residence in his backyard.

We showed each other photographs of our recent vacations. 

It was not a day filled with spectacular vistas or extravagant meals. We didn't line up any kind of entertainment or excursions to fill the time. It was an ordinary day where my dad and my husband commiserated about professional woes, we talked about the most recent books we were reading, shared photography tips (I salivated over his gear), we ate a few meals, and it was over way too soon. 

I want 10,000 more days just like it.

The next night I was back in Dallas setting up tables and chairs for my friend's wedding and I received the following text from him:

"Do you guys have a minute to swing by? I need to exchange my regular toilet seat for the long toilet seat."

"Plus, it is raining and I need a ride to work."

*All of the photos from this post are from several years ago when I was visiting with my kids over spring break. As per my recent habits (that I am trying to break) I didn't get out my camera while I was with him.

**My parents were divorced shortly before I started blogging and I have always carefully avoided writing much about either one of them. I thought that if I wrote about one parent it would hurt the other's feelings. I have decided that my kids and their kids deserve to read about their grandparents. I love both of my parents and both of their spouses and I am officially ending my silence.

***I may not have needed to write that last paragraph.

Summer Memories, Denial, plus a few thoughts about death

School starts in less than a week. I am not emotionally ready and I am certainly not logistically ready. I  bought tons of school supplies on clearance last year, but I don't remember where I put them. 

Plus, I suspect the glue sticks have already dried out.

I will wrap myself up in a blanket of denial and keep writing about our summer break. It has been dreamy in so many ways.

On July 5th, under the cover of a total downpour, we headed out with Sara and Ryan for a camping trip. 

Life list: Ride a Tandem Bicycle. CHECK! 

 Ryan and Grant/Father and Son

Of course I was hollering at George from shore. "Don't get in the water until we put on your swimsuit!" It was a classic example of Picking My Battles and I decided to declare defeat early on. Will my last child ever take me seriously?

Creed announced at the end of the weekend that he HATES tubing. 

The Engine . . . .

. . . . and the Caboose.

You'll notice that we are wearing sweatshirts while our kids play in the lake. George and Stella both ended up in their underwear but I was freezing!

 Axel learned how to crawl about a week after this photo was taken. Sara's days became much more complicated after that.

Stella adores her Uncle Christopher.

A few of Ryan's cousins joined us on the first night. They were completely smitten with my children, which (of course) meant that I was completely smitten with them. The shortest path to my heart is through my kids.

 Maddie found out that Stella was a ballerina and she immediately got out her pointe shoes. Look at those things! Ballet is hard work. Stella dazzled Maddie with her poetry recitation skills, her literary knowledge, and her Kid History Quotes.

 Sara dazzled me with her waterskiing skills, and I have some excellent photographic proof, but I think I would get in trouble for posting a picture of my sister in her swimsuit.

 She is graceful even when she falls! 

Both Jack and Creed were AWESOME at wakeboarding but I don't have any pictures of that because Robert and I left the camping trip early to attend a funeral in Tooele. It was for Robert's sister-in-law's father. Did you follow that? He died while he was delivering a lesson at church. Can you believe it? I feel so bad for Tif. And I miss Robert's dad. That's a whole separate, much less flippant post for another day.

I don't want my parents to ever die. Ever. (But not in an Anakin Skywalker evil controlling kind of way. Just in an "I hope I have another forty years with each of them" kind of way.) Stay healthy, guys! Go drink some juice and take a vitamin!

George wasn't too keen on wakeboarding with his dad and I don't generally subscribe to the "I'm bigger than you and you'll do what I say" philosophy of parenting, but sometimes kids need to be pushed to try something beyond their comfort zone. Don't they?

In this case, George cried almost the whole time he was out there with his dad, but as soon as he was back on the boat he turned to me with a big grin and said "Mom, I was laughing on the inside the whole time!"

Was it the right decision to send him out there? I don't know. I'll tell you what, though, I can appreciate the fact that his dad is able to do that kind of thing. The man is strong!

(Have I mentioned that he took the Silver Medal in the Utah Summer Games Powerlifting event? He was competing against guys that were almost half his age!)

Our whole group minus Vicki and her niece and Lauren and her girls.

Next time I will talk about our trip to Texas where I was able to spend an ENTIRE DAY with my dad. 

We attended Andrew and Ramona's wedding which meant that we were able to spend some quality time with the VonNiederhausern's!

And then, we went to Montana to spend a few weeks with Grandma and Grandpa Jim.

Between blogging about my summer and getting ready to send my kids off to three different schools next week plus some other stuff I won't go into here I am starting to think that I may have to forego some sleep to get everything done there is to do before school starts. 

I do not enjoy cutting into my sleep time.

My Denial Blanket isn't big enough. 

FREEDOM!

July .... I barely knew ye!

On Independence Day we drove "up north" to Salt Lake and met my family at Hogle Zoo.  We have been celebrating the Fourth of July at Hogle Zoo ever since I can remember. My aunts and uncles along with my cousins meet up and walk the zoo together. It was pretty fun to drive by the Village and think about our TEN YEARS in the Student Apartments. As we passed Foothill Village I reminisced about riding my bicycle to Dan's Foods for groceries. 

Good Times. 

We found Grant playing with the bubble guns at the souvenir stand.

This was George's first visit to Hogle Zoo. My parents used to buy us a season pass every year. I'm going to do that kind of thing for my children. Until I revisited the place, I had forgotten how much of my personal history is wrapped up in it.

Here is George gazing into the trunk of an elephant statue. He knew it was going to spray him in the face. In fact, that's exactly what he was waiting for . . . .

. . . . but he was still pretty upset when it happened.

Jack and Creed were there, too. I don't know why I don't have more photos of the rest of my family that was there.

Note: As we were leaving, some of the zoo employees showed up with about 100 hula hoops and turned on some tunes. We discovered that Creed is quite talented with the hula hoop. The boy can shake his hips! Unfortunately, my camera battery decided to die at that very moment.

After the zoo, we headed over to Auntie Kim's house to feast on bar-b-que fare. 

Now I may have to bar-b-que hamburgers for dinner because I am salivating as I think about that delicious meal.

This is the only group shot I have. After we ate we walked up to Jeff and Emily's house. Their house is so cute. I loved it.

My kids loved their rope swing in the back yard.

Stella and Lola

Eddie came to Kim's and he brought his freeboard. This brother of mine has an uncanny sense of balance and he can do anything. Anything I tell ya!!

Georgie and Robert on the walk home.

We enjoyed a festive fireworks display spearheaded by Jack and Creed. My little boys were more involved with the lighting of the fireworks than they have been in the past, and I have to say that I didn't love it. It made me very nervous.

I have no pictures of the fireworks because I don't care enough to do any research about how to get decent pictures of fireworks.

Perhaps my very favorite part of the day was after the fireworks when Jeff broke out his guitar. We sang the night away. John Denver, Johnny Cash, Social Distortion, and Neil Diamond were among the artists whose music we all knew. Seriously, that will be one of the moments I live over and over again.

It reminded me of Stella's favorite poem "Daffodils" by William Wordsworth

I gazed--and--gazed but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood

They flash upon that inward eye 

That is the bliss of solitude.

And then my heart with pleasure fills

And dances with the daffodils.

Of course, the daffodils in this case would be sing-a-longs with my cousins and my children.

Even Jack was willing to pick up the guitar and strum out a few songs for us!

Last Night Tarzan Made Me Cry

Thirteen years ago Disney released their version of the classic story about a man who was raised by gorillas. Robert and I along with my brothers (and my sister? maybe paul was with us too? who else . . . I think Jeff came with us. Were my parents there? I need to keep better records, my memory is fading!) to see it on opening night at that theater in Sugarhouse that is now an exotic rug store.

I remember loving it. I loved the Phil Collins soundtrack. I adored watching Tarzan sail through those trees. I liked Rosie O'Donnell as Turk. 

I was on the verge of becoming a mother myself and when Glenn Close sang the opening words to "You'll Be in My Heart" I remember resting my hand on my belly and imagining singing those words to my son as he grew.

I did/do sing those words to him.

I sing them to his siblings.

But darnit-all if they don't all keep growing!

Last night I watched that movie again at the request of these two little pancakes:

Holy cow if their giggles at the antics of the characters didn't lift my spirits, I don't know what would! Belly laughs out of my children is the best sound in the world. George started screaming in terror when Clayton captured Tarzan on the boat. It was great.

The moment when Glenn Close sang the words: 

Come stop your crying.

It'll be alright.

Just take my hand, 

hold it tight.

I will protect you 

from all around you.

I will be here.

Don't you cry.

the tears filled my eyes. I was thinking of that moment 13 years ago. I had no idea back then how motherhood would break me wide open and rebuild me into a better version of myself.

Then Phil Collins comes in and sings

For one so small, 

you seem so strong.

My arms will hold you 

keep you safe and warm.

This bond between us 

Cannot be broken

I will be here

Don't you cry.

(Wouldn't you know it, I'm crying again.) I was thinking of some obstacles my babies have overcome lately. They are so strong. 

On Tuesday morning I sent these two boys off to Scout Camp. I'm sure they are having the time of their lives without me. 

They are away from me for a whole week, on their own, in their own environment. Scout Camp is no place for mothers. (I worked my way into their experience by writing each of them a letter and tucking it into their bags before they left.) 

I just can NOT believe how fast they are growing. I even cried last night during "Son of Man."

In learning you will teach

And in teaching you will learn.

You'll find your place beside

The ones you love.

Son of man, look to the sky.

Lift your spirit, set it free.

Someday you'll walk tall with pride.

Son of Man, a man in time you'll be. 

I keep reminding Jack that he is, in fact, not thirteen years old YET. He is still twelve for another eleven days.

The very best part about being the mother to these people is their dad. It is so amazing that he rearranged his work schedule to be able to spend the first two days up there with them enabling Creed to go up early even though he is only eleven years old. 

It's so cheesy, but I really do want the ones I love to know that they will Always be In My Heart. Oh my lands, I am such a dork.

Better late than never

Some favorite recent quotes from Creed:

Stella had lashed out at him for some misdeed. She screamed incomprehensibly while simultaneously rubbing her shoulder. He remained cool as a cucumber and without skipping a beat said "Um, I speak English. Here is a gibberish-to-English dictionary. Use it."

I was doing my best to keep up with the Kardashians the other day when one character requested a private conversation with another. As they exited the room and carried on their conversation in hushed tones, Creed observed out loud "They don't want to have a private conversation. They are on national t.v., for crying out loud! This is not a private conversation!"

He loves politics, history, and current events.

Sometimes parenting him is like being on a roller coaster. He is the happiest happy kid and also the grouchiest grouchy kid in the house. Does that make sense? He is a ball of creative, energetic passion.  He has been remarkably more self aware ever since we tamed him, though.

The kids in his class this year decided that he and another girl were the best artists in the class. They even organized a contest to decide who was the best between him and this girl. He sold many of his drawings to classmates at the student store. Seriously, his friends were giving him cash for his art.

By the way, Creed turned 11 in February. I alluded to it in another post, but now I am finally getting around to posting his birthday interview.

An Interview with the Birthday Boy

Favorite Snack: Goldfish

Favorite Dinner: Chicken Soup

Favorite Cuisine: Japanese

Favorite School Subject: HIstory and Writing

Favorite Hobby: Drawing

Favorite Book: (thoughtfully) I don't know, I like a lot of them. Maybe . . . Hunger Games and Harry Potter?

Favorite Sport: Basketball

Favorite Band: The Aquabats

Favorite Movie: Napoleon Dynamite

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Personality Trait in Yourself: That I am strong and sensitive. I found that in a fortune cookie once.

Would Like to Develop More: be more good lookin'

Favorite T.V. show? SpongeBob

Favorite game: Settlers of Catan

Biggest Regret: I don't have any

What is the hardest thing you have ever done? That dumb science fair project. I did NOT like that.

What is the thing you have done that makes you most proud? when I ran a mile in under 7 minutes and did 8 pull ups in a row. (I don't know when he ran a mile in under 7 minutes. I can't get him to do anything lately!)

What is your goal for this year? to write a book outside of school

What would you like to teach younger generations? the value of a dollar

What are you most looking forward to this year? graduating from elementary school and going to Montana this summer

If you could have dinner with any three people, who would they be? It would be you, dad, and eddie, but then I would feel bad that I didn't include Sara and Scott. So, Eddie, Sara, and Scott. They are awesome. Sorry, mom.

If you could have three wishes, what would they be?

1. a billion dollars
2. my own personal spaceship
3. the ability to fly

What are you most worried about? that I won't get a good job when I grow up and that I might die before I am done living my life.

What would you do with a million dollars? donate some to charity, pay tithing, buy my own computer with a bunch of games, my own car with a chauffeur, a huge house, and waste the rest of it on little trinkets.

What do you want to be when you grow up? An author

At this point, the interview was over. He was concerned and said "But mom, you didn't ask me what my superpower would be?" 

So,  Superpower: heat vision

More Picture Updates

Is it better to include the description under the photo or above the photo? I don't know the answer to that question. I'm going with below, for today.

 In March we went to Hawaii. Robert's little sister who is also my high school chum lives on Oahu in Ko'Olina  with her husband and 2 kids. She and her husband hosted all 6 of us for 10 days. It was the first vacation I have ever been on that I wasn't ready to leave by the end. In fact, I still wish I was there. It may well be the one place for which I would be willing to permanently leave my home in St. George. In the photo above, you can see Stella, Robert, Jack, Creed, and Conway. This was taken on the afternoon we spent surfing in Waikiki.

Robert's mom turned 70 and she had a huge party to celebrate. 

I don't know if there is anything sweeter than a little girl dancing with her daddy.

We have been married for 15 years! Look who we ran into in Las Vegas when we went there to celebrate. We also saw The Phantom of the Opera. It was Robert's first time. I love his reaction to musical theater. He even made reservations at one of our favorite vegas restaurants. What a guy. (Also, I split the pants I'm wearing in the photo above. I tend to own one pair of jeans at a time and I haven't replaced them yet. Boo.)

 Easter: we had Robert's family here for the weekend. We miss them and we are ready for their return.

I can see many hills from our house, and I want to climb to the top of all of them. Here we are at the top of one. I wanted to take the Webelos on a hike and I needed to do some recon. This hill was perfect and we had a great time.

We celebrated my birthday by going on a three day hike in Kolob Canyon. Have I mentioned that I really, really like this guy? Well, I do. We hiked 20 miles in three days with 30 pounds on our backs. Guess what!? When we stopped on the first night and set up camp, the love of my life pulled an extra sleeping bag out of his pack. He was worried that I was going to be too cold/uncomfortable with the bag I brought so he packed a whole extra bag into the wilderness for me. He takes such good care of me.

Our good, loyal, amazing friends from our college days, The Hatfields, came to visit. They are the type of friends that we can just pick right up where we last left off. Liz was even considerate enough to have babies the same gender and age as me, even after we moved away from each other. That is true friendship.

 Stella had a ballet recital, or as they call it at her ballet school: Defile (pronounced day-fee-lay.) She works so hard at ballet and has a ton of natural talent to boot. 

Robert worked over Mother's day weekend so I took the kids to Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada.

My Grandpa used to take me and my sister there. The kids loved it as much as I remembered loving it. On Mother's Day I gave each of them a letter I had handwritten highlighting their strengths and why I love being their mom. Then, later in the day, I lost my cool and made everyone cry because nobody was helping me. Then Robert came home and they showed me the Mother's Day movie they made for me and I felt like a schmuck.  

We watched the eclipse.

Did you know that St. George was the optimal place on the whole planet to view the Ring of Fire?

That's why my mom, my grandpa, and two of her sisters came down that weekend. We really got into the mood of the whole thing when, during the four minute Ring of Fire, Uncle Bill blasted Johnny Cash from his car. Everyone got a kick out of that.

 Creed graduated from Elementary School. He had the best teacher and we will miss Mr. Quann. Both of my elementary age kids had amazing experiences this year. I am so thankful that we moved here and  they had teachers who were so perfectly suited to each of them. I can't wait to see what Creed does with his life. He is so creative and passionate.

 We spent Memorial Day Weekend in Park City celebrating my mom's birthday. Robert did not accompany the kids and me because he was working. My stepdad orchestrated the whole thing behind her back and mother's reaction did not disappoint. She was absolutely shocked to see us there and the kids loved being in on a secret. It was a blissful weekend spent playing cards, swimming, sleeping in, and . . . watching the snow fall!! No kidding! Holy canoli I'm so glad that I live in a warm climate and can vacation to the cold.

Sara came home from Park City with us and spent the first two weeks of summer here. She left us last weekend and I miss her like crazy.  I need to sit down with the kids and brainstorm what we want to do with the next couple of weeks of summer because starting the first week of July we are booked almost until school starts.

We have friends from Iowa (woohoo!!) coming right after the fourth, then the boys are going to Scout Camp for a week (let's not talk about it. I'm totally vaclemped), then we are headed up to Montana for three weeks. We should come home in the nick of time for the first day of school. Robert and I also get to attend the wedding of one of our best friends  in Texas during July. 

 I'm not used to that! I prefer my summers to be unscheduled, unhurried time. I prefer to spend the time that my kids are out of school staring at them and soaking them up like a sponge. That unspoiled time I spend with them in the summer is what gets me through the school year. Our time spent in Montana is going to be just that, and it's what I am looking forward to the most.

Here's to blogging! Here's to summer! Here's to kids!