The wheels on the bus go 'round & 'round

Ok, so when your 6 year old starts writing full sentences on the back of the baby, it's time to start school, don't you think? How can I be mad when he writes, "I love you mom and dad?"

Casper really has loved school and his teacher. On Wednesday night as I was tucking him in bed, he so poignantly said, "When I'm at home, I want to be at school and when I'm at school, I want to be at home."

I felt the same way at summer's end. It's been an emotional week for all of us. The time of my life with all 3 kids at home has come to an end and my work now really begins to help them prepare for being on their own someday...I worry what things they'll be exposed to, the innocence that will leave. Yet, I'm excited for the friends they'll make and the things they'll learn to do. Whitney and Stewart missed him terribly. It surprised me how lost Whitney was without her older brother and how overwhelmed she was with being the 'older sister.' I have enjoyed the quieter time in the day to spend one on one with her.



The weekend before school started we kidnapped Matt and went camping, canoeing and fishing for 3 days without showers, flush toilets, TV and cell phones. It was a grueling trip, but beautiful with the rain each night and the cooler days. I'd never been in a canoe before; needless to say it was a little disconcerting to feel every move of my curious and fearless 6 year old, accompanied by the squeals of my fearful and most vocal 4 year old. Stewart was so miserable he fell asleep in the bottom of the canoe. Despite all of Casper's and Matt's efforts, we didn't catch more than a few crawfish.



The kids really progressed in their swimming abilities this summer. Casper is looking forward to being on the swim team next summer. He loved the freedom being able to swim gives him while going down the waterslide and diving with the big guys off of the diving board. Whitney became comfortable enough to completely submerge her face underwater and dive for toys. We're still enjoying our own pool each day after Casper gets home from school. Two weeks ago we had some friends spend the night at our house and for some reason, the younger boy and Casper decided to throw all the rocks and wood they could find into the pool over the fence. I was so shocked I didn't even yell and Casper felt so bad he completely cleaned it up by diving for 45 minutes for all of the rocks.

Thumbs

Oh the thumb-sucker's thumb
May look wrinkled and wet
And withered, and white as the snow,
But the taste of a thumb
Is the sweetest taste yet
(As only we thumbsuckers know).
--Shel Silverstein

I was driving home from the library today with my kids after an afternoon of sun at the community pool and tuned into the 'cacophony' of sucking noises from the back of the minivan. ALL THREE of my kids were at sleep's door, sucking their thumbs like crazy. My oldest, Casper, has started to ask for help to stop in the daytime, but I'm not sure what to do at night. The dentist recommended adhesive tape, which we've tried and which lasts as long as Casper and Whitney can each stand their thumbs being bound with tape. We've used the Numbzit, or yucky tasting polish, which lasted as long as it took to suck it off.

So, what's a mom to do?

Princess Whitney turns 4!

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the cutest of them all?

And the most precocious, the most headstrong and the one most likely to stand her ground? That would be my daughter, Whitney, who just turned 4 this week. She first wanted to have her party at the sprinkler park near our house, so I reserved the ramada well in advance. One month later, she insisted she have her party at McDonald's. Have you seen the McDonald's play lands around here during the hot summer? They're just like overcrowded amusement parks, only 100 times smaller, so I guided her into having a party at our house. It turned out pretty fun, too, especially as I made it as simple as possible and had lots of help from my friends. We had the same menu as last year: gourmet macaroni and cheese and grapes with the addition of those yummy frozen PB & Js and watermelon and olives. I baked a sheet cake the night before and froze it overnight. Whitney frosted it the next morning, stuck on a few cute princesses we found at Target and then went to town with the pink sprinkles. When the kids arrived, we got them going with sprinklers, water guns and a fish pond and then later they headed in the back for the wading pool, sprinkler hopscotch and water balloon target practice. Two hours was just enough time to play, eat lunch, open presents and have cake and ice cream. The water soakers we found at the Dollar Tree were awesome and have kept my kids entertained for two entire days!

Ridgecrest June 2008

"I hate the leaving part."

The kids and I just returned from a fabulous vacation in our old hometown, Ridgecrest, California. Throughout the days we were there, Whitney kept exclaiming,

"I want to see more cousins! Can we? Please? Can we?"

I've not had such a fun and relaxing vacation in a long time--and seeing our old friends felt just like visiting family. As we arrived into town and headed over to Bob's and Kari's before she left for Norway, we saw the Claysons and some of their friends playing in the front yard. When we stopped, Charity and her cuties came over and the kids all played--or clubbed each other before we had pb & js at the Boisverts. Thanks for giving us your milk, Bob!

We stayed in the BOQ on base across from the Navy Museum, Oasis pool and Jackrabbit Park, where Charity and Becky met us on our first morning there. I felt as if we'd never left over a year ago, except for the addition of cute babies Hope, Hannah and Stewart! That afternoon we got together with Rachel and Kathryn and their kids after they all got out of their last day of school. Stewart and Katie Anne hit it off with the toy cupboard while Casper, Jack, Benjamin and Jeffrey played with Legos and motorcycles in their room; Whitney, Emma and Janie took turns pushing their dolls at the store. Later, they all had Popsicles, played on the swings and rode bikes.

It seemed as if most of the Ridgecrest bunch had some kind of house or yard remodeling project in progress, especially Ronelle and Brent in their awesome new house just outside of Inyokern. Even with the dogs outside, the kids couldn't get enough of the big trees, playroom and open space to run. How many people do you know live on an acre and have an orchard across the street from their house!?

We fit in one last visit of the day to Janice and RJs house before they left for Idaho and Ogden to help their parents. I can hardly believe they made the time while they still needed to pack AND install their new refrigerator: Whitney and Casper were the first to taste the new filtered water.
On Friday, we 'crashed' the end of school water party at Shar's house and Whitney basked in her chance to take Jane Agren down the slide--over and over. That night Nate Kimbler graciously watched his kids and Whitney and Casper while Ronelle, Arlene, Mirilou, Shar, Kathryn, and Rachel and I got together for dinner and chitchat at Lugo's.

Marie's and Scott's house just keeps expanding beautifully and her dream yard is now a reality. Whitney and Casper didn't want to leave after they had jumped on the trampoline, had lunch on the patio and Katie had shared her sour candy! We attempted to go swimming, but made a stop at the base fire department instead to see the fish pond and new RED firetrucks!

Saturday night also felt like old times, celebrating Ricky's and Kim's marriage. They are a fun couple and I know I'd be buds with Kim if we lived there. It was so awesome to visit with our old friends the Saunders, Trimbles, Calls, Kimblers and meet new friends who have moved in since we left. It is so easy to make friends in Ridgecrest!

After church on Sunday we decided to stay an extra day. For lunch we had an awesome visit with the Martinez women: Zukey, Yoselin, Maria and Mimi before the two oldest head off to college in Lancaster. We could hardly believe that Zukey graduated high school! Mimi, Whitney and Casper played on the back patio and rested on the living room floor just like old times.

Now that I'm back home to the 'hustle and bustle' of Phoenix, I am so grateful for the Ridgecrest Respite I had with my 'family of friends." It was exactly what my heart needed in order to start building here what I had there and focusing on the short time I have to spend with my kids while they're little. My brain kept playing over and over the scripture in Mosiah 18:3 to describe why the people in Ridgecrest are so special to me; they truly are "willing to mourn with those that mourn; and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that they are in." Thank you for your tremendous examples of living the gospel! On our last night in the hotel, the kids and I were talking about how much fun we'd had and that it was time to leave in the morning. Whitney in her wisdom, added,

"Yeah, it was really, really, REALLY fun. I just hate the leaving part."