Sister Patterson

This last week, Sister Patterson passed away. Mike drove down to southern Alberta, just outside Fort Macleod, on Thursday for her burial. Then, there was a memorial service on Saturday in Edmonton.

So, we left early in the morning as a family, to Edmonton. On the way, we saw a huge accident. Just one car, but so badly crumpled that they stopped traffic the other way and the STARs helicopter was on the highway.

The service was really good, and it was fun to see lots of people that we went to church with growing up, but haven't seen for years.It's funny how funerals are always good reunions.

Here's one funny thing that happened afterwards:

(Sorry it's hard to read - the woman is saying "You have a wonderful family. How do you keep your children so quiet. In the next frame, it says "Little Besters running through the gym" and we're thinking "Don't turn around".)

One final thought I had on the highway. Why is it that car dealers seem to think that helium balloons attached to vehicles is a good marketing technique? Do you drive past a dealership, and you're not really interested in buying a new car or truck, and then you see a balloon, and you think, I must have that car? Anyways, next time you're driving around, notice how many dealerships have balloons...

Meanest brothers ever!

Here's what happened when I sent Troy out with the other kids, to play in the back yard.

A friend to bunnies everywhere

The boys went out to play street hockey. They were driving me crazy, I was trying to get some stuff done, and Troy kept wanting to play hockey with them, so I couldn't get anything done. They seemed to take forever getting ready to go. They finally went, and I closed the garage, and got Troy a stick and ball to play with, where I didn't have to worry about him running in to traffic. No sooner have I started back to working, when they come in to get me, saying they need my help. What more could they possibly need?

Then Luke says, "Brent needs you, because there's a bunny stuck in the hockey net." This is just not an everyday sentence, it took me a bit to process it. "A what?" "A bunny. A baby one."

So, I went out, and sure enough, there was a baby bunny totally tangled up in the net. So, I took Brent's gloves, and picked up the little bunny, and tried to untangle it. I got the feet untangled, and found out that bunnies aren't quite as quiet as I thought. If you scare them enough, they make a horrible sound. I couldn't get the head untangled as easily, I don't know how it managed to get the net wrapped around quite so many times. I had to hold the bunny, and pull out a bit of the net, and get Brent to cut some strings. But, after a couple of minutes, it was free!

Always nice to know there are no dull days here!

Nicknames

Katie has decided that "Brent" is too hard to spell. So, she told Brent, "From now on your name is Bob, because I can spell it!"

Also, she told me that the boys who like her at school have a nickname for her. Instead of Kaitlin, they call her Cutelin.

Funny link

After reading David's post about funny news stories, I commented about a favourite sports highlight in our family. If you look at it, remember this is a house full of boys!

Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kqj2hkbDnyM

Artsy moment

Check out this link - a rare moment of artsy endeavors

http://www.climbforwilderness.ca/muralcomp.shtml

I don't have to worry about Luke

Doesn't matter if he gets hurt during the day, because I heard him telling Katie that his clothes are 70% cotton and 30% Polysporin!

When you eat your crayons...

Do you eat the red ones last?

(Nice, a little ditty to stay in your head all day!)

So, if you tried a crayon, and it was so awful that you had to spit it out and sounded like you were coughing up a hairball, would you try another one right away? And, after spitting out that one, try another? And repeat this day after day?

Hmmm... maybe they all taste different?

Optimism

Yesterday, Troy showed me the true definition of optimism. We were in the gym at the church, and he had a basketball. He stood underneath the basket, and tried to shoot the ball in. Unfortunately, the basket is way over his head, and he can throw the ball about 6 inches in the air. But, he stood there, took his shot, and then ran and got the ball, and tried again. And again. And again. And again... I think he would keep going for hours (if I was willing), and never once doubt that this time, the ball is going to go in!

Little boys

Last week, we had a ton of snow on the ground, then suddenly got above 0, which meant a bunch of melting. Troy really wanted to go outside, so we walked around a bit, looking at all the puddles. I had to keep steering him away from the puddles, and it reminded me of years ago taking Brent for walks in the spring. And, I thought about how when Brent was just a bit older than Troy is now, we would go out and float toothpicks in the puddles, and have races, and how fun that was for 2 year olds. In fact, for years Brent thought that toothpicks were called boats.

I came back to the house, and there were Brent, Jordan, Luke and their friends, floating toothpicks in the puddles having races. Yes, a bunch of 13 and 14 year old boys, racing toothpick boats in puddles. I guess they haven't grown up as much as I thought!

Why I'm not enrichment leader

Look at the food we eat at our house...

Mmmm Green eggs, sausages, and waffles! I love St Patricks Day.

Today, Troy woke up with a rash. Not sure if he has some kind of virus, or if he's just allergic to overdoses of green food coloring...

Basement

Here's an update on us trying to finish our basement.

Enthusiastic beginnings:

Grandpa & Supervisor:

Final product - big hole in the basement!

Funny Katie sayings

1. Mike got a set of tickets to the Flames vs Canadiens hockey game in February. Then he got another set, and then got invited to go with a parent. So, he ended up going with the parent, and the kids went as well (except for Troy of course). I was worried about if Katie would be totally bored, but I hear she had a great time. Of course, this is mostly due to the large amounts of money spent on treats, I think. Brent sat with her, and repeated back what she said to him, as they were leaving the Saddledome.

As they were leaving, she said to Brent, "where are we going?" He told her they were going home, because the game was over. She said, "What, the game's over????" Then, a while later, they were talking about what a great game, since the Flames won (by a lot), and Katie pipes up with, "What? The Flames won????" Then, a bit later, they were bugging Mike about the Canadiens losing, and Katie says "What? They were playing the Canadiens?????"

Not too sure what she did during the game...

2. Katie tells me many times about all the boys who like her at school. The latest quote: "I don't think they like me because I'm cute, it's because I'm SO FASHIONABLE!" Also, "My kids aren't going to laugh at my pictures when I'm old like you, because I'm so fashionable." (I didn't have the heart to tell her that a. the things that are in those pictures were fashionable at the time, and b. I'm the one who buys her clothes.

3. To me (comparing me to her teacher): "Mom, you're funny, but not nearly as funny as Mrs Johnson!"

Tired and Busy

You know you are too tired and too busy when you get the new Janet Evanovich book, and

- it takes 4 days to read it!
- you have to put it down one night, because it's too complicated!

(If you haven't read them, they are easy fluff books that are fun to read, and usually I finish them on the day I start them.)

Mixed Blessing

Our dishwasher has been slowly dying for a few weeks, and has now completely stopped working. I was hoping that it was just a result of the basement plumbing problems, but that's all cleared up, and thhe dishwasher still isn't working.

So, since I haven't had time to go buy a new one, we've had to do dishes by hand this week. The fun part is that I have taught the kids (except Troy) how to do the dishes, and they've even done them a few times. It's been really fun to see them work together.

Oh so graceful!

Those are words that will probably never be used to describe me! Here's my latest graceful, elegant moves.

On New Years Day, Mike & the boys (except Troy) were heading out to play street hockey at the church. As they were leaving, Troy was heading out to the garage where they all were, getting ready. I didn't realize that, so was heading upstairs, when I heard someone say he was coming out to the garage. Since he was only wearing a diaper, and it was arctic weather, I turned to go get him. However, I was on the stairs at the time, and managed to slip while turning, and come down really funny on my leg, and twist my knee. Enough that I had to sit for the rest of the day, icing it, and getting people to do things for me because I couldn't walk. (OK, that part was fun, but not the thoughts of what if something is really wrong, and I need crutches or an operation - how would I get Troy to and from the van all day long, how would I get groceries? Would I send Mike, and just make food out of whatever came home? Would I take all the kids, and get them to help?)

Anyways, now fast forward to this week. My knee's a lot better, although I'm still hobbling a bit when I walk. But, I like to think I'm tough, enough sitting around, being careful. It was finally nice out, so Janine and I headed out for a walk on Tuesday. We started by the zoo, walked back to 16th ave, where we stopped last time - seems like a long time ago. Then, we made it back to the vans, and kept going, to the end of the Stampede grounds, almost to Lindsay Park. We walked almost the whole way back to the zoo again, with the only problem so far being Troy crying for the last 1/2 hour. Then, we get to a bridge. There are 2 ways up, both of which are really slippery, actually, pretty much pure ice. Janine went up first with Will, and then I came up after with Troy. I was worried about the ice, so I went up on the side, in the snow, pushing the stroller on the slippery part. All was going well, until about 2/3 of the way up, when I put my gimpy leg down, and felt it slip! And, of course, it really hurt, since I twisted it again a bit. I knew that if I put weight on it again, I wasn't going to be able to stand on it. However, if I didn't, I was going to fall anyways.

So, the only option left, try to control the fall! So, down the hill I went, sliding on my butt, trying to control the stroller and not let Troy fall out. (Of course, he wasn't strapped in, because I had just been carrying him, trying to get him to calm down.) Guess what, sliding out of control down a hill DOES NOT stop a baby from crying! When I suddenly hit cement, I stopped (quickly), and stopped the stroller right before it crashed. I looked up the hill, to see Janine trying to decide if I was ok, so she could start laughing!

She came down, took Troy up the other way, I walked up in the snow, and then had to j-walk across the street with Will, trying all the time to look like I wasn't hurt at all.

But, everything is fine now. If only it wasn't so cold, we could go out again tomorrow!

Quick Christmas thought

I've been really busy this week - trying to get in 5 hours at my computer before everyone really gets moving and wants to do something fun every day. Unfortunately, everyone stays up so late playing wii and watching movies, that I almost can do 5 hours before they get up!

Anyways, for those who stayed in Edmonton, here's a new poem:

Twas the night after Christmas,
and all through the house,
not a creature was stirring
EXCEPT for a mouse.

The Polar Express

On Saturday, we had a ward temple trip. We met at the church at 7 am, with the plan being that we take the bus, the youth do baptisms at 10, and the adults go to a session at 10:30, and I stay behind at a church, and watch the kids.

However, when we got to the church, a bus company supervisor was there, without a bus! He said that he didn't want to send out his buses, because it was too cold. Or, at least, he wanted to meet with people first. After 1/2 hour or so, a bus came. We loaded into the bus, but it was SUPER cold. Luckily, my father in law mentioned the night before that sometimes it's a bit chilly on buses in the winter, so I had a blanket along for each of us. We drove down to Ogden, where the bus company had another bus waiting for us, one with heat. After 15 minutes in a bus where you could see your breath, we were excited to change buses!

However, by about the Okotoks turnoff, our new bus was no longer that warm. By Nanton, it was freezing! There was ice on the inside of the windows, you could see your breath again. (It was -25 outside, with a wind chill putting it well into the -30s). Anyways, needless to say, not the most comfortable ride on a bus we've ever had. But, since a couple of families had blankets, and most of us had mittens, hats, and boots, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. And, it made us appreciate more what the pioneers went through. Here we are complaining about a bit of cold, think of what others had to do!

We finally got to Cardston after 11. Dropped the youth off, unloaded at the church, and the adults went back. That left Jordan and I in charge of 9 kids. I had brought some basketballs and beach balls, cars, little animals, and coloring stuff. They pretty much just entertained themselves.

In a few hours, everyone came back, and we had "lunch". (It was about 3 by this time.) We had 6-foot subway sandwiches and soups. A week ago when they were planning the trip, Mike kept saying that we needed soup. Everyone thought, "well, if the Bishop REALLY wants it, then let's try to find a way to have soup." However, after freezing on the trip, and not really warming up at the temple/church, we were all excited to have soup!

But, the best news of all - a different bus company, with buses with heaters, for the ride home! What a different trip that was! Mike put on the Polar Express (which one of the men joked about - we don't want to watch that, we've already lived it!), and we all fell asleep, nice and warm.

I have become my mother...

Or at least inherited her driving skills!

So, it has been REALLY cold here. Cold enough that our garage door won't open on it's own, and you need to push it to get it to go up.

On Saturday night, I was coming home from Jordan's gymnastics competition. I was really tired, and got to the house, and of course the door wouldn't open. So, I pulled up to the garage door, got out, pushed the button, and started to push the door up. All of a sudden, I can hear Jordan yelling. I turn around, to see the van inching towards me! Guess it wasn't in park! And, I'm on the wrong side of the van, so I can't just jump in and shift into park.

So, instead I turn around and push the door faster, because the van's only inches away, and not stopping. I got it up (mostly), and then with my usual great reaction in times of stress, I decide that I need to stop the van. So, I get in front, trying to stop it from crashing in to the front of the garage, and I think at the same time trying to get to the driver's side to get inside, and yelling to Jordan to try and put it in park (I didn't want to tell him to put on the brake, in case he got the gas instead.) With all the commotion, Mike heard us, and came out, just as the van came to a stop, with me between it and the wall, and without hitting anything else, except an old card table that's been out there forever, and isn't a big loss!

Jordan told me later that I reminded him of "Mr Incredible", stopping the van.

Anyways, I guess running into garage doors must be inherited. And, it's always nice to do something totally embarrassing in front of the family!

On top of that, my mixmaster and my cell phone died this weekend too, it's freezing cold, there's tons of snow, I'm not done my Christmas shopping, and Jordan had the stomach flu yesterday.

On the positive side, we've done some fun things this weekend. We had our ward Christmas dinner and family dance on Friday, we had the Bishopric and Relief Society president and families for dinner yesterday, and had a big food hamper/Christmas carolling/ eating treats Family Home Evening with about 40 people tonight.

Dinner Philosophy

Next week, my team at work is going out for lunch. I thought I'd check the website, and saw that they have a philosophy statement:

So, I decided that my kitchen needs a philosophy too: