Almost, but not quite, entirely unlike a blog

there's a wall in the way...

2013-06-24T07:56:00.000-06:00

Gwen was writing a story yesterday called, “The Mistress of Time”. At one point she was trying to decide what happens next in the story and we were discussing the idea of conflict and how characters have things they have to overcome or learn etc etc. So, trying to help her figure out what should happen next I asked, “What is keeping the character from learning how to control time?” Her answer, “Writer’s block!!!”

Notebook Stories

2012-10-11T10:59:00.001-06:00

So, I often write down funny things that the kids (or Rus) say or do in my little notebook that I carry around so I can remember. I have used up my current notebook, so I'm posting some of the stories I wrote down, for your enjoyment before I dispose of said notebook.
Notebook Story #1
Xander quote -“If each universe is a bubble in a bubble bath somewhere, who’s in the bubble bath?”

Notebook story #2
We were all at Smith’s grocery shopping. Usually I do this myself, or it’s just me and the kids. So I have my own routine. I have my system or route around the store to find what we need- where I know they have clearance items, things we usually get that sort of thing. So Rus asked me “What do we need to get now?” or something like that. Of course the kids are all talking too, and there’s all the background noise and input from the store, and I’m just in my “routine of the store” mode, so I just kind of gestured vaguely in the direction we were going to go and said something noncommittal, like, “things”. To which he replied, “Does that come in a men’s version?”

Notebook story #3
The song “Zombie” by the Cranberries was on the radio. The lyrics at one point go “in your head, in your head, zombie, zombie”. So Laurelin says, “Oh, Gwen and I were going to do a spoof of this song. The words would go “in your bread, in your bread, salami, salami”. This is what comes of raising your children on Weird Al and Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Isaac's first cross country meet

2012-09-19T10:36:00.000-06:00

Isaac's first cross country meet. He did a mile and a half in 13 minutes 52 seconds. We all had fun cheering him on.

Valentine's Day musings

2012-02-08T08:51:00.003-07:00

I was thinking about Valentine’s Day, and wanted to get a few thoughts down.

People always talk about keeping the spirit of a holiday throughout the whole year, doesn’t really matter what holiday it is. A lot of women seem to get upset because sure, maybe their husband does something great on Valentine’s Day but what about the rest of the year?

I was just thinking how lucky I am, because “the rest of the year” is exactly what Rus does. I never feel neglected, taken for granted, or like I’m on “the bottom of the list”. He is amazing at making me feel cherished, respected, and like I am his world.

When he gets home from work, he doesn’t take any time to unwind, relax, or chill out before coming to help with things. To tell the truth, I’d be fine if he needed to do that. I know he works his tail off all day, and he’s tired when he gets home. But he’s also so happy to be home that his way of unwinding is to be with me and the kids. The first thing he does when he gets home is give me a lovely, long hug and then asks what he can do for me, or what I need help with.

He does as much or possibly more housework than I do. I have never felt like he’s doing it to help me with “my” job. He considers as much his job as mine.

He is always looking for new ways to tell me and show me that he loves me.

After the kids go to bed, it’s our time. There is never any “Oh, I have to finish this project for work” or anything, and I don’t keep cleaning. We don’t usually even answer the phone after about 7:30 (much to the chagrin, I’m sure, of all the people that are trying to call us). That time is precious and we use it to grow closer to each other every day. So although we always do something for Valentine’s Day, and we always enjoy that time together, I have never felt like I needed a huge fancy something on Valentine’s Day. Rus is my Valentine all year.

Recent Kid Quips

2012-01-08T09:38:00.002-07:00

Kelly: (shortly after Gwen had finished in the shower) Gwen, do you have underwear on?

Gwen: No, I forgot underwear even existed!

Rus: I think your new fish needs some help finding the food.

Gwen: (opening the aquarium cover and brandishing the plastic feeding spoon) I'll give him some guidance from above.

We often have trouble getting Xander to actually eat at the dinner table, usually he just keeps talking. And while we love talking with him so much, he does need to actually take in some calories. On the way to CA the kids were watching The Secret of Moon Acre in the car. At a breakfast scene one of the male characters says:

"Can't a man enjoy a meal in his own home in silence?"

Xander then exclaimed, "How can you enjoy it in silence?!?"

Xander: Some movies are more successful than others.

Laurelin: Yeah, like Cars 2 was more successful than Cars.

Mamma: It was?

Laurelin: Yeah. Cars is the kind of movie that has its own toothpaste. Cars 2 is the kind of movie that has its own collecting cards and juice boxes.

Ahh, the signs of sweet success.....

One last Deep Thought by Gwen:

"If infinity is a number, I bet the reason people can't reach it is because maybe, just maybe, it's zero."

tasty numbers

2011-12-11T08:19:00.001-07:00

The kids are starting a new lunch system at school in which they each have their own number they have to punch in every time they buy lunch.

Me: What if you forget your number?

Laurelin: I already memorized it, they gave it to us on a piece of paper.

Xander: I already memorized mine too, then I ATE it!

Me:....you really ate the piece of paper your number was on?

Xander: YEAH!

I guess that's one way to make sure noone steals your number...

Funny kid sayings lately and a few pics

2011-11-13T09:33:00.003-07:00

Xander: If you lived on the peak of a mountain you would be one of the few people who didn’t have to worry about door to door salesmen.

Mamma: How much do you weigh now, Isaac?

Isaac: About 84 lbs.

Mamma: Really? You weigh more than half of my weight!

Gwen: Migrate?!?! Why does Isaac have to migrate??

Saturday we helped clean the church building. While we were cleaning the boys bathroom the kids were discussing how urinals worked and why boys could use them but girls couldn’t:

Laurelin: Well, girls can’t pee standing up, you know.

Xander: They can’t!?!

Gwen (somewhat indignantly): Well, we don’t have those sticky out things!

pics:

Xander having a snowball fight with Rus, one of Isaac's recent drawings, and three of the kids in their Halloween costumes, somehow we missed getting a picture of Isaac in his : (

2011-09-04T07:46:00.008-06:00

We decided to have a fall festival, and as part of it, we decorated the window with leaf/crayon/waxed paper art. See if you can guess who did which ones.

2011-09-04T07:46:00.003-06:00

We decided to have a fall festival, and as part of it, we decorated the window with leaf/crayon/waxed paper art. See if you can guess who did which ones.

Coolest picture of Xander ever! Thanks Cody!

2011-05-01T09:05:00.001-06:00

Cody caught this shot of Xander at Katalina's birthday party yesterday! It is replete with Xanderness. Xanderosity?

The World According to Xander

2011-04-10T11:05:00.004-06:00

Those who have a basic familiarity with behavior psychology can skip to the next paragraph. In the terminology of this discipline, an "extinction burst" is the name for the phenomenon that often occurs when a previously reinforced behavior ceases to be reinforced. The frequency and intensity of the behavior increase just before the behavior ceases, or is extinguished. (A classic example is when you put money in a vending machine and your soda doesn't come out. Before walking away in disgust and frustration, --extinction--you are likely to engage in an extinction burst: you push the button several more times, jiggle the change return, perhaps even slap, kick, or try to shake the machine.)

In our area, we had a few days of beautiful, mild spring weather, and then suddenly winter seemed to come back with a vengeance, with several days of nearly constant snowfall. Yesterday, referring to this phenomenon, commented yesterday, "Winter is having an extinction burst." It looks like some of that training he's done with his pet rat has also colored his perception of the rest of the world.

their

The Lost Sheep according to Gwen

2011-03-31T14:48:00.002-06:00

I don't know if they had a lesson on the Parable of the Lost Sheep recently in her church class, or if this just came straight out of her funny mind. Either way it cracked me up.

Gwen: I made up a funny story

Once there was a lot of sheep, and each day it neighed, I mean baaed, and each day one sheep runned off.

Mamma: Uh Oh Where’d it go?

Gwen: You don’t know

Mamma: I don’t know?

Gwen: You don’t want to know

After the sheep runs off one of the horses neighs. And after the horses neigh the chickens cluck. And after the chickens cluck, the crows beat at the scarecrow. And after the crows beat at the scarecrow the farmer goes “Yahoo!” And then the farmer said, “What’s all that noise going off? I’ve had enough of that noise! I wonder why they always do that and why my sheep always get lost!” And one day when he had only one sheep left he goed looking for the other ones, and meanwhile while he goed looking for the other ones, his one last sheep got lost, and it took him 15 years to find his other sheep. And when he got back he found his only one sheep ws gone, and he put lots and lots of cowbells on his other sheep so they wouldn’t get lost while he was looking for his one sheep. And it took him 2 days to find his other sheep. And one night he heard the same things, but except at night. But of course, that was another story.

Louisiana Wetlands Tour

2011-03-26T16:55:00.001-06:00

Some highlights from the wetlands tour Rus took, including alligators and other wildlife.

Isaac's watercolor dragon

2011-03-13T18:17:00.003-06:00

Isaac came home from school with a great grin on his face, exclaiming "I get to draw a DRAGON for homework!" He drew and painted it with watercolors. He'll turn it in tomorrow, and after he gets it back, we're planning on framing it. We made a short video of him displaying and describing it:

Laurelin's Springfest 2011 dance

2011-03-06T17:44:00.002-07:00

Here is Laurelin's solo from Springfest. She really was the darling of the festival if you'll permit a very proud Mamma to say so. Not a few people came up to her during the rest of the festival to tell her she did a good job. I like how my friend, Kitty (who is the announcer you hear in the video), put it "She was in control of the stage"

Kelly and Rus' drum and dance performance

2011-03-06T17:26:00.003-07:00

We hope you enjoy it, even if the sound came out less than optimal...

Tiger Eyes Dance Company

2011-03-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

Xander's got a brand new Bounce

2011-02-20T19:10:00.003-07:00

Check it out:

Gwen's fifth birthday party video and new baby rats

2011-01-23T17:40:00.004-07:00

Viktoriya

2011-01-23T14:34:00.003-07:00

Most if not all of you know that my friend and dance teacher, Viktoriya was in a horrible car accident almost 2 years ago. It's been a long battle for her and difficult for all of us to watch her lay her trapped in her body. Friday Jan 14th she passed away. The funeral was the 21st (same day as Gwen's birthday). We all love her very much and cry for those of us who are left behind, but are glad that her battle is over. I've felt very close to her this week and could feel her celebrating being free again. I'm putting a few of her videos here to remember her, and here is the link to her obituary

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=viktoriya-pulley&pid=147899353

Bellydance short film

2011-01-14T07:03:00.004-07:00

Our friend, Karen Paglio, is a film student at SLCC. She's also my bellydance student. For one of her classes in Fall semester she was supposed to make a short film, and she decided to do a mini documentary on the positive impact bellydance has in women's lives. She interviewed myself, Rus, Laurelin, Gwen (both of whom I have to say were dang cute in it), Odessa of Desert Gypsy Dance Company (who is an absolutely wonderful human being and I love her dearly) and several of Odessa's students. The film was aired on SLCC's campus TV show "Insight", and is now available on Vimeo to watch online. Karen did a wonderful job putting everything together and we're so happy we could be a part of it. Enjoy!

Insight News - November 9, 2010 from SLCC Voices on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T14:09:00.002-07:00

So it's been since Thanksgiving since we made a blog post. Oh well.

Thanksgiving 2010 greetings

2010-11-25T09:36:00.001-07:00

Cats and Rats and Septezanne

2010-11-21T16:54:00.006-07:00

Isaac has been created informational posters for some of his vivid creatures, complete with vital statistics and binomial nomenclature.

We all enjoyed a trip on Friday afternoon to visit Xander and Gwen's extremely cute and friendly future pets...(Isaac's and Laurelin's aren't born yet.)

Speaking of friendly pets, Cosmo came back from one of his frequent neighborhood forays with a slash/puncture wound on the side of his chest. He needed veterinary attention of course...about $300 worth! Now he's not the only one feeling the pain, but we're glad he'll be okay. He's on antibiotics and pain meds...the main meds make him goofy...and the other one...well, let's just say he can sit on the litter box and still miss.

Multi-Tasking Gone Awry

2010-11-19T19:04:00.002-07:00

It was time for the kids to get ready for bed. The two girls exited the bathroom and Gwen announced brightly, "Laurelin and I were doing MULTI-TASK." Kelly asked encouragingly, "You were multi-tasking? How did you do it?"
"I was brushing my teeth while I was on the toilet!" Laurelin explained.
"And I was saying my prayers while I was on the toilet!" Gwen added.

Oh, well. At least they weren't driving and texting...