Thank you global warming

We have enjoyed a delightful week of temperatures above 70 here in the desert Southwest. Here are a few pictures of the week's endeavors:

Heather painting the barn last Sunday. Mark did the trim work Monday and half the painting Sunday.

Trampolining twins

Sam having fun jumping with Dad and sisters (above)

Seth, not so much (below)

Madelyn was unfortunately stuck at school but she's been enjoying the warm weather too!

Human blender

We stumbled upon a new park today. It is very cool, very different from your average city park.


Mark tried out everything including this apparatus that he dubbed 'The Human Blender". Sorry it's the wrong way; it kinda adds to the dizzying effect.



Not everyone was up for spinning. Seth prefers rocking.

Deal or No Deal?

Mark and I have always said that Madelyn would make an excellent lawyer. She is always trying to present things in such a way as to win us over or her sisters or brothers. She's much more successful with her siblings than her parents, but we appreciate her effort and thinking.

Today she was thinking about Disney World. Our girls ask us regularly when we are going back. We always give them some vague answer like, "Someday" or "When your brothers are tall enough for the rides". The truth is we'd love to take them but we'd love having a landscaped backyard more. Madelyn explained to me this morning that Disney World is for exercise because there are so many walking areas. She argued that we need to go because we like walking and exercising, therefore we'll like Disney World. How can you argue with that logic?

Life has a way of piling up

My father-in-law once told me that an empty desk is a sign of an empty mind. I take comfort in that on days when I feel empty-minded like two weeks ago when I went halfway to the wrong kid's school and was 10 minutes late picking up Catherine & Chloe. (Sigh) I digress.

Today I decided to tackle the piles on my desk. There's the project pile, the kid work pile, the family finances pile, the electronics pile, etc. All these piles have recently morphed into one unruly pile that was swallowing up my work space.

After the purge, I'm proud to report that the top of the desk is easy to find and the piles are once again segregated by theme. Now perhaps I'll be motivated to write about something more inspiring or at least more entertaining than cleaning my desk!

Barn raisin'

On Monday, we had our friends from Tuff Shed over to build a barn in our backyard. It wasn't quite the community building experience we fantasized about but after four months of lifting 60 pound blocks into place to construct retaining walls, it was nice to sit back and watch the barn take shape.

Ta Dah! Now for paint...

Ponder this...

"Does the tooth fairy come for cats when they lose their teeth?"

Madelyn asked me this on our drive to school yesterday. My response was more of a confession than an answer. I told her that I don't know if kittens lose their teeth in the same way that children do. Our oldest daughter, whose smile looks like a jack-o-lantern these days, then asked if the tooth fairy would bring the cats money, like she does for her. Upon reflection, Madelyn said, "That would be silly. Cats can't just walk in a store. She'd probably bring them treats or something."

En Garde!

Madelyn is taking fencing as an elective at school. Thus far she has learned the proper stance for fencing and how to lunge (not lunch, she clarified).

This weekend the U.S. Fencing Association held their Junior Olympics in town. We're always up for an adventure, so we went downtown to the convention center to learn about fencing.
We learned that there is a lot to learn about fencing. It's definitely a sport that requires strategy and agility. We're still not sure how points are earned but we did learn that fencing requires a lot of stuff. There is all kinds of wiring involved and the uniform is three layers. Then there's the helmet, carrying case and stenciling. And finally, the instruments: sabre, foil and/or epee. Whew! For a sport that looks so simple, it sure carries a big price tag. And for all you soccer moms and football dads out there, fencing parents are every bit as intense with their coaching and cheering.Here we are taking in the action. It's pictures like these that remind me why people stare at us in public.

The love of a child

I was just washing the dishes and Chloe asked me why I was doing the dishes. I answered, "Because they need to be done." Madelyn piped in and explained to Chloe that when you're a mom you get to wash dishes, pick up toys, and clean up throw-up. Thanks to Seth for throwing up during dinner to remind us of that finer point of motherhood.

Earlier today, the girls presented me with a Valentine's Day snack plate full of candy. Madelyn gave a speech about how thankful they all are for everything I do, like cleaning up, doing laundry, etc.

On this Valentine's Day, I feel blessed to have the love of an adventurous man and appreciative children. My daily grind is not glamorous and will not get me on the cover of "Working Mother". I don't mind. There's nothing that beats the sweet kisses, thoughtful gestures and closeness that our family shares.

A cause worth fighting for

I'm not a person who likes controversy. I hate confrontations because I often find myself more emotional than I intend to be. I don't like drama or gossip. I like things simple and stable.

Madelyn's school has been embroiled in name-calling, finger pointing ugliness over the last three weeks. From my perspective, the whole mess is due to a complete and utter failure to communicate. The school is new. This is its first year. It is a charter school so it is structured and governed differently than a typical public school. Trouble is, there is no communication about how to communicate with the different members of the community. Therefore, no one feels like their voice is heard, even the people who are talking. (Sounds a little like a Dr. Seuss book, no?)

This is where I step out of my box. After many frustrating, almost laughable, tense meetings, I didn't see change. My voice was most definitely not heard. I thought that if the parent community banded together perhaps something would change. I wanted to stay positive and be constructive. So, I invited a group of parents to my house and we wrote a petition. We presented it to the community during student drop-off and pick-up. During our three opportunities to get signatures we got support from 60 percent of the households the school serves. We only had four people say they'd rather take a backseat and not sign. The petition is now in the hands of the people it was meant for and the ball is in their court.
These growing pains are not over. Resolution seems distant and certainly not everyone will win, perhaps no one will win. The children have certainly been exposed to intense parent emotions and a change of leadership midyear. They will persevere and I pray that our community will UNITE and strike a balance so that we can get on with pursuing the mission of the school and giving our children the fabulous education they deserve.

Family photos

Mark and I went on an early Valentine's Day date last night and thought we'd share a couple photos.

Gender roles

It must be hard growing up with three big sisters and an ever-present Mommy. I remember debating in college whether gender roles were a social construct or biologically programmed. I'd like to think it's a balance of the two.

Our little boys love balls and trucks and are unnecessarily rough at times, but they also have a softer side. They like to play kitchen and set the table for a picnic.
And sometimes their sisters dress them up like princesses. The boys love the attention their sisters lavish on them at these times.
We don't mind because it's good for a laugh and a fun picture.

The trouble with engineers

This past week, as I was driving Madelyn to school, I heard alarming news on the radio. They reported that a study done in the UK revealed that children who eat processed meat, especially ham and bacon, are 74% more likely to get childhood leukemia. This is alarming because Madelyn and Chloe love ham. Our children eat more hot dogs than I care to acknowledge as well. This Chicken Little mom came home convinced that we should be worried and purge our home of ham, hot dogs and anything they've touched in our refrigerator.

After reporting my news to my reasonable, mathematically-oriented engineer of a husband, we had an exchange that went something like this:
Me(with wide-eyed fear): Did you know that children who eat ham and bacon are 74% more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia?
Mark: That's less than doubling the risk. Besides, how many children are diagnosed with leukemia in the U.S. each year?
Me: I don't know.
Mark: I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.
Me: I'm sure the parents of those children don't think that.

So, I've done my research. It turns out that indeed less than 1% of the population under age 20 is diagnosed with leukemia each year in the United States. Those who are face a survival rate of greater than 66% depending on the type of leukemia.

The problem with our media is that it has become far too emotional. I have authority to criticize as I spent four years learning to be part of them. I have a pretty paper hanging on my wall documenting this. Anyway, the media doesn't just ask for your attention with worthy headlines of worthy news. They'd rather tell part of the story, the worst part generally, and leave the consumer terrified and judgmental. So while the media may not be fair and impartial, my husband and I will continue to balance each other out as parents and partners...me giving him empathy, him giving me perspective.

Surprise family visit

On Sunday we got a call from Mark's dad telling us we would be contacted by Mark's dad's mother's cousin. Did you follow that? She and her husband were in town visiting their son. They came to visit us on Tuesday.

We had a nice visit and they got to see firsthand how exciting life can be with five munchkins. During their hour visit, Madelyn threw up and was moping on the couch after having two teeth extracted at the dentist the hour before; Chloe smashed her hand in the door requiring a Band-aid and healing kisses; Catherine, Seth and Sam staged a revolt demanding Goldfish crackers for snack which they proceeded to deposit all over the living room.

As I said, we had a nice visit and we are glad to know that we have in-town kin, however distant.

Christmas in February

The trouble with me is I'm a procrastinator.

You see, for Christmas this year I gave Mark two yards of fabric that I promised to make into pajama pants. Being 6'4" Mark has a tough time finding pajamas that are long enough. One year I got him an expensive pair from LLBean but they shrank in the wash and they smell funny. So this year my plan was to remedy the pajama problem. In so doing I revealed my time management problem. I don't like to sew with the kids hanging around because I get nervous about the hot iron and the needles and pins and scissors. I have many other excuses but I'll spare you those...they are not as noble as protecting my young flock.

Finally while the family watched the SuperBowl this past weekend, I sewed and voila, the promised pants...


Merry Christmas Honey! Now, my challenge is getting a second pair made before the weather gets warmer.

The two faces of Catherine

Catherine is our second child, by 27 minutes. As a baby she was sweet and quiet. She willingly went with anyone who held out their arms to her.

Now, Catherine is affectionate, attentive and loyal. She is easy-going and stays close when we're out on an adventure in the great big world. The coolest thing about Catherine is that she believes in magic. She loves the Disney princesses, especially Cinderella. When we took the kids to Disney World in Nov. 2007, Catherine was overwhelmed by emotion when she met Cinderella. It brought tears to my eyes. She is the same way with her faith in God. It is absolute and pure.


Then there's the other face of Catherine. We call it her 'angry teenager' face. This is the face she makes when she feels wronged...right before she starts spouting off how she hates us, this house, everything...right before she's marched to her room to cool down.


We love both of Catherine's faces...although not always at the time she makes them!