Happy Birthday!

I have two sisters-in-law who remember everyone's birthdays.  Everyone.  That is no small feat in a large extended family.  I figured that this year I could at least send a birthday card to all of my siblings-in-law.  And my brothers.  And my parent-in-laws.  Whew - we're up to 16, but I should be able to handle that many.  We've got a lot when you factor in my family, Jay's family, and now Trent's, too.  I thought it might be fun lettering practice, too, and it was.  

I say "was" in the past tense because I did really well at sending out cards (February was a killer!) until the summer, then I just forgot.  I think it had something to do with getting a new planner so I didn't have my birthday list to remind me.  But mostly I just got summer-busy and forgot.  Mea culpa.  I'll try to finish out the year better!

I didn't forget my own children's birthdays though, because that would be mother demerits and I have enough of those.  Today, I'm celebrating the birthday of my first daughter-in-law.  I wasn't in a good place when she came into our lives.  I desperately wanted to be warm and welcoming, but I was so wrapped up in a big wad of anxiety that I didn't always reach out like I should have.  Regrets.  I wish I would have been warmer and welcoming-er.  

I still love her to bits, though.  She has the most beautiful smile, and I love the sparkle in her eyes when she's excited about something.  I love how my son loves her, and how she makes him happy.  It was so fun to see him get excited/stressed about getting her just the right engagement ring.  He had a hard time even holding still when he got it, and it wasn't but a moment later that he popped the question.  Happy memories.

Happy birthday, my dear.  Thank you for bringing some light into this corner of our family.  May your day be as lovely as you are, and many more to come!

Happy Birthday Times Two

These two characters are six years old. Wow. They have been talking about their birthday for a long time now. The measure of having a good friend in their kindergarten class is whether you invite them to your birthday party. And when you don't like a former friend, they are no longer invited. Such kindergarten drama! And due to their spring birthdays, we have heard all about the intended guest list for a long, long time.

When my oldest boys were little, I told them they could have a birthday party every other year, on the even numbers.  So a sixth birthday is a friend party.  Darn. I wasn't feeling healthy enough to really throw a party, but I felt like I had to... that sounds more negative than I mean it to. I didn't mind throwing them a party, but this year I would have preferred to skip it.  Fortunately, we know how to throw an even lower-than-low-key party.

We invited a small herd of children and we blew bubbles and drew with sidewalk chalk and played with balloons - outside. We went inside, did presents, ate chocolate cake, and we're done!  The two sanity-savers for me were having it outside and specifying the end time on the invitations. I can handle anything for an hour.

We all had a good time, and the twins loved it.

Happy birthday, Freddie! I love how you climb in bed with me to snuggle in the mornings. Your willingness to keep trying will be good for you through your whole life.

Happy birthday. Georgie!  Your curiosity and quick mind will always help you learn things. I love that you are brave and willing to try new things - even beans. 

I really can't believe they are six.

Slowing Way Down

So the other day (which means a vague sometime in the past but not necessarily recently.  We're liberal with our definitions here) I wrote about getting an inspiration in the temple that I needed to slow m life down.  I tried!  I thought seriously about it and everything.

But the reality of life for me is that I am the Mama of a large family.  Six kids at home rely on me for food, clothing, love, and attention.  I am the homemaker in charge of a house and land.  It's not huge, but there are always things that need cleaning up, fixing up, taking out, and tuning up.  I am the primary caregiver to a wonderful man and his Parkinson's Disease and he's not improving.  This disease is slowly stealing him and his abilities away from us.  And not lastly (but bestly!) I am the wife of a good man.  I'm so lucky to be the one to love him.

None of this will let up.  In  spite of the fact that we cleaned the front room yesterday, it needs to be cleaned again.  The laundry does not stay folded and put away.  Kids need to go to school again.  Track practice got out late and the boys need a ride home.  He needs a new pair of shoes.  She needs her hair brushed.  They need dinner (seriously guys?  We just ate yesterday!  Can't we call that good?).

And in the middle of all this thinking about slowing down and realizing that life was just not going to make this easy for me, I got a phone call from the doctor's office.  "So sorry, sweetie (she always calls me that and I love her for it).  The blood test results came back and you have Epstein Barr.  You need to get your back on the couch and stay there until this flare settles down."  Wait, what?  What is it, exactly?  Didn't I have mono already when I was twelve?  It comes back?  How bad is that?  How long will it take?  "Probably a month until you start feeling a bit better, but the fatigue can hang on for a while."

The fatigue.  Oh, I remember that part.  I was too sick to go to sixth grade for weeks.  My mom would take me to the doctor's office for more tests and I'd still be panting when we got there from the exertion of walking out my front door to the car.  Sometimes I had to crawl down the hallway to the bathroom because I was too exhausted to walk.  I lived on the old hide-a-bed couch in the living room where Mom could keep an eye on me.  Then they got new blue couches and they moved me and my old brown plaid one under the peninsula counter in the kitchen.  I was always so tired and never even wanted to move.

And I get to do that again?  Oh goody.

So now I live on the couch again.  Sometimes in the front room, and sometimes on the squishy green couches in the back room.  And sometimes I hide in my bedroom while Trent makes dinner and David hosts his own birthday party with his friends.  Lots of times I get up and do things, which I thnk is ok - in tiny amounts.  Because if I do any more than a microscopic amount, I pay for it afterwards.

It's hard to slow down.  I appreciate my family more than ever.  Trent is a dear to take care of half of everything I can't do.  David and Eddie have each made dinner this week (er, helped, but they are getting better).  Angel unloads the dishwasher.  The twins cleaned the bathroom, and it is actually cleaner now than when they started!  Even Chris was kind and was willing to help out (when he's not at school or work or track - which is not very much).  I'm blessed with wonderful people around me.

So we'll see what lessons I get to learn from this adventure!  Patience, I'm sure.  And gratitude.  And being able to see the things in slo-mo that I miss on fast-forward.  Stay tuned... I'm not going anywhere!

And thanks, Lord, for giving me a heads-up there at the organ.  I appreciate that.

Happy Birthday, Jay!

It was Jay's birthday recently, and he would have been 48, old man.  I really enjoyed having a husband who was a few years older than me.  He would hit all the age milestones first, and I've have a while to get used to the idea of being that much older.  By the time I hit that particular birthday, the age was old hat.

We celebrated by making his favorite treat (except maybe homemade ice cream): easy no-bake cheesecake.  It whips up quickly and is ready before you know it.  Wait - I'll be real.  We did know it, and usually ate the soupy cake with spoons before it had time to set up because it looked so good.

Jay's Cheesecake

First, the crust.  Traditionally, we make a quicky crust out of crushed graham crackers, but I finally found a from-scratch recipe that I could simplify and I liked it so much I think I'll always be making our cheesecakes this way, because when we have graham crackers we eat them.  The crust is pretty thick, but I like it that way.

Then you make the filling out of cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.  The only trick here is to beat it until there aren't any lumps left.  Next to waiting for it to chill, this is my hardest part.  I guess I just don't have much cooking patience.  Usually I just get to the good enough! part and we all like it anyway.  This recipe came from Jeanne, my first mother-in-law and it's a family favorite.  

CRUST

2 sticks soft butter

1/2 cup sugar - could be half white and half brown sugar or whatever you have

1/4 cup honey

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or several good shakes.

Mix all together until it is good and creamy.  Pat on the bottom and up the sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.  Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes.  Easy!

FILLING 

2 8 ounce packages cream cheese

2 15 ounce cans condensed milk

2/3 cup lemon juice (real juice is best but I never have it on hand)

2 teaspoons vanilla

Blend it all up together.  Pour into cooled crust and refrigerate until firm.  Decorate with fruit (we did blueberries and pineapple this time) or a can of fruit pie filling.  Raspberry pie filling is especially delicious.

It didn't last very long.  Good food evaporates around here and leaves only smiles on everybody's faces.  I'm happy when they are happy.

Birthday Recap

So yeah, we managed to pull off a birthday tea party.  I was quite surprised that, despite the short notice, almost all the little girls came!  What am I supposed to do with NINE extra little girls in my house?  Take deep breaths.  The twins didn't even mind being outnumbered.

Honestly, I was so busy prepping food and cleaning up and getting things ready (in the middle of the usual Saturday hubbub) that I didn't even think about little girls until quite a few had collected.  After so many boys inhabiting our home, it was a little bit shocking to see such a pile of princess dresses and fluffy outfits.  I'm laughing at myself.

I gave them free reign at a pile of polka-dot paper, sparkly pens, and my old stash of scrapbooking stickers.  After a giggly while, we set the table for the tea party.  We had a little lesson in etiquette, then poured the pink lemonade.  It was adorable to hear them demurely murmur "oh, dear," when they dropped something on the floor and hilarious to hear their pretend British accents.  I have to admit that I had a good time just watching them, and I tried really hard not to laugh so they could hear.

My birthday girl was absolutely delighted by everything, and that made all the not-very-much effort quite worth it.  Actually, I'd go to the moon and back for her if she needed it.  What mother wouldn't?

At the end of the day, Angel climbed into the top bunk early and snuggled into sleep with her favorite pictures and birthday cards taped lovingly to the rail (with the roll of tape I gave her 'cuz I was tired of losing mine to her.  Win.).  I love that the last card on the right is one Alec sent her from South Africa - last year.  It's a prized possession.  Oh, how we all love this girl!

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday

My twins are 5!  Holy time warp, Batman!

Georgie on the left, and Freddie on the right.  They look so different to me, but they are identical.

I asked them what they wanted for their birthday cake - it's the tradition that they get to pick.  Georgie has been eyeing the cakes in the bakery for some time now, and he wanted the cake with the carrot on it.  Didn't care about the cake; he just wanted the frosting carrot on top.  Freddy wanted strawberry cake because right now he loves pink.  Now blue. Now pink.  There were pink cake mixes at the store and no blue ones, so we went with strawberry.

So far I've had one cake for the two of them, but I don't mind each of them having their own cake.  I thought that was only fair.  It was funny that when they noticed they had picked different kinds of cake, they kept trying to change their choice to match what the other had chosen.  They love being together!

Georgie's frosting was a no-brainer: carrot cake needs cream cheese frosting.  The strawberry cake got whipped cream with a colorful starburst.  It was fun to make the cakes (especially when David doubted that I could frost a cake reasonably well, and was so astounded that it actually turned out cool.  I enjoyed that compliment.), and delightful to see their faces light up with excitement.

Blowing out the candles is fun, and they helped each other.  Georgie also managed to blow spit all over one side of his cake.  Who came up with this tradition?

I love these boys.  I can't think of any better way to end a family than with twins.  I might be partial, but I doubt it.  :-)

Five things I love about Freddie:
1. He has a zest for life.  Everything he does in done in a big way.
2. He always hugs me to make sure I know he really loves me after he "kills" me with his pretend light saber.
3. He loves to snuggle with Mom - for a moment.  Or longer if he has cold feet.
4. He is a good eater.  I don't usually have to remind him twice to finish his dinner.
5. He is happy with his whole body.  No hiding his joy!

Five things I love about Georgie:
1. He cartwheels his arms (for speed in taking off?) like a swimmer when he starts running.
2. He is sneaky.  He has a good plan and then quietly goes about accomplishing his goal.
3. He loves to snuggle with Mom.  I love that.
4. He is quick to take care of his chores and tasks I ask him to do.
5. His little grin just melts my heart.

Happy birthday, boys!

Happy Birthday, Opa

I made a German chocolate cake for this wonderful man for his birthday.  I'm so glad we get to see so much of him!

Happy Birthday, Opa!

It's birthday week.  Again.  Gotta love this sugar high.

And it's my dad's birthday.  What a wonderful man he is.  I love being able to see him on a regular basis.

We all went out to dinner to celebrate - me and my brothers and our respective spouses.  Spices?  These are good, good people.  Having these people as family - forever! - is one of my biggest blessings.  And that handsome guy on the right side - he started all this.  It's all his fault.

Love you, Dad!

Happy Birthday, David!

We've had a bundle of birthdays in the past while. Since I have not yet died due to cake overdose (but  been close, a few days), I will share them here.

David just turned 14. Fourteen!  He usually requests corned beef because it is so plentiful this time of year, but this time he switched it up. His request for birthday dinner was alfredo pasta... with Spam. Spam, spam, spam, spam, spammity spam!  He got his wish, and I didn't even have to go grocery shopping, thanks to one lonely tin of the gelatinous goop I found hiding in the pantry. The enormous bowl of pasta turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself.  They ate it up... literally. The secret ingredient is a dash of nutmeg, if you must know. It's not quite alfredo sauce without it.

I made a party cake with an old cake mix I found in my mom's food storage. It looked like a fun one - white cake with colorful sprinkles. Just for fun, I baked it in a big metal bowl instead of a flat pan. But when I tried to tip the cooked cake out of the bowl, the whole thing crumbled into bits. I think I need to toss the rest of those old cake mixes!

I didn't have a car to run to the store to get a new cake (Chris took it to work, and the Mr. was working late), nor did I have time to bake a new one. So we punted. I made a quick batch of frosting and we poured it over the mashed up cake bits. I melted some white chocolate and we made cake pops!  Sort of.  We stuck the candles in the big bowl of sticky stuff because he isn't yet too old for blowing out candles. Then each child got to reach in, squish together a few balls of cake-and-frosting and dip it into the melted chocolate. And after the first one fell to pieces during the dipping, we drizzled them instead. Rather unconventional,  but the kids thought I had come up with a fun new dessert!  Er, yes. Yes, indeed. That's just what I meant to do.

Things I love about my #4 boy:

1. He is thoughful. The other day I was pretty frazzled and he sweetly came over, gave me a big hug, and told me it would be ok.

2. This boy tells the truth.

3. I love the big grin that splits his face in two. Reminds me of his happy daddy.

4. He has an intense drive to do things. Something!  Anything!  He's a do-er.

5. He is a fast runner. Always has been. I'm looking forward to see how he does on the track team this year.

6. He is not afraid of people, and will just walk up to strangers and talk to them.

7. He is a great salesman. I don't know how many times he sold things - strollers, baked goods, garden produce - on the street in front of the house.

8. He has a good business sense to know what people want and help them get it.

9. He is honest about his faults - and his strengths - and doesn't try to hide them.

10. He is self motivated.

11.  He watches his time and knows exactly how long he needs to get ready to go (and doesn't get up one moment earlier!).

12. He is actively working on making himself better. When he know he has a weakness, he comes and tells me about it, and works on it diligently.

13. He loves being with people.

14. He is developing a great singing voice. I am amazed to hear this little boy of mine (who isn't so little any more!) hit some pretty impressive bass notes.

Happy birthday, my wonderful red head!  I'm so glad you joined our family!

Happy Birthday, Eddie!

Here he is, the birthday boy, with his snazzy new haircut.  Like you can tell.  But it looks great, maybe just because I look at his face and the way I love him more than I look at his hair.  He wanted pizza and chocolate cake for dinner, so that's what he got.  Even if I had to dump cocoa powder into a yellow cake mix to make it.  That's ok.  The look on Georgie's face when he stole the cocoa powder spoon to lick it off was worth every moment of cooking!

Eddie, I love you to the moon and back.  You were a ray of sunshine just when your daddy and I needed it.  You still are.  Happy twelfth birthday!  Twelfth.  Don't look at that word too long or it will mess you up.  Twelvth?  Will you tie your tongue in knots if you try to pronounce "L-V-TH" too many times in a row?  Quit it.

Twelve things I love about Eddie:

1. He is so kind.  He sees times when he can jump in and help that many others don't notice.
2. He is so thorough at cleaning the kitchen!  I love his night to clean up (although he doesn't).
3. He brushes my hair.  I'm always been a sucker for that.
4. He is my snuggle buddy, always wanting to sit close and put his head on my shoulder.
5. He has a gentle strength that flows through everything he does.
6. He loves soft clothes and wants me to feel how fluffy his sweatshirt is, and then loves me for buying it for him.
7. He is a great babysitter!  He plays well with his younger siblings, and they love him.
8. He does his schoolwork independently.  Most of the time, he finishes at school.
9. He is the first one to start and finish his chores, and rarely requires any prompting from Mom!
10. He likes watching documentaries so he can learn things.
11. He is easy-going and nice to be around.  He has good friends and develops friendships easily.
12. He's my newest deacon, and is excited to help at church with those new responsibilities.

Love you so much, Eddie!  I hope this year is a wonderful one for you.

Happy Birthday, Eddie!

This cute boy has a birthday coming up.  I can't believe he will be 12!  Wowza.

Here is his birthday list:

Bunny or a parakeet
iPod or a phone
Motorized go-cart
Computer
X Box


That's all for the top of his list.  The rest of his list includes things like candy, Legos (and not Legos because you can't buy but a tiny set with a bunch of money anymore.  Oh, for the good old days when we liked Legos but everyone else didn't!), a play date at the local trampoline play place, electronics, rubber band guns, outside toys, and a million dollars.  No problemo.  Just let me clean out the sofa cushions and we'll be all set.

Love this boy.  I'd better go give him a haircut so he will let me take his picture.

Find the Happy Face

Yesterday, I wrote about counting the happy things you come across.  There are so many good things to find... when we will just start looking.

Yeah, that's the kind of things we are looking for.  That comes from a list of things I believe, and it's the 13th item, if you are wondering why it has the 13 in the background.  You can find the entire list here, and it is chock-full of things that make me happy.

My neighbor brought her bubbly little daughter over for a tea party.  Angel figured out that she didn't get the birthday party she wanted because we were on vacation for her birthday, so I've been placating her with a few low-key tea parties.  Problem solved.  Anyway, as I was chatting with my neighbor, the house got a trifle too quiet.  You know what that means.

I found Georgie in my bathroom, stripped naked to the waist.  He was coating his chest with deodorant (the room smelled yummy of Old Spice, but that's beside the point).  Oh, and he used a bottle of my lotion to finger-paint all over the mirror.  His accomplice, Freddie, had already fled the scene.  I laughed.  And laughed (but not in front of the perpetrator).  This is how I can tell I am getting to be an older mother, because I laugh first and dole out punishments later.  I'm getting soft that way, but more fun!

So I haven't had the use of my bathroom mirror for a few days.  There was too much going on, and I didn't remember about it until I was too tired and going to bed.  Trent got tired of it sooner than I did and scraped and cleaned (and cleaned and cleaned) off the mirror.  I walked into the bathroom and it sparkled!  What a Sweetheart he is.  I looked in the mirror and saw - for the first time in a week - a big smile on my face.  

It looked good.  And it felt good.  The smile, not the mirror.  The clean reflection just showed me what my own smile looked like.  Trent tells me that my smile is one of his favorite things about mt.

So for today, I'm smiling.  At everything I can.  My goal is to have sore face muscles tomorrow.

Yup.  Each one of those areas is affected by a big, genuine smile.  Try it with me?  Maybe 'll even count smiles.  Where's that clicker?  I know I set it down somewhere around here...

Just for today...smile!

Happy Birthday, Angel

Angel is 5.  It's hard to believe that my little sweetie is so big.  She missed the school deadline by this much, so I get to keep her at home for another year.

We celebrated her birthday before we left on her trip.  And during.  And after.  She got a new bedroom, with a longer bed since she way does not fit on her toddler bed any more.  She loves it and puts herself to bed every night.

I think her most favorite thing to play with might have been the crickets.  She was constantly picking them up in the restrooms and "helping them" get outside where they could "get back with their families."  What a cutie.  Happy birthday, my dear.

Monday Missives

And this, THIS is the reason we spent all that time on the road.  It sure wasn't because we wanted to sit in the van and eat hot dogs together.

This is the awkward hug when you both turn your faces the same way.  But I was too happy to see him to care.  Late on the fourth day after we left home (after the family reunion), we finally pulled into the campground on the military base.  It was very, very late at night, and the gate guards looked scary to me.  But we got in, found our campsite, set up the tent trailer, and sacked out.  First thing the next morning, we rolled out of bed and ate a hearty breakfast.

OK, I fess up.  It was cold cereal, one of the fastest breakfasts in the West.  We found Alec's building and waited for the "Family Day" program to start.

Not sure what dance David is doing there, but it's cute.  The drill sergeants gave us a brief explanation of all the things they had been teaching in basic training, and then the soldiers lined up and marched in.

Of all the spots on the bleachers, we had picked out the exact right place to sit.  When they marched in and turned to face us, Alec was right smack in front of us.  I couldn't help it.  I waved frantically like a little girl.  Still a little bit embarrassed about that.

They did some drills, to show us how regimented they are now.  They were sharp.  Except when they, from the drill sergeant's orders, drew in a deep breath, held it, and let it out slowly while whispering, "I really wanna kill somebody."  That was chilling, and I am still pondering the morality of training the human-ness out of a soldier so they would be able to fire at the enemy.  But then they gave them leave to go, and we got Alec for the rest of the day.  Booyah!

The Family Day program was one morning, and graduation was the next morning.  But through both days, we got to keep Alec until his 8 pm formation check-in.  It was lovely to have my family all together again.

We wanted to go to a lake and rent waverunners for the afternoon, but I guess they don't believe in that there.  We could find no rentals of anything.  Not waverunners, not Jet-skis, not boats or kayaks or even a measly canoe.  It was a major bummer.

I wanted to have some fun family things to do, but Alec just wanted to hang out with us.  With us?  Really?  Delighted.  So we hung out and played games in the tent trailer while I tried to get over a gut-cramping case of heat exhaustion.  It was hot there.  Hot.  And we were in a tent trailer with no air conditioning.

We spent time at the mall, shopping together (where Angel got lost and we got the page to come find her), eating out, and going to a movie.  Alec took us on tours of the base.  We celebrated Angel's birthday.  And my boy graduated from basic training.

He shipped out the next morning at 1 am.  He's off to his next set of training.  As I was looking at these pictures, Angel came and leaned on my arm.  "I love Alec," she volunteered.  "Do you miss him, Mom?"  Yeah, I guess I do.

But at the same time, I'm so proud of my strong, handsome boy.  May the Lord continue to bless you, Buddy.

Happy Birthday, Chris!

Chris, my third-born.  How happy I was to see you!  And how puzzled I was to receive so many condolences!  I guess people thought that a mother just had to have a girl.  Don't all mothers intensely wish for girls?  Not me, evidently.  I was just thrilled to be having another boy, even though it seemed everyone else around me was sad that I was getting "another boy" and not a girl.  Girl, shmirl.  I wanted my boy, and have been happy with you ever since.

I love how you find something you want and go for it.  When you wanted to be in the school's top band, but there were too many other kids who played your instrument, you switched.  Even if that meant you had to learn something a bit different and now coax lovely music out of the band equivalent of an ostrich.  Your baritone saxophone is a big beast, but you play it well, both in that coveted highest band and in the highest jazz band. And you like it.  So proud of you.

I love seeing you in a tux.  It's just classy.  And you make it look so great.  Your freewheeling spirit works well when channeled within those formal restraints, and you're classy.  And good looking.  Moms can say that.  But this time it's true.  I've seen the girls look at you, you cutie.

You got your braces off.  Oh, happy day!  You wanted me to give you a haircut that day, and to get contacts too.  Then no one would recognize you.  Maybe they still would.  I still owe you the haircut, and although I think you'll still be recognizable, I think contacts would be a fine idea for you.  I've loved mine, and you've forever had problems with your glasses.  They always seem to break or fall off or get hit my a basketball or get grabbed my a toddler or bend out of shape.  You've done a swell job taking care of your specs, and I don't have any question that you're responsible enough to care for contacts.

I love your sense of humor, even when your younger brothers don't.  Yes, I am laughing when I turn my head away just before the reprimand.  Remember that kindness always trumps humor, but don't get all straight-laced and boring on me.  Your keen mind easily finds the pun or the joke - just let it be in a way to help other people feel happy.

I'm one proud Mama when I look at you, Chris.  You have a sharp mind and you learn so quickly that you forget others have to work at things.  Your schoolwork has improved so much over the past year, as has your gentleness.  I love how the twins give their big brother a hug and a kiss goodnight.  They look up to you - all four of your little brothers, and the sister too.  They think you are awesome.

And so do I.

Happy fifteen, Chris!

Happy Birthday, Trent

How do you teach a child to keep a secret?  In this day, I really don't want to teach my kidlets that keeping secrets from me is OK.  On the other hand, there are some fun secrets.  I can differentiate by calling them "surprises," but it's tricky.

Angel was helping me make a birthday banana cream pie for Trent (it's his favorite).  I was trying to help her understand that she shouldn't tell Daddy about the pie until it was time to eat it.  "But why, Mommy?"  Because then it won't be  surprise.  And we need to not tell Daddy about birthday surprises but if anyone else ever asks you to keep a secret from Mommy and Daddy you must tell us right away.  See?  It doesn't work very well.

We made the pie and hid it away in the fridge to cool and firm up.  A few minutes later, the birthday boy came in the room.  Immediately, Angel piped up with, "We made a surprise for you, Daddy!"

He stopped in his tracks and started to chuckle.  Angel turned to me and innocently asked, "Is that all I can say, Mom?"  Trent looked at his little girl and  just laughed.  He said that having her and her funny ways was the best birthday present of all!

He liked the banana cream pie, too - even before the whipped cream and garnish.  And despite his pose, he did not throw it at me after I took a picture.  That would be wasting food.

Happy Birthday, Eddie!

My boy is 10.  Ten!

I love his thick, wavy hair that somehow never seems to go just the way he wants it to.  It looks awesome, and it keeps your head warm in the winter, buddy.  I waited a long time for a child to look even remotely like me and not just like his dad (though I love the way he looked, too!).  When Eddie was born, I could stop having to tell people that I was Jay's second wife because one of the children actually looked like he came from Mom's gene pool.

We had some of his friends come over for a birthday breakfast.  Trent made an amazing pizza stromboli (eggs and cheese and pepperoni and peppers rolled up in a log of bread dough), and then we let the kids have ice cream and toppings over waffles.  They had a great time with the chocolate syrup and sprinkles and whipped cream.  Do not watch a bunch of ten-yer-old boys with a bottle of spray whipped cream.  Just don't watch.

We let them loose in the family room with a box of old matchbox cars and several rolls of masking tape.  They had a great time making roads that went around the room, to parking garages, up and over the furniture, and around in circles.  There was even a jump off a banana chair, and a long bridge constructed of a few upside-down chairs.  So fun and creative!

And then we took them home.  That is my secret to a good party - offer to take all the kids home at the end.  That way, their parents don't have to come back, and I can take them home when I'm done having them.  And it's a fun party bus all the way around town, dropping off kids.

I think they all had fun.  Eddie did, and I did too.  Win.

Happy birthday, my double-digit pile of smiles.  So glad the Lord sent you to our home!

Happy Happy Birthday Birthday!

So the twins are two.  Two.  Everything is double double when there are two who are two.  Double trouble, double fun.  Fun.

Since they are celebrities around here now, we decided to interview them.  Our venerable Grandma was the interviewer, and we let Freddie answer first, followed by Georgie's responses.  Not that we love Freddie more, but he just managed to get out first, that's all.

How old are you this birthday?  Two.  Too!

Identify something you enjoyed about the celebration:   Cake.  And grammas and grampas.  And watching everyone else eat with their hands.  I liked the toys, but not the people.  I get too bashful.  But Mom forgot the balloons!  Boo!

Name an advantage to being this age:  Total irresponsibility!  I'm big enough to climb where I want, but cute enough to get away with it.

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Your address:  On the corner of two streets with lots of cars and big trucks and motorcycles.  And fire trucks!  What's an address?

Favorite room in the house: The kitchen, where the refrigerator is.  I'm strong enough to open it now.  Ha ha!  I like the bathroom - it has the water!  I love to drag in a chair, climb on the counter, and play in the sink.  And the toilet.  Good times.

Name 3 talents/strengths:  I'm strong and I can run fast and I'm big and I can open the fridge and I eat fast... (how many is three?)  I am a fabulous dancer, I can hear every airplane before anyone else, and I am the boss.

Two favorite foods:  Crackers and juice.  Ice cream and milk.  And apples (any fruit is apples).  And cookies! And eggs!  And milk.  Milk is mine!      
                                                             

Least favorite food:  Ummm... I like to eat.  I have a hard time with anything I have to eat fast.  I'm a nibbler.  I'll eat yours for you! No.  Mine!  Fine.  Have it.  Mooch.

What book do you like to look at most?  Anything with trucks.  Or animals.  Or the alphabet.  I'm partial to the letter L.  I like to chew on books.

Favorite toys:  I like it if it has wheels and goes "vroom!"  I like to snuggle Angel's dollies.  Hey, me too!  Don't tell the guys.  I love my blanky, and helicopters, and I really like to throw things.  We fight over balls.  Do not!  I just take them.

Nursery teachers:  Do they have names?  I like that Shelley Lady.  And the Eccles one.  The Bezzant Lady is nice, too.

Which family member is currently your favorite during the day?  Daddy!  Mom-mom.

What songs do you like?  Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree and The Wise Man.  Itsy-bitsy Spider and In the Leafy Treetops.

Name something you don't like or are frightened by:  I'm not afraid of nuthin!  Chris.  He has a scary growl.  And dogs.

Name something you should be frightened by, but you aren't:  Riding my big wheel out of our yard and down he hill.  Whee!  Playing in my big brothers' rooms.  I like their Legos.  And I like putting little things in my mouth to chew on.

How are you coming along with toilet training?  I go when Mom puts me on the pot.  Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?  Yeah, but you're supposed to hold it between times.  I'm getting good at that part.

Favorite home activity:  Running outside and playing in the sprinkler.  And the sit and spin.  Riding my motorcycle (big wheel), and coloring, and baths.  Oh yeah.  Bath!

Favorite away from home activity:  Going for a ride in the car.  I love playing at the park with a slide!

Size of clothes:  2T.  Too.

How much do you weigh?  Six ninety-five.  I'll have to ask Mom.  But about two pounds less that him. She says we're about 25 and 27 pounds.

Describe your Sunday clothes:  Tan slacks, blue and red plaid button-up shirt, black sandals.  Tan slacks, blue and white plaid shirt, dark socks (because we can't find the other pair of shoes).  And a piece of masking tape on my back with my name on it for the ladies at church.

Pets/Names …. favorite one?  Must chase cat!  And birds in the yard!  Nefi is nice, but Nicki runs away from us.

What should Gramma know about you that I don't now know?  We love you!  You ask a lot of questions.  Where are you selling our information?

Georgie .................... and Freddie

Happy birthday, you two wonderful tykes!

  

Happy Birthday, Alec!

My oldest just arrived at 18.  I don't know whether that or me hitting 40 makes me feel older.

Handsome senior pictures, in our backyard

Before he was even born, I knew he would be a boy, and that he would have a marvelous, strong personality.  That strong will has led to more than a few conflicts over the years, but with lots of prayer, we somehow get through them.  I'll have to write more about that sometime.

Alec has been attending a charter school during his high school years, and has really thrived there.  The school is on the campus of our nearby university, and he's been taking college courses along with his high school requirements.  In fact, he will soon graduate with both his high school diploma and his Associate's degree.  I'm so proud of the hard work he's been doing.  I had my reservations about him leaving our neighborhood high school because his school is 20 minutes away, but now I'm glad Trent talked me into it.

I'm looking through picture albums to find some good shots of him, and am swept up by put-away memories and vibrant feelings.  Pictures of him meticulously building things, lovingly caring for Angel, setting up our home computer network, getting his Eagle Scout award, baptizing Eddie, spinning about on the college ballroom dance team, driving Ben to band, going to prom, playing Foosball with his brothers, forever drumming on the desk while he writes a paper for English...

The corsage he made (by himself!) for his Homecoming date

Alec has always been my little man.  I swear he was born a miniature adult.  He's always been right in the middle of the adults, taking care of things.  I'm excited, and sad, to see him grow up.  It won't be long now before he spreads his wings and flies from the nest.  I gave him bachelor-pad dishes and kitchenware for his birthday.  That's what he wanted.

I am in awe of the man you are becoming, and delighted to see you step into those shoes.  Stick with us for a wee bit longer, and we'll have your wings done in no time.  Happy birthday, Alec!

Happy Birthday, Chris!

My Chris is 14.  Just looking at that makes me feel a bit old.  And a lot bit proud of him

making bubbles for his little siblings to play in

I checked him out of school to go out to lunch.  We did the drive-through dollar menu - as much as you can eat.  He was delighted.  I enjoyed having a chance to get him all to myself, and to talk of some of the things he's been thinking lately.  My goodness, that boy is really growing up.

He ate half his lunch, rolled up the bag and stuffed it into his backpack, and asked if I could get him back to school before lunch hour was over.  He wanted to get a school lunch, and then fill in the corners with the rest of what we'd gotten.  He's hungry and growing, that boy.  He also wanted to make his buddies jealous with a bag of fast food.  Sly.

For dinner, he wanted a big vat of ramen noodles.  We had something of a salad bar - with toppings for the noodles.  We had several different seasonings (teriyaki chicken, spicy beef, taco), a couple of sauces (soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sour cream, butter, and the creamy spinach dip that was by far the favorite!), and some toppings (bacon bits and shredded cheese).  I admit that I had my doubts, but it was a big hit with everyone.

Chris brought home a drawing he had done it art class that knocked my socks off.  I'm so impressed with this young man.  He is a whiz on the computer.  He is smart enough to pull constant straight A's.  He's starting to rock the tenor sax.  Math is so easy for him to understand.  He wants to be an architect or computer graphics artist.  And he can be.  Whatever he wants to do, he can totally go for it.

I am humbled to be the mother of such a boy, and excited to watch him as he grows.

 Happy birthday!