New Hats

Lauren and I needed new summer hats to block the strong sun rays we get here in Southern California. We first went to Target and found a great straw paper hat for me. It has a huge brim and I know Ben will make fun of me in it, but I don't care. I like it very much and it will fully block the sun from my face.

The children's hat selection was horrible. They only had one style in Lauren's size and they were caps with really short brims. Clearly more for fashion purposes with no intention of skin protection. Essentially all those hats do is make your head sweaty.

We then walked over to Mervyns next door. To my great delight I discovered Mervyns was in the throws of a storewide 75% off Clearance. My favorite time to shop! They had tons of racks marked $2, $4, $6, $8, and $10. I was so ready to start looking for cute stuff, but then the angry quarreling of the children reminded me I was here looking for a hat.

Not one child's hat did we find until I looked at a rack by the checkout which was loaded with items to be reshelved. On top was hanging a cute little paper straw hat. I pulled it off and asked Lauren what she thought. It fit her pretty well and had a wide brim. She liked it except for the pink accessories. Well for $2 I wasn't going to turn it down so I told Lauren we could remake it at home. She readily accepted that idea.

All the way home I thought of Lydia Bennet. "Look here, I have bought this bonnet. I do not think it is very pretty; but I thought I might as well buy it as not. I shall pull it to pieces as soon as I get home, and see if I can make it up any better."

Here is what the hat looked like after being pulled to pieces.

Hotel Stay Comes to an End

A great cheer goes up from me and quite possibly the remaining hotel guests. Actually the kids were pretty good. After the first two days of late nights were passed, normal bedtimes were observed. Well, except for the night Spencer fell asleep at 6 pm. Shockingly he remained asleep until 5:30. Almost 12 hours. He is an early riser. No matter when he falls asleep he wakes up between 5:30 and 6 am. I really wish I could change that.

I learned something very interesting about the hotel when I tried to cook Easter Sunday dinner for the family. First of all the oven in our suite had no rack to place things on to be baked. I called up the front desk and a hotel personnel acquired a rack for me from one of the other suites. I then set about looking in the cupboards for bake ware to cook my potatoes and ham in. I found many dishes and microwave ware, but nothing suitable for the oven, not even a cookie sheet.

Again I spoke to the front desk about the possibility of procuring bake ware to use in the oven in my suite. The two girls on duty looked at me rather quizzically and said, "Most of our guests don't actually use the ovens for baking. They use the microwave or cook TV dinners. We do have some aluminum foil you can use to bake in." They didn't even have aluminum foil! It was nice to know on Sunday that the oven was essentially provided for me to look at and possibly to heat the suite if dire circumstances arouse, but they were shamefully ill-equipped for baking in. Had I been paying for this stay I would have demanded a rate concession because clearly they charge for the 'convenience' of an oven in the room.

I ended up calling our apartment leasing office so I could get permission to enter our apartment and pick up some baking dishes. It was then I learned that the work had been completed and the locks were being changed back and we could move back in that very afternoon. Since the check out time had passed we decided to forego working on the Sabbath and remained one more night in the hotel. Arriving home we discovered that our carpets had been cleaned (hurray), but a lot of furniture had been moved around and not put back (boo). I called maintenance to come help with that since my back is very precious to me and I wasn't the one who rearranged things.

So now we are back. Our apartment smells like paint, there are new, dead bugs imbedded in the fresh paint for our enjoyment, and I do believe there is still some black stuff around the kids' bedroom window. As I don't expect to be staying in the apartment too many more months I would rather not go through the hassle of having them fix these things. I hope to move into better accommodations before Lauren begins school in the fall. Here's hoping.

For your viewing pleasure I give you Spencer and Lauren swimming at the hotel. One of them likes hot tubs and the other likes icy water. Both like arm floats and it is hilarious when Spencer starts rolling in the water trying to keep his head up while his legs simultaneously rise to the surface.

A Prophet I Am Not

Thank heavens for the internet here or I'd be going crazy right along with the kids. We've been listening to a song in the car called "Unicorn Song" by Shel Silverstein. The words to the song can be found at this website. http://www.mysongbook.de/msb/songs/uv/unicorns.html Essentially the reason you don't see unicorns today is because they did not listen to Noah and get on the ark. Instead they were playing games. Lauren listens to the song and then always asks questions like why didn't the unicorns get on the ark and why didn't they listen to Noah. I explain that it's just a song, but today I told here the unicorns were like the people who didn't listen to Noah either and how it is important for us to listen to prophets.

Fast forward a few hours to lunch time and you will find Lauren and Spencer eating cookies in the hotel room after their sandwiches. I told them to eat in the kitchen and not on Spencer's bed. After going to the bathroom I return to find that they have consumed their crumbly cookies on Spencer's bed. The resulting conversation followed without any pauses.

"Didn't I ask you kids to eat in the kitchen?"
"Yes, mom."
"But you didn't listen, just like the unicorns."
"But you're not a prophet."
That little girl is too smart and quick for her own good!

My Flip-Flops have been snubbed!

So in my rush to get the Disney pictures up I neglected to share the best part of the trip. I was thrown out of Club 33. For those who don't know, Club 33 is an exclusive, secret club at Disneyland where Walt Disney used to entertain special guests. To get in to the club now you must be a member or a guest of a member. Ben's firm has access to the club and so we can attend as guests. Apparently they have a dress code.

It was a crisp winter morning in Southern California with the prospect of becoming a warm beautiful day. I wore flip-flops to the park that day. When we got to the Club for lunch I was told I needed to put on different shoes if I had them or go to one of the shops and buy some suitable footwear. Flip flops were not permitted in the club. Had my flip-flops been sandals I would have been fine. Had my flip-flops had glitter on them I would have been fine. Sadly they were neither and I didn't have an extra pair. My flip-flops look exactly like this except the decorative rivets on mine are open rings.

So I was formally escorted out of Club 33 and instructed to go to another part of the park and buy some proper footwear. The proper footwear ended up being a pair of Disney crocs. I selected the blue model, but the size was not quite right. I didn't want the black or pink ones.
They were apparently classier than my poor flip-flops and I was allowed to re-enter the club and join my party for lunch. Incidentally, the crocs cost 4 times what they cost outside the park. That little Mickey Mouse cutout is really pricey. I wore them only in the club and Ben returned them immediately after lunch. We contemplated keeping them as a souvenir, but I don't even really like crocs and especially not $40 crocs! Personally, I think Disneyland just doesn't like my Wal-Mart flip-flops.

The hotel stay gets better. . .

About 6 am Spencer threw up. I'm not sure that I really wish I was home or not. The maid service cleans the bedding here, I'd have to use a laundry mat style arrangement at the apartment anyway, and here we have access to cable with all its accompanying cartoon channels. The down side is I did not bring food for upset tummies. Considering the amount of sleep Spencer has not been getting each night this could just be related to exhaustion. Sunday night he went to bed at 11 pm and then Monday he went to bed at 10 pm. I really tried to get him down earlier, but that kid is a real night owl. He has seemed his fine normal self since throwing up so I'm really hoping it isn't a bug that we are all now exposed to.

Lauren had a tramatic experience this morning at breakfast. I took the kids down early to get some juice and stuff while Ben showered. Then we came back and got ready to take Ben to work. Ben went down ahead of us to check out the breakfast spread while I got the kids' shoes on. When we got there he was milling around with everyone else looking at the selection. Lauren saw him and wanted to go give him a hug, but waited while I refilled her water bottle. Then she took her bottle and hugged 'daddy' around the knees. She selected a man who, though being the same height as Ben, was definitely not her daddy. I ran over and apologized while trying to pry Lauren from his legs. She didn't realize her mistake until I bent down and said, "Lauren, this isn't your daddy" at which point she started up in terror and then slunk away crying. Poor girl.

A mother and her angst

This is exactly how snack time goes at our house, minus the decapitation at the end. Sometimes by the end of the exchange Spencer does reach out to swat me in frustration. I hope I am at least not as irritating as the shopkeeper. Thanks to my sister Eliza for finding this. I live it each day.

Temporary Mold Eviction!!

Yes I mean to say eviction. Let me back up a bit. A couple weeks ago I informed the maintenance workers at our Leasing Office that there was mold/mildew growing on the ceiling of the master bathroom and I was unable to clean it myself do to my shortness of stature. Someone from the maintenance department came and looked at the black specks taking over patches of my ceiling. He said it looked like the mold had gone through the paint and they would need to send a mold inspector. Oh joy. The mold inspector came last Tuesday and confirmed the mold had penetrated through the paint. Pretty tough to do since by the window at least there are about 20 layers of paint. He recommened the ceiling be replaced and the wall right around the window. We would have to be put up in a hotel during the work because of asbestos in the ceiling. He said the Office would contact us with options for hotels once the subcontracting had been arranged.

I waited that week for word on what the plans were for our apartment. I spent all Saturday at home with the kids and around 4 pm I walked past the front door and noticed something sticking in the door. It was a one-page letter informing us that we needed to check into our hotel the next day, Sunday, and be there until Tuesday, March 25. General information about the hotel was provided, but nothing specific about what our room had as far as kitchen facilities or even the number and kinds of beds available. So much for personal contact, instructions, notice, and options!

Now I didn’t it was too bad except that I was told I would have options and I had expected some instructions as to what I had to do to prepare our apartment for asbestos removal. Besides, I could always come back to the apartment in the evening after the workers had gone home to pick up any items we might forget to pack. At least I thought I could. I called up the office and discovered that the locks would be changed on our apartment because of the asbestos and we would need to schedule an appointment to get in while the work was being done.

Suddenly I had to frantically pack up anything we might need for the next 9 days. I never did get any instructions on how to prepare the apartment, but considering the asbestos I decided to just move everything out of the bathroom myself. It was quite fun. Sadly, I had to work a bit on Sunday, but I thought it was an ox in the mire sort of situation.

Thankfully the hotel we are staying in is really quite nice. We have a two-bedroom suite with a full kitchen. The hotel provides a great hot breakfast and a small meal in the evenings Monday through Thursday. All I need to prepare are lunch each day and dinner on Friday through Sunday. Not bad at all with the kitchen facility available in our room. The only downside is the kids have nothing to do. We will be taking lots of walks to parks, swimming in the outdoor pool (provided the weather warms up a bit and the wind stops, yes I’m complaining about California weather shocking! ;) ), and playing at the Burger King Play Land across the street. Sounds like a plan to me.

Disneyland

We went to Disneyland with some friends yesterday. The kids had a ball and so did we.

This was Lauren and Spencer's favorite ride. We got here about 3 hours before closing time and could have spent the whole day. They rode it at least 10 consecutive times while Ben went off to find more exciting rides. I even thought the ride was pretty cute.

L is for Lauren.

There is no S in California but Spencer's favorite letter does happen to be. . .

This is where my two little stinkers belong!

The pumpkin ate my children! It was a bit cramped for Lauren's liking, but Spencer lay down inside for a long time just relaxing.

Getting gussied up at Minnie's House.

Waiting in line for the Finding Nemo Sub ride. The kids did surprisingly well in lines and with all the walking in general. There were a few instances of tired bickering and personal space conflicts, but they passed quickly as the lines moved relatively fast. The other little boy is William. It was his first time at the park.

First shot of the day was with Goofy. Spencer was shy, but Lauren was scared. The minute the snapshots were finished she fled the scene like something was chasing her. She didn't turn to wave until she was back holding my hand.

The main entrance and flowers. There were so many pretty flowers. The poppies were the best.

Tag: Spouse vs Spouse with Details

How did you meet your spouse?
We were in the same ward my freshman year at BYU and we had a Premedical Greek and Latin class together. Ben conveniently never bought the dictionary for the class.

Where did you go on your first date?
I don't remember our first date unless it was studying for our class together. Ben was really smooth; before I realized it we were seriously dating. The first date he asked me on was to hike Mt. Timp with him and some friends. Sadly I had a previous engagement and had to say no.

How long have you been together?
8 years of marriage this year plus two years of dating. Heavens! I've known him for a decade now!

Who eats more?
I eat more frequently, but he eats more when we are together.

Who said I love you first?
I think Ben did. . .I'll have to check my journals from college.

Who is taller?
Ben, by 13 inches. Heels are my friends in family photos now.

Who sings better?
I'm not sure. Ben is definitely a less timid singer.

Who is smarter?
Me, of course! Actually Ben is one of the most intelligent people I've ever met and he's even pretty wise to boot.

Who does the laundry?
Me, I find it reduces stress to fold a pile of laundry.

Who does the dishes?
Me, same as above plus Ben is rarely home to do the dishes in as timely a fashion as I'd like.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed?
Ben, and it's been that way since day one

Who pays the bills?
I do with Ben's money that becomes our money once it is direct deposited into our joint account.

Who mows the lawn?
When we had a lawn I did most of the mowing. I enjoyed it because I could make crazy patterns and see how long it would take to mow away a ridge or bump of grass. Plus with 4 brothers, there was never a chance for me to mow grass growing up. Now with toddlers and preschoolers I'm afraid my mowing days are done. I think that is why Ben is so keen on this Astroturf stuff.

Who cooks dinner?
I do

Who drives when you are together?
Ben does, he goes faster

Who is more stubborn?
We are both very stubborn

Who is the first to admit when they’re wrong?
Well I know I'm never wrong!

Whose parents do you see the most?
We see both parents pretty equally now, which is practically never. We are geographically between both parents and close to none. I don't like it so much.

Who kissed who first?
Ben kissed me first, but I held his hand first.

Who proposed?
Ben did while playing Scrabble in the Law Building. I was so mad at him too because he was winning the game.

Who has more friends?
We share most of our friends so I think we are even. I keep in touch with people better, but he has friends at work I don't know so well.

Who has more siblings?
Me. 7 vs 4

Who wears the pants in the family?
We share them. It gets interesting at times and we've had to adjust positions to make room for each other at different points, but that is the fun, and challenge, of being married.

I tag whoever reads this and wants to respond, but I am interested to hear what Megan, Allison, Kristin, and Tara have to say on these subjects. I'd also like to encourage my sister in law Amber to start a blog and answer these questions too. I might send you cookies for real. ;)

Feeding Ducks

Today we went to a park that has a bunch of ducks and other water birds. We save our bread crusts and heels to feed to them. Spencer has his feeding tactics down to a science. He lures the birds with the bread and then when it is gone from his hand he scatters the birds and chases them. Even his feeding of the birds is dramatic. . ."Hiyah!"

Lauren has a pretty neat trick too. When all the bread is gone she goes over to the stroller and rustles the empty bag. This attracts the ducks to her whereupon she chases them away. They fall for it every time. Classical conditioning is very tough to break, but Lauren is trying. Stimulus then negative response, stimulus then negative response. We'll know it has worked when the birds first get a glimpse of Spencer the next time we go to the park and they all swim to the middle of the pond.

And this is why we won't be getting a pet any time soon, at least not one any bigger than a small fish.

Link Duet

Lauren and Spencer playing with Play Doh and singing Link songs together. Spencer is a bit shy at first, but he begins adding his harmony to Lauren by the end.

Easter Eggs

Lauren's Sunbeam teacher, Sue Emrich, invited us over to her house to paint Easter eggs. I was expecting to just dye the eggs with vinegar and little dye pellets. I was wrong. Sue is from former Czechoslovakia and when she says paint Easter eggs she really means to paint the egg and then add beautiful glass beads and hang them on an egg tree. Here are the eggs that Lauren and Spencer made. They painted them entirely on their own and then picked their beads.

Spencer

Lauren

Sue and I told Lauren that her egg looked like a van Gogh painting. Of course she didn't know what that meant until I showed her some of his work on the internet and said he was a famous painter. She said, "So I could be famous with this stuff?" It was pretty funny!

Book Tag!

My sister in law got me so here I go. I did alter the first rule a bit. Hey, no one said these were hard and fast rules. ;)

1. Pick up the nearest book (with at least 123 pages) or the book you are currently reading
2. Turn to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the next three sentences
5. Tag 5 people

"Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law, and ye shall be saved. But if ye enter not into my law ye cannot receive the promise of my Father, which he made unto Abraham. God commanded Abraham, and Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham to wife."
The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo 1900 by Elder B. H. Roberts Chapter XX Introduction of the New Marriage System (also found in Doctrine and Covenants section 132)

Tag your it: Megan, Allison, Tara (when you get settled of course), Kristin, Vagi.

How do you know you are humble?

I've heard it said that you are humble only until someone tells you so. If you are unaware of humility until it is pointed out to you by someone whereupon you instantly become proud, I think it would be helpful to have a list of ways you could test yourself to see if you are humble so as to prevent other people the sin of making you proud. Confused yet? Keep reading.

We must have a list of scenarios to test for humility that do not necessarily apply to us today, but could be used in the future to gage this evanescent quality. Thus we will be able to detect humility for ourselves in the moment that we have truly acquired it without anyone having to tell us thereby preventing anyone from destroying our humility other than ourselves. Well I thought of one scenario so far.

If you mention in a talk that many years ago in your childhood you took piano lessons for a brief time and are surprised next week at church to find you have been called as the Sacrament Meeting organist, you might be humble.

Humility is such an interesting quality. I thought I was prepared to accept my newest church assignment today, teaching in Primary. I thought I would be great at it and that was my downfall. I was swiftly humbled by the Lord and quite pointedly shown that I need His help and direction a lot more than I had previously supposed. Thank heavens I have an amazing co-teacher to help buoy my spirits and guide me.

Leap Day Feast

I think the frog eye salad was pretty good.

So were the frog sandwiches.And here is our frog shrine.