Carving Pumpkins and Costumes

We carved our pumpkins for FHE this week. They are now all moldy and soft. Quite perfect for Halloween, very scary.

Lauren did a great job cleaning out her pumpkin.She designed it herself and Dad carved it. The pointy ears means it is Link.
Spencer didn't like reaching into his pumpkin so much, but he tried it. Hold still. This won't hurt a bit. He wanted to add some of his own cuts after I carved his pumpkin.He likes his cute, happy pumpkin.
I've been practicing my knitting skills with the costumes for this year. Both kids were Link for the Legend of Zelda. Now I think I am ready to make my own wrist warmers. I just need to get some really nice yarn.

Next year they want to be Jedi Knights. I don't plan on knitting those.

The Kids' Favorite Youtube Video

Even I think it's pretty hilarious and will start singing it randomly. What's funny is that Spencer will join in with me.

Spencer Videos

Singing to the Halloween card from Grandma and Grandpa Snow. He's a bit shy on camera and does a better job when not being filmed.

He gets this talent from me and I'm not sure who I get it from. . .Unfortunately he doesn't use it just to 'touch' his nose.

Peer Pressure. . .It's a Good Thing

Lauren's class has been learning about families and a few days ago they talked about how family members help each other with jobs and chores. Here is the conversation that followed on our way home from school that day.

"Mommy, most of my friends get money for doing jobs in their homes. I just get Daddy's money when he comes home from work."

We let the kids have Ben's change when he comes home from work. They pay tithing and then split it between their piggy banks.

"Yes, but you do have some chores that you are supposed to do. I'm just not very good at having you do them."

"I want to earn my money by doing chores around the house."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea."

So that afternoon she cleaned up all her toys on the floor and made her bed. She got the job wheel down from the fridge and rotated it. Woohoo for peer pressure!

Pumpkin Patch Fun

The grandparents will enjoy this post. We spent FHE last night at a pumpkin patch with pumpkins, pony rides, pumpkin graveyard, bubbles, bouncy house, and so much more. The kids had a blast and I got several cute pictures so enjoy!

I think this is the first bouncy house the kids have ever been in. They had it all to themselves.

I love this shot of Spencer on the pony with all the bubbles.
Lauren thought she was on a female pony. She happened to pick the smallest pony who turned out to be a boy.
Piles and piles of pumpkins

Almost 4 feet. Where does time go?
I love this shot too. The bubble machines worked really well.

The pumpkin graveyard was a bit creepy at first.
It had a small spooky tunnel you could walk through. Spencer didn't want to go through it. He really didn't want to go through it,
but he is a brave little boy,

and daddy went with him.
Plus he has a big sister who helped him the second time. How cute!
By the end of the night the tunnel was Spencer's favorite thing and he kept running back to go by himself. See, not so scary afterall.

The biggest pumpkin

They were super heavy
And of course we had to see the so cute pumpkins

Hope you enjoyed your vicarious trip to our pumpkin patch. Next week will be the pumpkin carving pictures so get ready.

Quick baby update: I had my 33 week appointment today and, though I keep having contractions, I am still not dilated. The baby is staying put for now. I'm beginning to wonder if she'll be late because some of these contractions have been really painful and they aren't doing anything. . .yet. Thank you for all your prayers for us.

Bumper Sticker Update

My bumper sticker was stolen!! We went outside this morning to go help with some of the prop 8 push and the bumper sticker was gone. I got a replacement and am more determined than ever now to display it. There is also now a scrape across the driver's door of our car. Not sure if the two are related, but they occurred during the same time frame.

Not only are bumper stickers being removed, but also Yes on 8 yard signs are being stolen and/or vandalized. Some No on 8 signs are being removed but not nearly as many as the Yes on 8 signs. The tactics being used to influence voters are beginning to be seen clearly. We put up 9 yards signs today and are going to put up 11 more on Monday. I am going to periodically drive up our stretch of road and see how many signs are left standing this week and then report any missing ones.

I find it ironic and frustrating that the "No on 8" camp have as some of their mottos phrases like "equality for all" and "tolerance". Where is the equality and tolerance if I'm not allowed to exercise my First Amendment right? I'm being labeled intolerant and characterized as trying to strip people of rights yet I'm not the one pulling up signs, vandalizing signs, or removing bumper stickers. Makes me mad that the other side is touting itself as the side of tolerance and wanting equality for all and yet the methods some of their camp is using are anything but fair and tolerant. I realize not all Anti 8 people are like this and not all Pro 8 are like me, but there has been a significant amount of effort put into removing our signs. Very frustrating.

First Bumper Sticker and Marriage

So I have my very first bumper sticker. I admit it is with some trepidation that I go out onto the streets with it, but because of the importance of the matter I was bold enough to place the sticker up at eye level and not down on the bumper. I am not a confrontational person and when I support something I generally do so in the background quietly. The issue of gay marriage vs. traditional marriage is too important though, and I am stepping out of my comfort zone to support Proposition 8 in California that will reinstitute the traditional definition of marriage.

The reason this is so hard for me to do is not because I do not believe in Proposition 8, but rather, for the first time in my life many people see me as a bad person for supporting something. I am considered intolerant, unfeeling, or bigoted. I also get very nervous when confronted and I don’t feel I adequately or eloquently express my views and position. Ben is so much better at doing this than I am. Guess that’s why he is the lawyer.

When the letter from our church leaders was first read to me I admit I had my doubts as to whether the church should really be pushing for this and if it wasn’t better to let gays and lesbians enjoy all the freedoms of others. The more I have come to study and pray about the issue, and especially the more I come to understand (or perhaps just remember) the purpose of marriage, the more I am convinced that the church’s position is correct and, therefore, I am aligning myself with it.

Fundamentally men are different from women. Therefore a union between a man and a woman is unique and not the same as a union between two men or two women. Marriage is not simply a union of two people to enjoy companionship, express love, or receive financial securities and benefits. If it were so, the state would have no interest in regulating it. However, marriage is the fundamental unit of society. In most cases, I believe though I do not have statistics to support my assumption, a man and woman enter into a marriage not just to pledge their love and commitment to each other, but to pledge their love and commitment to the children they hope to bring into their family. This commitment is one of the hardest to make and longest to fulfill, as children require tremendous amounts of care, time, money, and love for the rest of their lives. Society does have an interest in this type of a union because studies have shown that the ideal environment for raising children is one in which a loving mother and father work together and are married. Not all heterosexual marriages are entered into with the goal of having children, but I believe most are and the sanctity and sacrifice of such marriages are such that I believe the model should be protected. Homosexual unions can never bring their own children into a family. It is a fundamental difference between men and women.

“California statutes already recognize same-sex unions and grant them all the substantive legal rights this state can bestow.” (From the dissenting opinion of Justices Baxter and Chin of the California Supreme Court) I do believe people should be free to love whom they choose and to be with whom they choose and they have the right to enjoy the same privileges as other people, but that does not mean they have the right to redefine marriage. As a wife and parent I am standing up for my rights.

A Tale of Two Dolls

This is a wonderful story of loss, destruction, and rebirth along with a great moral to boot.

Way back in January 2006, I made a rag doll for Lauren. She had discovered my favorite chidhood book "The Store Bought Doll" and wanted me to make her a rag doll just like the girl in the book. (I am glad she didn't want a china doll like the one in the book too.) I made her a little doll and then I made a little boy doll for Spencer. Lauren named her doll Lucy, just like the story, and then because Spencer wasn't talking much, she named his doll Jimmy.

Here we have Jimmy and Lucy shortly after their creation. Jimmy is so new he does not yet have a face, heart, or clothes. Poor naked Jimmy.

Lauren loved Lucy and Jimmy. When we moved from Chicago to California that summer, they were two of the toys left unpacked to be played with in the car. All was well until the morning we drove out of Las Vegas, Nevada. We were just getting to the outskirts and had the windows rolled down a bit to cool the car a little before turning on the AC. Suddenly we heard a cry from the backseat. Lauren had been holding Jimmy up by the open window and then decided to let him hang out the window just a little. Somehow a gust of wind or a bump caused her grasp to slip and poor Jimmy fell onto the freeway. He was doomed to be run over by a million cars racing to get back home after a weekend romp in Sin City. Poor Jimmy.

Lauren was obviously very upset, but there was nothing to be done. Nothing until now. Over two years after the early lose and demise of Jimmy he has finally been reborn. He doesn't have red hair and he isn't called Jimmy, well Lauren tries to call him Jimmy, but he is finally back to keep Lucy company. Spencer has named him Red Castle Crasher Knight and loves him. How much can change in just two years.

Oh, and the moral of the story is. . .don't make rag dolls for your kids unless you are prepared to make a few replacements for unexpected mishaps.

31 Weeks

Here is my latest picture. Lauren took it this morning so I apologize for crookedness.

Here is the previous picture for reference. I put this up as 26 weeks, but I had my dates mixed up and I was actually only 25 weeks. How depressing! I wore the same outfit on purpose.

Things are going well. No more contractions and I'm drinking lots of water. The baby is very active, especially at night. She stretches a lot and it hurts. I don't know how she is going to fit inside me for another 9 weeks.

Terracotta Army

For the past few months a display of the Terracotta Army from China has been going on at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. It is the largest display ever outside of China so I thought since Lauren was on Fall break it would be a great field trip. I also decided since I was supposed to be taking things easy that Ben should come with us. He was able to take part of the day off yesterday and we went.

I didn't get to take any pictures of the actual displays, but the coolest part for the kids was right out front anyway. While we were standing in the first line, there were many lines that day, to buy tickets, there was a replica of one of the warriors off to the side. At first he was perfectly still but then he slowly started moving like a robot and would wave to people in the line. He really did look like a clay warrior and his movements were really meticulous and slow like a robot. The man is a professional named, Che Cheng I think, and has been doing this type of thing for 10 years. It was very neat for the children. Spencer was a little hesitant at first but he loved the guy. He kept going up and waving to him and giving him high fives and peaking at him around corners. Lauren was terrified of him and wouldn't go up to take a picture until Ben went with her. Definitely the best part of the musuem for Spencer.

The displays were also very cool, but didn't interest Spencer so much. We all got a little audio device so we could listen to the descriptions for each display. Lauren really liked that part. She would tell me the numbers to push and then complain that I was walking to fast. I was following Spencer. There was only one sword on display and once Spencer saw that he just wanted to go home.

This is a ringing rock outside the museum. It was used in ceremonies by indigenous peoples. They would strike it with a mallet and because of the structure of the minerals in the rock and its position relative to other rocks it would resonate. Sometimes they could sound just like bells. Of course the kids had to sit on the ringing rock.

Baby Blankets

One of the best parts of having a baby, besides the baby, is all the cute baby blankets. Ben's mother makes a crocheted blanket for each of the children and they are gorgeous. I've watched her work on similar blankets and she doesn't use a pattern anymore. She just makes the blanket. All I can crochet is the basic chain back and forth and it never comes out looking very even.

Yesterday we got a package addressed to me from Hawaii and since I wasn't expecting one I assumed it was for the new baby. I'd like to state for the record there was no indication as to when the package was to be opened and I think two and a half months away clearly indicates it isn't a Christmas present. Besides since the baby is due December 10, she'll need things before Christmas. (There have been rumors that I may have opened Christmas presents early once or twice, but I think most evidence points to Ben being the real offender in that regard.) So, with all these facts in our favor, we opened the present as a family for family night. It seemed fitting.

There were four gifts, just perfect. Three very cute little sleepers (my favorite is the pink and brown one with the elephant) and a beautiful baby blanket. Now Spencer and Lauren want me to find their Grandma Stanley blankets. I think Ben will need to do that since they are in a tub somewhere in our third bedroom. He'll most likely find them while rummaging for his Halloween costume so no worries.

Here is a very bad picture of the blanket made for Lauren. You can just see the tiniest sliver of it at the bottom of the blanket pile. It was purple, pink, and blue. As you can see this was my first child, it was winter time, and I was deathly afraid she would freeze during the night. I think I should have been more worried about her smothering in all the blankets she had.


Clearly I had learned a few things by the time Spencer was born.
Here is the newest blanket. It is a nice mix of the colors from both Lauren's and Spencer's blanket. Thanks Grandma Stanley! We shall make good use of this blanket. I just hope that Lauren and Spencer will let the baby use it when she is born. They both seem very eager to wrap up in it now.

Early Maternity Ward Tour

I'm not scheduled to see this part of the hospital until October 21st, but I got to go in this morning at 3 am. I had some contractions start at 12:30 am and by 2:30 they hadn't stopped so I checked myself in. I felt really dumb doing it since they weren't long or painful, just consistent and uncomfortable especially in my lower back. I had been feeling a bit nauseous yesterday, but I thought it was just a relapse of first trimester morning sickness. I guess it was a symptom of preterm labor.

Anyway, I spent four and a half of the most boring hours of my life strapped up to the monitors. My room didn't have a TV, I hadn't brought a book with me, and the contractions were too uncomfortable for me to sleep. Not to mention they were pumping me with fluids so I had to get up and go to the bathroom all the time.

After monitoring my contractions for two hours the OB came and checked me to see if I was dilating. The good news is I'm not dialated at all, the baby is not engaged in my pelvis, and though my cervix has softened now it is only 50% effaced, which is to be expected in a third pregnancy.

The contractions had begun to space out a bit but were still pretty regular so they gave me a shot of Terbutaline, I think. The contractions stopped right away and after another hour of monitoring and a horrible blood draw they said I could go home and take things easy for the next two days.

So here I am taking things easy with no sleep and two children. I foresee movies and goldfish crackers today while mommy naps on the couch. I'm very thankful the contractions stopped and I'm really surprised I had them at all. I didn't have any preterm labor with Lauren or Spencer. I guess this is a warning to me that things are a bit different this time around and I need to drink more fluids and slow down a bit.

The hospital seems nice. I actually only made it to the main nurse's station and then my labor observation room was right next to it. It was a pretty small room, but I assume the actual birthing rooms are larger and have a TV. We'll see.