Do You Think He'll Become a Vegetarian?

Yesterday I was cutting up a piece of steak when Eli (the 4 year-old) walks up and asks, "What kind of chicken is that Mom?"

"Cow," I reply.

"No, we get milk from cows." he says matter-of-factly.

Not wanting to sugar coat it I say, "Well, if you kill the cow and chop off his bum, you get meat."

"No you don't!!!!" he yells, shocked.

"Yup. This is cow meat."

"No, you have to squeeze the cow and get the milk out." 

I try again, "Eli, all meat comes from something. When we have salmon it's from a fish. You cut off the head and the rest is the meat." 

At this point, it's too much and he walks away. But today he asked me, "Mom, can we go fishing so we can catch a fish and cut off it's head and get some salmon?"

I couldn't help myself. In my most serious voice I suggested, "Why don't we go on a cow hunt and kill the cow and chop off his bum and get some steak?"

"Okay Mom, let's go!" he yelled with a strange light in his eyes.

It's scary how easily you can indoctrinate a child, isn't it?

Swim for Two

The swimming season is in full swing here in the land of extreme hotness (temperature, not attractiveness!) and Cody and Jonah are taking full advantage of the aquatic delights. Now is the perfect time because we have just about achieved maximum temps but the pool water hasn't caught up, so it's still refreshing. Come August it will be the as warm as bath water, a situation that does NOT entice me into the water.  I took the opportunity to snap a few pics of them in the water so I thought I'd share.

The boys are always trying new tricks and new hairdos in the pool. Why is it that water brings out the creative and silly spirit in a kid? I was playing with my camera's film speeds and took these of Jonah jumping up and arching backward in the water. Unfortunately, Cody stood up behind Jonah when Jonah launched backward and they banged heads. I can't tell you how many times that has happened to my twins! They were both so sad and were consoling each other in the water. I just thought they looked so sad and pathetic and cute I had to document it.

Stay tuned for more swimming pictures of the littles. They're taking swimming lessons right now and are getting pretty good.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

I inadvertently discovered a new motherhood faux pas the other day and I really must share. My aim here is to save other parents from committing the unpardonable crime of... well, let me tell the story first.

I had been swimming with Curtis, Eli and Gideon. We got out of the pool and were in a bit of a time crunch because I had an appointment to get my hair cut in a few minutes. I needed to dress three naked boys (well, Curty is a self- dresser, so two really) and get everyone lunch and have them out the door ASAP. They were, of course, running around the house, screaming with glee as they enjoyed the breezy experience. Amidst the confusion, Curtis' friend Noah came over to see if Curty could play, adding to the mix another conversation and body to keep track of. 

I was trying to catch Gid so I could diaper him while issuing orders to Curtis and Eli, when I caught a little naked body and performed my patented standing up diapering manuver. Imagine my shock when 4 year-old Eli loudly protested, "Mooo-oooom! I don't want a diaper!!!!" Huh? Oops! I looked down and realized I had diapered the wrong little naked booty! 

I was highly amused, but Eli was highly offended. I tried to apologize but he was wounded to the core and has brought it up several more times over the last couple of days. As Curty and Noah and I laughed about it, I told them it would have been even better if I'd accidentally grabbed Curty and diapered him. Now that would have been photo worthy. 

So I end my tale and leave you with this word of advice: check the nakie buns twice, diaper once. 

My Baby Went to Prom *sniff, sniff*

  

The monochrome setting on my camera created images that had a vintage 1930's feel. I'm lovin' that!

**************************************

It's happening and I'm not sure what to think. Really, these milestones are causing a great wave of verklemptitude to wash over my tender mother's heart. (Hey, if Shakespeare can make up words, why can't I?) First Zach gets his license and last night he went to the prom. I just can't take this disconnect between how old I feel and the signs of aging that march past me, taunting me as they pass by. I see that if I don't embrace this process, it will mow me down, so I'm looking for the positives... and finding them.

Amanda emerged from the car  in a gorgeous royal blue dress with  rhinestones on ears, neck, wrist and bodice sparkling like diamonds in the sun. Watching my big boy, tuxedo clad and grinning ear to ear as he beheld her for the first time that night was a gift.  Being able to take pictures of them to my heart's content: the big bow on top! Amanda's mom was kind enough to bring her over to our house so I could take pictures of them putting on their flowers and I was so grateful to be included in a tradition usually savored by the girl's parents. 

I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves, so I will end this post with a challenge. Can you spell the name of the flower that gets pinned on the boy? I typed so many iterations of that word and I knew that I was messing it up. I tried to look it up on dictionary.com and was butchering it so badly that it didn't even come up with options that were close. Guess who finally saved the day? Google! If you google the wrong spelling of something it prompts you... Did you mean to type...(enter correct spelling here.) So how do you spell it? Boutaneer? Boutineer? Boutionere? Nope. It's BOUTONNIERE! No one in my house could spell it correctly (including Ren much to his consternation!) and we have a host of championship spellers. This tickled my funny bone to no end! So you are now armed with the correct spelling of a very often  misspelled word. I leave you with this knowledge and about a thousand pictures of Zach and Amanda on their way to "Romeo and Juliet's Masquerade Ball".

Hannah was happy to hang out with Zach while he waited for Amanda to arrive. The jacket didn't quite fit her...

Trying out a colorized look...(seriously, this photo shoot was all about me! So much fun!!)

The masks for the masquerade ball made by Amanda.

Their faces could only be serious for so long...

Zach's friend Trent Rasmussen was part of the group who went, so I snapped some pictures of him in his snazzy suit.

Then things got a little out of hand...I call it "The Boy Dip."

Ready to go...

...and he even made it home before midnight. I think I can handle being the parent of this teenager. =D

My guest blog post -- on my sister's blog: Clawsons in Arizona

My poor sister was dragged into the blogging world last year because several of her friends and I know that she is funny and wise and we wanted to read a blog written by her. She protested vehemently that she wouldn't be able to keep it up, but relented to our whining. Well, as predicted, her blog is languishing, so I offered to do a guest post for her to give her a boost and some inspiration. Since it involves my family too I thought I'd share it on my blog.

[Sad attempt at a triple self-portrait, I'm truly enjoying the cutting off of my nostril in this picture. My sister Becky and her daughter Kendall look lovely though and that is what matters!]

***********************************

Hello faithful readers of Huh! and other profound reactions to life!,  this is Jennie doing a guest spot and I am here to rescue my big sistah's blog from dying a slow and painful death. If she feels unable to carry on, I am here to see her through the dark days of her digi-death and give her hope of rebirth! (I enjoyed that alliterative phrase -- "dark days of digi-death", I'll have to quote myself somewhere.) heh heh JK

My sister and her family made their somewhat annual trip to visit us over spring break and I have pictures to prove it! Since I have been given carte blanche to post on my sister's blog, I guess she will have to enjoy what I post and not complain about the quality of the pictures. 

***********************

Here are the girls hanging out at the park, doing their best to thwart my art shots.

The one on the right is my daughter, Hannah.

********************

Now for toe-bonding. We did pedicures in my bathtub. Our toes were trés cute!

My seven year-old Curtis was offended that we didn't let him stay and paint his toes.

**********************

Kendall was a fishing machine! We took her to the lake by our house and she worked that pole like a pro. Now I can't remember if she caught one...

I guess it doesn't matter because she's obviously having a blast!

Colin adopted my 4 year-old's Lightning McQueen fishing pole. He spent many devoted minutes trying to hit the ducks with the practice "wheel" on the end of the line.

Much cousin bonding occurred...here with cousin Zach who's Colin's age.

And here with my youngest, Gideon. 

Colin arrived a day later than Becky and Kendall. It was, unfortunately the day Gid got sick with the stomach flu. When Kendall arrived Gid was happy and followed her around yelling, "Dadoo, Dadoo!" (her name in Gideonese). But he felt too yucky when Colin came, so he only wanted his mom. He cranked at Colin for several days, but Colin worked it until he got Gid to give him a kiss and call him "Dude".

*******************

We were nice enough to arrange for a scorpion to hang out in the bathtub so the Clawsons could experience some real Arizona wildlife. We are nothing if not thoughtful in this house.

The last few days of the trip were a huge bummer. Sunday night I spent the night in the bathroom with vomiting and diarrhea. When morning came, I heard Ren in the hall telling Becky about it and I heard her say, "Me and Kendall too." Dang! I spent all day in bed until I finally got the strength to hobble to Becky's room so I could at least bond with her in sickness. We laid in bed together and ordered gingerale and saltines. The kids told us that Gid was aware of what was going on and put together one of his first sentences. They'd ask him, "Gid, where's mommy?" and he'd reply, "Mommy a sleepin' a barfin'." Then they'd say, "Where's Kendall?" his sad reply, "A Dadoo a sleepin' a barfin'." Same for Becky. He walked the house telling one and all who was "a sleepin' and a barfin'". Good job Gid.

The next day Becky and I felt well enough to lay out in the sun and eat our saltines and drink our gingerale. Note: you can get a lovely sunburn even if you are recovering from the stomach flu! Stu got the nasty crud that afternoon along with several other of my children. Colin, not to be a conformist, got a high fever and sore throat the day before they were supposed to leave. Lovely.

Then when they left, there were weather issues and Colin didn't get on his plane and had to spend the night with us and catch one in the morning. Becky, Stu and Kendall were on a different flight (they were using frequent flyer miles for Colin on another airline) and their plane out of San Fransisco got cancelled. They ended up driving home from SF! I don't remember all of the details now, but it was quite the adventure.

Well, Becky, I guess I'll sign out for now. You can correct any misrepresentation in a follow-up post! Now I'll have to copy this whole post into my blog to give a report of my own. Good night everyone. This is Jen, the guest blogger, signing out.

Family Fun!

I just thought I'd share the easy and entertaining Family Home Evening we had tonight. We read part of the LDS Proclamation to the World on the Family where it says successful families on based on the principles of faith, prayer...(a bunch of good things) and "wholesome family activities." I told the kids that I wanted to show them some videos and then we'd discuss what this means.  Here is one of the videos I got off of youtube. It's from a series of mormonads the church has put out that are uniquely hilarious and put together so well.

After we watched all three (the other two were Stagecoach and Sci-Fi) we talked briefly (because I was holding Gid who didn't nap and was screaming for more shows) about how we could work on our activities together -- playing games, taking walks, etc.. to be closer as a family. Then for the activity we divided into teams and acted out great battles from the scriptures in the backyard using shovels, pool noodles and stuffed animals for props. There was the usual amount of bickering over who was going to be what and sulking when things didn't go the way of a few who shall remain nameless, so I was a bit frustrated. But overall, despite the normal imperfections, it was an entertaining and positive FHE. What would family home evening be without some yelling, crying and general mayhem anyway? =D

Gordon and Sherman

When I read the biography of former LDS church prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley, I was thoroughly enamored with the stories of young Gordon and his little brother Sherman. They did everything together -- slept in a wagon under the stars, played pranks, wandered the farm and skipped school. The stories of these two brothers are funny and sweet and captured my heart so completely that I have nicknamed my last two little boys "Gordon and Sherman". I have envisioned a time when they too would be bonded in love and friendship so completely.

Since Gideon was born I've waited expectantly for these two boys to discover that being born close together was a gift we gave them so they would never feel alone. It's been a long wait, but Gid has finally become a little boy and the two of them are becoming inseparable. When Eli wakes up in the morning he bounds out of his blankets and tries to wake up Gid. If Gid doesn't budge, Eli comes running tearily to me complaining, "Giddy won't get up Mom. I want Giddy to wake up!" Gid often runs through the house yelling, "Yai yai! Yai yai!" looking for his brother and partner in every little boy crime imaginable. I love it.

Today we lost Gid. It occurred to me, somewhat like abruptly waking to a sense that something is wrong, that the house was too silent. I hadn't seen or heard from our crazy little guy for a while. The search was on and just before I was going to send the troops through the neighborhood looking for him, Ren found Gid asleep on Eli's pillow and under his blankie on the floor. He's been a bit under the weather and I guess he was pooped. Ten minutes later I peeked in on him and discovered Eli laying next to him, stroking his hair and gazing fondly at his little brother. When I made my rounds the third time I found them fast asleep together on the floor in front of the fan -- Eli's favorite place to sleep. I snapped their picture to freeze this moment in time. I want them to know that their friendship started at a time when Gid was just barely old enough to talk and Eli was just old enough to have reserved a place in his heart for someone littler than him.