The Power of One

Well, I spoke too soon.  Monday finished off with 3/5 kids crying at most times, a new soup for supper which ended up being too spicy for most palates (saved with globs of pantry applesauce inserted to tone it down), the rest of piano lessons gone wrong, a crabby baby who hit her mouth on the edge of the rebounder and her teeth went right through her bottom lip.  It would have been an ER visit, but I got her to sleep and put a dab of super glue on it and it looks great now.  Mouth injuries heal so fast on the inside, so I was only worried about the outside closing up nicely.  A trip to town would have been rather unpleasant, considering the time of day and mood she was in.  Any-old-who...here's the topic for today...

In reading the book Simplicity Parenting, one of the groups of toys he says to get rid of was anything with "multiples".  He claimed that often a child likes something so first he gets one, then another, then another and so on.  I know this to be true, but didn't quite think that I had to get rid of all multiples.  It's been a few weeks and here's what I've concluded.

Back when Luke and James were train lovers, we got them their first trains for Christmas one year.  Luke got Gordon and his tender, James got Henry and his tender.  Those boys played with those 2 trains happily from dawn to dusk for ages.  They had the greatest imaginations with them, making up imaginary tracks everywhere and never tired of fun with those 2 engines and tenders.  Over time we accumulated more engines, more track, a crane, the roundhouse and various other paraphernalia to add to their "set" (as it was now named).  They played with it in more controlled settings; insisting that the track had to be perfectly put together, the rules more defined (they were also getting older so this was part of it too) and their imaginations with the cars were not as fantabulous.  And everytime they played, all I heard was "more, more, more".  "We need _____ (engine)" or "I wish we had _____(piece of equipment)".  The satisfaction level went down and down, the more pieces they acquired.  I know part of this was the novelty wearing off and the interest level reducing over time, but part of it was just the attitude of never being satisfied with what we have (us adults do this too, don't we?)

Elise (on the other hand) has just one Cinderella doll, and she plays with it quite often.  She'll mention that she wants some of the other princesses to go with it, but I know that would spoil Cinderella's special-ness. She also has a few Strawberry Shortcake dolls and wants more of them also.  When I have bought her more for a gift of something, all I hear is "now I need _______(another one that she doesn't have yet).  When I was a girl, I had one Lemon Meringue doll, a Herself-the-Elf doll and one Barbie (Peaches and Cream Barbie).  I think of some of my cousins/friends who had many of each of these (or Cabbage Patch Kids or Care Bears or Smurfs or whatever) and they didn't appreciate what they had.  They just always wanted/needed more.  I probably wanted more too, but since I knew I wasn't going to get them, I just played with the few I had.  Lots of good memories with those dolls that I did have.  I recently changed my answer to Elise from "maybe someday" to "when Celeste gets big then we can get her a princess doll so you two can play together."  This has actually made her more happy than continually waiting for the day when she can have her own next princess doll.

Now to pare down those accumulating Legos (Luke and James) and Mickey stuff (Isaac) for the boys...there's a job in itself!  I know that if I just slowly do it over time, it'll be worth it in the long run.  There's just no need for 10,000 Legos and still dreaming about more.  Cars is another area to pare down.  Last time I told them they could each keep 20 (x4 kids=80 cars) but somehow you would have thought I was trying to kill them.  I think we actually only got rid of maybe 10 and kept at least 100.  Huh?  100 cars?  Ridiculous!  And I haven't bought any of these, by the way.  They either buy them with their hard earned money or they have received them as gifts. 

I'm not sure what to let them spend their money on, if they can't buy toys or other junk to clutter up our house (and I dissuade candy). Apples?  Cheese sticks?  Hmm.  Kids need to spend money every now and then, otherwise there's no incentive in earning it.  Finding out what to spend it on though, that is the question.  I did try to talk James into taking us all swimming the other day when he was bragging about his riches, but he wasn't too keen on that.  I'll have to keep brainstorming!

Random Mondayness

It has actually been a pretty good Monday.  My good Mondays are probably very different from most peoples, but I count even the minute-est things that run smoothly a bonus.

I got up an hour early.  Because Celeste got up an hour early and none of the other kids were up, it forced me to get up too, since a 1 year old left unattended in a house by herself is just asking for a disaster.

I had rice pudding for breakfast and it was already made.  We are really low on groceries due to a Costco trip (more on that later) so I made rice pudding with almond and coconut milk (no regular milk in the house either) in the slow cooker overnight.  I made a quick blackberry sauce to put over it and voila!

We actually practiced piano lessons the day before our lesson.  That is a first as usually I'm working with the kids ON the morning of our lesson.   Yes, this should be done every day so things are practiced for the new lesson, but this is how things go in our house right now.  We're lucky to be getting TO lessons and that we have found A teacher in Kalama.  One small step at a time!

I read poetry to the children.  Me, who lacks ability to appreciate most poetry, took a big step and read some for our reading time this morning.  We started with nursery rhymes and ended with some longer ones about spring from Childcraft book #1 (Poems and Rhymes).  Whew.  Should be good for another few months.  Thankfully Luke and James told me that they have both read through that whole book on their own time, so that warmed my heart.  They were more familiar with some of them than I was.  Another plus for having good books in the house and quiet reading-on-their-own time each day.

Long division and reducing fractions are starting to make sense to the 4th grader.  Borrowing is catching on with the 2nd grader.  Elise was bored in her reading lessons (as usual, no matter how interesting the books we read are) although her penmanship is fabulous.  Isaac was busy building stuffed animal houses out of boxes and Celeste was busy pestering/distracting the big kids throughout (stealing pencils, climbing on chairs and then tipping over, needing Mom while she's trying to teach, etc.)   Things are looking up!

My throw-together salad from the pantry for lunch was actually good (I'm horrible at winging it and usually they flop)  Mini macaroni, canned chicken and a can of fruit cocktail (more pantry staples) with a bit of mayo.  The kids gobbled it up.

Celeste took her nap early (because she got up so early), so now at quiet time she's wandering the house looking for disasters to create.  I think we'll have to get outside for a walk today instead.  It was pouring rain during our normal walking time, so now later when we should be reading (and it's sunny) we should get outside.  Pent up energy from kids in the day leads to fighting and too much craziness in the evenings.

Here's the Costco story.  We tried it again on Friday.  7 items = $70.  That will just not do the budget any good.  The crowds were horrendous (every till was open, lines at all of them).  I know, now people will probably tell me that Friday isn't a good day at Costco either, so what day is?  Here's the math from one item.  Normally a brick of Tillamook cheese is 2 lbs for $6.50 (at Winco).  At Costco, you get 2.5 lbs for $7.99.  The added 1/2 lb is added to the side rather than the end, so you eat a bit more with every slice and your brick is gone in the same amount of time as a 2 lb brick.  If that extra 1/2 lb was added to the length, then at least you'd get a few more slices out of a larger brick, but this way, you do not.  I don't know of anyone who would take the time to slice their cheese thinner to make up for the added width on each slice.  They just have to go and buy more at the same rate they would with a 2 lb brick.  Make sense?  So, I don't think we'll be heading back there any time soon.  To quote my sister's neighbor, "You eat really good for a week and then starve the rest of the month because your grocery budget is gone."  Yes, indeed!  Hence the beans and macaroni and all the other canned food I'm using up because I spent way too much at Costco (buying only things like cheese, peanut butter, bacon, butter, coffee, etc).  Sigh.  Back to WinCo we go.  I am going to try Amazon Prime for my pantry stuff this month though, as we have that now... I will keep you posted how that goes.

Curried Lentil Soup with Dried Cherries and Cilantro

I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart magazine as I was wanting more uses for lentils.  The red lentils have a much different flavor than brown ones, and I really love them.  I use dried cranberries in place of cherries since I usually have them in the house.  I've also used garam masala spice mix rather than the curry powder and that flavor is excellent too.  You can also just buzz the soup with an immersion blender rather than straining it.  It's fine without doing that too.

Curried Lentil Soup with Dried Cherries and Cilantro

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped (4 tablespoons)
• 2 carrots, finely diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• Coarse salt
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/3 cup chopped dried cherries
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro stems, plus 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, shallot, and carrots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add curry powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 4 cups water, and the lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until lentils and carrots are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour 2 cups soup through a fine sieve into a bowl, reserving solids. Puree strained liquid with remaining soup in a blender until smooth. Reheat after blending. Stir in reserved solids.
3. Reserving some for garnish, stir cherries and cilantro stems into soup, and ladle into bowls. Swirl in remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk, and garnish with cherries and cilantro leaves.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   http://www.marthastewart.com/1050570/curried-red-lentil-soup-dried-cherries-and-cilantro

Boys Should Be Boys - Book Review

Here is another gem from Meg Meeker, M.D.  Highly recommend if you have boys to raise.  I'll recap here a few of the highlights I took from it, but the whole book is definitely worth your time.

-God is necessary and matters to all boys.  It provides them with an anchor, an ultimate authority, a sense of purpose and a way to place themselves in the world/cosmos.  Having a moral framework is essential, and a belief in God is the start of that.  Capitalize on your child's receptivity when they're small.  Teach them your beliefs and give them that moral foundation whether you think they're old enough to understand or not.  When they're hormonal teens, you'll be glad you did. Boys love God because he always cares.  They love him because he's strong and powerful, and he's a hero.  They love right and wrong, good guys and bad guys.   Boys often refer to God as a good combination of loving like their mom, but stern like their dad.  They also like His invisible, omnipotent powers (the best kind of super-hero).  

-Teaching healthy views of sex is crucial, age appropriately from a young age.  To have a well rounded sexuality, one must have a solid framework.  This means not avoiding the subject, but instead teaching them about the boundaries, feelings, spiritual aspects of all matters involved (avoiding sin, not yielding to temptation, worldly influences, etc.)  Our boys know what is right/wrong, and we must encourage them do act/think/live in those ways.  Sexual energy is no different from intellectual, physical or mental energy- it must be acknowledged, addressed, harnessed and mastered.

-Boys need real people for emotional connections with parents and friends.  Virtual and electronic ones do not count as the boy is in control (he can log off or turn it off if things don't go his way).  With real friends, he learns sympathy, empathy, problem/resolution, give & take.  All of these things will help him mature into a healthy man someday.

-Handwrite notes to your son.  There is nothing like the personal words of someone you love writing especially for you in their individual handwriting.  Your son can reread these notes over and over in times of self-doubt and worry.  Have both parents do this for each child.  Typed ones just don't have the same impact (another great reason to teach kids cursive!)

-Boys act on their feelings, real men don't.  They do the right thing.  Help transition boys into men but recognize that this is a process and should be age appropriate.  You can't expect an 8 year old to act like a man, because he's an 8 year old.  Another difference between boyhood and manhood is perseverance.  Boys cop out, men persevere.  Teaching boys tenacity will serve them well their whole life through.  Realize age appropriately what your son is capable of, and stretch his limits just a little bit further.

-The best thing you can give your boys is your time.  They want nothing more than to spend time with their "hero" and dads fill this role perfectly.  Moms time is just as necessary, in different ways.  Give your son time to ask questions (and ask them questions, even if they don't answer, it gives them substance to think on).  Kids learn most by just watching their parents, so let them come along and watch and learn.  Teach your child to reach out to others and always be willing to go the extra mile to help their fellow man.  Teach them to speak well of others and reinforce the Golden Rule again and again.

Very encouraging book!

Questions of life

Lately I feel like I have a lot more questions than answers.  Have you ever felt that way? Typically I just vent about them to someone, and then often venting can lead to brainstorming and fervent prayer, which leads to answers.  So, here we go...most are parenting ones, since that's where we're at these days.

How much free time should a child get each day, balanced with work and school?  I realize this is different for different ages, but what kind of guidelines do you use when determining the right amount?

How much alone/cuddle/one-on-one time per kid is needed in a day?  It seems that no matter what I give or don't give, it is wrong for some reason or another.  

How to you encourage thoroughness in doing a job without nagging/hounding/cajoling?  I get so tired of being the "Are you done with that yet?" police.  I understand it's necessary for toddlers, but for older kids who know what is required?  And how to keep them motivated to work without getting distracted every 5 seconds?  Are my expectations too low?  I only have 1 kid who is motivated by money/rewards, and the rest don't care.  Legos (their favorite toys) have been taken away for almost a month and no one wants to do anything worth getting them back (and I'm talking simple jobs here). 

How do you teach ownership in a household?  Or pride in ownership?  I have no idea on that one.

How do you get back on track when derailed every weekend (or day off)?  It seems like even if we only take Sunday off from our routine, Monday is a nightmare of getting everyone focused again.  Then we may have one decent day and we get off track again.  I'm just so tired of the being behind and never catching a breath.  As if they have no idea what routine we follow (and have followed for the past 10 years!). Right back to square one!  Ugh!

And then the whole prayer thing.  I'm really working on that.  I pray really good for everyone except my own family.  Probably because I don't see the direct results which makes it easier.  I feel like my prayers for our family are really generic, and would like to make them more specific.  For myself, for my husband and for each child.  This is for thankfulness, direction, guidance, how to use our individual gifts, how to strengthen our weaknesses and more.  I think a prayer journal would likely help, but haven't seemed to make it happen.  Any ideas?

And the whole fertility/children thing.  I won't go into detail, just that I really feel this is a big area of spiritual warfare.  I pray for peace over the whole topic, but can't say I'm there yet.  I don't know if I'll ever be.  Maybe at menopause (whenever that is)!

Whew!  I'd love some feedback, either through private email or message me somehow.

Here's a great article on parenting as a Christian.  Nothing is going to be easy (I don't expect that) nor is it going to be what we even want.  But it is what we need and what will bless our lives in the long run.
http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/parenting-means-wrestling-demons

Book Review - The Hormone Cure by Dr. Sara Gottfried

After reading Trim Healthy Mama, I've been curious more about hormones (they have just one small chapter on them).  There are so many in our body, and it seems that so many health issues can be traced back to hormones (either the lack of or excess levels).  So, what's a girl to do?  Get out some books from the library on them to learn more.  Because the "has to know" geek in me just has to know more so that I can understand them better.

I read a couple books a few years ago, but they were more focused on anti-aging so didn't really apply to this stage in life for me.  This book is more for women my age (but also useful for women menopause and older as well).  I just happened upon this one on the library shelf called The Hormone Cure.

This is book is full of interesting information on the main hormones (cortisol, estrogen, progesterone, androgens, and thyroid) women need in their bodies and how they work (you can skip the how parts if you like).  She also gives quizzes  to help figure out which levels may be low or high depending on symptoms.  Then she gives dietary and lifestyle things you can do to improve your levels, then move to supplements, then to bioidential hormones that can be used as a last resort if optimal levels are not reached by other methods.

She explains the cycle that so many women go through when they go to their doctor.  How hormonal lab levels show to be in "normal" ranges, so the doctor dismisses the symptoms with a "have a nice day".  She treats patients more on symptoms than on lab results and says that although most women will fall into normal levels on lab tests, they don't feel well unless they are at the high end of normal (even above).  Getting a woman to feel well is much more important than saying they are normal due to lab results.  Also having a doctor look into why levels aren't optimal is helpful.

She explains about hormone disruptors (xenoestrogens) and blames them for the earlier and earlier menarche in girls and tells how to reduce and eliminate them from your life.  (pollution, plastics, parabens, phthalates, etc.)  

All in all, a very well written book that I recommend.

http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/

Simplicity Parenting - book review

This book was recommended to me by my sister Amy and sister-in-law Reidun, both who thought very highly of it.  I have to agree.  Just good common sense stuff, much needed for this day and age of parenting in a busy, crazy world.  And very practical in terms of how to simplify your life for the health of your children.  I thought our life was pretty simple, but this author goes much further in ways to do so.

He talks a lot about how stress affects a child, and how many kids are labeled with some sort of disorder when the fact of the matter is that by simplifying their lives, their realms can be brought back into focus and manageability.  He encourages us to remember that life isn't a series of "rainbow" experiences, each one better than the last.  Life is boring (which spurns creativity), life is hard (which creates perseverance), but life can also be predictable (which creates security for kids) and harmonious (which creates bonding as a family).

He encourages parents to just spend time with their kids.  Instead of all kinds of extra-curricular activities, just be with them.  That will create the most memories and the most security and trust.  He talks about how too much stuff creates too many choices which creates an entitlement mentality (as well as overwhelming children).  He talks about how we (as a society and as parents) think that giving a child choices will help shape a child's personality/sense of themselves when all it actually does is create the word "more!"  More, more, more!  I'm sure most of us have seen that in our own children and households.  I know I have.

He first encourages parents to get rid of toys (the average child has 150).  He has a list of 10 kinds of toys to get rid of, all of which are good criteria.  Too many toys means a child can't fully engage in any of them.  I've been doing this with our own toys and have found this to be true.  It's less clutter for us all, which is very helpful too.  The less toys a child has, the more (s)he has to use his/her imagination with what they have.  As your child's chaos is reduced, your own stress level as a parent will too.  (Yes, give me some of that!)

He then talks about revamping the rhythm of your home.  By trying to promote a rhythm in your home, things will just flow better and promote security for your children, who will as a result behave better.  One of the simplest thing is to teach manners.  The Golden Rule, please and thank you, speaking with respect, etc.  I always remember the words of Ravi Zacharias who says, "there is never a good enough reason to be unkind."  Keeping those standards high for your children helps them feel secure and cared for.  Rhythm does not mean a schedule that is impossible to keep, but rather guidelines of predictability.  It's also simplifying food choices.  Opt for simple meals, with minimal choices that nourish rather than buying foods that stimulate and entertain (or were advertised on TV). 

Having a "Sabbath" is such a good thing.  Whether is be a rest from work, TV, cell phone availability, internet or whatever is common in your house; take a break.  Have times each day and each week as "distraction-free zones" where you shut stuff off and just be.  Let your kids know that they are your priority, not your tablet or phone.  Look at them when they talk to you.  Good reminders for us all.  When we open up our lives and schedules, it leaves more room for anticipation of other things.  We don't feel so hurried and rushed, and we can enjoy the little moments each day (ourselves and our children).  To fully appreciate the ordinary is an extra-ordinary gift.  This strength of character must be taught, and what a loss it would be if we didn't teach it to our children.  Taking a rest also allows the imagination to work.  It's through boredom and free time that creativity is allowed to flourish.  A child with a good imagination will be able to have fun anywhere, not just with a limited toy or game.  He can create his own games and entertain himself endlessly if given the opportunity.  Playing with others creates back and forth bantering of ideas, thoughts and dreams, each building on the last.  (unlike organized sports where the coaches and parents set the rules and then the kids follow them).  In the randomness of free play, inner flexibility grows.  How awesome is that?!

He doesn't put down organized sports, but instead encourages their limited uses and time frames.  He says that most kids start in kindergarten and are completely burned out by 11.  Instead they should start about 8-10ish and then have something that interests them for their high school years (when they are ready for more of those type of things).  But, make sure your child's home team is always your family, and that time with family trumps time with others (whoever they are).  Be willing to say, "no, thanks" with confidence if opportunities don't fit your family's goals and schedules.

When a child's expectations are always met, it leaves a child's will flaccid and weak.  As parents, we want to meet our child's expectations, in yet this isn't always in their best interest.  Sometimes they have to wait (many years) for things, and this is okay.  Sometimes they have to work hard for what they want (for many years) and this is okay too.  We want children of strength and integrity and yet if we always give them what they want, we leave them with poor behavior and poor skills for life.

Along with that, if we overanalyze what our kids say, we also set them up for failure. Everything they say doesn't have to be profound, or a teachable moment.  Sometimes just let comments be.  Acknowledge and then be quiet.  Sometimes kids learn more by our silence and our listening than by our talking.  Recognize this and realize that often we talk far more than we need to.  In such a noisy "it's all about me, me, me" world, being quiet can bring respite and calm to the chaos.

There's my summary.  Fully enjoyed this book and plan to implement more as I can.

http://www.simplicityparenting.com

Black Bean Chili recipe

I got this recipe from my friend Jocelyn many years ago when times were better.  What I like about it is that it doesn't have a tomato base, as so many soups do.  I do like tomato based soups, it just seems that there are so many of them that it gets rather tedious.  This makes a huge pot, enough for 2-3 meals for our family of 7.

2 1/2 c. dry black beans (or one bag)

1/2 c. dry white/navy beans

2 bay leaves

3 c. brown rice/wild rice mixture

1-2 cans diced green chiles

1 - 8oz. bottle mild red taco sauce

3 c. bell peppers, diced (whichever color you like)

2 onions, diced

1/2 garlic bulb, diced/minced

Cover beans with water in your biggest stockpot (or 10 qt. or so)  and soak overnight.  Drain, rinse and add new water.  Cover beans 2 inches higher of water (can also use bone broth/stock) and add bay leaves.  Simmer 1-2 hours on low or until beans are getting soft.   Fish out bay leaves and toss, adding rice.  Keep simmering (about 1 more hour or until rice is cooked) and add the rest of the ingredients and heat thoroughly.  Add more water if it gets too thick.  Serve with cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.  You can also use canned beans, and would likely use about 4 cans of black and 1 can of white.  It's pretty forgiving so you can add or subtract quite a lot if you want. 

The skills of showering

The other night when I walked into the kids' bathroom after the 2 older boys had taken a shower and examined the aftermath, I could only shake my head and sigh.  Have I taught these children nothing?  Were they born in a barn?  Towels and dirty clothes and water strewn everywhere.  The bath mat was completely soaked and oozing more water onto the floor.

When I questioned them about the mat (which normally resides on the side of the tub unless it is in use),  one of them replied that it was in the tub before his shower, so he just left it there.  The other had taken it (soaking wet by this time) out when it was his turn and placed in on the floor since it was in the way.  There it sat, dripping water everywhere. 

Other times the shower curtain will be left on the outside of the tub throughout the shower, and you can imagine what happens then.  Most times there is just water on every wall possible, dripping constantly downwards into the baseboards.  There is a towel rack RIGHT beside the shower so that towels are immediately available (with their names on them for greater ease), but somehow those same towels cannot ever get back onto the hooks to dry even though the hooks are still right there for easy access.

If I ever call into the shower to see if they are ready to get out (or if the timer dings signalling the same thing), no one has ever even started to wash themselves.  "Oh, I forgot about that!" is the normal response.  Washing?  What's that?  We're supposed to wash in the shower?  And later when I ask about their hair they usually respond that they completely forgot about washing it.  Getting it wet should have been good enough.  Hello!  That's kind of one of the reasons you take showers!

Our daughter gets these concepts.  She understands about the bathmat to absorb drips, and how the shower curtain works even though she's only 5.  She washes first and then plays (even though she hates washing her hair).  She understands that you dry off from top to bottom so that water doesn't drip downwards to places you've already dried.  Although she isn't the neatest, at least she tries.  

I appreciate more and more how much my own parents and in-laws did to raise us up to be decent adults.  It's that constant diligence in all those little things, day after day, year after year that mold and shape us.  And I guess if at least the boys get some water rinsing over them every now and then, they'll survive.  I'm sure they'll shower often enough once the teenage years hit!  I am glad we switched from a 2.5 gallon per minute showerhead to a 1.5.  Then at least the rest of us can still get a shower if the dawdling is extended.

Trip to CA & AZ Feb. 2015

Our latest family adventure trip was to California and Arizona last week.  Back when we had only a couple kids, we usually tried to go to see Greg's family in Arizona in the winter and then to see my family in Alberta in the summer.  These days it seems like we can only make it to one place each year, so we still try to alternate between our "homes".  Greg's brother Kirk has wanted to go on vacation with us for a while, so this year we were able to make it happen in a roundabout way.  Kirk and his wife Katy (and 2 boys) were planning a trip to Disneyland asked us if we would want to join them there.  After some figuring, we decided to head that way.  And since we were already going to be in Southern CA, we might as well head over to AZ and see Greg's Grandma (and Aunt Sandy and various other friends and family).  We were only able to have 9 days away total, so driving would have been rather tedious, since it is 3 days each way (with a 1 year old who still hates her car seat).  We were able to find reasonable tickets to fly to Los Angeles, so opted for that venue and then rented a van to drive to AZ (5 hour away) for 3 days, then back to L.A. area for 2 days at Disney, one day sleeping in and lazing about and checking out the beach, one day flying home and then Sunday to recover and rest before getting back to the real work on Monday.

Flying with 5 children is not for the faint of heart, let me tell you that right off.  We did pack very light (1/2 the clothes and twice the money as we thought we'd need, as recommended) so that we wouldn't have to check any bags, but still ended up with 4 backpacks, 4 car seats/boosters, 2 suitcases and 2 strollers.  The whole time we were continually counting kids and bags and as long as we did that every 15 seconds or so, we did fine!  Our flight there was for 6:30 am, so we were up early to get to the airport.  This worked out well because then baby was ready for a nap for most of the 2 hour flight.  The kids did fine and had each brought 2 small toys (one Hot Wheels car and a small stuffed animal, Elise brought a notepad) along, as well as a book with many stories in it that they all enjoyed.  We arrived in L.A. at 9 in the morning and then got our rental van and headed for Arizona, getting there at supper time.  There was some yummy hot chili waiting for us at Grandma's house when we got there.  Elise said, "It's sure a good thing we brought that toy suitcase along, it sure kept us kids under control!"  Yes indeed, they did awesome for all the traipsing about.

Playing in Grandpa & Grandma's backyard

Enjoying new books at Grandpa & Grandma's

So good to see Great-Grandma Davidson in Arizona

On Saturday morning, we went over to Kirk & Katy's new "ranch" to check that out.  They used to have a big house on a small lot and recently traded it for a smaller house on a bigger lot.  There is plenty of room to play/garden/have an orchard/have some chickens and more at their new place.  They've been super busy remodeling it before they moved in, and the place looks great.  They made us some breakfast and we also were able to see Greg's Grandma's sister Bernice and her son Kevin who were down visiting as well (they live in Salem, OR).  We went back to Grandpa and Grandma's for the day and then headed back to K & K's for supper where Kirk grilled us some delicious chicken.  Greg's childhood friend Jared, his wife Vanessa and their daughter joined us there.

Greg and Kirk hitching up all the kids for a ride around their property.

Sunday morning we headed to church and were able to see quite a few friends there.  I love seeing John N, who is 98 years young as well as my great aunt Rhoda and uncle Jim (my Grandma Staudinger's only sister left living).  We went "home" for lunch (a lovely ham dinner) and then had an open house there for anyone wanting to visit us.  We had some enjoyable visiting while the kids ran around the yard and enjoyed the sunshine.

Then on Monday our family headed out of town to go for a hike in the desert (one of our favorite things to do).  With smaller kids, a long hike is out of the question, but there is a shorter hike at Usery Mountain Park that was doable.  I put Celeste in the baby carrier and off we went.  We got a bit off trail and had to do some backtracking on the way down the hill, but it all ended well.  I just love the sights and sounds of the desert and do miss it very much.  None of the cacti are blooming yet, but later in the spring the smells of those are fabulous.  We saw a couple quail and some squirrels, but that was all for wildlife.  We have seen desert tortoise and a tarantula in that park before.  I love listening and seeing Greg in his element teaching the kids about the desert.  I just love it! In the evening we were busy packing to leave again, but managed to get in some cupcakes to celebrate Celeste's first birthday.

At Usery Mountain Park

Showing the kids around

Celeste drinking like a big girl

Mama enjoying the heat, sunshine and desert 

A very old saguaro cactus (150+ years likely)

There's some quail hidden in here somewhere!

Birthday girl Celeste

Tuesday came and we headed back west.  Since our family, Kirk and Katy's, and Grandpa & Grandma were all traveling separately, we met at the Red Hut coffee shop in Phoenix before our caravan headed out.  I had a fabulous chai tea that I enjoyed immensely.  There's nothing like sipping a coffee/tea while driving down the road.  We drove most of the day (it's about 5-6 hours) and got to our motel late afternoon.  Since our rooms weren't ready yet, we went to buy our tickets for Disney and meander through the Downtown Disney shops.

Hanging out at the hotel

After a good nights sleep, on Wednesday we geared up for California Adventure.  We enjoyed the rides and sights there, and learned not to take toddlers on the swinging cars on the Ferris wheel.  Bad mistake!  The little ones were all crying and screaming (and this was their first ride of the day).  But, they did recovered and we carried on.  My favorite ride was the Silly Symphony Swings, and James loved it with me.  I could ride on that one all day!  We had some excellent tamales for lunch and spent the rest of the day either touring around, going on rides or watching kids and waiting.  With the ages of our kids, there were lots of rides that the little kids couldn't go on so we each took turns staying with them while others went on rides. This was good because it gave the little ones a chance to just run around and explore instead of standing in line all that time.  They did get to go on plenty of rides, so it worked out well all around.  We ended the day with Clark, Katy and I going on the Tower of Terror (Twilight Zone) ride.  Fun for us, but the kids wouldn't have handled it well!  Back to our hotel after a busy day and I took the bigger 4 kids swimming to unwind before bed while Greg and Celeste rounded up some pizza for us.

Flo's V-8 cafe

Mickey's (not so) Fun Wheel

Tiredy girl

Just hanging out doing some people watching

On Thursday we headed towards Disneyland for a day of adventure there.  We went on many different rides, took fun breaks and just enjoyed ourselves.  The kids enjoyed the Big Thunder Mountain Railway (roller coaster) the best, and I had to agree.  Even little Elise just grinned from ear to ear the whole time.  She's usually pretty timid with new things, so I didn't know how she would do, but she loved it.  Actually the 3 older kids just soaked up as many rides as they could, and kept on trucking the whole day.  Isaac was too short for many of the rides, but he still got to go on enough to keep him happy.  Casey Jr.'s circus train, Dumbo, etc.  We finished the day off with everyone going on "It's a Small World" and when we got off he said, "I've been waiting for that ride all day!"  He didn't know it even existed before we went on it, but he sure loved it.  We watched a production of Mickey and the Magical Map as well as touring Mickey's Toon Town as well.  The kids enjoyed that. In the evening they were doing a Fantasmic production which is a huge big light show and by then I was ready to be done.  Keeping track of that many kids (7) and adults (6) is a challenge in daylight, so at night was even more so.  Everyone was crowded around the water to watch the show, and so we were trying to meander our way through all those people to see if we could see anything.  We couldn't, and by the time we got to a place where we could, I was feeling pretty anxious.  I had overheard a lady telling her daughter "We can see this show on Youtube, so why crowd around here?"  I thought that sounded like  pretty good plan to me.  We then decided to head back to our hotel and call it a day.  Once our family got back into the street lights I was fine, but I hated that panicky feeling of losing one of the kids among thousands of people in the dark.  Yikes!  I had already lost my camera so was not too happy about that.  We wearily went "home" to head straight to bed.

James' favorite character is Pluto, so he was happy to see him

We saw Mickey first thing in the morning.

Katy, Grandma and I took the kids on the Cars ride after the boys has already gone with Dad, Kirk and Grandpa

The next morning when we woke up and were gathering everything together to leave, Greg found our camera in the bottom of the stroller.  Sigh.  It's not surprising that I missed it when looking for it, as I did recall setting it down elsewhere and not remembered picking it back up again.  But, with that many things to keep track of, it's a wonder we didn't lose more.  (James lost his hat and sunglasses but that was it).  We then went back to Downtown Disney as the kids each wanted a souvenir and hadn't bought one yet.  After that, we got in the van and said our goodbyes to Grandpa and Grandma, Uncle Kirk and Auntie Katy, and Eli and Josh.

No sooner were we back on the road than the song "You Had Me From Hello" by Kenny Chesney came on the radio.  Between all the overwhelming thoughts of Disneyland (stimuli extraordinaire) and that song, it brought me right back to road trips with my cousin Susan and sister Amy.  Susan was a huge Disney fan, and it just made me miss her so much.  I started crying and just couldn't stop.  She's been dead for 15 years now, and although I still miss her often, I haven't cried like that for her in at least 10 years or more.  Back when that song was popular, we used to go the gym together (her, myself, Amy and my cousin Amanda) and we'd make up all kinds of funny jokes about that song by changing out the words.  It certainly is funny how a melody can bring you right back to another place and time (just like the Clint Black song from that same era says).

We had planned to try to go to a beach in Malibu, out of the city a bit, but when we got near, there was a small landslide that closed the road, so we ended up at the Santa Monica pier instead.  We headed there to check it out and also have some lunch and see the water.  As we were walking there, there were many vendors selling their wares- artwork, music, magic tricks.  And then there was this Mickey and Minnie dressed up.  The kids wanted to walk by them, but Greg encouraged them to just wave (they were a ways away in a different direction than we were going).  I didn't think anything of it at the time, but later thought that it was kind of weird to have a Mickey & Minnie just standing there on the pier.  We concluded that they were probably just trying to make some money by offering to have your picture taken with them, but still...isn't that kind of weird.  I mean, who does that?  Their costumes were rather old, guessing by the floppy ears and grey color (rather than black) and it made me thankful afterwards that we didn't get too close.  Who knows what kind of creeps were inside.  I happen to be a trusting farm girl, whereas my husband is much more street savvy.  They could have been  completely innocent too, but it just made me wonder.  The last trip we went to a pier in California (near San Diego) we had another weird experience too.  It's no wonder Greg would just rather avoid CA beaches altogether.  He says there are too many creepy people (in his experience).  I then took a few of the kids down to the water while he stayed in the car with those who didn't want to go.  I still get very nervous around the water (after Luke got washed away from me when he was 3), but keep trying to get braver.  It's one thing to enjoy the beach when you're a single adult with only yourself to worry about.  It's completely another thing to keep track of a bunch of young children in the same place.  Not exactly relaxing in the least!  We only stayed a few minutes before my nerves had had enough and we headed back to the van to find our hotel.

Me and my baby (Elise took this one)

I loved watching Luke watching the surfers in the water.

Back on the road!

L.A. traffic is bad, but somehow we totally forgot that when we headed back out.  Our GPS said our hotel was 16 minutes away (12 miles) and it ended up taking us almost 2 hours to get there.  Luckily Celeste got a good nap in the car, but we almost ran out of gas in the meantime.  Thankfully all's well that ends well and we arrived safe and sound.  We grabbed some quick supper and then went for a swim in the evening.  I was trying to wash up the girls after swimming and Celeste kept trying to climb out of the tub.  She was so slippery that I barely caught her before she clunked her head on the floor like a fish out of water.  A few minutes later after she was all dried off and in her pjs, she snuck back in the bathroom where I was showering and climbed back in the tub without me noticing.  She slid right into the shower, pjs and all was was one wet girl!  She was overtired from our busy days, so we just dried her off, put new clothes on her (luckily she had some) and got her to bed.

On Saturday morning, I took the kids again for a swim since we didn't have to go anywhere until noon.  I watched them for quite a while and then Greg and I switched so I could finish packing and put Celeste down for a nap.  He had only been out there a few minutes when a lady asked him how old the kids were.  He was pointing to each and answering "Luke 9, James 7, Elise 5 and Isaac....akkk"  Isaac was completely underwater in the hot tub so Greg went flying over there and jumped in to get him.  He had only been under a few seconds, but it was scary for both none-the-less.  Greg's clothes were all soaked (and the keyfob for our rental van, which thankfully still worked) so he had fly home with very wet feet, since he had only brought one pair of shoes.

We gathered up all of our stuff and then headed for the rental place to return our van and then go to the airport.  We got through everything uneventfully and then just had to wait for our flight and come home.  Our friend and neighbor Dan picked us up from the airport and it was good to get home.  After some Chinese takeout, the day ended pretty well!

Being in all sorts of places and seeing all kind of people really gave me a chance to people watch as well as analyze people.  Greg and I talked about the whole Disney pop culture and the variety of people attracted to it.  We saw all sorts of people in the airports, in the cities, in the gas stations, in the restaraunts.  Some that make you ponder the direction humanity is headed.  Some that make you thankful for such kindheartedness.  One young man in the airport could not believe we had 5 children.  And that we'd fly with them without going insane.  He was just amazed and wanted to help us in any way he could.  (He was ahead of us going through security with all our gear).  We also had a family behind us on the flight down who makes me ill when I think that they are our typical American family.  Two kids ruled by electronics, whining and bribes.  All 4 members of the family had gadgets in hand (and in use) the whole time.  The communication between all members was halted at best (no one knew what the others needed/wanted/conveyed) because they were each caught up in their own little electronic world.  The marriage was decayed also, you could tell, with no respect or working together towards common goals. But, there were also many families enjoying themselves together too.  Such as the grandma sitting in front of us on the plane on her way to see her newest great-grandbaby with one of her granddaughters along too.  I also saw a look of disdain (that was the word that came to my head when I saw them) as two lesbian women glared at our children while they were picking out souvenirs in the gift shop.  The look on their faces was if they were trying deny who God made them and their contempt for children will justify their lifestyle somehow.  It made my heart heavy to think what they are missing out on in their pathetic attempt at "freedom".  All in all though, people are the same everywhere.  No better, no worse.  Just humanity, trying to find their way through this life.

Catching her freedom from the stroller!

James, Rachel and Katy loving it!

Silly Symphony Swings here we go!

 I was so thankful for our own children.  Luke was such a help pushing the stroller, keeping track of little kids, and just using his fact-remembering for it's many needs and places.  James was our energizer and helper.  He even told me after a busy day, "Mom, you don't have to worry about me running out of energy.  Because when I do, there'll be more coming right up!"  Oh, to have his energy.  Elise is our little baby sitter.  She kept Celeste entertained and in our view most of the time.  Isaac was our biggest challenge.  Keeping him on track was a full time job, but he also added the most fun also.  Whenever he talks to Celeste, he grits his teeth and talks in a gruff voice (I have no idea why).  We saw him grab her by the shoulders and say in his gruffest voice, "I wish YOU a Merry Christmas!" and then walked away.  Okay...whatever...And Celeste, well, we just had to keep her fed, napped and entertained and we did fine!  I should also mention that I just love travelling with Greg too.  We work together great as a team and it's just a pleasure.  For all the navigating through strange areas to traffic galore, he was awesome!  I just love that guy!

Happy to see Chip 'n Dale

Star Tours ride

Ready for Disney

Baby's ready too!

This fountain was one of the favorite highlights.  As well as the bakery behind.

The crew all ready to tackle the day!

The crew all ready to call it a day!

Chicken Butternut Squash Soup

Although I'm fully aware of how healthy squash is, I don't really care for it.  At all.  But, don't tell my kids that!  But, I keep trying to like it.  This soup makes it taste good, even for me who doesn't like it.  It also keeps the squash in chunks rather than pureeing it like as most squash soup recipes do.  

Back about 8 years ago, Greg and I went on a rare date to a fancy restaurant.  Someone was watching our kid and we were going to enjoy a quiet dinner.  It was a very rainy, wet night in Astoria which is quite possibly the rainiest town in North America.  It was quite a fancy place, and a soup appetizer sounded appealing.  Hot soup with bread on a cold night...bliss!  Wrong.  When the waitress brought it out, it turns out they failed to mention that it was chilled squash soup.  Whatever the chef was thinking to serve such an item in the depths of winter, I have no idea.  It was one of those places that would have been highly offended if we had suggested to microwave it for a minute or two.  So, we choked it down.  I liken it to slurping baby food.  Neither of us can handle blended soups of any sort to this day.

But, this soup isn't like that.  It's full of textures and flavors which are just delicious.  I got this one from my friend Donna as well, and she got it from her sister-in-law who got it from who knows...

Chicken Butternut Squash Soup

3 small cans of chicken broth (or one carton)

4 cups butternut squash, cut into 1" cubes

1 T. minced garlic

1 large can diced tomato w/ diced green chilies

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

Sour cream

Lime juice

Cilantro

Bring chicken broth, squash and garlic to a boil, and boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat and add chicken and canned tomatoes.  Cook until squash is tender.  Serve with sour cream, lime juice and cilantro.

I've also added a can of black beans and that is good too.