Weekend in Baltimore

Sjolseths and Moores arrived in Baltimore on Friday ready to see all the sights. We bought Harbor Passes and were very satisfied with everything that we were able to gain entrance with the passes.

We started our tour with a trip to Top of the Tower.




Everett outright laughed whenever he caught a view of himself in the mirrors.

We enjoyed dinner outside overlooking the port. Evy enjoyed his first taste of rice pudding. Well, until he actually tasted it, he fed Mom and Dad the pudding. Once he got a lick of it, it was all his!

The ending entertainment was watching a traffic cop manipulate traffic with his very loud and nonstop whistle as we waited for rush hour traffic to disperse before going back to the hotel. The guy must go home exhausted because he put all of his mind and might into moving traffic through that one intersection.

Early Saturday morning, we arrived at the aquarium ready to see it ALL! And we did.

This is a bird Everett spotted in their Rainforest habitat. I don't know what kind it is, but Everett was equally fascinated by a parrot show that he saw while we were there. This kid continues to be fascinated by our feathered friends.

One of the more memorable moments for me was being one of the first people to walk through the dolphin and frog exhibits. Particularly the dolphins, it was so peaceful sitting and watching the dolphins speed through the tank in the low-light room. Well worth the effort of getting there as the room opens.



Out of all the aquatic creatures, these lionfish held the most interest for Everett. He loved it when there were "TWO" in view at the same time.

We walked the short distance to Baltimore's Discovery Children's Museum for the afternoon and FELL IN LOVE! With as much hype as the aquarium gets, the children's museum blew it away, totally. There was something for the littlest to the biggest of kids (including robotic enthusiast Phillip). Though we were there for several hours, we would have stayed longer if Everett didn't need a nap so badly (fell asleep in the car on the way back to the hotel).

Hello, Heaven!

In the water-room. (They provided the crocs.)

Brave Evy coming down a tunnel that was at least 25 feet long and 3 stories in the air. Supportive Dad is right behind him.

Overtired and put off by the sunlight, Everett built himself a tent in the back so that he could get a nap before our next adventure.

Back at the hotel room, Evy took some time to relax with a movie and a frosty. Doesn't he look cozy!

One of our last major stops was the Science Museum. Everett had a great time. Many of the exhibits do need to be upgraded as they are defunct or just not as "hands-on" as they could be. That being said, I think that the boys had a great time exploring.

In with the Dinos

In the Kids' Room

Outside the Museum

On the Way Back Home

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Baltimore and felt so lucky the day that we found $5 parking! BTW, Everett loved exploring the hotel. The hallways were like runways to this little boy, and he would scream with delight while running down them being chased by a parent.

Chills and Thrills

Comparatively speaking, this week was one of the easier weeks we've had in awhile. We just arrived home from spending the weekend in Baltimore with the Moores. We had a ton-o-fun!

Erik: I was able to finish the deck and keep a tree from destroying it. I also enjoyed time to be with my family and Everett at the pool.

Sheila: My thrill was that the sonogram went well. The baby continues to be growing well, and I am physically doing well. The chill is that it is hard to NOT do things for myself and for Everett, especially knowing I'll need more help by the end of this pregnancy. I hate needing help, but I am managing it. I officially completed all my paperwork for my resignation late on Monday. (gotta have lots of bureaucratic paperwork until the bitter end) I had my first four consecutive workdays unemployed and was amazed at the ease of life (at least for those four days).

Everett: I AM RUNNING! Dad had to bust out the "monkey backpack" and use the tail as the leash. I didn't mind too much as I was able to go anywhere I liked. With my new-found speed, I have taken a couple of spills--all in a day's work for a toddler.

Blog to Book

So, I am trying to put the salient posts on this blog into a book. Mainly, a book for Everett since most of my journal about him has occurred online. After a disappointing start several months ago, I now have the time to get back to it and see if it will work. I think it will.

I am hoping to have his first book finished by the end of August. If it turns out well, I'll let you know what publisher I used. In the meantime, you can take a look at these screenshots to get a sense of it. (You basically download the blog entries into the program and then format the text and pictures to your liking.)

Dogwood Save Continued

Day 2

Erik started calling the cluster association at 8:30. At 12:30 we were told that the tree would be removed by the end of the afternoon.

By 3:30, the dogwood hammock was removed. The offending tree was sliced and slid from our rooftop. Three men and Erik removed the tree with one chainsaw and one tree cutter. They mulched the trunk right there and carted all the debris off the property. The only area of damage that we see so far is that a gutter is bent. Not bad!

The Day the Dogwoods Saved the Sjolseth House

It is 8:15 in the evening.

Everett is going to sleep in the pack-n-play in our bedroom (I hope!). I can hear Erik outside talking with several people. Evidently, he made it off the roof safely. He is surrounded by at least an arborist, the son of a Board member, and a few neighbors. But, I also hear someone walking on the roof—who knows who that is.

We came home this afternoon at about 4:40, and while Erik was giving Everett a bath, I popped into the office only to see a tree trunk staring at me from the window. A tree had fallen on our house at 4:02 this afternoon according to our neighbor. We weren’t home.

At that point, Erik began the dozens of calls he would need to make in order to get the tree off our house. Luckily, our two beautiful dogwood trees broke the brunt of the fall. So, as far as we can tell right now, no damage to the house. However, I have heard one of the trees creaking in a desperate help-seeking way (of course several large branches from our trees have been pulled off and one dogwood tree is splitting in half under the offending tree’s weight).

Why would Erik need to make dozens of calls? Can’t Erik just get a chainsaw and hack the now deceased specimen of nature? We live in a planned community which means that there are lots of rules . . . our cluster rules-gotta call the Cluster Association-that resides in a larger association-gotta call the Reston Association—then recall everyone when noone calls back—then call everyone on the Board to find out all but one are out of town, etc. We’ve got to get the tree of our trees and house before the tree busts through our dogwood canopy and into the office and screened in porch. Also, I bet the neighbors would appreciate a lack of chainsaw noise at midnight.

It will be interesting to see how they accomplish this without messing up the structure of the house. The longer it takes, the higher the chance that the dogwoods will come down due to weight and gravity, and our newly repaired deck and home will take quite a beating.

8:37 Erik and I brought out all our portable lights and our house lamps . . . they are trying to locate a support branch from another tree so that when they start cutting, the rest of the tree just doesn’t slam down on them. The evening isn’t too hot, but it is quite buggy.

There is a guy scaling the tree climbing it with all the gear that a rock-climber uses. With the clouds, it is pretty much totally black out there.

9:30 Everyone has left. The tree is still on our house, but the arborist was able to use other trees to pull pressure of the dogwood trees and our roof. Still haven’t heard from the cluster association. Hope it isn’t windy tonight.

View from our kitchen

View from our backyard (Mom and Evy are enjoying popcorn)

Weekend of Dreams

This past weekend was a mix of dreams, extreme toddler outings, and relaxation.

The Moores came into town (YEAH!) and we all went to the Natural History Museum where everyone else in DC decided to go. Seriously, all of humanity was there taking pictures of the elephant in the entrance and if we all didn't behave so well, I am sure there would have been extreme bumper stroller car incidences.

BUT, Erik did a bit more research on his DREAM kitchen countertops.

Yes, that's right these normal looking rocks . . .

. . . glow in the dark AND Erik wants a length of that rock to adorn our cabinets to guide any midnight wanderings (really, we all know it is in effort to have interesting tidbits about the kitchen for the house tour).

Those who know Erik know he is always about possibilities. If anyone can make something happen, he can. Good luck, Erik!

Next, we visited a Field of Dreams, the Nationals Baseball Park, for a game against the Cincinnati Reds. (This was the main Extreme Toddler Outing.) Despite the nosebleed tickets, waning toddler energy, and the long walks around the field, it was so much fun to be together as a family and watch the players the size of ants play out on the field. (The stadium has a playground, Playstation area, Build a Bear and lots of other areas that we didn't take advantage of but were amazed that they had.) We made sure to leave before too many tears were shed but were able to feast on the sweeter delights of baseball food.

One of the memorable moments occurred when during one of those "participant competitions" . . . who can do the most push-ups in 30 seconds . . . one guy completed correct push-ups, another guy completed super wussy push-ups. Of course, the wussy push-ups were easier to do and took less time, so more where done. When the Wussy Push-upper was declared the Winner, the ENTIRE stadium booed him. Yeah, it was pretty funny. Poor guy had no idea why everyone wasn't cheering for his victory.

We did get some relaxation in during the weekend. The Girls went out for a bit of shopping and lunch. The Boys went to the pool and built GINORMOUS sand sculptures.

We had dinner outside as the weather was very mild.

Yes, those are Cheetoh Puff Spirals. They are delish!

And, last but not least, the boys decorated a dream vintage car for dessert. The pan is SO COOL!

The Cakes

The Decorators

Working

The Eating

Phillip's Masterpiece

Connections

Today was my first day of being unemployed in the paid sense, still being overemployed in the working sense.

I asked Everett what he wanted to do today. He said,"Phool."

After telling him we would go to the pool, I asked him what was at the pool.

He paused, looked at me, and then said,"Dada!"

Later in the day when requesting to watch Cars, he elaborated with "CHOW!" (The main character Lightning McQueen says,"Ka-chow!" in the movie.)

We had the chance to decorate cookies at a friend's house. We stopped by the store to buy some decorating items beforehand, and Everett was in charge of carrying two of the bags to the register. He carried this through so solemnly knowing full well the entire weight of his responsibility (if we don't pay for the M&Ms then we can't eat the M&Ms).

String of Life's Little Things

Last night Erik, in fine storytelling mode, was reminiscing about one of the first years of our marriage. As Erik very comically describes biking to Westlake Grocery at 5:15 in the morning and back home in the dead of Texas heat . . . details include bodily responses to overheating and excessive exercise that include trips to the bathroom (funny stuff, people) and as the story turns to the description of his day continuing on to slaving at an afterschool Kindergarten program refereeing between 5 year-olds . . . all in the effort of allowing Sheila to have a car to get to all of her internships . . . he then speaks of his sacrificial sale of the beloved Acura in order to pay for the newer car during graduate school . . . one of the listeners said, "I don't have any stories like that."

I've been thinking about that. Now, this person doesn't at all have a boring life or background. Quite the opposite. But, he was right, he probably doesn't have a story like that. But, he has other stories.

Just as I have my own version of the story that Erik tells. I am not as funny as Erik, but I have my own flavor of humor, my own anchor to the story that is usually slightly different from Erik's.

Switch to my church's services today. Typically, every first Sunday in my church is dedicated to Fast and Testimony meeting. A meeting that provides a chance for the congregation's members to share personal testimonies, testimonies that may include a vignette, a story, to help illustrate a deep personal spiritual understanding or feeling about a gospel principal . . . or , most importantly, about their relationship with Jesus Christ. For the testimony bearer, these stories serve as opportunities to gain greater knowledge, stronger connections, and clarity. Whether or not stories are shared, it is undoubtedly certain that life situations provided opportunity to define that understanding or relationship.

Though we each have defining moments, we are more than just what is defined in that moment. We are made up of the string of life's moments, life's little things, life's stories. It was a reminder to me that the moment that I am living in right now has the potential to be a defining moment or a learning life experience. It is my choice to maximize the moment or let it slip away . . . just as I choose whether or not to take the time to reflect on the moment . . . the evolution of the new story and learn from it.

Who knew Erik's flowing story starting with the bike ride and bodily functions would end with a reflection?

If the post title reminds you of that underrated slice of cinema Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Bravo!

Chills and Thrills

Sheila: This week signaled the end of work. I am excited about what I'll be able to accomplish bit-by-bit over the next couple of months before Baby S arrives. (Who am I kidding . . . but then again, a girl can always hope.) Baby S is active and kicking!

Everett: I had a couple of rough nights and days (could be teething) but overall I am continuing to listen better. My new words this week were "Bye, bye" and "Night, night!"

Erik: I finished on my current work project which included turning in 5 deliverables on time-under budget. Results: a very happy client!

We were finishing up watching Cars as a family this evening. During the closing credits, Everett started to climb up the toy chest and lean on the TV stand in preparation of turning it all off . . . until the music started and he started shaking his bootie. It was hysterical! The kid was totally grooving to the tunes.

SuperCervix and Gaucho Maternity Pants

The Synopsis
Despite some BraxtonHicks contractions and overall cramping for the past several weeks--sort of like earthquakes with aftershocks, I am going strong with a very long cervix.

I feel blessed. In fact, at the OB appointment today, I think he might have said "normal pregnancy." WHAT! Do I dare entertain that I can be considered normal?

Nah, not really. But I left the appointment confident in my body's abilities (for the time being) and Everett left the appointment with LegoFever. I guess we are going to have to get some of those.

For those that want more detail
"Mom, are those PANTS?" questions Little Miss B, the little girl who lives across the cluster from us.

She was asking about my very fashionable maternity gaucho pants that I bought over two years ago at Target. Yeah, you read it right, Gaucho Maternity Pants. And, no, no one ever looked as good as in the picture below. In fact, Erik didn't ever want me wearing them in public sort of like I never want him to wear his UT muscle t-shirt in public. Gotta have some standards.

They forgot to make sure that this model was 1) really pregnant and 2) wearing shoes that a pregnant off-balance person would wear. So, imagine more material in the folds (pants have to grow with you and much more sensible shoes. Imagine a larger derriere (mother nature helps you balance out the growing belly). Imagine a poochy belly . . . and you've got the reason why Little Miss B was sightly confused by my pants/skirt/dress?

Why, when I live in a place where I can get cute maternity clothes, do I offend fashionable senses by wearing my gaucho pants? (I do have them in cobalt black and spanish brown.) They are comfortable. The stretchy material is folded over at the waist and there is NO elastic.

Evidently, I have an irritable uterus. Evidently, this occurs when there is muchas cramping and BHicking (BraxtonHicks contracting for short, people) AND when that cramping doesn't effect the length of the cervix. I get the more painful cramping when I am wearing a seatbelt, sitting at the computer, driving, going up and down stairs, sitting with decent posture, and when I am wearing maternity pants with elastic in the waist band. Thus, the draw to my very out-of-style gaucho pants.

Sharing

Sheila and Everett were getting ready to eat a snack on the couch this afternoon.

Enter: The Kitty

Everett: Oh, Mommy, I want to give The Kitty a cracker.

Everett grabs a peanut-butter cracker and starts to scamper toward The Kitty.

Sheila: Wait, Everett! We have treats for The Kitty. She doesn't really eat peanut-butter crackers.

Everett: OH!

Sheila grabs the treats from under the cabinet aware that Everett can now find the treats himself. Shows Everett how to pull treats out of the bag.

Everett: Here Kitty!

Everett chases The Kitty with an offering of tuna-salmon bits in his hand. The Kitty doesn't run for long as she catches the scent of food.

HEAVEN! Everett doesn't mind The Kitty's sharp teeth as he hand feeds her treats one by one.

After half the bag is gone (Sheila was indulging both of them in their sharing feast), Sheila puts the bag up noticing that Everett is again excited to see where the treats go. With the treats gone, Everett does try to offer peanut-butter crackers to The Kitty. The Kitty escapes out the front door before refusing the offering.

Everett and Sheila then share chocolate pudding. YUM!

Pics at 21 Months

By Everett's request, I took several pictures of him this afternoon (the Little Ham). So, the smiles can go along with the 21 Month Update.

Remember, he was as long as the bear when he was born.

All I have to do is ask him to, "Show me your teeth!"

At Play with RePurposing

As a former teacher, I still carry the habit of keeping and then repurposing . . . everything. My family knows very well the "icecream tubs" and "tennis balls" I would hunt down/beg for/steal and then repurpose. (Those phrases to this day make Erik grimace.)

For play, I am always reusing containers, boxes, paper, and anything else that can be manipulated. And, what person doesn't get a cheap thrill with the fact that a piece of trash occupied a toddler?

I keep all of the cards we get and use them when we read books. We are able to talk about the picture, why we received the card, and who sent the card to us. I love it when I am able to point to the picture of the person that sent the card to help make more meaning for him. (The homemade cards get thrashed first--so, I pull them out to keep before they are shredded. Most of these cards are from his 1st birthday.)

Everett loves our name badges for work. So, I made a badge of cards for him with old gift cards, hotel keys, and the fake plastic credit cards we get in the mail. He loves it. Recently, we have used the cards to talk about color. I never thought I would get this much mileage out of trash.

We also hang on to pictures and birth announcements. We get to talk about the people in the pictures and, really, what young toddlers aren't fascinated with the baby face.

One thing I have stopped repurposing is a variety of containers for bathtime. He would use them to displace the water from the tub as if he was on a sinking ship and bailing out water to save his life. He does have one old detergent cap that he uses to drink water out of from the tub faucet. Other than that, everything has else has holes.

Where is Dada?

Everett asks nonstop about Erik's location--all day, everyday.

Dada? Dada?

I am hoping that this will help him with some context when I say, "he is at work" or "he is at a meeting at church." I'll let you know how it goes. (I've been meaning to put this together for several weeks. I intend to populate it with actual pictures of Erik at his various places. For now, clipart will have to work.)

Those of you that know Erik best realize that at least one is missing . . . "P is for POOL"---Everett needs no context for that. He knows what that is. "phool--wawa--phool--wawa."

Chills and Thrills

Everett: The past week was pretty fun! I've added a couple more phrases to my daily speech. The most notable is "I see." My top wants every day are 1) Dada, 2) Car, 3) Trash truck, and 4) Kitty. I have been a very good listener recently, Mommy says, and I now keep my shoes on for more than 30 seconds. My only Chill for the week . . . nursery. I don't like that place.

Erik: I have been busy as usual. This weekend, I powerwashed and repaired our deck. I am waiting for it to dry out in order to seal it. This week is going to be pretty long as I have several large deadlines at work.

Sheila: I got a great start on redoing the basement ceiling. Nothing is really wrong with it, but I don't like the way it looks. So far, so good. We'll see where I am with it by the end of the week. Last Friday evening, Erik and Everett did DC as I cleaned out my office. My last day is on Friday. It was pretty rough being in the building and going through what I had left in my office. I was really sad.

We went to see a movie this past weekend. Do not even bother with Stepbrother. It is trash on the screen. Really. Really. Bad. We walked out on it and went into Mamma Mia--a MUCH better use of our money and time. We really enjoyed the movie (and Brosnan's singing debut--was interesting).

Celebrating 21!

Everett is now 21 months, and this pregnancy is 21 weeks along!

Update on Evy

Evy is talking more and more. The other day he was telling me about the cat, and when I didn't understand it was the CAT he was talking about, he paused, looked at me, and then said, "Meow!" I got it then.

Weight: 30 pounds

Clothes: 2T

Shoes: 7 1/2 extra wide

Socially

• The center of his universe is still Dada.
• He enjoys interacting with other kids; since most of his friends are older, he is usually found trying to mimic what they are doing (especially his cousin Preston).
• He is going through some separation issues right now, especially with Dada. He hates being left behind in nursery.
• It is common for him to want to give a "high five" or "the rock" to everyone we meet from the cashier, to the waiter, to the garbage man (he loves the garbage man). Often times, he even wants to give them a hug and kiss, too.
• He knows, usually, when he is up to no good. As he embarks upon a task of mischief, he usually perches on a step that is far from my sight. He has also been known to close all the doors between me and the room where the "up to no good" activity will ensue. When he is caught, he is very quick to stop and make amends.
• His way of saying sorry is to tilt his head to the right and lean in for a hug.

For Fun

• He is happiest when he is in a large open space with music and a bunch of balls. We dance everyday, several times a day, and it is fun to see how he develops his dance moves. Right now he has a floor routine! It is hysterical! And the fave music is SALSA!
• Everett usually is the one that initiates reading books. He can be found pulling a book to just look at by himself. His favorite activity while in the car (if there aren't any trucks around) is reading his books, especially the truck books.
• He loves his cat. (If it were not for Everett's devotion to the cat, the cat would be gone.) He loves to pet and scratch her. He loves to give her hugs, and he is always letting me know that the cat needs something if he thinks I haven't responded in a timely manner to the cat's demands.
• This kid is a giggler. He is extremely ticklish and we make the most of that. His sense of humor is continually being refined; today he decided to flash his brilliant "teethy" smile, and we were very blinded by the brilliance, which he found totally funny. It is so fun to see him initiate humor.
• He is a developing singer; though he might be tone deaf. In church, when we are singing the hymns, he sings right along with us, very LOUDLY! He will also sing along to his lullabies at night and to country music when it is playing in the car.

Tid Bits

• We haven't started potty training, but he is showing signs of readiness. He understands what happens in the potty and usually wants to participate by putting a square of toilet paper in the toilet before we flush (no, we don't get to use the bathroom by ourselves anymore) and say "bye-bye" to the contents of the bowl.
• He is a terrific eater but still is not a fan of raw fruit. He loves PB &J, chicken, lima beans, dipping sauce (any sauce to dip whatever in), cherrios, hot dogs, dried fruit, WATER, cheese, crackers, and yogurt. Is not a fan of milk or green beans.
• He loves to look at himself in the mirror after getting dressed in the morning. He actually wants to look in every mirror in the house after getting dressed. Sometimes he helps me pick out his clothes; sometimes he would rather run around naked and fights me tooth and nail in getting dressed.
• He has to have two of everything. Two water bottles, two blankies, two crackers, and even suggests to us that we have two, too.
• He hates having his nails clipped or having anything on his feet.

Physically

• We see little residual from his acid reflux days. Usually, when we see a cough or runny nose, we see the sensitive gag reflux (so we end up feeling like we are treating the stomach flu and the cough).
• He is working on walking fast and on his climbing skills. He is attempting to go up and down stairs without holding onto anything.
• The other day he wanted to show me how well he was "kikning" the ball. It was so great to see him 1) show something off, 2) get a new word, and 3) show a skill that we've been really working towards mastering.

What does he think about babies? He is actually a fan. Since Baby Riley has been around the house recently, he has learned to share attention from Dada and Momma a bit. (has the hardest time sharing Dada) He loves to play with Riley, give her kisses, and just watch her. He loves to hug and kiss the baby doll that we have in the toy box.

Does he know there is a baby coming? Well, I've tried to explain the growing tummy. And, I can tell he is trying to understand when I explain it, but I don't think he has any idea.

Update on Baby S

Due Date: Early December

Estimated Weight: 1 pound

Though the pounds still aren't packing for me, my body is changing. I am obviously pregnant (past the "looking like I'm hitting the ho-ho" stage and well into I look pregnant stage) and completely off balance. Twice this weekend I tripped down or up stairs.

Today at the mid-pregnancy sonogram, the baby was constantly moving and making the sonographer work for her money. Though, I must admit that she didn't make me go pee or turn upside down like with Everett's scan in order to get shots of all his innards.

The baby's anatomy is great. And, no, we did not find out the sex of the baby. We're holding out until Baby S is born for that detail. We were able to see the scans on a big flat screen TV placed right in front of us (no craning the neck to see the sonographer's screen) and, as you can see from the picture above, she did take a facial picture with their cool 3D/4D wand.

The baby is completely head first right now--WAY down in my pelvic area. Explains the extreme discomfort I've been having. In fact, when they did the internal probe to check the cervix, we saw 1) the cervix and 2) the crown of a head at the same time. The baby was pushing right against the cervix. I don't want another eager beaver baby.

As far as the cervix (cause I know all of you are really wanting that detail), the cervix is fine. Looking good! I was hoping that this was my last trip to their office for awhile (I go to a high-risk sonogram facility). But, since Everett was low and then I started having cervical problems, and now this baby is low, I get to go at least two more times.

I know I shouldn't feel inconvenienced by that, but it is just such an effort to go. And, part of me doesn't want to go because I don't want to have these concerns; I don't want to have to need to go. I don't want cervical problems or preterm labor looming over me. So, I'll suck it up and let that be the end of the complaining.

Happy, Happy, Twenty-One!

Cool Stuff . . . Two Quick Summer Reads

I just finished two books that were absolutely enjoyable and fairly quick to read. It kind of helps that they are Young Adult fiction, but the quality and the discussion in the books transcends any age limits one might place on them.


The first book I want to share is the third of a series by Suzanne Fisher Staples. I highly recommend reading the other two books before this one (Haveli and Shabanu; they are equally as strong and quick to read, too). The book is called The House of Djinn and is about the fall-out of decisions made by an older generation on two teenagers. I would especially recommend the book to those who get sick of many children's books being set in the US and are ready to learn about a different culture, a different way of life. The book itself doesn't delve super deep into cultural nuances, but you get enough of a sense to start guiding you in learning about how someone else lives.

The second book is True Believer, the sequel to Make Lemonade, and is written by Virginia Euwer Wolff (author of two other notable books Bat Six and The Mozart Season). I haven't read Make Lemonade, but it is on my reading list now. The book's structure and the text on the page aren't the in typical paragraph form, but that is what makes it such a quick read and I think it also influences how you connect to the main character, LaVaughn. She is in mid-turmoil that comes with being a teenager, and I found myself either cheering outloud or moaning to the choices she makes. It is an incredible story about understanding how to overcome struggles, the development of friendship, and even touches the struggle to understand God. The resolution of some of the elements of the plot are a bit unbelievable, but go with it. I'm sure it will make more sense in the final book of the series that Wolff is writing now.

All I Need to Know, I Learned from Girl's Camp?

As I was putting Everett down for his nap this afternoon, I realized that one of the songs I sing to him I learned at my church's Girl's Camp. I went to Girl's Camp in the Texas heat almost every summer from the age of 12 to 17.

I then started thinking about all the things I learned at Girl's Camp and used (and still use) when I was back in real life after the grime and yuck had been cleaned from my hair. Who would have thought a week of sleeping in TENTS (that's right, no sissy camping here), hiking to a toilet, rotating through classes, and cooking over a fire would have such a powerful connection into what I am today (a couple of decades later):

• How to repel mosquitoes (and don't eat bananas, they love it when you eat bananas)
• Songs, songs, and songs (most of the songs I sing Everett I learned at Girl's Camp)
• How to pitch a tent and arrange it so I don't get wet if it rains (it is all about the trenches, people)
• How to cook, including how to make sore thumbs (YUM!)
• First Aid (especially taking care of bee stings and ticks)
• How to include everyone, especially reaching that girl that is unreachable
• All things about the night sky
• What plants to touch and not to touch
• How to NOT get chiggers (obviously didn't use this bit of knowledge earlier this year)
• How to kill poisonous snakes
• What bugs are dangerous
• How to bag trash so raccoons won't get it (okay, so I've used this once after camp)
• The bucket seat is the only way to go to carry your stuff and have a place to sit

That doesn't even touch on the friendships I developed, which resulted in the greatest part of what I carried back from camp in affecting who I am today. It doesn't touch on the crazy "catch phrases" that bring back an entirely hysterical episode:

• She has a hairy butt???
• Shaving cream fight
• JAWS
• Snorting out nuts and grape juice

And this synopsis doesn't even capture how much these experiences developed my testimony, taught me how to be a better daughter of God and a follower of Christ's teachings. But, it happened.

Who knew?

Cool Stuff . . . The Sweet Stuff

I enjoy creating desserts the most out of all the cooking options.

When I need some inspiration--

In cyberspace, I start here:

Bakerella

Build a Cake--

I just love this application. So creative!

A Year of Crockpotting

Cupcake Bake Shop

Pimp My Dinner

Cupcakes Takes the Cake

Epicurious

Dessert First
KimVallee--

Much more than desserts

In person:

Amphora

And, my newest love for desserts and all things sweet

my bread maker--

I never cook the bread in the machine;

I just use it to make the more complicated yeast doughs.

Everywhere in nature we are taught the lessons of patience and waiting. We want things a long time before we get them,and the fact that we wanted them a long time makes them all the more precious when they come.
Joseph F. Smith

Chills and Thrills

It was a busy, busy week for all of us. Highlights include: Sheila going out to lunch with coworkers while Erik watched Everett. Erik reconnecting with a friend over dinner.

Thanks to Erik and Phillip's help, the sink is now IN! We'll post pictures after it is all done--still waiting to decide about the door. Sheila has her supplies out to do some patchwork on the basement ceiling and do some repainting in various areas of the house.

The Moores came over to play for the weekend, and we had a fabulous time. It was filled with the National Zoo, dinner at Ella's with a cranky waitress (which always makes for a great laugh), pool-time, late night talks, a story about Kentucky, and just enjoying play with the kids.

Sheila is back to the land of the living. It was a great week for cooking and eating. She still doesn't do smells and avoids getting too hot. If she can do that, she can avoid visiting that porcelain deity, the toilet.

Everett is using more language and putting more and more simple sentences together.

• Today he walked into the house after a walk with his dad and yelled, "CAKE!" He had caught the scent of the oatmeal cookies his mom had made. (It is amazing the connections that are put together with no overt instruction from the parent.)
• In Sacrament today, he scampered to the door that leads to the hallways and when he saw that his dad hadn't followed him (Dad was hoping he would scamper back to our pew), Everett yelled,"Dadada! Mememe!"
• He wants to have the movie Cars playing all day long. He can't sit still enough to watch more than 15 minutes of it, but as soon as he remembers that he isn't watching, he wants it going.
• The physical therapist is pleased with his continued progress and feels that he'll be "graduated" from services fairly soon.

"READ! MMEEEE!"

On Sunday as Erik and I were finishing up getting ready for church, Everett screamed, "READ! MMEEEE!" from the living room.

He was sitting on the couch with his "Mater" book expectantly looking up for someone to come and read to him. I didn't even know he could say the word "read"--he usually comes toddling over to you and saying,"book." And, it was the first time he referred to himself with a word.

Later in the day as we were getting out of the car, I went to the front door to open it and Erik went around to the other side of the car to fetch Everett. Everett didn't see his dad coming, and in a moment of fear that he was being left behind, he screamed,"MMEEE!!"

Today in a desperate move to get Everett up the stairs to bed (still trying not to carry him these days) I grabbed his blanket and started walking up the stairs hoping he would follow. He did. And he told me all the way up that the blanket was his,"MMEE!!"

Additionally, the new hierarchy for veggies goes like this:
1) lima beans
2) carrots
3) peas
4) corn
and those green beans, NO WAY!

I found out at dinner and thought I would pass it along to you. Just a nugget of Evy wisdom.