Ode to my kids

My kids are so wonderful, I love them so much. My favorite thing is to watch them use their imaginations and create play. I love it when they come up with new ways to play all on their own. No amount of nagging, or ideas from me would have produced this. Kids don't need nintendo Wii's or DS's or playstations, or expensive anything. They just need to be kicked out of doors every so often and told to go play.

Last week I took this picture after hearing an immense amount of popping in the garage, something akin to machine guns going off. I went to take a look and found them riding their scooters over a huge sheet of bubble wrap. I'd given it to them after it came in a box that arrived from UPS (Kenna had stayed with us the night before and she proudly explained that the box was from her dad's work!) I thought they'd take the bubble wrap outside and stomp on it, to pop the bubbles, because of course that's what I would have done. But Sam and the girls took it a step further; run the wheels of the scooter over it and it makes an even cooler noise.

My heavens, we loved playing outside when I was a kid. I remember pretending to be pioneers coming across the plains and hiding in a grove of trees for warmth and shelter. (It was really windy and there was this little grove of scrub oak right above our house. Rosie, Kit, Char, Mandi, and I used it for a clubhouse and many other hide-outs of sorts.)

Then there are the times when we set up town in Kit's basement. Someone was the store owner (Dotti's food storage), there was a postal worker (Kit's Dad's huge desk that had really cool cubbyholes for mail slots), the librarian (wall to wall bookshelves), which were just a few of the really cool jobs. (I think Dotti must have had the patience of Job to let us play town down there because I swear we'd keep it like that for weeks!)

I remember setting up a a little Italian restaurant in our unfinished basement. Mom bought us those little tiny mini pizza's and she'd cook them and let us serve them to our friends.

Then there was always riding big wheels down the hill past Kit's house, and then into our front lawn. It's amazing that I only remember one kid going through the lawn to the other side and falling over the edge.

I am thankful for my kids because they help me to remember what fun I had as a kid. I'm trying not to take their little-ness for granted. Mary wishes every day that she would stay little. Me too, Mary, I wish you'd stay little forever.

Why do I blog?

The Girls: Fish, Ang, Kristie, Kit, Noelle, and Me

I went to dinner the other night with my favorite girlfriends from High School and collage. We had a wonderful time as usual chatting about things and catching up. As with every time we get together, we each take turns telling about what is going on in our lives and such. When it came time for my turn, I found myself going through my recent blogs in my mind, recounting some of the things my kids and I have been doing lately. I love to blog because it helps me remember what I do each day. I am losing brain cells daily, maybe early stages of Alzheimers, but it is so cool when I blog because it helps me to remember that I am a good mom, I do fun things with my kids, and I have awesome talents and hobbies. I can go back and read my earlier blogs, and think 'wow, I'm really cool!' So here's to me! Yeah Jen! (Positive self-talk really helps!)

All Aboard!

Tuesday, the 16th, was our futile attempt to see the Disney Christmas Carol train. After arriving, amidst utter chaos, (I don't think the marketing people knew how many people would show up for something in Utah that is FREE and Disney!) we were told we'd have to wait in a 3 1/2 hour line to get onto a stationary train. Yeah, I don't think so! We had some kids that were disappointed but they were pretty good; they didn't want to wait in that line either!

We saw a little train that appeared to be giving people rides, so we get in line and waited for an hour. This little tiny train, which was actually the shuttle from Union Station over to FrontRunner, took us over to FrontRunner, and when the conductor told us to exit, I said in my best Bill King voice, "Yeah, I don't think so, all of our cars are over at Union Station, we're NOT getting off here. Nobody is getting off, so if you'd kindly take us back over to Union Station, that would be great, thanks!" He just looked at me and hurried and shut the train door, muttered under his breath that there wasn't anybody to pick up at that stop anyway, and quickly got back on the train.

So we drove all the way to Ogden for another little ride and some pics on the big trains and a little water in the fountain. It's all good. You win some, you lose some right!?! Oh and there were warm doughnuts waiting for us when we got back to my car. What could be better than that!

I forgot to mention that the kids got these little backpacks and some Jonas Brothers necklaces too. Yippee!



One more thing of note, in our quest to see what the fuss was all about, I ask some guy with an American Family Insurance shirt on, 'What's the deal here, what are we supposed to do?' He says, 'Well you get on the train, and there's some really cool stuff all about Charles Dickenson." What, you gotta be kidding me, get a brain guy! I knew we were in trouble right then.

Sam's assignment: take pictures of something unusual

My not-so-secret garden :)

I wanted to take pics before everything started growing but as is always the case, I didn't get around to it till much later. We have lettuce already grown and tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, peas, corn, carrots, and cucumbers that are thriving in the compost, peat moss, and vermiculite that we mixed ourselves.

I've always loved planting flowers and vegetables and watching them grow. It gives me a certain kind of satisfaction that makes me feel one with myself, my grandma (who loved to grow things), and with the Lord. I know some of you will probably laugh but being part of the growing process is very spiritual and very healthy for me. It's wonderful therapy.

Here's a picture of the plants before any of the fruits have developed. More to come.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

I have some of the coolest friends on earth. My friend Mauri called me yesterday afternoon and said that they had an extra ticket for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and asked if I would like to go with them. I had no idea it was playing at Capitol Theater. I, of course, said yes! (I was having a cozy little nap on a rainy Saturday afternoon so I had to hurry up and get all pretty to go. Good thing my phone woke me up!)

We went to a yummy pizza place, NYPD Pizza, reminiscent of NYC, and then we drove up to Capitol Theater.

Capitol Theater is one of favorite places on earth. I have so many fond memories there. Seeing The Nutcracker there as a little girl and as a big girl, watching Les Miserables a couple of times, being there to see Kit strut her stuff in the teen model fashion show, singing as one the monks in Carmina Burana while in the Acapella choir in college, and definitely remembering how we stood outside the theater, hoping for our names to be drawn in the lottery for Wicked. It is a wonderful old theater full of mystery and charm. In my imagination and my dreams, I have the voice to be able to be the one singing and dancing on stage. (Maybe in another life!)

Chitty Chitty did not let me down. It was fabulous. The performers were very talented. I especially loved the little children who played Jeremy and Jermina Potts. They were unbelievable. I am always in awe of children in the theater who can sing and act as if it's nobodies business. The actor who did Caractacus Potts was also very charming and did a wonderful job. It was so fun.

Thanks again to Mauri and Tiff for inviting me. You guys know how much I love the theater!

Braving the weather

I have no idea why Sarah is licking my knee. Strange, I know.

This is Sarah showing me how she can swim under water. I didn't know she was such a fish.

Mary, trying to get warm after being in the kiddie pool.

My son, Tarzan.



Well after a whole week or two of rain on and off, we decided to try to get to Seven Peaks and brave whatever the skies had to dish out. It was overcast and 60's when we got there but it did warm up and the sun came out to play. We had a great time. Here are some pics to prove it.

More of Sarah...

So I guess she's been the one in the family lately with the most problems! I wanted to post this picture of her because it's classic. She got bit by a spider or a mosquito the other night and her cheek just ballooned right up. I took her to the doctor but it wasn't infected or anything. Sarah just has super sensitive skin and anything causes her a reaction! (She obviously did NOT want me to take a picture! She's too young to care, right? Wrong!)