When I first heard of the Hershey Meet I thought, now there is something I could compete in - I am pretty confident I could make a real good showing in any contest featuring chocolate. But of course, as I am sure you all know, Hershey sponsors Track Meets for children and other than giving them quite a nice stash of candy at the state meet it really doesn't have anything to do with chocolate. Despite that, they are still a really good thing.
I think it is awesome that these kids have the opportunity to compete first against their local area, their district, the state and even the nation. It provides them with an opportunity to try something new, it gives them a chance to shine. I really think kids today need that, they need to know they can succeed- they need to feel like they are good, maybe even the best at something. Of course that is not going to be track or even sports for many of the children, but it is one opportunity to find out. There needs to be similar competition in a wide variety of activities.
OK be forewarned, here I go on a tangent, so just skip ahead a few paragraphs to get back to the Hershey Track meet.
I think today society spends a lot of time being politically correct and trying to protect children by making sure no one fails or that "no child is left behind". I think that more than protecting children this is keeping children from getting the opportunity to get ahead. They are keeping all the kids in a tight little pack teaching them that they are all equal - no one is less than and therefore no one is more than anyone else. While I believe that it goes without saying that children need to know that as a person they are just as valuable as any other person who walks the earth, I believe they also need to learn that they are an individual with unique talents, skills and aptitudes. I think it is okay for them to know they will not be good at everything, they may not be as beautiful as the girl next door, or as smart as the boy in their science class, or as athletic as the kid down the street. They may not be a lot of things - but they are "something" their job is to figure out what it is and go with it. Instead of agonizing over what we don't have or aren't good at we need to find what we do have and capitalize on that. Along with that we need to teach our children to celebrate in other peoples successes instead of taking it as a personal afront.
I believe that one of the most important things a parent can do for their child is to provide them with enough experiences in a variety of areas that they can find what it is they are passionate about, what it is they excel at, what is their "thing" that they can lead the pack in. I believe that there is something out there for every single child. But I also believe that to often we are too afraid of our children feeling like failures that we keep them from succeeding. Failing is an important part of succeeding, in fact it is critical. I recently read a blog that talked about if you aren't failing then you are not pushing your abilities to the edge of the envelope, and if you are not at the edge you are not stretching yourself. (http://wilshipley.com/blog/2005/11/failure-is-success.html) Real success comes when you push yourself beyond your perceived breaking point and realize you didn't break. Each one of those little "realizations' enables us to view our breaking point just a little higher. As we look up we should set our sights on the plateaus that seem unreachable, but as we climb and turn around and look down we realize that those same plateaus were simply stepping stones.
The Hershey Track meet has given my children this kind of experience. Last night Taylor competed in the district track meet. This was not his first district meet, last year he took first at district. In fact last year his district jump would have gotten him around 4th in nationals. He was really good, he knew he was really good. He went in to State a little over confident and unprepared, he scratched once and fell back twice. He thought no problem I'll just do it next year. This year came along and while he still has those same amazing jumping legs he has also had another birthday. Last year he was at the top of his age bracket. This year he is at the very bottom. He has had to fight for every win. He has fought.
At the local meet last year, his very first jump ever he almost hit 6 feet. The measuring official turned to me kind of raised his eyebrows and said, wow - that was good, real good. The rest of the boys were in the 4 1/2- 5 ft range. So I set my sights on 6 feet. The next jump put him there. At that point I knew he had something. I started talking to him about practicing and learning "how" to jump. At first he resisted but soon he was out in the backyard swinging those arms jumping over and over again. He spent hours on the trampoline building up his leg muscles. He was pushing for that 1/2 inch more than the last jump. Well he has 1/2 inched his way up.
As he got in line last night I couldn't help but notice the other boys, some a whole head taller than him and much more filled out. I noticed the girls in that age group. Puberty has obviously found its way into the lives of some of these kids he is now grouped with - it scared me, in a lot of ways. He was followed by a pretty big boy. I saw the disbelief and shock in his eyes when the jump was marked at 7 foot. 7 foot a plateau we had never seen reached before at any meet he had participated in. It only got worse a 7 foot 2 jump, another 7. We were with the big boys now. Taylor responded by pushing it a bit harder each time. 6 71/2 and then 6 10 1/2. His final jump was good I could tell it was, he could tell it was. It was marked and read. 7 foot. When I heard the official I was excited and proud but when I turned to Taylor and our eyes meet I was overcome. It was a look of shock, disbelief and pride all at once. He did it. He hit 7, a mark he never thought he would. He did what thought he couldn't do. On the tape the mark at 6 101/2 may not be that far from the 7. But in his head it was.
While we were waiting for the results he asked me if I thought he would get in the top 3. I told him, "I really don't know, it will be close but does it matter." "No" he said shaking his head. "I jumped 7".
Friday, June 19, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Pets on the run
While in Ohio a few weeks ago I helped hunt for a runaway hamster. An experience that called for all the courage I could muster. The little thing had escaped its cage and been on the run for a few days. It was assumed he had gotten outside and had made a nice snack for a neighborhood cat. But then he was spotted late one night, he had apparently been enjoying his freedom running though the dark house living off dropped crumbs and the leavings of small children. He was finally apprehended and returned to his cage with no apparent damage. So when Taylor came to me asking where Jr. was I brushed it off. My first thought was, Jr is a turtle he is in his turtle tank. It is not like he can really run away or anything. I assumed he was hiding under a rock or something and sent Taylor to re investigate. Not there. My next assumption was Dallin had taken him on a bit of an outing to visit the neighbors horny toads. Something Dallin likes to do, both being reptilish things he assumes they could be friends. I told Taylor not to worry about it. Well next morning Dallin went to feed Jr and found an empty tank. I asked him if he had taken Jr. to the neighbors. He said he was sure he hadn't taken him out of the tank at all. Same story from all the kids. So we went turtle hunting.
Being rodents I know hamsters eat all kind of little crumbs and things, I wasn't so sure if that was true of turtles. We feed him goldfish, crickets, and turtle sticks. I was pretty sure there where none of those things lurking about under our couches so I was a bit worried about him starving to death. Jr. also likes to swim-pretty much all day. So without water I wasn't sure how long he would survive. I fully expected to find a shell with a rotting turtle inside. After about only 10 minutes of looking and a prayer or two, we found Jr. under the bed. He was perfectly still with his head scrunched in. I warned the kids he might be dead. Dallin's screech of "he's moving, he's moving" calmed that fear. So we stuck him back in and went about our day.
I assumed someone had gotten him out and put him down and forgotten about him. Jr. lives in a big aquarium filled with water, with glass sides, that is about 4 feet off the ground. This is not wonder pets, Turtles simply can not fly. A few days later the tank is again missing a turtle. This time I immediately sent the troops searching. They turned over every couch, cleaned out under all the beds, and looked in every nook and cranny. I was getting a bit worried. I did not want a rotting turtle to smell up my basement. I wondered if he could climb stairs. So I went looking. Still no turtle. I was getting desperate especially because I had seen both Taylor and Dallin drop to their knees pleading for Jr. safe return. I wanted their faith rewarded. So I decided to try the storage room again. I got a flashlight and got down on my stomach to look under the shelves, which took a lot of courage on my part, how creepy to come face to face with a reptile. Anyway I had gotten through pretty much the whole room when I spotted a bit of a bumpy brown thing. I called Dallin in to investigate. It was the very edge of Jr. shell sticking out from between the freezer and a sleeping bag. I again warned Dallin that he wasn't moving so might be dead. But once Dallin grabbed him he started squirming. I had Dallin cover the tank - I wasn't dealing with anymore roaming reptiles. A few days later on my way to start some laundry I happened to glance in my boys room, something I try to avoid, and saw Jr, scurrying - as fast as turtles can scurry anyway, across their bedroom. I started screaming for Dallin. I wasn't sure what to do, I couldn't let him get away yet I just couldn't bring myself to touch him either. I dumped out the laundry basket preparing to trap him when Dallin showed up. So I decided I better investigate his tank. Something I should have done a lot earlier. The top was still on but there is a side panel that snaps on to allow you to get the filter on and off easier. It was missing. Jr's climbing rock was next to that side. All it took was a climb up on the rock and he was up high enough to crawl out that hole. Why the kids hadn't noticed this I am not sure. But the tank is back together, the rock is on the other side of the tank and the turtle is where he belongs. I have had enough of escaping pets.
I have laid down the law where the birds are concerned. No getting them out of their cage. Well the kids pretty much respect that rule. They don't get the birds out, they just get in with them. I guess I can handle that, in fact if I wasn't so scared of the neighbors calling child protective services I would just shut them in there. No roaming pets, no roaming kids - I could get used to that.
Being rodents I know hamsters eat all kind of little crumbs and things, I wasn't so sure if that was true of turtles. We feed him goldfish, crickets, and turtle sticks. I was pretty sure there where none of those things lurking about under our couches so I was a bit worried about him starving to death. Jr. also likes to swim-pretty much all day. So without water I wasn't sure how long he would survive. I fully expected to find a shell with a rotting turtle inside. After about only 10 minutes of looking and a prayer or two, we found Jr. under the bed. He was perfectly still with his head scrunched in. I warned the kids he might be dead. Dallin's screech of "he's moving, he's moving" calmed that fear. So we stuck him back in and went about our day.
I assumed someone had gotten him out and put him down and forgotten about him. Jr. lives in a big aquarium filled with water, with glass sides, that is about 4 feet off the ground. This is not wonder pets, Turtles simply can not fly. A few days later the tank is again missing a turtle. This time I immediately sent the troops searching. They turned over every couch, cleaned out under all the beds, and looked in every nook and cranny. I was getting a bit worried. I did not want a rotting turtle to smell up my basement. I wondered if he could climb stairs. So I went looking. Still no turtle. I was getting desperate especially because I had seen both Taylor and Dallin drop to their knees pleading for Jr. safe return. I wanted their faith rewarded. So I decided to try the storage room again. I got a flashlight and got down on my stomach to look under the shelves, which took a lot of courage on my part, how creepy to come face to face with a reptile. Anyway I had gotten through pretty much the whole room when I spotted a bit of a bumpy brown thing. I called Dallin in to investigate. It was the very edge of Jr. shell sticking out from between the freezer and a sleeping bag. I again warned Dallin that he wasn't moving so might be dead. But once Dallin grabbed him he started squirming. I had Dallin cover the tank - I wasn't dealing with anymore roaming reptiles. A few days later on my way to start some laundry I happened to glance in my boys room, something I try to avoid, and saw Jr, scurrying - as fast as turtles can scurry anyway, across their bedroom. I started screaming for Dallin. I wasn't sure what to do, I couldn't let him get away yet I just couldn't bring myself to touch him either. I dumped out the laundry basket preparing to trap him when Dallin showed up. So I decided I better investigate his tank. Something I should have done a lot earlier. The top was still on but there is a side panel that snaps on to allow you to get the filter on and off easier. It was missing. Jr's climbing rock was next to that side. All it took was a climb up on the rock and he was up high enough to crawl out that hole. Why the kids hadn't noticed this I am not sure. But the tank is back together, the rock is on the other side of the tank and the turtle is where he belongs. I have had enough of escaping pets.
I have laid down the law where the birds are concerned. No getting them out of their cage. Well the kids pretty much respect that rule. They don't get the birds out, they just get in with them. I guess I can handle that, in fact if I wasn't so scared of the neighbors calling child protective services I would just shut them in there. No roaming pets, no roaming kids - I could get used to that.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Sunglasses
Last year I went on a marvelous trip to the Carribbean with my husband. In preperation for this I thought I would spring for a new pair of sunglasses. I went out and got them and proudly modeled them for Rick. He just kind of looked at me and ask where I got them. He didn't have a hard time believing me when I replied, "The Dollar Store, of course"(that is where I always get them). He simply said something like, "you get what you pay for". Well ever since then I have been kind of toying with the idea of buying real sunglasses.
I don't think I have ever had any before. Maybe when I was a kid since they didn't have dollar stores back then- but I don't really remember. So last weekend while we were shopping with my Mom I tried some on. Rick and I had a good time putting them on and sizing oursleves up in the tiny little mirrors they kindly supply for you to see yourself. When I noticed they were on sale I started wondering if today would be the day to actually do it. Buy my first pair of non dollar store sun glasses. Well I found a pair I thought were tolerable and went to show Tess. She immediately said, No and shook her head. So I went back to try again, and again and again. Well finally she said - I like those. The problem was it was the first pair I had tired on, so I didn't know if she had finally come to realize that no pair would look good and was getting tired of the game or she really liked them. I decided not to stress myself out over it so I just bought them. I think Rick was pretty glad I did too because at the check out stand they had a basket of shoe horns. Rick really likes shoe horns so he inquired after the price - it made his day when the checker said, "oh they are free you can have one." He was thrilled with his free shoe horn, I was thrilled that I now owned sunglasses that cost more than a dollar and Kevin and Tess were most likely thrilled to be done with our insanity.
I don't think I have ever had any before. Maybe when I was a kid since they didn't have dollar stores back then- but I don't really remember. So last weekend while we were shopping with my Mom I tried some on. Rick and I had a good time putting them on and sizing oursleves up in the tiny little mirrors they kindly supply for you to see yourself. When I noticed they were on sale I started wondering if today would be the day to actually do it. Buy my first pair of non dollar store sun glasses. Well I found a pair I thought were tolerable and went to show Tess. She immediately said, No and shook her head. So I went back to try again, and again and again. Well finally she said - I like those. The problem was it was the first pair I had tired on, so I didn't know if she had finally come to realize that no pair would look good and was getting tired of the game or she really liked them. I decided not to stress myself out over it so I just bought them. I think Rick was pretty glad I did too because at the check out stand they had a basket of shoe horns. Rick really likes shoe horns so he inquired after the price - it made his day when the checker said, "oh they are free you can have one." He was thrilled with his free shoe horn, I was thrilled that I now owned sunglasses that cost more than a dollar and Kevin and Tess were most likely thrilled to be done with our insanity.
Running Attire
Soda Springs does quite a nice little 4th of July for such a small little town. We like to go up for it. One of the events we enjoy is the annual 5k. We enjoyed it last year anyway and are planning to run it this year too. Well my Mom has also decided to run it. I am so impressed with this, I almost burst a pride button. She has been working really hard to prepare. Kevin and Tess also started training and not to be left out Rick has started hitting the treadmill too. So I am a bit nervous that I will be left in the dust. I decided to check out the competition. So memorial day weekend I went for a little run with my Mom and then the next day we all (Rick, Mom and me) went running with Kevin and Tess. It was quite fun. They have obviously been training - they are all doing great. I am not as nervous as I was but I can see that I will have to get serious.
That afternoon we went shoe shopping with my Mom. She needed some new running shoes. So we headed out to the Sports Authority. Rick and I just kind of wandered around a bit and I decided to try on some running clothes just for fun. The funny thing about Sports Authority is they don't have separate Men's and Women's dressing rooms- you just all go in together. So Rick and I shared a room. It was kind of weird to have him in there watching me try on these little clothes designed with skinny people in mind. They were quite comfortable and did a great job of showing off my fat rolls. I put it back on the hanger and started getting dressed. Rick picked them up and left. Next thing I knew he was headed my way with a sack in his hand. He had just went and bought them. I was horrified. He thought they looked good, apparently he wasn't looking at them while they were on me. Anyway so I got new workout clothes. Believe it or not I love them. It is a wick away shirt (or something like that) and it does do a great job of wicking away my sweat. I have not got any of those painful raw rashes that used to linger under my arms since I started wearing it. As for showing off my fat rolls - oh well - maybe I will just have to run so fast no one can see them bobbing up and down.
That afternoon we went shoe shopping with my Mom. She needed some new running shoes. So we headed out to the Sports Authority. Rick and I just kind of wandered around a bit and I decided to try on some running clothes just for fun. The funny thing about Sports Authority is they don't have separate Men's and Women's dressing rooms- you just all go in together. So Rick and I shared a room. It was kind of weird to have him in there watching me try on these little clothes designed with skinny people in mind. They were quite comfortable and did a great job of showing off my fat rolls. I put it back on the hanger and started getting dressed. Rick picked them up and left. Next thing I knew he was headed my way with a sack in his hand. He had just went and bought them. I was horrified. He thought they looked good, apparently he wasn't looking at them while they were on me. Anyway so I got new workout clothes. Believe it or not I love them. It is a wick away shirt (or something like that) and it does do a great job of wicking away my sweat. I have not got any of those painful raw rashes that used to linger under my arms since I started wearing it. As for showing off my fat rolls - oh well - maybe I will just have to run so fast no one can see them bobbing up and down.
Monday, June 1, 2009
A Dream Came True
About 23 years, or so, ago I went on a trip with my family to visit our Arizona relatives. It was a long way away and very hot when we got there. I have just a few distinct memories of that trip. One of which was I was sitting in my Aunt Jean's kitchen when my Grandma arrived. She came in the kitchen and said hi to everyone going around hugging and kissing. When she got to me she said, "Hi how are you - are you a neighbor friend." I didn't know what to say but luckily Aunt Jean was there and said, "Mother, this is Amy - don't you even know your own Granddaughter" Well Grandma laughed and was very embarrassed and then asked me if I wanted to go with her to run a little errand. I think she felt bad that she didn't recognize me. I had gotten pretty fat so I don't really blame her.
Another distinct memory I had also happened at Aunt Jeans house. All the adults went somewhere and we were downstairs listening to Micheal Jackson music. Greg or Steven (I think- one of my cousins anyway) was telling us how cool Micheal Jackson was and showing us his white glove. I wandered in to one of the boys bedrooms and noticed they had a window well. In Oregon most people didn't have basements so window wells weren't a common site for me. Especially this one because it had a bird living in it. I was so impressed. I don't remember what kind of bird it was or anything else about it but I remember I wanted one and I wanted it to live in my window well. So I promised myself that one day I would get a window well and a bird to put in it.
Well that someday is here. 7 years ago I got some window wells and yesterday I got some birds to put in it. Ever since we moved in I have been biding my time waiting for the right moment, Rick thought it was a ridiculous idea, it took him a while to see I was really serious and then he started throwing out all the reasons why that wasn't the brightest plan ever. The biggest hindrances was the winter. It gets a lot colder in Utah then it does in Parakeet land. I actually don't know where they are found naturally - probably South America. But where ever it is I am pretty certain it doesn't snow. So my thought was I would just let them go and they would fly south for the winter. Rick looked at me like I wasn't the brightest girl ever and just shook his head. I guess I didn't really want the poor little things to freeze to death so I put it off. Well I mentioned my brilliant plan to a neighbor. For once someone saw the brilliance of it and he went out and bought himself some parakeets to put in his window well. I waited to see how well they would winter. I wanted to know if they would die or not when the snows came. Well winter is over and he not only has the two parakeets he started with they had 4 babies and she is sitting on several more eggs now. So his success was my green light.
First I had to build them a home. It turned out like all my wood projects. Ok- but kind of resembling something your cub scout would bring home from day camp. I can't cut straight to save my life which makes everything a little skewed. I also just used scrap wood so it definately could be prettier looking. But it's done and hasn't fallen apart yet. I then had to get some plants to make their "habitat". My neighbor said just to use fake plants so I headed for the DI. I got this tree thing that someone had made by taking two branches and screwing them together. Not the nicest thing but since I buried the bottom you can't really tell. It only cost $2. I put it in but needed a bit more so I went back. There were several trees there. The first one I looked at was a bit ragged and it was $5. The other 3 trees were $15. So being the cheapo that I am I opted for the raggedy $5 tree. I stuck it in my cart and pushed it around a while. Then I noticed another price tag on on of the leaves. $15. Just like all the other trees. I was stunned. I didn't know what to do, I really wanted the tree but not for $15. So (here comes the bad part- no I didn't pull the tag off even though I wanted to) I went up to the cashier and plopped my tree right up on the counter being careful to turn it so the $5 price tag was showing. She rang it up as $5 and then went on to the other items, I was feeling really guilty so I said, "Um this one has 2 price tags," and kind of pointed at it. She just smiled at me. She was, ya know, a DI worker (kinda special) so I am not sure if she understood what I was talking about. I just smiled back said "Have a nice day" and took my tree and ran. I have felt guilty about it all weekend. I think next Sunday I will add an extra $10 to the humanitarian aid thing on my tithing.
So back to the birds. I got the trees and the house all in and it was looking pretty good. I hung some branches around, and then needed little food and water bowls. I thought it would look neat to have coconut shells hanging around for them to eat from or swing on, kinda a jungle tropical theme. So I went looking for coconut shells at the dollar store. They didn't have any so I just bought a coconut. I didn't think it could be all that hard to cut it open and scoop out the white part. Well those things are a lot harder than I thought. I tried sawing it and cracking it was a hammer - nothing. I tried to talk Rick into taking the circular saw to it, but my husband is a bit smarter than I so he refused. I was chicken to do it so I decided to follow the coconut opening directions. It said to put it in the oven till the shell gets hot and cracks. It worked, I got it opened and scooped all the white stuff out. The kids were really excited to try it and to drink the milk. When I told them the juice was called coconut milk they didn't believe me. Milk is white not clear. So we tried the coconut "water" and they hated it. So now I have 2 coconut shells to hang up in my bird "habitat".
Yesterday we went to get the birds. We got them from my neighbor, they are two of the birds they hatched. They are too young to tell which sex they are but we are hoping for a girl and boy. He clipped their wings for me so they couldn't fly away. The kids love to hold them. I was a bit scared but handled it. I had brought a box to put the in but my neighbor told me just to carry the home. I didn't want to look like a wimp so I did it gritting my teeth the whole way. But we made it. So all is well. The birds like their new home I think. They haven't actually ventured into the bird house I made them but in time I am sure they will love it. They are pretty used to being held - or so we thought. This morning when we got up and tried to hold them they ran from us. I think the kids scared them. Of course having kids jumping on top of your ceiling and then reaching in from inside the window for them probably was a bit unnerving.
The other problem is that since their wings are clipped they can't fly up into the tree branches if they fall down. They have to kind of climb their way up. It is tough for them so I guess I need to hang branches at various levels so they can kind of jump their way up.
Well my dream is fulfilled. I have a birds in my window well. They really are beautiful, I love to watch them. I like to hear them too - the good thing about that is I can just shut the window all the way and not hear them if their singing gets on my nerves. But for now I am loving my birds. We had a hard time agreeing on names for them. I wanted to name one Micheal and the other Jackson, in memory of my first encounter with window well birds. I still remember the moment I first saw them, Billy Jean was playing in the background. But my kids thought me a bit dumb probably just because they aren't old enough to remember Micheal Jackson. I guess Anna liked the singer idea because she suggested Taylor and Swift. Since my son is also named Taylor we decided that might be to hard. It might be confusing if someone said "Hey Taylor just landed on my head," or "Taylor pecked me," or "Taylor is swinging on his coconut." We might not know if they were talking about the bird or the boy - so to save ourselves that headache we just went with Tarzan and Darling.
Another distinct memory I had also happened at Aunt Jeans house. All the adults went somewhere and we were downstairs listening to Micheal Jackson music. Greg or Steven (I think- one of my cousins anyway) was telling us how cool Micheal Jackson was and showing us his white glove. I wandered in to one of the boys bedrooms and noticed they had a window well. In Oregon most people didn't have basements so window wells weren't a common site for me. Especially this one because it had a bird living in it. I was so impressed. I don't remember what kind of bird it was or anything else about it but I remember I wanted one and I wanted it to live in my window well. So I promised myself that one day I would get a window well and a bird to put in it.
Well that someday is here. 7 years ago I got some window wells and yesterday I got some birds to put in it. Ever since we moved in I have been biding my time waiting for the right moment, Rick thought it was a ridiculous idea, it took him a while to see I was really serious and then he started throwing out all the reasons why that wasn't the brightest plan ever. The biggest hindrances was the winter. It gets a lot colder in Utah then it does in Parakeet land. I actually don't know where they are found naturally - probably South America. But where ever it is I am pretty certain it doesn't snow. So my thought was I would just let them go and they would fly south for the winter. Rick looked at me like I wasn't the brightest girl ever and just shook his head. I guess I didn't really want the poor little things to freeze to death so I put it off. Well I mentioned my brilliant plan to a neighbor. For once someone saw the brilliance of it and he went out and bought himself some parakeets to put in his window well. I waited to see how well they would winter. I wanted to know if they would die or not when the snows came. Well winter is over and he not only has the two parakeets he started with they had 4 babies and she is sitting on several more eggs now. So his success was my green light.
First I had to build them a home. It turned out like all my wood projects. Ok- but kind of resembling something your cub scout would bring home from day camp. I can't cut straight to save my life which makes everything a little skewed. I also just used scrap wood so it definately could be prettier looking. But it's done and hasn't fallen apart yet. I then had to get some plants to make their "habitat". My neighbor said just to use fake plants so I headed for the DI. I got this tree thing that someone had made by taking two branches and screwing them together. Not the nicest thing but since I buried the bottom you can't really tell. It only cost $2. I put it in but needed a bit more so I went back. There were several trees there. The first one I looked at was a bit ragged and it was $5. The other 3 trees were $15. So being the cheapo that I am I opted for the raggedy $5 tree. I stuck it in my cart and pushed it around a while. Then I noticed another price tag on on of the leaves. $15. Just like all the other trees. I was stunned. I didn't know what to do, I really wanted the tree but not for $15. So (here comes the bad part- no I didn't pull the tag off even though I wanted to) I went up to the cashier and plopped my tree right up on the counter being careful to turn it so the $5 price tag was showing. She rang it up as $5 and then went on to the other items, I was feeling really guilty so I said, "Um this one has 2 price tags," and kind of pointed at it. She just smiled at me. She was, ya know, a DI worker (kinda special) so I am not sure if she understood what I was talking about. I just smiled back said "Have a nice day" and took my tree and ran. I have felt guilty about it all weekend. I think next Sunday I will add an extra $10 to the humanitarian aid thing on my tithing.
So back to the birds. I got the trees and the house all in and it was looking pretty good. I hung some branches around, and then needed little food and water bowls. I thought it would look neat to have coconut shells hanging around for them to eat from or swing on, kinda a jungle tropical theme. So I went looking for coconut shells at the dollar store. They didn't have any so I just bought a coconut. I didn't think it could be all that hard to cut it open and scoop out the white part. Well those things are a lot harder than I thought. I tried sawing it and cracking it was a hammer - nothing. I tried to talk Rick into taking the circular saw to it, but my husband is a bit smarter than I so he refused. I was chicken to do it so I decided to follow the coconut opening directions. It said to put it in the oven till the shell gets hot and cracks. It worked, I got it opened and scooped all the white stuff out. The kids were really excited to try it and to drink the milk. When I told them the juice was called coconut milk they didn't believe me. Milk is white not clear. So we tried the coconut "water" and they hated it. So now I have 2 coconut shells to hang up in my bird "habitat".
Yesterday we went to get the birds. We got them from my neighbor, they are two of the birds they hatched. They are too young to tell which sex they are but we are hoping for a girl and boy. He clipped their wings for me so they couldn't fly away. The kids love to hold them. I was a bit scared but handled it. I had brought a box to put the in but my neighbor told me just to carry the home. I didn't want to look like a wimp so I did it gritting my teeth the whole way. But we made it. So all is well. The birds like their new home I think. They haven't actually ventured into the bird house I made them but in time I am sure they will love it. They are pretty used to being held - or so we thought. This morning when we got up and tried to hold them they ran from us. I think the kids scared them. Of course having kids jumping on top of your ceiling and then reaching in from inside the window for them probably was a bit unnerving.
The other problem is that since their wings are clipped they can't fly up into the tree branches if they fall down. They have to kind of climb their way up. It is tough for them so I guess I need to hang branches at various levels so they can kind of jump their way up.
Well my dream is fulfilled. I have a birds in my window well. They really are beautiful, I love to watch them. I like to hear them too - the good thing about that is I can just shut the window all the way and not hear them if their singing gets on my nerves. But for now I am loving my birds. We had a hard time agreeing on names for them. I wanted to name one Micheal and the other Jackson, in memory of my first encounter with window well birds. I still remember the moment I first saw them, Billy Jean was playing in the background. But my kids thought me a bit dumb probably just because they aren't old enough to remember Micheal Jackson. I guess Anna liked the singer idea because she suggested Taylor and Swift. Since my son is also named Taylor we decided that might be to hard. It might be confusing if someone said "Hey Taylor just landed on my head," or "Taylor pecked me," or "Taylor is swinging on his coconut." We might not know if they were talking about the bird or the boy - so to save ourselves that headache we just went with Tarzan and Darling.
Father's and Sons
Every summer for as long as I can remember the boys in my life have all packed and gone camping for a weekend. It happens every year without fail, I have even heard it called a sacred tradition. I am not sure if I would go so far as to call it sacred, but I do think Father's and Sons is a good thing. So this year, like always, the weekend rolled around. I spent a couple hours on Friday finding a tent, sleeping bags, clothes and things for my boys. I went grocery shopping and got their chocolate, marshmallows, and Gram crackers and some stuff for dinner. I packed up the car and had them and almost everything else ready so that when Rick got home he could jump in the car and take them camping. The exact same thing has happened every year since Taylor was about 2 or so. And every year I ponder why it is that Dad's and sons get to go and Mom's and girls don't. Especially when it is, at least in our family, the Mom's who put forth the most effort. Well there really is no reason to ponder I already know the answer. Because it is a Father's and Sons camp out, and as the name suggests it is for those who are either a Dad or a son, which is by definition only men. Me, being neither, a Father or a son don't get to go. Which I am ok with, I am not trying to start a movement to change Father's and Sons or anything because I do believe it is a "sacred" tradition - the sacred part could be debated.
But most years while packing I can't help but think that it is a bit unfair that I have to do all the work for something I am not even invited to. Many years I have decided not to pack and just let them do it their selves. But what always happens is I spend all day thinking about it and listening to my boys anticipating it, the best night of the summer, and I start getting nervous that they won't get there until midnight, or they will forget something or they will starve and so I give in and pack up. Now it is not that I don't think Rick could do it, or that I am afraid he wouldn't do it - it's just I don't think he ever has before and well I guess it's just hard to cut those apron strings. Also by the time he gets home from work it is such a relatively short time I don't want the few hours they have together spent at the grocery store or searching for camping gear.
So this year I decided to save myself the trauma of worrying about it all day and just planned on getting them out the door from the very beginning. Before they left I sweetly confronted Rick and ask him to please be very careful to watch my boys and make sure no one falls in the fire or the river. He brushed me off with -"I will, I will". I grabbed his arm pulled him around so I was looking into his eyes and very pleadingly said "please it is very important to me." He looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "well don't you think it is to me too. " So I have been thinking about that a lot lately. I guess on one hand I do, of course, know that Rick loves the boys and their safety is important to him. But the thing is I have a really hard time imagining that anyone could want it as much as I do or that anyone could love them as much as I do. I spend every waking moment, and lots of the sleeping ones too, with them on my mind and their safety and well being in my hands. The thought struck me that maybe that is why they have Father's and Son's to give Dad's an opportunity to care for them, to watch them and be reminded how precious their sons are. As a mother I have that privilege ever day.
As I mother I also have the privilege of spending Father's and Son's with my daughters. This year we went out to dinner, did a bit of shopping (at DI for our birds) and then came home and watched a movie. We were then going to paint fingernails and all sleep together in my bed. I had dreams of a nice dinner with good food and pleasant conversation. But my hopes of good food was shot down when they voted for McDonald's. I vetoed that one and said, lets make it somewhere you get a menu and the waitress asks you what you want and brings it to you. They then suggested Wendy's followed by Carls Jr. Well remembering that I had a buy one get one free coupon for Dairy Queen I agreed to that, I figured that as long as I didn't get good food at least I would get cheap food. So off we went. The pleasant conversation was more along the lines, "please eat your dinner", "we can't get ice cream unless you eat your chicken nuggets, "sit down please", "stop blowing bubbles" and similar phrases. I came home exhausted, so we moved on to the movie. The girls voted for Barbie Swan Lake. So I tried hard to stay awake long enough to find out if Barbie would be a swan forever but didn't quite make it. I woke up to find the snow on the tv, Rachel asleep curled up next to me and no sign of Anna. I carried Rachel upstairs and found Anna asleep on the couch. So I put everyone in their own bed and went to sleep. I thought about taking them out for breakfast but they wanted me to make them waffles instead. By the time we were done the boys were home and it was time for me to start in on putting the camping stuff away and doing a bunch of smoke smelling laundry. I was a bit disappointed that my evening out with the girls didn't go as I hoped it would but there is always next year.
But most years while packing I can't help but think that it is a bit unfair that I have to do all the work for something I am not even invited to. Many years I have decided not to pack and just let them do it their selves. But what always happens is I spend all day thinking about it and listening to my boys anticipating it, the best night of the summer, and I start getting nervous that they won't get there until midnight, or they will forget something or they will starve and so I give in and pack up. Now it is not that I don't think Rick could do it, or that I am afraid he wouldn't do it - it's just I don't think he ever has before and well I guess it's just hard to cut those apron strings. Also by the time he gets home from work it is such a relatively short time I don't want the few hours they have together spent at the grocery store or searching for camping gear.
So this year I decided to save myself the trauma of worrying about it all day and just planned on getting them out the door from the very beginning. Before they left I sweetly confronted Rick and ask him to please be very careful to watch my boys and make sure no one falls in the fire or the river. He brushed me off with -"I will, I will". I grabbed his arm pulled him around so I was looking into his eyes and very pleadingly said "please it is very important to me." He looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "well don't you think it is to me too. " So I have been thinking about that a lot lately. I guess on one hand I do, of course, know that Rick loves the boys and their safety is important to him. But the thing is I have a really hard time imagining that anyone could want it as much as I do or that anyone could love them as much as I do. I spend every waking moment, and lots of the sleeping ones too, with them on my mind and their safety and well being in my hands. The thought struck me that maybe that is why they have Father's and Son's to give Dad's an opportunity to care for them, to watch them and be reminded how precious their sons are. As a mother I have that privilege ever day.
As I mother I also have the privilege of spending Father's and Son's with my daughters. This year we went out to dinner, did a bit of shopping (at DI for our birds) and then came home and watched a movie. We were then going to paint fingernails and all sleep together in my bed. I had dreams of a nice dinner with good food and pleasant conversation. But my hopes of good food was shot down when they voted for McDonald's. I vetoed that one and said, lets make it somewhere you get a menu and the waitress asks you what you want and brings it to you. They then suggested Wendy's followed by Carls Jr. Well remembering that I had a buy one get one free coupon for Dairy Queen I agreed to that, I figured that as long as I didn't get good food at least I would get cheap food. So off we went. The pleasant conversation was more along the lines, "please eat your dinner", "we can't get ice cream unless you eat your chicken nuggets, "sit down please", "stop blowing bubbles" and similar phrases. I came home exhausted, so we moved on to the movie. The girls voted for Barbie Swan Lake. So I tried hard to stay awake long enough to find out if Barbie would be a swan forever but didn't quite make it. I woke up to find the snow on the tv, Rachel asleep curled up next to me and no sign of Anna. I carried Rachel upstairs and found Anna asleep on the couch. So I put everyone in their own bed and went to sleep. I thought about taking them out for breakfast but they wanted me to make them waffles instead. By the time we were done the boys were home and it was time for me to start in on putting the camping stuff away and doing a bunch of smoke smelling laundry. I was a bit disappointed that my evening out with the girls didn't go as I hoped it would but there is always next year.
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