Halloween Tricks

When I was a little girl I used to bite off the yellow and orange parts of a candy corn and tell my mom I had lost a tooth.  It worked every time, or at least my mom led me to believe it did!  Adele pulled the same trick on me this week, and had she not had her 'I'm-trying-not-to-let-on-that-I'm-pulling-your-leg' face on I just might have believed it.

This week at the girl's piano teacher's home they noticed the paper on his family's front door that declared that they had been BOOed.  (This mean someone in the neighborhood had anonymously left them goodies and they were to pass on the BOO to another home.)  The girls lamented that they weren't going to get BOOed in an apartment building.  As a matter-of-fact, they might never get BOOed in their entire lives!

That afternoon Adele sneakily BOOed Tennie's bedroom door.  She was beside herself with excitement at the idea.  An inside BOO job!

Later Tennie BOOed Adele and Ceci's door.  They all seemed content with their BOOing.   But then later that night when we were heading out somewhere we found this cute little get-up outside our door.

Who in the world would carve a pumpkin, fill it with candy, and dress it up?  Immediately we suspected our adorable, older neighbor, Mr. King.  And just then he came out and fessed up.  Can you believe how awesome he is?  It was a genuine BOO.  (They later BOOed him back with chocolate chip pumpkin muffins and local apples.)

And today Mr. Bones came to lunch.  I don't know what is so exciting about this guest, but he sure gets an overwhelming welcome!

 Halloween is a'brewin around here!

Gardener Village's Witchfest

Adele, Ceci and I met up with Emily and kids at Gardener Village while Tennie was nearby at rehearsal.  Gardener Village has a witch scavenger hunt with silly witches placed throughout the little shops.  We hunted them all down, stopped by the candy shoppe for delicious caramel apples, and browsed through the stores.  (In one Adele, Ceci and Bailey were testing out the couches, chairs and poufs to measure their comfort level.  At one point Bailey was saying that several pieces of furniture were comfortable, and Ceci didn't agree.  She said, "You don't have a good sense of comfy!")

Trading Booth

Adele and Ceci go to a half-day homeschool group where they have instituted "trading booth" during their free time with the other girls.  Each girl takes some homemade goods to trade/barter.  Adele means serious business and made dozens of things the first time.  Then she saw that her goods were more valuable than the other goods.  She was frustrated that the other girls thought they could trade things one good for one good.  She has a keen sense of value and drives a hard bargain.  It has been fun to watch her in this process.  Ceci is in it for fun, and she has about 5% interest in crafts and making things so her goods are slowly dwindling each week.  We'll see how long it goes on.  Here is a sampling of last weeks goods:

Ceci's goods, mostly made of paper, and one hand-sewn heart pillow

Adele's goods include paper, a few hand-sewn pillows, a turkey decoration, and a castle-knit jump rope

Obviously they aren't making anything that takes an enormous amount of time.  They usually throw away the goods they receive at 'trading booth' right when they get home.  But it is the bartering that keeps them going, and seeing what the other girls come up with.  And when someone makes an 'order' then it was a hot item and manufacturing goes UP!

BYU Women's Soccer

Saturday we took the girls, Bailey, and Tennie's friend, Sunny, to the BYU Women's Soccer game.  BYU is one of the top in the nation and really fun to watch.  The girls were watching for their soccer camp coaches, and were really into it, as you can see...

Blue-marker Ys on one cheek, the number of their favorite player on the other

The players run by and give the fans 'five' after the game and Adele got her camp coach, Niki's, attention.  We later saw Ceci's camp coach,  Catherine.  I really appreciated the attention they gave to these adoring fans.

Deer Hunt, Pumpkin Patches and Parks

Utah public schools had a few days off this week for parent teacher conference, which falls during The Deer Hunt.  I think it is funny they have vacation days to hunt.  We don't take those days off for hunting or conferences, but we did enjoy that some of our weekly activities were canceled and we had a few free afternoons!

We fit in a few things we've wanted to do but haven't had time.  We spent an afternoon at The Leonardo museum, and another day met Emily and her kids at Wheeler Farm to get some pumpkins.

The girls went crazy over these friendly goats.  This historical farm was really fun.  They had old barns and a tree house, animals of all kinds and cellars and outhouses.

I came in and saw that Ceci was on this tracker - who cares about the sign that said stay off of the antique farm equipment.  Somehow Ceci doesn't see signs like that... (She pulled out the fake fire in an exhibit at The Leo this week, too.  Bless her curious heart.)

But the real excitement came when we took a little walk around a field and came across a hidden bridge and forest.  So what if I had to drive to childhood - we found it.  We parked ourselves for at least two hours while the girls explored the secret places, and created a fort under the foot bridge.

Meanwhile Em and I watched her one-year-old twins explore and delight in all of the textures and sounds (and tastes) of this beautiful, natural place.

Britt came and met us at the end while the kids ran through the hay maze and got their pumpkins

We missed the fields of pumpkins, and picking our own unique shape, but this was a good Utah alternative.  It was a perfect fall day.

The next day we had a few hours, too, so Emily and I took the kids to Sugarhouse Park to ride scooters, climb trees, and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

These kinds of trees are my girls favorite for climbing.  Can you see them near the top?

A different, even bigger, one

It felt so good to be outside, to see large spaces, and to see my girls so alive.

Geoff in the Dominican Republic

Geoff was in the Dominican Republic a few weeks ago.  I'm still learning exactly what he is working on, but let me give an explanation a go...

At the temple in the D.R.

The LDS church is looking to provide a system and resources that will help its impoverished members get out of poverty.  There are three ways in which they will do this (Geoff oversees all three).  First, basic job placement.  Maybe the person has some training or education, yet can't find a job.  The job placement arm has been around for awhile and will continue to be expanded in its ability and capacity to find members work.  Second, through the Perpetual Education Fund members can get a loan to go to school.  As these members apply for the loan they will be counseled on what the local job market looks like, and what degrees will most likely end up in a job after graduation.  Third, self-employment training to start or build a business.  This has taken most of Geoff's focus this past year and is a new methodology he and his team have created to help people start or grow a small business.  Most people that currently run small businesses are selling things but barely cover their costs.  Groups of business owners will take a course and be mentored on business basics.  He has been creating, and will continue to fine-tune, a basic course manual that can be duplicated around the world.  In the Domincan Republic he was starting field-tests of this course in its 1.0 version; this is also being tested in Ghana.

He plans to launch early next year and expects to refine it with continual updates over the next few years as it improves.  He is monitoring results carefully and gathering feedback from the participants to on how to design and improve the program/course.  This is not how things typically work in the church, but it is how they will work in this endeavor!  It is exciting to see how it is unfolding.  He hopes that once it is up and running with the church in a more perfected state he can open it up to all micro-credit institutions around the world.

While in the D.R. he made a little time to sit on the beach and play in the waves.  It was his birthday treat to himself.

Geoff sends emails and fun pictures to the girls when he travels.  This little crab was a favorite picture this trip.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet

I feel like I am running too fast.  If I were a car the Check Engine light would flashing, and smoke would be coming from the hood.  I feel WAY out of balance.  I don't get out on a walk very often these days, but a few days ago I was out (and my walks are scheduled to the minute) and really tried to figure out how I got myself into this mess.  Bottom-line: I over-scheduled our fall.  In an effort to get the girls out of the house every day, and stop their complaints of cooped-up boredom, I booked them solid.  Of course something is now always falling through the cracks.  Piano practice doesn't happen, math is neglected, the laundry piles up, it is taquitoes for dinner...again, and I tend to be short-fused at all of our tardiness and lack of control.  Tennie has been sick for about five weeks, Adele and Ceci are erupting over all sorts of things, and I feel like I want to stay in bed rather than tackle another Herculean day when I'm so burnt out. 

As I pondered over this circumstance I remembered my deep belief that it is my role to nurture my children - their whole souls.  I figured I would be nurturing their minds, bodies, and social selves with this active schedule, but in reality nothing is really getting fully nurtured.  We're doing too much to process anything we might be gaining.  As active as they (mostly Adele) want to be, if something comes up spontaneously we don't have time to glance at it.  What happened to my scenic route?  

Adele and Ceci at the first of five clay classes at The Leonardo museum

So surprise, surprise, I got sick this weekend.  I spent the whole day in bed and on the couch today.  Geoff took Adele and Ceci to their Monday class which gave me a chance to nap and rest, but when they came home Ceci read to me, and I noticed her grunting as she emptied the trash and it made me laugh out loud.  She jumped up to make my lemon-honey tea, and encouraged me to watch a movie.  I really saw her.  I really heard her.  I really delighted in her.  I don't have time for that normally.  I value encouraging the development of their interests, but what about a mom who is present?  What about a mom who isn't always thinking ten steps ahead just to keep the bullet train moving?

The pressure will let up a little once soccer season and Tennie's play are over next month, but what about this month?  What do I cut out?  How can I "preserve the asset", as Geoff always says?  How can I take care of myself in all of the nurturing of my children?  How do I fit in walks in nature, and yoga?  How do I get to the temple each week?  How do I find time to look outward at those around me to lend a hand?  How do I find more time to pray when I literally collapse into bed and am out within ten seconds (no joking)?  How do I set aside time for Geoff and our relationship?  How do I really see the needs of my kids if I'm moving like a hurricane?

I appreciate that we use our car time effectively, and we have a dinner schedule, and we have some fun traditions, but does that really add up more than playing a game on the floor?  Or wrestling and laughing?  Or not being rushed from a good conversation in order to make it to a clay class on time?  What is the balance?

I often think of Elder Oaks amazing talk several General Conferences ago about Good, Better, Best.  Many things in our lives are good, some are better, but what is best?  What trumps all other good and better activities?  I feel like this fall I was so optimistic we could do it all that I'm caught in the mire of Good.  So I'm re-evaluating (yet, again) how to fit in the Best things first, and then a few Better things, and maybe even a few Good things.  I don't want to deceive myself into thinking that just because I'm with my kids all day I'm spending quality time with them.

Being sick is sometimes a blessing in disguise.  Being forced to slow down has given me a little perspective, a bit of stillness to see things as they really are.  Time to make some changes...

Conference Weekend

This weekend was the semi-annual, worldwide conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  I love conference weekend, and this fall I particularly needed the downtime and spiritual nourishment.  Adele and Ceci skipped their soccer games and we stayed in our PJs and hunkered down for eight soul-filling hours of listening to our church leaders.

The girls love setting up their little "spots" filled with paper and markers and activity books.  They are free to come and go, and this year they pretty much stayed the whole time, until the last hour or so.  I snapped a little picture of their deserted space toward the end...

Saturday evening while Geoff is at the Priesthood session we make Pumpkin Cornmeal Donuts.  They are so delicious, and we had enough to share so we took them to some neighbors.  One couple on the floor above us have a little doorbell ditching tradition with the girls.  Our girls doorbell ditch cookies, muffins, notes, chocolates, etc., and they ditch peaches and pineapples and other goodies.  There are some great people in this building. 

Sunday morning we had our traditional brunch with quiche, salad and usually cinnamon rolls.  The local gluten-free bakery was sold out by the time I got there on Saturday so I made a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting instead.  Geoff's sister Brittany and her husband Jacob came for brunch and the morning session.

Another fall conference tradition that is Adele's favorite is brie cheese, salami and crackers.  I think she loves the idea of food being out that she can munch on whenever hunger strikes.

Saturday after the afternoon session we took a walk up City Creek canyon with Nikki.  On the way we saw a small group with loads of news cameras covering their rally.  We went to listen and found they were active Mormon women who want the Priesthood.  They were rallying just before going to the conference center to try to get in to the Priesthood Session.  From what I could understand they want the prophet to inquire if women can hold the Priesthood.  I was impressed with the respect and dignity with which these women pursued their cause.  It led to some great discussions with the girls about how many revelations in the church came by asking questions, about the divine roles of men and women, and whether or not priesthood power is available to women even if they don't have the authority.  We all perked up when Elder Anderson addressed this very issue on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday after the afternoon session we headed up Immigration Canyon with Jacob and Brittany on a drive to see the colorful leaves.  It was a little disappointing in that respect, but the rolling hills and open spaces were still appreciated by our little family of city dwellers.  

Before we left we saw the Undie Run go past our apartment on the way up towards the Capitol.  It is just as it sounds, everyone in the race runs in their undies.  I continually marvel at the strong counter-culture here in Salt Lake, especially downtown.  In an effort to make sure others know they are NOT Mormons in any way, people go to some pretty interesting extremes.  The Undie Run is not unique to Utah, but scheduling it right after conference was not coincidental, and as the raucous runners passed the temple they all posted in their mostly naked attire and took pictures in a mocking way.   Isn't it interesting that these same kinds of people demand respect and tolerance for their ways of living, but aren't willing to show that same respect and tolerance for religious people and their beliefs and ways of living?