Runaway Dog

We have the cutest dog.  Truly, he is cute and lovely.  And the kids love him.  And he shows his love for them by allowing them to hug him 100 times a day.

Molly decided to show her love this Christmas season by giving Max a present.  Especially for him.  She even wrapped it.  What is it?

Toilet paper.  Molly is giving him toilet paper.

Can a dog run away from home in disgust and disappointment?  Because if they can, I think that our dog might try on Christmas morning.

Don't You Realize?

My job search has been somewhat successful -- but without any real success.  In other words, I have had three companies express interest in learning more about the product we would like them to sell while we remain independent contractors but am far, far away from any money coming in.  I have two meetings next week and one in January.

I have to say, the people I have solicited on the phone have been very, very nice.  One is even taking us to lunch to learn more about our products.  Don't they realize that they should be annoyed with me? I'm calling them, unsolicited, on the phone.  They should be hanging up on me.  Not trying to feed me.

I hope one day I will be in a situation where I can mentor and help and be as kind as people have been to me.

Good Decision, Good Decision

To replace my old work-from-home job that has ended, I have started reaching out to other companies that might want to sell our business plan/financial forecast modeling products.

I made a list and a goal to talk to one person a day.  Garry did not like that plan.  He thought -- why not get them over all at once?

It's because rejection is not my thing.  When one person rejects me, I am done for the day.  If I was to be rejected multiple times in one day, I would go into a phone call defeated and sad instead of hopeful and optimistic.  I would get rejected and agree with their decision.  "I understand", I would say.  "Good decision, good decision." (Notting Hill anyone?)

The good news is that I found a contact at a huge company that wants to meet with me in January.  It could mean great things for us.  Hoping for the best.

You Gotta Earn That Pie!

For the last three years, I have participated in a Thanksgiving 5K.  It is called "The Human Race" which supports the Utah Food Bank.  I hate the name.  It sounds a little bit like Seinfeld's "The Human Fund", but what can you do?

This year I ran with my Mom, my sister, my brother-in-law, my nieces, my nephew and my EMMA!  We have been running together for awhile now, and so I knew that she could do it, but I thought that we would have to walk a little.  But she did great!  We ran the whole way!  I think our time was around 33 minutes, so we did about 11 minute miles.

She is already planning on running again next year!  I told her this was our thing.  She does soccer with her dad.  She can run with me. 

A Friend Party!

Molly turned five.  I promised her that she could have a friend party when she turned five.  That is such an easy promise to make in the glory of spring when her birthday was months and months away.  But then her birthday came. . . Yes, I remember, I promised. . .Ugh!

We had ten little friends come over.  We had a fish theme because boys and girls were invited, and I wanted to send each kid home with a goldfish.  But Garry talked me out of the idea.  I still think it would have been AWESOME!

Garry did most of the work.  After coaching little, little kids for so long, he knows how to corral them and talk to them.  I seem to only know how to yell at them.

Two hours later, we all survived and so did the house!  Molly had a wonderful time! Success!

The Papercut

On Tuesday Molly got a papercut.   Oh, how she howled!  This little cut was the worst thing ever.  She did not want to go to dance class.  She did not want to go play with a friend.  Her life was just shutting down because of this papercut.

And while I was frustrated with her, it was a good lesson to me.  I have had a rough month.  A job that has been a good source of revenue for me has ended.  We (my sister and I) did such a great job that the company we have been working for brought someone in-house to do our job, full-time, and we have been moved along.

It's been upsetting, trying to figure out what to do without that job and without that income.  I just want to shut down.  But I have to realize that in the big scheme of things, this is just a little papercut.  It hurts right now.  I wish it had not happened.  But, I cannot let it keep me from the good things that are happening around me.

Is There Anything Better Than Pet Day?

About ten seconds after we got Max, Emma started making plans to take him to pet day at school.  She was so excited to show him off at school -- especially to friends who did not believe that she got a puppy from Santa.

But there was a problem. . .Max hates the car and always gets very sick.  Getting him into the car is a chore, and usually by the time we get him anywhere he is covered in drool and vomit.

Attractive picture, I know. 

I was not sure how impressed Emma's friends would be with a smelly, yucky, sick dog.

But it was important to Emma, so we made the drive.  He did great!  And he was the cutest pet there, of course.

A successful pet day!

I Could Watch This All Day. . .

I could watch Braden eat all day.  Especially desserts.  Face down, fully committed, he dives into each and every frosting covered item with gusto.

After so many girls, it is interesting to have Braden.  He likes to eat.  It's not a chore for him.  There are no threats, no begging, no bribery for just taking one more bite.  He eats.  And he's usually satisfied by whatever we place in front of him.

Boys are awesome!

I Love You, For Sentimental Reasons. . .

Last week we went to Seven Peaks, a local water park, twice.  On one day I took just the two little ones while Emma & Macey were in school but on Saturday we took the whole family.

There are two Seven Peaks to choose from: one close in Salt Lake County and the other a little further away in Provo.

I always choose the one in Provo.  When I graduated from high school, I had just a few days to report to BYU and start college with a few summer courses.  The day before I moved into Snow Hall (which has since been torn down, to let you know how old I am ;) my best friend and I went to Seven Peaks. 

It was such a wonderful time.  I had such great hopes and plans for my life while at BYU.  I think I thought that I would pull into the parking lot of Snow Hall and there would be a nice boy walking by (so not rational -- I was on the very edge of campus) and he would see me struggle with my boxes and help me move in and we would get married four months later.

It didn't happen, but it would make a great book.

I love being at Seven Peaks.  I can tap into those excited and hopeful feelings and tell my kids how Mommy went there a long, long time ago. 

And I love how it wipes my kids out.  They are second generation fans!

School is Cool! Well, Now It Is

This year we were in Idaho when we heard rumblings on Facebook that the school lists had been posted.  I heard from a friend which class Emma was in.  But we did not know what would happen to Macey.  So when we got back Sunday afternoon Garry went to the school, four days before school started, to find her class list.

When I saw it, my stomach dropped.  She was in a class without a single best friend.  I emailed her teacher and expressed my concern.  Macey gets anxious about things: rain storms, Monopoly games, episodes of Sophia the First.  I knew that this was not going to go well.

But we talked about it.  About making friends in a new class and maybe even better friends!  Off to school she went.  I prayed and prayed that she would have a good first day of Second Grade.  But then I got the phone call.

Macey had thrown up.  She needed to come home.

I met with the Assistant Principal as well as the Principal and explained my anger that she was transferred into a class without a single good friend.  They consulted the school counselor, and she agreed with me, and we were able to transfer Macey into a class with her friends.

The second day of school was so much better!  School was cool!

Overwhelmed? Yes, I Hear You

Before Molly's big dance recital, she had a chance to get her picture taken with her class.  Molly's class started off small and then grew and grEW and GREW!  Eventually they had to split the actual class, but they all danced together and had their picture taken together.  I love Molly's teacher, Miss Kara, in this picture.  You can tell she is a little overwhelmed.  And yes, I hear that.  At least after the photo shoot she was able to send them all home!

I Was "Pic of The Day". . .I Think

My cousin, Scott, has a great blog that he maintains daily at http://scottywattydoodlealltheday.blogspot.com/. 

In each he will also share a "Pic Of The Day".  I have often teased that I wanted to be immortalized as a "Pic Of The Day" and promised severe cuteness at the family reunion so we would HAVE to be picked. 

Sadly by the time we caught up with him at the reunion, we were looking pretty ragged.  But, due to his fabulous photo skills you cannot really tell that we had not seen a shower in 24 hours or that Emma had an ear infection or that Braden had gotten smores all over his shirt.  (His shirt, by the way, was simply classic Gymboree Cuteness.  It said "Happy Camper".  Love it.  Could there be a better shirt for a family reunion?)

Thanks for including us, Scott.

The Essence of Me & Mine

I used to be a great blogger.  I would whip out a post a day, usually, sometimes (gasp!) missing a day or two.  But then we had our fourth child.  And posting things on Facebook was so much simpler than writing an entire blog.

But, I regret that my blog has turned into more of a photo album than a true collection of stories about me & mine.  I am losing out.

So I will try to stop and write the funny things down.  And throw in a photo here and there.  And try to capture the essence of our wonderful little family.

What Do You Mean "As Well"?

The other day tragedy struck as I realized a favorite pair of shorts had a hole in them.  Sadness!  It is not easy for me to find shorts that are long enough and comfortable enough to wear.  How was I going to replace these when the fashion lately seems to be very short shorts?

I expressed my despair to my sister who told me, "Yeah, I'm wearing a hole into my favorite pair of shorts where my fat thighs rub together as well."

As well?  What do you mean, "As well?"  I said nothing about the location of said hole.  What's this "as well" crap?

Regrettably, the hole is developing right where my fat thighs rub together.  Older sisters are so obnoxious.

Knight Family Reunion!

This year we had the big Knight Family reunion which included all members of the George Richard Knight family -- my great grandfather.

So we put Max into Doggy Day Care (Camp Bow Wow ;) and off we went to Idaho!  We stopped by my parent's home, and the kids helped my Dad mow the lawn.

We then went up to our cabin in Island Park and walked to the reservoir.  Garry got the kids all walking sticks and taught Emma how to skip rocks in the water.

Off we go to the cabin!  They had a great time looking around but bedtime was harsh!  It was hot and Braden was in an unfamiliar location.  Garry said when he went to sleep around 10 it was too hot.  When he woke up around 3 it was too cold.  Somewhere in that time frame it was just right -- too bad he was asleep and missed it!

The next morning we took the kids to Victor, Idaho where we went on a guided trail ride.  It was the first time the girls have been on a horse that was not led in a circle ;)  They did great!  We went on some crazy terrain for over an hour and a half and they were perfect.  I, on the other hand, dropped my cell phone and so the whole ride had to halt for a few minutes.  I felt really stupid about my rookie mistake, especially since I was not the rookie!

 After the trail ride, we met up with my family for lunch and then set up camp at the Teton Canyon campground.  It was beautiful!  And quiet.  And REMOTE.  It was down a dirt road four miles.  Garry bought a new tent for the occasion but somehow we did not get a picture.

After we set up camp, we headed to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  The kids went on the Alpine Slide.  Molly went with Garry and yahooo'd all the way down.

Emma got stuck behind a slow girl and complained LOUDLY at the end of the ride and so the whole extended family, 10 riders, got to go again for free.  Uncle Brett was very proud of Emma in that moment.

The next day was the official reunion and my Dad was able to spend a good amount of time with his cousins and brother.  We manage to stay in touch with our Knight cousins pretty well throughout the year and so there were not any "Gasp!  It's SO GOOD to see you" moments.  Facebook has kind of ruined that.  There were threats to not tag photos after a long evening camping ;)  I guess that's what happens when Facebook and family reunions collide!

We went back to Idaho Falls and had our traditional trip to Reed's Dairy and then off to play in the hotel pool.  It was a great trip!

Let's Go To Hawaii!

For our 10th Anniversary, Garry & I decided to head off to Hawaii!  Okay, Garry decided.  I was really cheering for Cabo because I have not been there, but I was overruled.  Garry's Dad was great and provided us with a week at the Marriott Vacation Club: Ko Olina.  We just had to fly ourselves out there and find someone to watch the kids.

We are in love with Ko Olina.  They had private lagoons and pools and . . .sigh.  It was heaven.

While there we stayed very busy.  We went on a lot of hikes around the island.  We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center and the Temple.  We visited a Budhist temple on the north shore and also stopped in to BYU Hawaii.  We also spent an evening in Waikiki.  But I still got a lot of pool time in.

Garry spent a morning snorkeling.  Since the current was so strong, there were two rescues made from our part of the beach in just a little over 60 minutes.  So I kept my feet firmly and safely in the sand.

I love how Hawaii is still warm in the evening.  The sun goes down but the temperatures only fall 10 degrees -- not 40 like Utah!  I also loved being back in the humidity.  I did not have to do my hair for an entire week.

While we enjoyed the time away, we did miss the kids.  Six days is a long time to be away when they are so little.  I am grateful my niece came and stayed with them.  Staying with family in their own house made all the difference for my little kids.  We want to go back SOON but we will bring them with us.  I know they would have loved everything.

Molly Graduates From Preschool

This year Molly attended Bright Child Preschool down the street from our house.  She went twice a week, and she loved every minute of it.  She sprinted from the van to the door of the preschool and always looked forward to going.

They had a little program for the last day of preschool complete with all of the songs they learned this year.  It was good to finally hear all of the words of the song.  Over the last year I have just gotten bits and pieces: something about giving your heart to America and peanut butter stuck in your hair and grandma being a tickler.

After they did their program, they were able to go outside and jump in the bounce houses and eat popsicles which is why Molly has two separate outfits in the pictures ;)

We cannot wait for the Pre-K program next year!

Only Requirement: Stuffed Animal

Molly is an interesting sleeper.  Every night Garry goes through the charade of reading a book to Molly and tucking her in, just to have to jump right back out of bed and then continue to do whatever she wants.  Often she plays in her room.  In the morning it will look like a tornado hit.  When she is done playing, she will crawl back into bed and tuck herself in.  

For a few days, though, she altered from this course and snuck downstairs -- a complete no, no -- and we found her asleep on the stairs.  How she did this, or why, we will never understand.  It looks like the only thing she needed was a stuffed animal.

Easter!

Happy Easter!  I love Easter.  I just love everything about it.  I love the candy and getting the girls matching dresses and the talks at church.  Love, love Easter.

This year the Easter bunny did not disappoint in bringing fun items for the kids: trucks and a ball for Braden, Barbies for Molly, some books for Macey and some art supplies for Emma.

This year was a little different because Garry had early morning meetings for church but did not want to miss the "big reveal".  So Emma wrote a note to the Easter Bunny asking him to come while we were at church.  The Easter bunny was happy to comply.

Even our dog Max was remembered by the Easter bunny: some bones and a new stuffed animal.

Stay-cation

This year for Easter/Spring Break, we tried a stay-cation.  Not because we really wanted to, in fact, I really wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, but mostly because our schedule and budget dictated that it needed to be.  One day we will have to figure out someplace to go to that it warm, cheap and somewhat nearby and just make that our go-to place for any long weekend.

While we were stay-cationing, we took the kids mini-golfing.  Emma is starting to get the concept down, but the younger girls just like to hit and hit and hit and hope something happens.  Braden, however, has great form.

Braden!

How fun was it this year to celebrate Braden's birthday!  Bring on the boy toys -- bikes, balls, Batman!  Oh my!  

In so many way, Braden has been two for a long time (in regard to his temper tantrums) and so turning two was merely a formality.  Unfortunately, a week before his birthday I took him to get a hair cut and let the lady cut it way, way too short.  He got his "summer" cut in March.  I felt horrible.

Braden loves dogs, bikes, Bubble Guppies and leaving his pajamas on for as long as he can!  He is a little pouty -- we call him "Sir Cries A Lot" -- but I think that when he is able to communicate, a lot of the frustrated screams will subside.  At least, here's hoping!

Macey Turns Seven!

One of the things I forgot to blog about in my long blog absence was Macey's birthday.

I talk with neighborhood friends about parents who have "favorites" and we all agree that it is wrong and hurtful to single out a "favorite" child.  But we also agree that there are kids we understand better.  For me, that is Macey.  I understand her a little more than the other kids.  Emma and Garry have always been such close buddies -- I just felt when I had Macey that I finally had a buddy, too.

And what a buddy!  She is so smart and kind and beautiful.  Her teachers love her and she has a lot of friends.  She is so smart that everything comes really easily for her.  I worry that this may be a great harm to her later in life.  When things get tough, she seems to give up easily.  There have been tears in Chinese class and many many tears on the piano bench.  I hope that she will find the strength to never, ever quit trying for the things that are worth pursuing for then she will truly be great.

I love you, Macey!

Spelling Bee!

One of the most stressful things we did this year was the Spelling Bee!  Macey is a gifted reader and speller.  She has no problem tackling big words and remembering how to spell them.  We were confident that she would do well in her class spelling bee.  In fact, we would have been shocked if she had not won.

But, Emma.  Emma is really smart but she has to work a lot harder than Macey.  She did not win the spelling bee in her class the year before, and we thought the other kids might win again.  But we practiced and practiced.  We played games where they got pennies for every word right or M&Ms.  I liked the M&Ms one because I could sneak a couple as well.

Macey's spelling bee was first.  And she won.  That put so much more pressure on Emma.  Smart little sisters just stink.  So imagine how excited (and relieved!) we were when Emma actually won!  Her teacher knew how much she wanted to win and how hard she had studied and so she actually sent us an email during her lunch break.

Class spelling bees were over. . .time to tackle the school!  The girls did well!  They made it to the third round where kids started dropping like flies.  We know a little more now on how to prepare them and have great hopes for next year as well!

Trying Something New!

This year Emma tried something new: indoor soccer!  It was great for her to get some exercise in the winter.  Especially this winter when the cold did not let up until, well, May?  She was on two different teams and was able to get a lot of play time.  Her main team, coached by a neighbor, always seemed to play kids that were two to three years older.  They got creamed.  But their coach seemed to think that it would make them a better team. . .eventually.  I had my doubts.  Something happens to you when you lose and lose and lose.  You forget that winning was ever an option.

Which is why it was good Emma was on a second team because they played younger kids and Emma remembered that she knew how to score!  It was good for her confidence.

Indoor soccer in gaining in popularity here because two new facilities opened up in the area.  One is massive, near the Interstate, and the other is smaller, located in Riverton.  I believe that these facilities will help indoor soccer gain in popularity, more kids will sign up, and the leagues will be formed so they can play kids their own age.  Hopefully it will not be so lopsided in the years to come.

The Year That. . .Wasn't

I remember when I used to blog daily.  In fact, I would keep a running list of blog topics on my head to prevent me from blogging more than once a day but also help me on the days when I could not think of anything to write.

What happened?

I guess Facebook happened.  I do not check friend's blogs as much anymore because they do not update them either.  If it has happened and is important, it's probably on Facebook.  Granted, with only a small blurb.  But still.

This year has been busy.  I taught two classes at Neumont University this winter, and I am still working a little for a law firm and writing for a local paper here in Salt Lake City.  When you write for money, it is hard to justify taking a few minutes to write for yourself.

We have also been very busy with soccer.  It's a Monday through Thursday commitment and sometimes an all-day Saturday show.  Emma is doing very well and should make her premiere team next season.  Molly is just fun to watch.  She's the smallest one on the field but still scoring 4-8 goals a game.  Macey scored a goal this year but still seems to be intimidated by the game.  But she loves being part of a team.

So this has been the year that wasn't. . .according to my blog.  But in real life, we have been busy and happy, and that is what counts!

Skating With Dad

One thing we certainly have had enough of since Christmas are frigid cold days.  They are not good for much except for making ice, and so it was with great excitement that Macey and Emma went skating with their Dad.  Emma is looking good in her skates but Macey seems to have 100% of her mother's skating skill.  But they had fun!