Chech this out!

If you regularly read my blog, all, um 6 of you, you will probably remember that I cut Olive's hair, but only because Jonathon's sister Allison, photographer extraordinaire, had taken the kids pictures and our family pictures so I figured that it was safe to do. The way that I will always remember my "little Olive" has been masterfully preserved. Today has been a little like Christmas not only because there is a tiny amount of snow on the ground and school has been canceled, but because I got a little peek at the pictures that Allison took. Every Mom believes that their children are the most beautiful on the planet. I would have to agree that there are lots of other cute kids out there, and the closer they are related to me, the cuter they are, but sure, beautiful kids dot this little world that we live on. I, however have the most beautiful children EVER to walk the earth. Part of that is that I see into them. Sometimes I don't even think that I see their physical faces. (Maybe that's why it often takes a while for me to notice that reminders of lunch are hanging out on their chin...) The closest that I can come to explaining this is when I was a missionary. I didn't see faces then either. I saw for 18 whole months what the people I was around looked like to Heavenly Father. There is a scripture that says something like, "God looks on the heart." (I can feel Jonathon cringe because I didn't go look it up and put a reference, sorry sweetie!) That's how a missionary lives for their missions, and that's what happens when a woman becomes a mother. You see what God sees. Physical beauty, Yes, but add physical beauty to their heart and it is something truly amazing. It is like seeing through the veil, right into heaven. Maybe that's why only Mothers and missionaries can see it, because It would be too easy. We would remember everything and our choices would be too obvious. No one would even want to choose any other way. So when I saw Allison's blog this morning, and they were MY kids, my kids with their beautiful hearts radiating out, magnifying their physical bodies I was impressed. She had done it. She captured not only my "Little Olive," but she captured my children on film the way that I see them. They are glowing and alive and mysterious and playful and perfect. So, go check them out. Allison's blog is here and if you want to check out here website, it is here. Have fun looking around! Thanks Allison, What you did is magical!

2 hour school delay

So, the kids just got home from school and they are all excited because of a note that is in their back packs. It reads, "Parents: Due to inclement weather, school will be on a 2 hour delay tomorrow, January 16th." I had to laugh. I grew up in Wyoming. The state where the wind BLOWS and BLOWS, and where it is COLD in the winter! So, to hear that school is delayed, and lets face it, it will probably get canceled all together tomorrow morning, because it will be a bit cold is funny. The forecast for tomorrow is 7* at 6am and 9* at 9am. (That's why I think that they will just cancel the whole day.)

6am 7°F Feels Like -4°F

9am 9°F Feels Like -1°F

So, now that I've written this, I am betting that my heat will go out tonight, just for kicks so I can remember just how cold 7* is. In all honesty though, I have grown quite soft in the south. I love the snow and playing in it, but really, I'm ready for spring!

Quota

I guess fate decided that our family hadn't had our quota of the throw up bug this season so she decided to give us a healthy dose of it last night.

About midnight I hear a commotion upstairs. I was reaching for my glasses when Aspen hurries into our room saying that Olive is throwing up or something. I rush upstairs and sure enough, there is Olive covered in throw up and trying to finish up. Poor girl. It took her about 10 min. to finish. She was heaving and heave/burping and she still wasn't fully awake enough to realize what was happening. When she was finished I stripped her down and got her in the tub. She was a mess. I went into her room to get her some jammies and Jonathon had the bed stripped and taken care of. I didn't even know that he was awake, but I was so grateful that he had taken care of that. The smell was starting to get to me.

We took Olive down stairs and I got her a little drink and a cracker while Jonathon put together the cot so she could sleep in our room. I found Aspen hiding in my bed with her fingers in her ears asking if she was done throwing up. For as amazingly intelligent as Aspen is, I don't think she will ever make it as a nurse. I am so glad that she was there though. I don't know how long it would have taken me to realize that the commotion wasn't just someone going to the bathroom.

We had just gotten her bed made and put her in it (I am talking a second, maybe) when she threw up again. Luckily she didn't get it on her jammies, and luckily it didn't go through all of the layers to the cot, but up we all got again and while Jonathon got new bed sheets and Jammies I cleaned Olive and the bed up, again.

This time we didn't have to bathe her, but I did put her hair in braids so that if she threw up again it wouldn't get in her hair. I got her another little drink and cracker and we headed back to bed. This time it was about 10 min and there she goes again. Third time is the charm though. This time she got all of it in the bowl so there wasn't much to clean up. I was convinced now that this was the throw up bug so I gave her one of those magic throw up pills that we had from the trip home. Thankfully, it did it's magic and she was throw up free the rest of the night.

Now, we are waiting. Have we met the quota for this season? It seems that the smell got to Jonathon too. He had a hard time deciding if he was sick or not. I don't think he got much sleep. Olive and I took a nice nap and she seems Ok now (this is always deceitful, they always seem ok, right up until they start to throw up.) But for the moment, we are happy to be in our Jammies, playing play dough at 2:30 in the afternoon.

I want to look like you mom!

Saturday night was our night to play "beauty shop." I told the girls that they were desperately in need of a trim. Olive went first and I asked her how she wanted it cut. she said, "I want to look like you mom."

"What?"
"I want short hair, like you!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I want to look like you."
In, out, breathe. Everyone knows that when Aspen was little I kept her hair pretty short and she had bangs. I wish now that I hadn't, though she was a super cute little girl no matter how her hair looked. When Olive came along I didn't even put scissors to her hair until she was 2 1/2. She has just a hint of curl in her brown hair. I love her hair! Aspen, poor girl, got my straighter than a ruler hair. She'll probably get grey hair at 16 like I did too. But Olive...That touch of curl had me. So when she asked for short hair (by the way, this isn't the first time she has asked.) I gave in. I figured that we had just had Allison take her picture and we had just had family pictures taken and her hair grows fast, so, OK. I'll do it.


She really likes it. It is easier to brush and she can keep it out of her eyes with her ears so she doesn't have to have it "done" every day. I miss the long hair though. The good news is...The curl is still there. Just a hint. Phew.Aspen is of coarse another story. She won't let a "real" person do hers. (We're not real.) It's either Jonathon or I and that's it. We can take no more than is absolutely necessary, and stay away from the bangs area. She is quite the cutey with her super straight hair and toothless grin!


****Update****
Emily, who was doing wonderfully ended up, can you guess it? Back in the ER in Rock Springs. She had another spinal tap and though her white blood cell count is back to normal there is still a lot of pressure. The good news is that she was only perscribed some medication and she was back home by the afternoon. What a ride!
(And if you didn't notice, Like I sometimes don't, I just posted another post right below this one, so keep on reading.)

The scary story

So here is the scary airplane story.

It was a dark and stormy night... Ok, it wasn't actually. It was a rather sunny afternoon cruising between SLC and Denver. They were about to put the movie on the plane. It was Wal-E. (Much better than the one on the west bound flights.) The captain had just come on over the intercom and said that we could get up and move around but that he was leaving the seat belt sign on because of some turbulence that might happen. The stewardesses had gotten out the carts with drinks and stuff and were passing out drinks to everyone. I thought, "Perfect! I'll take the kids to the bathroom and they will be blissfully watching the movie while I read my book!" So down to the end of the plane we went. The bathroom line wasn't very long and Aspen refused to come. (She had gone in one with a tricky door latch on the way here and has sworn off airplane bathrooms.) Cedar wanted to go by himself. I showed him how the latch worked and then the other bathroom opened up and I took Olive in there. Olive had just finished up and we were getting ready to wash her hands when we suddenly hit some turbulence. It wasn't too bad. I did forgo washing hands for finishing the buttons and then a quick exit because the "return to your seats" sign lit up. There was more turbulence. It was a little bit rougher so I sat down on the seat and grabbed Olive so that I didn't accidentally knock her over. When we were both steady a long minute of very heavy turbulence hit. We were knocked in the air about 3 feet a few times. It was the scariest I had been on on airplane, EVER. That is until my next thought hit me. CEDAR! Locked in the other bathroom! Being thrown around with no one to hold him down. What if he can't get the door open like Aspen couldn't? Even though the turbulence was still bad I opened the door and literally fell out of the bathroom with Olive landing in a big heap on the floor. I looked around and couldn't see Cedar and immediately started to pound on the other bathroom door. I was frantic. We are being continually bumped up. I kept pulling Olive down on her bottom and the plane kept bouncing her back on her feet. Honestly, I think she was having fun. So, does any one out there know how to open a locked airplane door from the outside? They really need to post that in LARGE letters near the door handle. All I could do was bang while I imagined my little boy being tossed around the bathroom like a rag doll. I was sure that he was unconscious and bloody and I was so scared. Like I said, Olive kept bouncing up and I went from kneeling low to kneeling high with every bounce of the plane while yelling for my son like a mad woman. The stewardess yelled at me to sit down and I yelled back, "My SON is in there!" Well, there was a LOT of commotion and next thing I knew the bathroom door opened and....(prepare for something dreadful...)

Some man was crouched in there. The turbulence slowed down. And I still looked like a mad woman. Luckily the man had let us go ahead of him and he obviously had been next in line for the bathroom that Cedar had used. He kindly looked at me and said, "He's not in here." Thinking back on it now, I probably should have been terribly embarrassed. I wasn't. Not even now as I write this and I am thinking, "That was embarrassing!" I still don't feel even a little embarrassed. I feel complete and total relief. I think of all of the crazy things that have happened in my family over Christmas, especially with Emily, and I can see thousands of unseen hands helping us to make the best of scary situations. For me, kneeling there at the foot of some strange man I am so thankful that Cedar wanted to go alone, and that he was quick. If not, either he or Olive would have been going to the bathroom while all three of us were crowded in there and the turbulence had come and we probably would have been knocked into each other quite a bit. If he hadn't have been quick, well, I've already described that one pretty clearly. As it was, Cedar was halfway to his seat when the turbulence hit and some guy grabbed him and held him on his lap until it was steady enough for him to walk. Olive walked, and I crawled on my knees back to our seat. ( wasn't sure I could stand up.) I went on to have two nights in a row of nightmares until at dinner I lectured my kids and then quizzed them about what to do if you are ever in the bathroom and there is turbulence. (in case you are wondering. Sit down on the floor and wedge yourself in and find something to hold on to. I don't even care if your pants are still down! There are intermittent pop quizzes, so make sure that you are prepared.)

After that little episode, and with the humor before me of "Mr, insult my kids" guy being fumigated on the isle next to ours. (Did I mention he was on the flight to Nashville too!) Along with a nice strong tail wind that took a huge chunk of time off our flight, it was really a nice trip. I had a good book, the kids had a good video, Jonathon had someone interesting to talk to and the hummus was really good. So, scary things aren't always lasting things. But I am sure that I will NEVER forget that. Every time I fly, especially with my kids, and even more so when I go into the bathroom or there is turbulence I may become, momentarily, that crazy woman kneeling at the floor of the bathroom. Oh, and if you are anywhere near me, be prepared for a pop quiz!

I have a few minutes until I leave to take Cedar to the doctor. We are still trying to figure out what's up with the poor kid's tummy. This is a follow up from before Christmas. But, since I have only a few minutes I thought I would tell my funny airplane story. The scary one I will do when I have a few more minutes.
So, we were on our way home from Christmas vacation. We were in the last group to board, so we are hanging out by the gate, but not in line yet. This guy was standing near us, but not that near. (And just for background, my kids were being really good! True, they looked like they were having a slumber party on the floor, but they were NOT running, yelling or being annoying. And all of their stuff was in their backpacks. They weren't even messy!) So this guy says, in a normal voice to another person, who is also not far from us, "I like kids...[looks at my kids] ...in moderation." Ok, I was offended. I thought, "What??? My kids aren't even doing anything!" (they were the only kids left to board.) I didn't say any thing, but I mouthed it to Jonathon when he got there.
Well, wouldn't you know it! The plane we were on had three seats on each side of the isle. So, naturally my family took up five seats in a row, leaving one seat vacant. The window seat. When we got on the plane, (we were the last to board. Why make the trip even a minute longer if you can help it?) Guess who was in that empty window seat in our isle? Yep, Mr. Insult-my-kids guy! I couldn't help but laugh. The plane was completely full! Ha! Ha! Ha! He turned out to be a nice guy who Jonathon enjoyed talking to and even consented to play 31 with Cedar and Jonathon. But, in the end, I didn't feel bad at all that Cedar had really stinky gas the entire plane ride and the guy was fumigated. In fact, it still makes me laugh! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Happy new year

There were so many things I was going to do the last few weeks of 2008... I didn't get any Christmas cards out, though I really didn't try. I figured that I would just do a fun little Christmas blog and mass email my blog address out to everyone who has ever sent me an email. Well, that didn't happen either. So, now it's 2009. Yesterday I thought, I'll do all of that stuff tomorrow. We had just gotten home so I figured that everyone would understand. Especially since I had that exciting turbulence on the plane and "that guy with the comment" story to relate. But I haven't really felt like it today.

Emily is back in the hospital. She was life flighted this morning from Rock Springs Wyo. From the very ER that our mom works in. She keeps having these really weird seizures. Not the big ones, the grand Mal kind, though she has has those. But the "I've just been kidnapped by aliens kind." She completely spaces out and looks like no one is home. Then I guess this morning she commented that she was "Jack Sparrow" from the pirates of the Caribbean. A kind of half drunk, sea legs type of feeling. She was brought back to the U to the NCC. As the day went on the Doctors decided to do....more tests....the same ones she has already had. I think that they are going to dig a little deeper with each of these since no one has yet to come up with a "text book" diagnosis. The good news though is that Emily was moved out of NCC because she was doing "too well." (We like that!) She has also joined the U of U hospital "frequent guest" club and because she has spent roughly half of the past 2 weeks in the lovely U of U hospital they have upgraded her room to a suite. Emily is a bit oblivious. She's not quite awake enough of the time to appreciate the view of the valley, the big bathroom or the hotel like accommodations, complete with a fold out bed and comfy chair. I do think that Branch will like it a bit better than the waiting room floor he has got to spend so many nights on. (Don't worry, there are a thousand beds that he could sleep on if he he chose to leave Emily's side for more than an hour at a time.)

So, we start this year with a big question mark? What do the pages of 2009 look like? They are there, right in front of us, waiting to be filled. We each have an awful lot of control over our own pages, but then there are some things that just are. Things like seizures and hospitals. For things like that, we just have hope. I have no doubt that things will be ok. I just don't know what ok looks like. So until I do, I will hope and pray and sleep with my cell phone. May each of you fill the pages of your 2009 with everything you've got. And if you happen on some of those things that just are, remember hope.