A New Veteran's Day Tradition?

When you add a new member to your family, certain sacrifices have to be made to ensure that everyone's needs are met. Things fall by the wayside. Maybe the laundry doesn't get folded as quickly as it used to. Perhaps those trips to the park only happen once a week instead of once a day.

And maybe you carve pumpkins on Veteran's Day instead of on Halloween. The boys didn't seem to mind.
Peter drew a picture of what he wanted his to look like and Bryan did the carving. For Cooper's, Bryan asked him what shape he wanted each facial feature to be, which is why one eye is a heart and the other eye is a star. At least we know he knows his shapes, right?

Lead Me, Guide Me

The year that Peter turned two there was a four-year-old girl in our ward that memorized and beautifully delivered her whole minute-long talk for the Primary program. I was impressed. Afterward I asked her mom what the secret to such an articulate and intelligent child was. She laughed, shrugged her shoulders, and said that she didn't know, her daughter had just come that way.

I didn't buy it.

Earlier this week I walked into the kitchen to make dinner. We have a little rocking chair that all three of the kids have spent time in. I plopped Phoebe down, strapped her in, and proceeded to narrate my dinner preparations. When I looked back at her I saw that she had fixed her gaze on a toy that was attached to her chair. It was with great determination that she reached out her arm and grabbed that ladybug. I was shocked. Neither of the boys showed any interest in toys at two months old. But Phoebe saw something she wanted and got it.

She's determined about almost everything she does. When she wants to eat, she is incredibly persuasive. She smiles and coos for a few minutes, playing the cute-card. When that doesn't work, she turns on the tears. Then she just yells until she gets what she wants.

It appears that the number of strong-willed people in our house has increased by one, bringing us to a grand total of five out of five.

I know that Phoebe is awfully young to be pegging her into a personality hole, but I also recognize that these children come with personalities and talents already in place. Just as that mom said, they come this way. But there's a part missing. Yes, they do come this way, but parents play a huge role in guiding them. It's up to me to find out who they are, and help them discover what they can be. If my mom hadn't noticed that I had a nice singing voice when I was ten and taken me to be evaluated by a woman in our ward who sang, I wonder if my voice would be such a defining part of who I am. Would I have seen in myself what my mom saw?

I think that's one of the most exciting and the most scary parts of being a parent. What will your child become? How will they use what they have come with? How can I guide Phoebe and Peter and Cooper and help them channel that strong-will into something positive?

Maybe I came equipped too. Just as all three of my children came to this earth with ample servings of determination, perhaps I came with the tools I would need to be their mom. Maybe some of the gifts I was given before I came to this earth were to be Peter and Cooper and Phoebe's mom.

Silly Old Bear

Yes, two YouTube videos in a row. It's been that kind of week. Not bad, just long and full.

Bryan sent this to me this morning to show the boys.



I distinctly remember watching the first Winnie-the-Pooh movie while lying on my Grandma Bonnie's living room floor. Does anyone else have fond memories of watching the original Winnie-the-Pooh?

I've Had The Chorus of This Song Stuck In My Head Since I Titled Yesterday's Post

Lovely Lady Liberty

On our way home from Costco:

Peter: Mommy look! It's the Eiffel Tower!

Me: (glancing out the window at an ad for a New York themed sandwich shop) You know, that's actually the Statue of Liberty.

Peter: (laughing slightly at his mistake) Oh, that's right. I get those two confused because they were made by the same guy.

I told him that at some point. At least, I'm pretty sure I did...

This Is My Sixteeth Post With the Word Pumpkin In It

Bryan rearranged the freezer a few days ago (in an attempt to fit in more food storage stuff) and found my final cup of frozen pumpkin from last year's jack-o-lanterns. I figured a year was long enough and asked him to stick it in the fridge so I would remember to use it.

Since then I've been craving pumpkin cookies. I finally decided that we should make some and I went to find my favorite recipe, the one that I copied out of my Mom's cookbook when I went to college.

And it was gone.

It was then that I remembered that the last time I made these cookies (a few weeks ago) the page the recipe was written on had been about to break free from it's mooring. I guess I've loved that cookbook a little too much. After a quick (but understated) freak-out, I found the paper stuck inside a different cookbook.

It occurred to me that the best way to not lose the recipe again was to put it on the blog. And, bonus, that means I get to share it with you. I think everyone has a favorite pumpkin recipe (everyone that likes pumpkin at least) and this is mine. And according to what he said when I talked to him a few weeks ago, it's my brother's favorite too. My brother who makes ridiculously good cookies (or so I've heard) and loves to bake as much as I do, so that's saying something.

Pumpkin Cookies

Combine:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt (I prefer kosher salt)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Set aside.

In a new bowl cream:

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 3/4 cup honey (or 1 cup sugar if that's what you prefer)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 cup raisins (if you're my brother) or chocolate chips (if you're Bryan)

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Oh, and according to my notes these cookies have 95 calories apiece, which means tonight I have consumed 475 calories in pumpkin cookie form. Maybe I should save the rest for another day...

A Few Final Thoughts on Halloween

We went to a Halloween party with some friends in our neighborhood a few days before the actual holiday. We decided to recycle our costumes from two years ago. Because sizes have changed and an addition has been made, the roles were recast.


Cooper was tickled to be Santa. He even obliged us with a few "ho ho hos." I thought the pipe cleaner fireworks coming out of Peter's hat were clever. Phoebe slept the entire party and only woke up when we got home and I tried to take her picture.


We did some prep work for our costumes on Halloween (or Halloween eve, because this is Utah, and nobody celebrates Halloween on Sunday). We sang songs from The Wizard of Oz and from Wicked. We read some of the history of the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. And finally, we read the book itself. It got intense in a few places (like when the Tin Man hacks the flying monkeys to pieces, yikes), but overall the boys enjoyed it. And bonus, that's what our book club is reading for November. You know, I really liked having costumes based in literature. I think I'd like to do it again. I wonder, what could we read and dress-up as next year?

One final festivity (not pumpkin carving, our gourds are still sitting whole on the counter, waiting) was making root beer. Bryan has fond memories of doing this when he was little. I had no idea that people made their own until I came to BYU, but apparently it's quite popular in Utah. The boys thought it was awesome. My favorite part? The scientific discussion about carbon dioxide that took place while the dry ice was melting. Yeah, that was sweet.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

It didn't come in time for Halloween, but have no fear, she will still get some use out of this darling dress. It's so nice I think she could wear it to church. And it fits perfectly.

I love her hint of a smile.

Thank you for making these beautiful costumes Shari! I'm so thankful that you have skills, and that you're willing to share them.

King of the Forest

Look what finally got here!

I think this looks great. It's a hoodie, isn't that clever?


Dorothy pictures coming tomorrow...

Maestro Peter

Peter: (after singing our song for scripture study on Monday) Mommy, have you heard about the new thing in music?

Me: The new thing?

Peter: (excited) Yes. It's really cool. It's bigger than a crescendo and louder than a fortissimo. It's louder than a smoke detector. You have to scream it.

Me: Wow, that's really loud.

Peter: It's called fumtisimo.

Me: Fumtisimo?

Peter: (with certainty) Fumtisimo.