- Brock had a self-inflicted incarceration in the bathroom the other day - he refused to put anything on his behind and I refused to let him out until said bottom was covered. I was willing to let him stay there all day but Daddy managed to get some underwear on him about 45 minutes in
- I hate potty training. And Brock isn't looking like he's going to be any easier than his older brothers. Joy.
- Why do people who don't know me assume I should have more kids?
- I had an Il Divo CD playing in the truck the other day with the kids. Zane asked to change to "their" music because he didn't understand this music. I said it's Italian, that's why you don't understand. Then I switched to their version of Amazing Grace which is all English. After it was done his comment was 'Yeah, still don't get it'. Sigh.
- I love performing piano solos in Sacrament meeting and feeling when the congregation is actually with me. I can actually feel the Spirit in the room change and become stronger. Awesome!
- I asked Brock if he wanted to watch a potty movie I got out of the library - his response - uh, no. Great.
- Just spent 10 minutes cleaning crayon off the walls...again. Why does this child insist on using my walls for coloring?!
- Love being in the RS presidency and seeing the sisters of my ward serve each other. Makes my calling so easy!
- Rhett is so sensitive and I often miss it or hurt his feelings. Sigh. I'm working on it.
- Just finished cleaning up another big Brock mess. I don't think I'm going to miss that part of little kids.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Our Pioneer Days
If you live in Alberta you understand cold. This past week was one of those that makes you re-examine why it is you live here. Low minus 20's to 30's with wind chills almost to minus 50. But let's be honest, anything past minus 20 with or without windchill is just ridiculous. I promise, snow stays frozen just fine at minus 10. However, I'm not in charge of the weather.
It all started last Tuesday. Cliff went to start a bath for the kids and came back saying there was no hot water. We shrugged it off since I had been doing laundry ALL day and the dishwasher was running etc. But the next morning when Cliff went to take a shower and there still wasn't any hot water we knew there was a problem. I got the kids who needed to go to school out the door and then settled in to wait for Cliff to fix the problem. This kind of thing is so out of my area of expertise. Usually when I try to help I just make it worse of get in the way. After a few phone calls and trying of suggestions we were in the waiting period. I was laying in bed (stupid head cold) when I noticed that the furnace was making a funny noise. I asked Cliff if he heard that and he agreed that I wasn't hearing things. Turns out we were hearing our fan motor seize. Yep, special isn't it? Considering the wind chill that morning was -44!!!!
So, there we were with no heat and no hot water. I immediately started doing a mental survey of our heat resources in the house and took action. First - hoodies and socks for kids not in school. We already had space heater in the kids rooms so I turned them up a little. Then I turned the oven on in the kitchen and the electric fire place in the living room and counted my blessings that we still had electricity! I was all ready to crawl back into bed and be miserable, but instead I chose to get dressed and get on with my day.
A friend of Cliff's from work came out and looked things over with Cliff - he thought it was our thermostat that had gone on the water tank and helped Cliff locate one - in Edmonton. Sigh. So we knew we had to wait and would be boiling water for a couple of days. Thankfully, the heater was an easier fix and the motor we needed was actually available here in Sylvan. A couple hours after it quit Cliff had the new one installed and we had full heat again! We were really grateful for that. Although our makeshift sources were doing a pretty good job I didn't want to test it over night!
We discovered that my two big 12 quart pots and a couple of smaller pots full of boiling water combined with some cold water could make a decent bath for the kids and a passable one for us. It wasn't enjoyable but it did get us clean. We had multiple offers from great friends to come and shower at their homes, but I figured by the time I packed everything/one up and drove etc it was just as easy to boil water and put up with a bath for a couple of days.
The part came in, Cliff replaced it and we waited with baited breath while dreaming of a shower...and it didn't work. On to plan B. Replace the elements. Did you know that hot water tanks have two of them? I didn't before this. And did you know that to replace them you have to drain your hot water tank? Yep, didn't know that one either. And did you know that we couldn't find the elements we needed and had to order them as well?!???? Yeah, I was doing some deep breathing for awhile, but concluded that it could be worse and tried to carry on as best as I could.
****Side note: I would have made a REALLY crappy pioneer, and I now understand completely why people bathed so infrequently and sponge baths were the rage before indoor plumbing. And yes, I have been camping. But you expect it then. Not so much in a house with taps! I digress!
Saturday Cliff sent me a text saying he had found elements! Ahhhhh! (That was the angels singing in case you were wondering). The ones we had ordered weren't going to be here until today (Monday).
After borrowing a hose that wasn't frozen (cold in Alberta remember?) and hooking it up we waited for the tank to drain.
***Side note #2: We live in a small house. With no basement. The hot water tank is located behind a panel in our bedroom closet. Special. So no cement floor with a drain. Hence, the hose from the tank to the bathtub.
Continuing on....Water started trickling veerrrryyy slowly. And after hours and hours of waiting we finally resorted to pot brigading to get the water lower than the last element. It took forever and then the process of putting in the new ones, filling the tank, etc...we finally had hot water again around 2 AM.
I take a lot for granted! But I am so thankful for a husband who is willing to learn to fix things he hasn't done before, and for my working furnace and hot water again. And yes, I really enjoyed that shower Sunday morning!
It all started last Tuesday. Cliff went to start a bath for the kids and came back saying there was no hot water. We shrugged it off since I had been doing laundry ALL day and the dishwasher was running etc. But the next morning when Cliff went to take a shower and there still wasn't any hot water we knew there was a problem. I got the kids who needed to go to school out the door and then settled in to wait for Cliff to fix the problem. This kind of thing is so out of my area of expertise. Usually when I try to help I just make it worse of get in the way. After a few phone calls and trying of suggestions we were in the waiting period. I was laying in bed (stupid head cold) when I noticed that the furnace was making a funny noise. I asked Cliff if he heard that and he agreed that I wasn't hearing things. Turns out we were hearing our fan motor seize. Yep, special isn't it? Considering the wind chill that morning was -44!!!!
So, there we were with no heat and no hot water. I immediately started doing a mental survey of our heat resources in the house and took action. First - hoodies and socks for kids not in school. We already had space heater in the kids rooms so I turned them up a little. Then I turned the oven on in the kitchen and the electric fire place in the living room and counted my blessings that we still had electricity! I was all ready to crawl back into bed and be miserable, but instead I chose to get dressed and get on with my day.
A friend of Cliff's from work came out and looked things over with Cliff - he thought it was our thermostat that had gone on the water tank and helped Cliff locate one - in Edmonton. Sigh. So we knew we had to wait and would be boiling water for a couple of days. Thankfully, the heater was an easier fix and the motor we needed was actually available here in Sylvan. A couple hours after it quit Cliff had the new one installed and we had full heat again! We were really grateful for that. Although our makeshift sources were doing a pretty good job I didn't want to test it over night!
We discovered that my two big 12 quart pots and a couple of smaller pots full of boiling water combined with some cold water could make a decent bath for the kids and a passable one for us. It wasn't enjoyable but it did get us clean. We had multiple offers from great friends to come and shower at their homes, but I figured by the time I packed everything/one up and drove etc it was just as easy to boil water and put up with a bath for a couple of days.
The part came in, Cliff replaced it and we waited with baited breath while dreaming of a shower...and it didn't work. On to plan B. Replace the elements. Did you know that hot water tanks have two of them? I didn't before this. And did you know that to replace them you have to drain your hot water tank? Yep, didn't know that one either. And did you know that we couldn't find the elements we needed and had to order them as well?!???? Yeah, I was doing some deep breathing for awhile, but concluded that it could be worse and tried to carry on as best as I could.
****Side note: I would have made a REALLY crappy pioneer, and I now understand completely why people bathed so infrequently and sponge baths were the rage before indoor plumbing. And yes, I have been camping. But you expect it then. Not so much in a house with taps! I digress!
Saturday Cliff sent me a text saying he had found elements! Ahhhhh! (That was the angels singing in case you were wondering). The ones we had ordered weren't going to be here until today (Monday).
After borrowing a hose that wasn't frozen (cold in Alberta remember?) and hooking it up we waited for the tank to drain.
***Side note #2: We live in a small house. With no basement. The hot water tank is located behind a panel in our bedroom closet. Special. So no cement floor with a drain. Hence, the hose from the tank to the bathtub.
Continuing on....Water started trickling veerrrryyy slowly. And after hours and hours of waiting we finally resorted to pot brigading to get the water lower than the last element. It took forever and then the process of putting in the new ones, filling the tank, etc...we finally had hot water again around 2 AM.
I take a lot for granted! But I am so thankful for a husband who is willing to learn to fix things he hasn't done before, and for my working furnace and hot water again. And yes, I really enjoyed that shower Sunday morning!
I'm on a roll! #4!
So a quick re-cap, Grammie came, it was my birthday and Rhett lost two teeth. But the excitement of January doesn't end there! Auntie Kizzy came to visit the week after Grammie. She got here Thursday night and met me at the church 'cause I needed to be there for a RS other meeting (seriously, can we just go back to calling it Enrichment please? So less confusing) But I digress. We took in the last of the activity, held Jenna's baby Cora (such a doll) and stayed at the church talking and laughing with Jenn until late. Cliff started texting me that Brock was wandering around the house looking for me. Ha ha ha.
After staying up way too late and starting the morning early(we really weren't thinking about kids needing to go to school the next day) we enjoyed some Kinnect, some visiting and snuggling with kiddos, and a girl's night planned by my friends to celebrate my birthday. I have some of the very best friends a girl could ask for, and having Kinsey there was the icing on the cake.
Another really late night (we never learn ) led to a sleep in and lazy day with the kiddos before heading out again for a girls night together. Have I mentioned what an awesome husband I have?
We headed to the mall for some great window shopping and then hit a late movie. We declared an early bed time (midnight) and collapsed.
A miracle happened and the kids all slept past 8:30 in the morning - for those of you who know my kids you know that's really a miracle. We made yummy pancakes - a tradition when Auntie is here and then headed to church. It was great to have an extra pair of hands there 'cause Cliff had to work.
Saying goodbye was hard - we hate to see Auntie go. We have so much fun together. How lucky am I to have sisters who are such great friends!
Onto the next adventure...
After staying up way too late and starting the morning early(we really weren't thinking about kids needing to go to school the next day) we enjoyed some Kinnect, some visiting and snuggling with kiddos, and a girl's night planned by my friends to celebrate my birthday. I have some of the very best friends a girl could ask for, and having Kinsey there was the icing on the cake.
Another really late night (we never learn ) led to a sleep in and lazy day with the kiddos before heading out again for a girls night together. Have I mentioned what an awesome husband I have?
We headed to the mall for some great window shopping and then hit a late movie. We declared an early bed time (midnight) and collapsed.
A miracle happened and the kids all slept past 8:30 in the morning - for those of you who know my kids you know that's really a miracle. We made yummy pancakes - a tradition when Auntie is here and then headed to church. It was great to have an extra pair of hands there 'cause Cliff had to work.
Saying goodbye was hard - we hate to see Auntie go. We have so much fun together. How lucky am I to have sisters who are such great friends!
Onto the next adventure...
Toothless - January's 3rd post
Are you sensing a theme here yet? All the blogging that I've meant to do this month is kinda getting done all at once. Hopefully once I'm caught up I'll be much better at the once a week I'm aiming for this year!
Disclaimer: Blogger hates most of my pictures today and refuses to load them the way I have them saved on my computer. I have gone in and changed and saved the rotation several times before adding these and blogger still loads them this way. FRUSTRATION for me who is so far from computer trick savvy it's not even funny. Sigh.
So although this picture is sideways this is Rhett missing his two top middle teeth. They had been loose FOREVER! As in I thought for sure he'd be the kid at Christmas without his teeth. He finally let me pull the one on the 6th, but the other one just wouldn't let go. Auntie Kizzy assured me it would be fine so I quit stressing. And she was right! Rhett was running down the hallway on the 8th and managed to hit himself in the mouth with his hand (don't ask) and knocked his own tooth out! He was so surprised he didn't even cry!
Of course the tooth fairy was very kind and remembered to show up and leave money - and Grammie contributed to the the toothless fund as well so Rhett has a nice little stash right now.
And I think he's the cutest toothless kid out there!
Disclaimer: Blogger hates most of my pictures today and refuses to load them the way I have them saved on my computer. I have gone in and changed and saved the rotation several times before adding these and blogger still loads them this way. FRUSTRATION for me who is so far from computer trick savvy it's not even funny. Sigh.
So although this picture is sideways this is Rhett missing his two top middle teeth. They had been loose FOREVER! As in I thought for sure he'd be the kid at Christmas without his teeth. He finally let me pull the one on the 6th, but the other one just wouldn't let go. Auntie Kizzy assured me it would be fine so I quit stressing. And she was right! Rhett was running down the hallway on the 8th and managed to hit himself in the mouth with his hand (don't ask) and knocked his own tooth out! He was so surprised he didn't even cry!
Of course the tooth fairy was very kind and remembered to show up and leave money - and Grammie contributed to the the toothless fund as well so Rhett has a nice little stash right now.
And I think he's the cutest toothless kid out there!
January's 2nd post: Grammie came to visit!
Grammie S came to visit!!! She arrived the day before the kids had to go back to school and we made the most of our time with her!
We played lots of games - including introducing Grammie to our dance game on Kinnect. We had so much fun dancing and laughing! Stories were read, cards were played, movies were watched and late nights were part of our time together.
Grammie brought me a beautiful apron for my birthday and we had fun celebrating with ice cream sandwiches with the kids, an afternoon of shopping together and then a night out with Cliff, Jas and Beck.
I'm so lucky that my mom is one of my best friends and that she was able to come and celebrate with me. And see the kids. I know she REALLY came for them - my birthday was just a bonus. Heh heh heh.
Grammie's time with us came and went way to quickly and before we knew it she was packing up and headed home.
Sorry no pictures...I've been slacking in that department lately.
We played lots of games - including introducing Grammie to our dance game on Kinnect. We had so much fun dancing and laughing! Stories were read, cards were played, movies were watched and late nights were part of our time together.
Grammie brought me a beautiful apron for my birthday and we had fun celebrating with ice cream sandwiches with the kids, an afternoon of shopping together and then a night out with Cliff, Jas and Beck.
I'm so lucky that my mom is one of my best friends and that she was able to come and celebrate with me. And see the kids. I know she REALLY came for them - my birthday was just a bonus. Heh heh heh.
Grammie's time with us came and went way to quickly and before we knew it she was packing up and headed home.
Sorry no pictures...I've been slacking in that department lately.
January First's post
So, this is the post I should have written at the beginning of the month...
Christmas was AWESOME!
- we took the kids to Edmonton and stayed over night in a great hotel
- played with Uncle Jamie, had some fun in the pool(Brock still HATES swimming)
- went to Fantasy Land next day.
- we all had a great time until I decided to ride the mind bender and ended up with a mild case of whiplash. I'm talented that way
- drugs and stick-on heat pads kept me moving - I was determined not to ruin the afternoon
- Christmas Eve started new tradition of family puzzle - didn't get it finished but it was fun
- went sledding at the Poplar Ridge school hill - it's huge and the kids and Cliff had a blast with a ton of friends who came too. I was still hurting and Cliff bruised his heel badly when he and Rhett slid into the swings!
- spent the evening with Paynes - home made pizza, the nativity with 4 Kings, not 3, presents and chocolate fondue
- opened new jammies
- Christmas Day Cliff and Zane woke everyone else up ( I had been up since 3:30 coughing and had just gone back to bed) when I heard Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra blasting through the house. How can you be grumpy?
- Took Brock a long time to get into things in the morning
- everyone had a great morning
- Church on Christmas day is AWESOME!!!! LOVED it - minus the brother who announced over the pulpit that Santa wasn't real - only Sunday I was glad my kids weren't paying attention!
- Connie Holladay and I played Joy to the World piano/organ duet by Sally DeFord for the last number and it was phenomenal! The congregation and us combined was a highlight for me and we had so many people who expressed their appreciation. I also played the prelude and snuck in Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.
- We had a quiet Christmas turkey dinner at home all by ourselves and enjoyed our time!
-Boxing Day Cliff went off to work and the kids and I headed to Cardston. We played and played and played and ate and ate and ate! Auntie Kizzy and Auntie Lishie were able to be there and so was Grandpa Dooley. Paxton and the boys had so much fun together - especially as Grandpa chased them around and around and around. I wish we would have thought to film it.
- 28th we headed to Taber to play with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. Managed to see some other Johnson family as well and enjoyed our time with cousin Cohen as well. We even stayed longer because Cliff had to work and mom and dad J didn't! I was still hurting so stopped in Lethbridge to get cousin Nick to adjust me before heading home - it helped a lot
- 30th we finally made it home! We spent a quiet New Years together and took Christmas down to get ready for Grammie S to visit!
Christmas was AWESOME!
- we took the kids to Edmonton and stayed over night in a great hotel
- played with Uncle Jamie, had some fun in the pool(Brock still HATES swimming)
- went to Fantasy Land next day.
- we all had a great time until I decided to ride the mind bender and ended up with a mild case of whiplash. I'm talented that way
- drugs and stick-on heat pads kept me moving - I was determined not to ruin the afternoon
- Christmas Eve started new tradition of family puzzle - didn't get it finished but it was fun
- went sledding at the Poplar Ridge school hill - it's huge and the kids and Cliff had a blast with a ton of friends who came too. I was still hurting and Cliff bruised his heel badly when he and Rhett slid into the swings!
- spent the evening with Paynes - home made pizza, the nativity with 4 Kings, not 3, presents and chocolate fondue
- opened new jammies
- Christmas Day Cliff and Zane woke everyone else up ( I had been up since 3:30 coughing and had just gone back to bed) when I heard Jingle Bells by Frank Sinatra blasting through the house. How can you be grumpy?
- Took Brock a long time to get into things in the morning
- everyone had a great morning
- Church on Christmas day is AWESOME!!!! LOVED it - minus the brother who announced over the pulpit that Santa wasn't real - only Sunday I was glad my kids weren't paying attention!
- Connie Holladay and I played Joy to the World piano/organ duet by Sally DeFord for the last number and it was phenomenal! The congregation and us combined was a highlight for me and we had so many people who expressed their appreciation. I also played the prelude and snuck in Handel's Hallelujah Chorus.
- We had a quiet Christmas turkey dinner at home all by ourselves and enjoyed our time!
-Boxing Day Cliff went off to work and the kids and I headed to Cardston. We played and played and played and ate and ate and ate! Auntie Kizzy and Auntie Lishie were able to be there and so was Grandpa Dooley. Paxton and the boys had so much fun together - especially as Grandpa chased them around and around and around. I wish we would have thought to film it.
- 28th we headed to Taber to play with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson. Managed to see some other Johnson family as well and enjoyed our time with cousin Cohen as well. We even stayed longer because Cliff had to work and mom and dad J didn't! I was still hurting so stopped in Lethbridge to get cousin Nick to adjust me before heading home - it helped a lot
- 30th we finally made it home! We spent a quiet New Years together and took Christmas down to get ready for Grammie S to visit!
The Kings...
Three of the kings
New Jammies!
Brock starting to think Christmas morning is OK
Rhett a little sideways...me and blogger are not getting along...sorry!
New shorts and ties
A real football!
Sorry for the sideways pictures...not sure why blogger thinks they look better this way!
And I hope to post again soon :)
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