Quite the week, Caroline

Our Caroline is a girl of contradictions . . . terrified and freaked out by ladybugs (really, she screams and runs for cover if one gets near her - we've even seen her in tears if she finds a ladybug crawling on her shirt), but is fascinated by those huge, furry bumblebees and even tries to "pet" them. That's just one example that hopefully won't embarrass her, another example is the family blog . . . she doesn't want anything about her in full public view, but then complains that Liza is getting all the attention on the blog - go figure.

So, in celebration of Caroline we'll highlight her great week. First, she began pointe in ballet. For those of you not familiar with little girls and ballet class, getting your first pair of toe shoes is HUGE - so exciting. Caroline isn't one to talk about herself, but she couldn't help but tell grandparents, aunts, and good friends she was starting pointe. She was fitted with her first pair and began working in class at the barre with her new shoes . . . "ouch" is all I can say! Mom finally figured out how to sew in the ribbons and we're getting them broken in, so hopefully Caroline will stop coming home from ballet with the revelation that "pointe shoes hurt." Um, ya, could have told you that :-).

The same week she was taking care of ballet business, she entered her first girls' 12 tennis tourney. She competed in the 10s earlier this year, but has been a little wary of competing against the older girls since she aged up. After a discouraging loss in the semi-finals, she came back to play a great match and win the consolation finals - YEAH Caroline! She was grinning from ear to ear and now has the confidence to continue competing. We're so proud of our sweet daughter.

This picture about sums it up - pointe shoe fitting after a tennis match . . . the ballet store was on the way home from the tourney. The funny part was that her friend from dance class showed up for her fitting in her soccer uniform. Gotta love the girls!

Happy Birthday Chris!

43 TODAY - wow, who would guess?!? Really, not many can look this great in their forties. I hope you don't mind the hot pic I chose for the blog :-). We love you and are missing you while you're away. We know how much you don't like the spotlight or attention in any form whatsoever, so that's precisely why we're doing this :-). Everyone out there needs to know how wonderful we think you are, so here goes . . .

Birthday wishes from the peanut gallery:

"I love my daddy because he gives me good treats and reads me stories. Oh, and he sings the funny potty song too." - Liza

"I love him because he takes me swimming, reads REALLY funny stories and makes up silly songs." - Sophie

"He's fun because he lets me do his hair all crazy on sundays, introduced me to 'cute overload,' and he makes me laugh." - Caroline

"He's cool." - Ryan

"He never fails to tell me how beautiful he thinks I am, even on those days when I KNOW for a fact I'm not looking that great! I couldn't live without you - happy birthday love." - Julia

The following is in celebration of our dad - who is in fact part Jerry Seinfeld, part Ray Romano, and part Adam Sandler. . . a clip of one of our favorite Seinfeld episodes. Chris has many "golden boys" hiding in our closet that are a step away from the trash bin, but the minute I mention their demise, I get the "golden boy" routine, and because it's so dang funny, I let Chris keep his favorite shirts despite the wear and tear. Enjoy!

The latest from our Liza

"If you're a boy and you play tennis you HAVE to wear one of those bands right here around your head (as she points to her forehead) - it's the rule."

"Ohhhh, gross, did you see the hairy guy in that car? So freaky!"

"Sophie was way nicer when she was six."

Liza's response when I told her last night to come inside for a bath: "Why don't we just rinse off with the hose tonight." (a sign that we spent too much time at the lake this year :-).

The conversation the other day in the car that about made me crash because I was laughing so hard. . .

Liza: I am missing my cousin.
Me: Oh, I know, I miss Becca too, hopefully we'll see her soon.
Liza: Oh, no, not that cousin.
Me: Really? Who? Rachel, Spencer, Avery. Miriam??
Liza: No Mom . . . Bernie, I miss Bernie. When does he get to come stay at our house again??

Now, for those of you waiting for the punchline, that was it - BERNIE - because Bernie isn't technically a cousin (i.e. a human who is the child of one of your siblings). Bernie is my single brother's DOG, a cute boston terrier that the kids absolutely adore and who stays with us every few weeks or so while Travis is out of town, but a DOG nonetheless. Liza has come to the conclusion that since Travis has no children and treats Bearnie like a kid, that makes him her cousin. Welcome to the family, Bernie.

The Twiddlebugs!

Flashback . . . Liza and I were watching classic Sesame Street videos this morning on youtube (I'll put some others on another time), but for today here's a favorite - the twiddlebugs. I was laughing so hard I was in tears because I forgot how much these funny creatures were part of my daily comedy routine during high school. When one of my friends was having a bad day, I would lean over in class and whisper, "how do we get to the zoo?" in my very best twiddlebug voice . . . it was too much to resist and before long we would cause quite a disturbance inacting the entire "Let's take the family car" episode.

Makes me smile just thinking about it and reminds me to be a twiddlebug a little more often on dreary days! So, this is for Wendy and Jamie, the biggest fans of "let's go to the zoooo . . . "

You know it's been a bad day when . . .

you are so wiped out by the end of it that you don't realize you've put sunscreen on your toothbrush instead of toothpaste . . . BLEAH! At least it makes for a good laugh before bed :-).

It's pre-school time

It was Elizabeth's first day of pre-school this week . . . finally. She figured it was about time she got a turn to go to school after watching the big kids head off last week.

Walking to Mrs. Carol's house in her new "Hello Kitty" shoes she picked out herself, just for the occasion.

With her little friend Clara . . . gotta love the look of anticipation on Liza's face - too much!
Her favorite part of the first day of pre-school: music time with the instruments - she got to play the sticks :-).

Sunflowers

Have you seen them? All the clusters of bright, cheery sunflowers in full bloom lining the sides of the road - everywhere! Each morning and afternoon an array of happy flowers greet me as I make my way back and forth into the SL valley. Who can resist a smile as the sun lights up these radiant spots of color. Such a fun reminder that fall is just around the corner, with the blue skies becoming brighter each day and the colors on the mountains beginning to change.

With the cooler weather we're having and the quiet days with the kids at school, I'm officially over my "let summer stay longer" phase . . . I LOVE autumn, everything about it and all the sunflowers have only increased my anticipation. It is such a simple thing, these flowers, they don't do anything but smile at us when we drive by, and if we're not so caught up in a conversation on our cell phones or worried about getting to our destination on time, all they ask is a delightful smile back to spread the cheer. They remind me that it truly is the small and simple things in life that bring us the most happiness.

"How necessary it is to cultivate a spirit of joy. It is a psychological truth that the physical acts of reverence and devotion make one feel devout. The courteous gesture increases one's respect for others. To act lovingly is to begin to feel loving, and certainly to act joyfully brings joy to others which in turn makes one feel joyful. I believe we are called to the duty of delight." - Dorothy Day

Love this quote . . .

"I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the deciding element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, a person humanized or dehumanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.

-Goethe

This is the message of a powerful book - The Book Thief - a narrative that makes us step back and take a look at ourselves and what we are ultimately capable.

"Our Moments"

WOW - three posts in one day - that's a first. It's been a crazy week with the summer ending much too soon, the kids getting back to school with all that it entails, and the trip to the orthodontist for Ryan and Caroline's new hardware. The time that I thought would be mine and Elizabeth's flew out the window and I'm shaking my head in disbelief that September is tomorrow. Where on earth did August go? I have to admit that this is the first time in my LIFE that I am lamenting the passing of summer. In years past, I anxiously await the beginning of autum, the drop in temperature, and the change of color. This year I want to scream, "STOP . . . please stay warm, stay green, let the kids run around barefoot for a little longer, and please DO NOT let me see Christmas decorations in any store!!" Too late.

Can't life slow down just a little? Can't people enjoy the summer before feeling the need to display nativity scenes and giant blow up santas? I'm a purist, I refuse to put up Halloween decor (um, ya, that would be the two things that look remotely "halloween-ish") until it's actually October for heaven's sake, and Christmas . . . c'mon, can people at least wait until AFTER Thanksgiving to begin setting up for the next holiday? RRRR . . . such a gripe of mine!

OK, I'm just a little off my topic at hand. Anyway, along the sidebar of my blog I added "our moments" - a running list of little sayings, songs, or happenings that trigger funny, memorable moments for our family. Today I was thinking of all the fun we really do have together and thought I should try and remember some of those little moments that truly only have meaning to our family - those "inside jokes" and memories that define us as a family. You know, the times when you're together and someone says, "remember when . . . " and before long you're all in tears remembering something in the past that was so corny that only your family gets the humor.

I want to remember those times - with just a word or two - because life can sometimes get overwhelming, and raising children and keeping your marriage strong is a lot of work, so I thought why not keep the fun times alive and add to it to our list everytime one of these "moments" presents itself. And please, if any of my readers out there want to know the specifics of any of our moments, just ask . . . I'll be happy to share the story behind the words.

BRACES!

Before . . . After . . .

My living room furniture is now on my children's teeth ;-).

New School Year

Ryan on his way to his first day of 8th grade . . . seems like yesterday when Chris took him to his first day of Kindergarten. Only this time, Chris didn't walk him inside to say "hello" to the teacher and help him find his desk :-).


Sophie (2nd grade) and Caroline (6th grade) ready for a new year.

Sophie talking with her new teacher before she goes into class.

Caroline was SO excited to be with all her friends again - she's the queen of "group hugs!"

"Really? . . . you're not joking . . . tell me more . . . NO WAY!"


For old time's sake - a picture of Ryan's last day of pre-school (his "graduation"), hmmm, that would be spring of 2000. That was when "group hugs" were reserved just for Mom. They're growing up too fast, but it's been a wonderful journey watching them change and become such great kids. However, I can't help but wonder what Ryan would think of me if I sent him to Jr. High in THAT outfit??

Last trip of the summer

Last weekend the girls and I drove up to a little, tiny town in Idaho to spend some time with my friend Maria and her boys. It's one of those places that you might drive through and wonder to yourself "what do people do here?" And I LOVED it - it was wonderful to take a step back and slow down and enjoy a quiet way of life if only for a couple of days. It's one of those towns where everyone knows everyone else and since I was with a Packham, everyone in town seemed to know a Packham since Mark's dad grew up here.

We took all the kids to the local county fair and pro rodeo - ok, SO much fun - we really got into it, buying the program and learning about all the different events - even cheering for local cowboys from Fairfield. Another highlight was attending the small branch on Sunday - our six kids almost tripled the primary, increasing it's numbers from four to ten! We met so many humble, kind people and were grateful to be included among them. Thanks so much to Mark's family for such a warm welcome, and especially to his aunt Nancy for an amazing meal at her home and the time she spent sharing her horses with my girls.

Am I insane . . .

to send my kids back to schools WITHOUT air conditioning systems when the temperature will reach 99 on Monday?? If it were any other day but the first day of school (which they are looking forward to purely for social reasons) I would refuse to take them until the temperatures dropped. After spending just a half-hour sweltering in Sophie's classroom at back to school night, I can't imagine what all day is going to be like for these kids. Why do I send them to sit for hours in a stuffy, hot, cramped classroom with 25-30 other students conforming to the state mandated curriculum? I'm not sure, except to say that it would only be an matter of hours before they sent me to the nut house if I attempted home school :-).

The picture says it all . . .

It's our little daredevil jumping off the high dive and LOVING it . . . and we have this little guy to thank for giving Elizabeth some competition. Really, she was scared to death minutes before Thomas showed up at the pool - she had even climbed up the ladder and walked out on the board, only to climb back down again. Then her little friend takes the plunge and she's running over to show him up! I've learned that all it takes is a boy who can do something she can't, and 10 seconds later she'll prove herself. Hmmm, sounds like her mom :-).

A summer's breeze, nearly full moon, and The Boxer

Li la li . . .

It was just one of those perfect evenings last week that I wish I could capture and keep in a bottle for future use. That's one reason why I began this blog - to remember those experiences that last for a few minutes, then disappear a week later if not recorded. Caroline and I were leaving the park on a perfect summer evening, just the two of us watching the moon rising above Mt. Olympus as we headed to Wasatch Blvd. for our trip back home. The windows were down with the breeze coming through, and then to make our time nearly perfect, Simon and Garfunkel's unmistakable harmony made it's way into the car as I was perusing the radio station . . .

"Now the years are rolling by me, they are rockin even me. I am older than I once was, and younger than I'll be, that's not unusual. No it isn't strange, after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same. After changes we are more or less the same."

Li la li . . .

Caroline put her arms out and leaned out of the window letting the wind catch her hair as she sang along with the radio. As I looked over at her completely enjoying herself without a care in the world I couldn't help but remember how it just seems like yesterday when I would take every opportunity to drive my parent's car around on summer evenings - wherever, i didn't need a destintation - just to have the radio set to my favorite station feeling the cool air of evening. Nothing's changed, except the fact that it's my car now and the opportunities seem to come less often.

My thoughts turned to Caroline and how much of life she has ahead of her and how little she has really lived. Everyday I see her learn more about herself and the world, and as difficult as it is to watch her grow up, I'm actually excited for her to enter into the unsteady universe of teenagers, driving, dates, and independence. My one desire is that we will remain as close as we are now in another five years. However, I know the day will soon arrive when hanging out with mom listening to "old people music" will cause her to hide under the seat rather than wave her arms out the window!

About another week . . .

until the wildflowers are GONE!


Saturday morning I grabbed whoever was up and interested in a hike to Cecret Lake in Albion Basin. Caroline and Sophie were the takers on this jaunt. It seemed that during the past two weeks, every time I planned to get up there, the clouds rolled in and it began to thunder . . . and believe me, that's one place you DON'T want to be when there is lightning. I was afraid we had missed the wildflowers, but they are still in bloom and absolutely beautiful. Here are a few pics from our hike:
The best part - making it to the lake, taking off shoes and socks and feeling that cool water.

Our cute little beggar friend. He was quite fond of fruit leather - "potgut on a sugar high" :-).

The Artistry, the spectacle . . .

WOW, WOW, WOW . . . absolutely breathtaking, beautiful and spectacular! Words can't even come close to describing how unbelievable the opening ceremonies were tonight - I was speechless. If you missed the production of a lifetime, make every effort to find someone who has it on tivo (that way you can skip the two-hour plus "march of nations" - just pause long enough for Nadal and Federer ;-), I promise you won't be disappointed.

Now I'm even more excited to don my official olympic t-shirt my brother-in-law brought back from Beijing a couple of weeks ago. Oh, and the kids now think their pins are REALLY cool. Thanks Bryan :-).

We love the Olympics!

Our Books, Our Daughters

This afternoon Sophie and I attended our fourth neighborhood "Mother & Daughter Book group." We began these little gatherings last summer as a way to share our love for the classics we treasured as young girls with our own daughters. Today's discussion, followed by the brilliantly casted movie, was Anne of Green Gables, truly one of the most inspiring and tender books ever written. I remember reading it out loud to Caroline when she was about Sophie's age, and then a few years later watching her become completely engaged in Anne's antics and imagination once again as she read it on her own a couple of years later. I still own the same copy of the book that I read as a girl and vividly remember finding myself (along with my friend Rachel) so engrossed in Anne's life on Prince Edward Island that we would act out parts of the book . . . even cutting off pieces of our hair to give to each other as a token of our friendship, and to this day I still refer to my dearest of friends as "kindred spirits." Caroline just finished Anne of Avonlea (the sequel), however, she stopped attending these discussions because she realized all the other little girls hovered around the age of 8, so that's all it took for her to boycott the outings. She did, however, love our very first group when we read and discussed Little Women (with some older girls) - she truly learned so many lessons from Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. Not to mention the insights I gained into motherhood by listening closely to the wisdom so freely offered by patient Marmee.

It is no wonder that one of my greatest joys right now is sharing these treasured books with my own children. Maybe that's the reason I was blessed with three girls - we're already planning our trip to P.E.I. as soon as Liza can read the book! Anyway, after the discussion we all gathered to watch the movie together. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen this film, it's a classic. It's one of those rare films that captures the book's characters and scenery so beautifully through it's music and cinematography that you just relish every delightful minute. It was a pleasure to just spend time with my Sophie, cuddled on a couch, giggling at Anne's gregarious and stubborn nature, while watching her grow and mature into a bright, talented, and strong young woman. I can't think of a more poignant, sweet message for our daughters.

Who comes up with this stuff?

So, this morning, in my rush to meet my friend for a friendly tennis match at 7am, I brushed my teeth in the kids bathroom so as not to wake up Chris (what was that? Julie was up before Chris? I think that was the first time this summer :-). Anyway, I grabbed a sample sized toothpaste (one of many sitting around from our recent trip to the dentist - the kids love the mini tubes) and began brushing. It took about 2 seconds to realize that it wasn't the usual "minty freshness" we all come to expect from Crest. It tasted like I was brushing my teeth with frosting, really people, who wants the taste of vanilla at 6:45 in the morning?? Come to think of it, there might be plenty of you who do, but for me, give me the mint! I thought for a moment that this was surely a left-over April fool's prank (ya know, Caroline must have swiped the real toothpaste with Betty Crocker vanilla frosting). Nope, I grabbed the tube and read the label . . . it's Crest's latest attempt to get people to brush - "Refreshing Vanilla Mint." OK, absolutely nothing refreshing about it, and where did they come up with the "mint" portion of the label - it was a sugary sweetness that shoudn't even be associated with toothpaste. There you go, my rant for the day . . . really, it's the only thing that has bothered me all week!

Happy 7th Birthday Sophie Ann

On July 31, 2001 we welomed this beautiful little girl into our lives and now she's SEVEN . . . lucky number seven. What a blessing she has been to our family - such a precious, sweet, and loving girl. So gentle and kind to all her friends and filled with so much spunk around her family :-). When she was a baby, her great-grandma Jean nicknamed her "Sparky" and it still fits. Her grandma Janice and grandpa Terry call her "Ladybug," and the rest of us refer to her as just "Soph." We LOVE you Sophie and are so happy you are ours!

Some of Sophie's favorites: Anything and everything that has to do with a HORSE, playing tennis, giggling with friends, riding bikes, ballet class, the beach, swimming, and reading.

Here is the rundown of Sophie's birthday "extravaganza" as Chris referred to the past couple of weeks . . .

Her "big" present: Two private horse riding lessons. She was in heaven . . . if you want to see what pure, unadulterated joy looks like - take a look at Sophie's smile. She learned how to groom the horse, use the reins, halt, turn, and trot. Now she believes her life calling is to be a professional "horse rider" as she puts it.

The birthday festivities began in Bear Lake when grandma Janice pulled out surprises for all three Howick grandkids who celebrate birthdays in the same week (Miriam turned one on the 27th, Avery 4 on the 30th, and Sophie 7 on the 31st). The only drawback was when grandma made her grand entrance with birthday goodies for the three kids, Liza immediately wondered what was up and why she wasn't getting a surprise too . . . . oops, we had some explaining to do!
Celebrating all three birthdays with the Tilt and Howick families at the park before Jenna and Bryan made their way back home to Oregon. Avery was nice to share his "dinosaur cake" with Sophie.
Now, for the actual birthday . . . a little gathering at our house with a few friends, first lunch . . .

then SWIMMING! Fun times . . . well, except for Liza who was disappointed that she didn't get a ring-pop in her goodie bag. Oh well, she survived, and Sophie made it up to her by making her a sno-cone from her new "Snoopy snow-cone maker" that evening after our family birthday celebration.

Well, chalk up another 7th Birthday success in the Cantera family - boy, I still remember Ryan's 7th birthday party like it was yesterday . . . time flies, but we try to enjoy it all and make it special for each child. Gotta love a birthday, even if mom is completely wiped out by the end of the day!!