Journaling Feb 20, 2010

After over a week of "flu"ey, congested, achey, eye infected days, suddenly some energy returned. It felt wonderful. Among the normal stuff I have scrapbooked for the first time in about 10 years and started and completed several sewing projects. I finished the forth Mountain man shirt for the year. I've made maybe 12 so far for some friends of ours in Orem, Scott and Pat Sorensen. His business during the school months is traveling around the region, visiting elementary schools and doing a mountain man presentation. He is a great story-teller he interweaves history, tall tales, and experiences he has had running a Canadian back woods resort in the summer. He dresses for the part complete with buckskin pants and a bearclaw necklace (he shot the bear himself). It was a great surprise to have him drop by several weeks ago in full costume, material in hand, needing sewing help again. It was fun too to reconnect with his wife Pat (my Orem walking buddy).

We are so excited about the big temple news this week: the extreme make-over of the Ogden temple and the surrounding grounds. Our girls will have to think of a new name for it--the "cupcake temple" is not going to suit.

Funny little story about Bruce. The programming project he is doing right now has some security issues associated with it so he is unable to talk about the specifics. I think he usually is so open about what is going on that he is trying to err on the side of saying too little rather than too much. My new visiting teacher started quizzing me about what he did for a living. Apparently there has been speculation among ward members that because he is so close-mouthed about what he does that he is in the secret service. We had a good laugh about it---it must have been the dark glasses he wore to church with his suit that tipped people off and what a relief for him that I now knew because it had been so hard to hide the side-arm hidden from me.

Activity day news. Last year we kept all the girls together and met at the church. It became fun chaos as we grew to 26 girls. There began to be an obviously huge gap between the new 8 year old girls that we couldn't keep away from the nursery toys and the more mature 11 year old girls. We split the groups up this year. Yesterday my cute 10-11 year old group met at our house and learned how to machine sew, making fabric bags to hold their Faith-in-God books. I hope they had as much fun as I did. I loved the smaller sized group and the personal interaction. Next time--hand sewing and sewing on buttons.

Journaling Jan 25

Here I am again. Christmas and studying for my final took up my mental energy until mid-January and then our computer was hit by a virus. Bruce has a few kinks to work out still but it was functioning well enough today to quickly check e-mail and write here. The up side to having the computer sick has been that we have had a lot more interaction with Camille, and it has been fun to have her about the house and wanting to converse.
A few weeks ago we had our now yearly visits with Tricia's orthopedic surgeon. Her weight is up to 40 pounds now. Dr D'astous says her cheeks are full and she is healthy and her small size is actually good because being lightweight has kept her mobile. She has developed a squishy bump on her back that concerned me. He examined it and determined that it was a "pillow" that her body had made around one of the metal connectors (like the 3 that were removed a year and a half ago) that was too close to the surface. As long as it stays that way and doesn't rupture all is well. The people at Shriner's are so good at making Tricia feel cute and smart and normal. They are so kind to us that it about ruins us for everyday life.
I have been worrying about what is to come for Tricia--Jr High, Young Women's, etc. You can never worry too early or too much is my motto. After talking about it to several people I decided that I would start to research options for Jr High. Among other issues, Sunset Jr is a two floor building, has inaccessible portable classrooms and the special needs bus arrives in South Weber at 6:50 am and returns at 4 pm--making it an hour and 15 minute longer day than the normal buses. I have driven her to school until now but the jr high is a 20 minute drive one way. I found the counselor at the school that was over this and made an appointment. Last week we met and I explained Tricia's needs and abilities. He was so warm and helpful. I had come to the right place, he told me. The school had to comply to her needs--ramps could be built, classrooms reassigned, an elevator key given, a suitable aide hired, the day shortened, a small bus with a wheelchair ramp sent to pick her up and take her home according to her schedule-- whatever she needed. His sister is the district nurse over the 504 program (the gov't funding program for children with special needs outside the regular parameters of special education). He had connections and he would get right on it so all would be in place in August. I can't begin to explain the huge weight that I felt lift from me. In fact I didn't even make it to the car before I was sobbing. I often feel so alone caring for her. I'm not really complaining but my life focuses so much on her--even in the best of times like now I am still dressing her, helping her bathe and go to the bathroom, making sure she has eaten, making sure there is food in the house that she will eat, taking her to school, assembling the scooter, opening doors, picking her up, carrying her around, being her booster chair at restaurants and at church, plugging her ears when there are too many babies screaming, helping with homework, trying to pre-think situations and adapt them for her, etc. I leave my cell phone in my pocket in case she needs me and I keep my life flexible so when she is sick I will be available. To meet someone with resources and a willingness (even if it was his job) to help me touched me deeply. It reminded me of the conference story about the man who daily carried several loads of firewood on his back (Bro Whitney Clayton Oct '09). Someone that day eased my burden and hauled a huge load of wood to market for me.

Joan of Arc

Tricia's class held a wax museum. Each student researched a person from history and wrote a paper about them. They also dressed up like the person and wrote a speech. The museum patrons walked among the statues and at certain intervals could push a button in front of the statue and it would give its speech.

Tricia picked Joan of Arc. (Thanks to Uncle Scott and All a dollar for costume help). Tricia put alot of time and thought into her presentation. She painted a brick castle wall as a backdrop and decorated her desk with a tablecloth and props. Her teacher commented to me that she had allowed the children to pretty much pick anyone. What had surprised her was the similarities she could see in her students and the person they chose. She felt like Tricia had some of the same characteristics as Joan--strength and courage.

It wouldn't have been in Joan's character to smile though. (For the record, I did try). War with France was serious business and people in the olden days didn't smile in pictures. Besides how expressive can wax be?

Journaling

It has been a fun and busy few weeks. Staci was able to come home on Halloween weekend. I was sick, sick. (Hopefully it was the swine flu so I have it over with.) Staci jumped in and cooked as per usual and made us yummy food like eggrolls. Another nice thing she did was she took Tricia and Krysta to a trunk-or-treat. I'm not sure her motives were completely altruistic though because she came home with a nice stash of candy for herself.

At the Jr high, Krysta and some of her friends have gotten involved in the Jr Honor Society. Somehow Krysta got roped into singing at the induction ceremony. She has really liked her choir class this year but it wasn't until recently we realized that she likes to sing. Apparently, according to her, some of the rest of us Broadway belters in the family are just so loud that we have just never heard her. So...for a month she has been deciding with her friend Joelyn (a pianist) what to sing and practicing the song. The big night rolled around and she walked up to the stage and sang a duet (with a boy!) just like it was something she did all the time. She sounded so good and she and the boy (a boy) blended so nicely.

Camille has been anticipating her Birthday for months and reminding us often of the day count. She wanted it to be a big deal going out to dinner and having a party for her friends. Several weeks before her birthday her good friend Renae asked me at church if she could have a surprise party for Camille. Camille's birthday was on a Thursday and the party would be on Saturday night. I felt like such a shmuck(is that a word?, is it a bad word?) explaining to Camille that with Krysta's big mystery party (the week before) and helping put together a Daddy/Daughter Activity Days Italian Dinner that weekend I just wasn't able to even think about a friend party until the next week--wasn't that sneaky. On her birthday the family went to a sushi restaurant. She enjoyed that and then on Saturday I dropped her off at Renae's to "watch a movie or something". She was completely surprised when she got there and her other friends were there too.

I am now 3/4th done with my humanities class. With a Jan12th deadline looming I can't putter like I have been. I'm currently reading Dante's Divine Comedy and then writing a paper comparing it to the philosophy of Aristole. A daunting task. Daunting Dante. Hah!

Mystery Party

Heiress Jewel Rockefeller"s father gave her an expensive ruby bracelet. Jewel has been flaunting it at many public functions. At a weekend gala she was spotted wearing the rubies and dancing with Britt Beckham"s boyfriend, NFL star Freddie Foote! (See center photo, Jewel (Amy) and Freddie (Paul)). Today the bracelet is missing, which of the 8 suspects stole it? (picture at left, left to right: Amy, Joelyn, Chrys, Jessica, Krysta, Abby, Rianna, Kymbel)

Krysta had the idea several months ago that she wanted to host a murder mystery party--not really a murder, just a crime. Bruce came up with the concept and helped write it and I finished it up and put it together. When Krysta invited the girls she told them their character so they came dressed and acting like the person. The athlete taped her name to the back of her shirt and the equestrian came with horse barrettes, horse head band, a horse shirt and a notepad covered in horse stickers. she had also googled "horse facts" that she told others randomly, "Did you know that a baby horse is called a colt?". I was the boarding house matron, Alison was the maid (so the house was nice and tidy when we got done) and Camille was the policeman. (right photo) Without knowing, Krysta had assigned herself to be the thief. Which turned out to be quite funny when she was the one who discovered the final clue that proved she did it! It was a fun, loud, giggly night.

Quotes for the week

"I only like the rotini that has spirals that are close together."
Krysta explaining why she couldn't eat the pasta I had made for dinner.

"What is that rice that is whole wheat called?"
Camille trying to remember the name of "brown rice".

Journaling

What a hectic week and this one promises to be too! We had concerts three of the weeknights and a Halloween party that the ward youth put on for the primary children. (Pictures above, Krysta helping with a bowling game and Camille, with Tricia in the backgound getting ready for the party). It was so much fun to attend each performance. The choir program was excellent at Northridge High on Monday night. It was so fun to watch Camille sing in the choir and an extra treat to see Rachel (who like Camille, in women's choir) and then later in the night Daniel and Paul. Paul sang with a smaller little jazz group and accompanied them on the piano for one song and was excellent.

Wednesday at Sunset Jr. we heard from both of their orchestras (Eric in one and Amy in the other) and their choir groups. It was great to watch Krysta having so much fun as she sang with her women's choir.
Friday was a highlight. Camille's voice teacher had arranged for a performance for all her students at Layton High's small theater. Camille sang, "Someday" from Hunchback of Notre Dame. She has nice poise and confidence when she sings and is progressing and sounding so good.

We have been having furnace trouble--actually it has been broken. The fan wouldn't shut off without turning off the power and it wouldn't make us any heat. We researched the problem on the internet, learned to decipher the blinking led code, Bruce took the furnace apart and took out a suspected part, and I took it to a furnace repair and parts store that Alison had recommended. The guys there told me that the part I brought really worked and showed me on a furnace on display what their guess would be. I drove home, Bruce took out the new suspected part, I went and got it and he put it back in. Voila, Heat! It only took three weeks, some chilly mornings, two trips to Clearfield, 21 dollars (yeah, only $21), multiple hours of work and research and it was fixed. The same morning we picked up the snowblower we ordered from Sears. We are prepared now to huncker down for the winter.

Katrina called and asked Tricia to illustrate a children's book she had written as a class assignment. She sent it Thursday but our internet was down. Friday was way too busy to begin it so Saturday morning at 9:45 I put Tricia to work drawing. We figured that to get it to Katrina on time we needed to get it to the post office on Saturday which closed at 2pm. With Tricia drawing, me outlining her art in black and Krysta and Tricia coloring. We got it done and zipped up to the post office with 3 minutes to spare. Pwhoosh, (that was the sound of me wiping my brow).

Camille gave her first Sacrament mtg talk on Sunday. Our home teacher (also in the bishopbic) asked her to speak a month or so ago but never really told us the date, so it was really embarrasing two weeks ago when from the pulpit he asked, "Sister Stanford, Are you planing on speaking today?" My heart raced! Camille's probably did too. So, this Sunday when I woke up and realized that this was the week of the talk, there was no postponing a second time. Bruce printed a couple of talks about the subject off from the internet and I talked to her about it. She went to her room and 45 minutes later she was ready for church and ready to give the talk. She did a wonderful job. It was organized, she used scriptues and quotes and applications to her life--makes me want to see what she could do with more time.

Last night we drove to Springville to participate in blessing David and Rebecca's new baby, Henry. (Tricia tells us that is such a handsome name for a young man) He is a perfect little boy, so cute. It was nice to see extended family and spend some time with Staci, who we picked up at BYU on the way there.

Krysta is planning a muder mystery party (actually it is a theft not a murder) for Thursday. She planned for us to clean "top to bottom" on Saturday and worked hard long after the rest of us got tired. She has left me a list of things to do today so I better get to it.

Three words

I took my humanities midterm.

Identifying art and sculpture was a breeze:
Equestrian group--parthenon--check.

The section on identifying literature was tough--Homer, Virgil, Aeschylus, Sophocles...
all seemed so similar with few identifying features.
The Apology, The Republic, On the Nature of Things, Genesis, Romans, Poetics...
Who said what and why?
I agonized over each passage
looking for clues,
digging deeper into my brain for forgotten tidbits.
Logically pulling apart phrases and narrowing options.

I started on a fresh passage,
read a few words and curiously, I knew...
It was the Bible.
I questioned myself,
"How could I know? I've only read three words."
"Read more then."
I read the first line.
"Yes, it's the Bible."
"But you haven't read anything that identifies it as a Bible passage."
"Right, but it feels like scripture."
"Just to be sure you better read the whole thing."
I slowly read the passage's five lines ending with "sons of God." In all that we had read only Christians believed mankind were God's children.
Those final three words had intellectually proven it. The answer had to be the Bible.
But in my heart I had known after the first three words.

shoot, shooting, shot

I took Tricia to get a flu shot this morning.
The doctor's office said to come at 8am.
We rushed the 25 minutes to Bountiful and learned that--nope, they were out (shoot).
After 2 healthy winters with shots I was determined not to have her go shotless this year, I persevered...
IHC has been out for a while.
Smiths and Walgreens were by appointment only and you to be over 13.
Davis Health Dept--not open on Thursdays.
Weber Health Dept--open but had a limited supply.

Shooting 40 minutes back across the valley we headed to downtown Ogden.
Inside a crowd was gathering--I didn't bother with the scooter, just grabbed Tricia and headed in.
A nice lady coming in at the same time held the door for us.
Inside I learned they indeed still had vaccinations so grabbed forms and asked about costs.
As we filled out the paperwork the nice door lady approached.
Her: "Let me help you".
Me (feeling in control of the situation, so confused): "In what way?"
Her (feeling in her wallet): "Let me pay for your shots".
Me (flustered): "Oh that is so sweet,thank-you, but we are all right, really".

A few minutes later Tricia got her shot (what a tough cookie, she didn't even flinch), a turquoise bandaid that matched her shirt and her double whiff of M1N1.

I'm wondering just a few last things from the day.
-Do you think the McDonald's sausage biscuit that I bought Tricia counted for "you owe me big"?
-What was it about us that prompted sympathy from the door lady? I'm feeling slightly self-conscience. Is there something about us that says, "desperate", "poverty stricken"? My flat hair? My worn purse? Maybe I need some new shoes. New shoes would say money in the bank, right?

Zen Garden-rain