Syd and John

Han

Easter

I Don't Like

I don't like doing fractions.
I don't like doing chores.
I hate to do my spelling
When I'd rather play outdoors.

I don't like peas or broccoli.
I don't like writing letters.
I don't like taking bubble baths,
Or wearing itchy sweaters.

I don't like washing dishes.
I don't like pouring rain.
But what I really like to do
Is sit here and complain!

- Crystal Bowman

****************

I'm trying to do better, I really am. But I really do enjoy complaining.

I am worried about little Hannah. We sent the kids to school this year and I have been pleasantly suprised by their school. I really like the principal and their teachers. The kids are both very smart and are in accelerated groups (which makes me feel like I can pat my self on the back.) But Hannah is still lonely. My main reason for sending her to school was because she was lonely. In Florida and Texas she had 2-3 close homeschooling friends, but when we moved here we did not find any homeschoolers her age, and I did not make the effort to find a good homeschooling group to join. So she was lonely. And with all the interaction with kids at school, she still seems lonely.

John with Grandma and Grandpa M.

We spent the week in Wyoming with Nathan's family for his grandfather's funeral. Nathan's grandfather was the most healthy and fit grandpa I had ever seen - he walked daily for as long as I knew him, until just last year. He had a full head of lovely white hair. He loved banana splits. Remember the Ice Cream Company in CA? He enjoyed eating there whenever they were visiting Nathan's parents - I really think he would have loved the Lalapalooza.

It was great to see Nathan's family in action. This side of the family does not host family reunions, so though I knew his Aunts and Uncles, I did not know many of the cousins. There were so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren that we filled the Chapel for the service, then filled the Cultural Hall for the dinner. The Relief Society was incredible, providing delicious dinners in both Green River and in North Platt.

200,000

The van rolled over to 200,00 miles this week. Ah, what a great car. Can you believe it is still alive? The '89 Dodge Caravan is so cool. We have had it 8 years and it has taken us all over the USA - from Oregon to Florida, from Florida to Illinois and back, from Florida to Texas to Utah to South Dakota. Well, just check out the map below, the van was there.

The van is getting ugly, but it is free transportation. The humidity in Florida dissolved the glue in the over head liner, so it droops. The tan upholstery is a little darker than is used to be, and recently I noticed a little tear in the driver's seat. The best thing about the van is that the interior is the exact same color as Sam's coat, so all of his dog hair just blends right in.

The tape player stopped working a couple years ago, and this winter the radio started flickering on and off. The back door no longer holds itself open, so I have to prop it open with a stick. That is a little embarrassing, so now I just put all the groceries on the side.

The van has been pretty lucky. It has never been in a serious accident, and we really haven't had to replace any major parts (yet). Sadly, though, just last Sunday an older gentleman pulled out of his parking space and hit the van as Nathan was driving past him. It was very sad, but there really was not much damage. The left rear light cover was hit and broken. Nathan collected all the pieces and glued it back together (looks mighty pretty) Other than that, when we lived in FL, I had a flat tire, Nathan broke (and replaced) a side rear window, and he also replaced the gears in the driver's side window. I know that we had to have some work done, but I can't remember the problem - the ignition? Nathan is great about checking the oil and doing all that stuff.

We are considering replacing the van with something a little newer, but a car payment seems like such a waste of Nathan's raise. I go back and forth between wanting a new car, and thinking that the van can make it one more year. The van has been a good friend to me. It has given me a lot of freedom. While we could probably get by with just the truck, it was no fun for me when we just had one car. Long trips are a thing of the past for the van, and I dread driving to Oregon with us all smooshed into the truck. But if we hold off on a new car, maybe we could afford to rent a camper to take on the trip.

Nathan heard a poem about an old trusty car on NPR the other day. Reminded me of the van(and the 77 Toyota Corolla that the van replaced) but he is gone right now, and I cannot find it on the NPR site. I will link to the poem when he gets back.

East Coast or Bust

Map was too big and sinking my side bar.

I saw this cool map at Donna's site. I counted a couple of states that we mostly just drove through - like Mississippi. We stopped at a couple of rest stops there, but that's really all. The restrooms had cool all in one handwashing/drying sinks. Do you think that counts?

Maybe next summer we will be able to swing over to visit Mary and Randy. Then my map would be a little more balanced.

Where have you been?

Snow?

We have been enjoying beautiful spring weather. Until yesterday. We have snow again. I am strangely excited about the snow. Sam and I went on our walk this morning and it was beautiful. Last year the biggest snowfall was in March, so I guess this is just how South Dakota likes to do things.

When Do I Get a Turn?

I had a bad dream that I was running around during Sacrament Meeting trying to get my sharing time ready to go. It was so stressful. I try really hard to have everything all ready before Primary. It is important to me that we sit in the front and really minimize all the running around and chatting in the halls during Primary. I need to get this thing planned.

I have had a hard time, this week, deciding how to present the topic for the week - Christ Organized His Church. I think I am going to use the paper cup tower that the missionaries use to show how he built his church and how it fell apart as the 12 apostles died. Then we'll talk about the church today and rebuild the tower. I just am not exactly sure how to do it. We will also play a matching game with pictures from the gospel art kit of things from today and things from Christ's time -baptism, blessing, temple, 12 apostles, sacrament, etc. I think that will go okay. In Senior Primary I will talk more about the Keys of the Priesthood, and use the scriptures.

Lately I feel like I am losing Jr. Primary. I don't know how to pick helpers so that no one gets hurt feelings. We have those sticks that you can pull out with the kids names, but that wastes a lot of time. Sometimes we pass around an object while we sing, and whoever ends up with it gets to be the helper. But we can't do that every week, and even then, one little boy always starts yelling, "When is it my turn?" I think tomorrow I will ask each teacher to call on a child from their class to come help. Then they can keep track of who got a turn last time, etc. That should work.

That 70's Party

Get Down

We had fun at the 70's party. I think that was in January. The group who put on the party did a great job with the decorations. They covered all the walls of the community center with black plastic, then hung glittery stars and record covers on the walls. Records also hung from the ceiling. They had a smoke machine and a disco ball. It was funny to see everyone all decked out. Nathan is a crazy dancer, I know he loves that kind of thing, but it is rather painful for me to have to dance. Oh well. We had fun, but everyone started getting a little silly (too many jello shots) so we headed home after about an hour and a half. A friend of mine from church heard about the party and let me borrow a dress that was her mother's. I also wore her moms funky white 5" platform shoes. Fun!

Neighborhood Woes Continued

So here's how it's going. After a confusing day of phone calls I got to hear the sordid details of the argument between to two neighbors. (one insulted the other's child and threatened to get Family Advocacy involved - a rather serious threat as it would affect her husband's career.) I was feeling grouchy at both of them, and I hate that feeling, so I decided the best thing to do for me, was to sincerely apologize for myself. I called N2 and apoligized for my thoughless actions and told her how I could see how I hurt her feelings. When she tried to turn the conversation to N1 bashing I changed the subject and we talked preschools. I felt a little like Anne apoligizing to Mrs. Rachel . I did feel much better after that, then called N1 and apoligized for causing her any additional hurt and again offered to take her out to lunch. I think things are pretty well resolved on my part, but I feel bad that N1 and N2 are not getting along, I'm not willing to get any more involved in that, though.

Neighborhood Woes

Neighbor #1 is pregnant. Neighbor #2 was going to have a babyshower for N1, but they are no longer friends. I sadly am involved in the fight, now. I told N1 that maybe after the baby comes we could get together with some of the ladies for lunch, instead of a babyshower. N2 feels that I have stepped on her toes and that if N1 doesn't want a shower from her, then she shouldn't have one at all. Whoopsie! I have done my best to apologize to N2. I think she is no longer mad at me. It is absolute sillyness. I wrote an entire novel about the whole saga, but it really comes down to a lot of immature behavior by some of us who should know better. Maybe Hannah has some advice for me, as this is exactly what she and her friends do all the time. Silly.

MUD

Mud is very nice to feel
All squishy-squash between the toes!
I'd rather wade in wiggly mud
Then smell a yellow rose.

Nobody else but the rosebush knows
How nice mud feels
Between the toes.
--Polly Chase Boyden

******************
We have been having a little snow at night, and rain in the day, so we have MUD! On our walk this morning, Sam had to "go". I found a nice empty lot and let him sniff around. As I followed him my feet got heavier and heavier, and I got taller and taller. I had so much mud on my tennis shoes that I had to scrape them off and scuff around for a few minutes before I could walk. The shoes stayed outside.

This Week

*=finished
*Jog each day - woohoo for me
Go through kids' drawers - still need to do Hannah's
*Move art supplies down to the dungeon
*Shop for couch
*Talk to Nursery leaders
Shop for more nursery toys - I will wait until I have the new classes ready to go
Plan Sharing Time
*Plan dinners
*Clean out fridge
*Go grocery shopping
*City band practice
*Squadron wives coffee
-Bake cookies for neighbor that is driving me crazy (forget the cookies, but I did talk to her for way to long yesterday, I think that is good enough)
*Blog about neighborhood soap opera
Fabric for Easter dresses
Plan date night

Whew. Busy week ahead, but it having it all written down makes me feel better.