We were able to stop and visit with Tom and Heather on our way to Palm Springs last week. Their new apartment is awesome and the kids were more than happy to walk to the beach after sitting on an airplane all day. Lunch and some wave jumping really hit the spot:) We're so glad we got to see you!
Just a reminder that if you have children in elementary school, their teachers probably know more about you than you would like.
I had to take Taylor to school on Friday to sign something. As I was leaving the office and walking by the car drop off I saw a cute little kindergartner get out of her parents car. The teacher in charge of monitoring this greeted her with, "Good morning, how are you today?" She replied almost ready to burst, "Oh, I'm fine. But my sister has LICE!" She said it with such gusto and excitement that that all the teacher could say was, "Oh, I see." As I passed the teacher we smiled and I said, "Oh, the things they tell you."
Who knows all the things my children have shared. I know they have announced to their classes that a family member was either puking or having diarrhea. They have also informed many about how their dad always seems to cut himself or break something when he works around the house. I once had a hair-cutting incident that Cami shared. I'm sure that the ones I would really be embarrassed about were not conveyed back to me:)
Anyway, the little girl made me smile. I hope that along with the embarrassing, the teachers gained some positive insight into our family as well.
The teenage boys in our ward decided to have an "electronic campout" at our house last night. I told them that it was lame to call it that - how do those two words go together anyway? All it means is they were going to stay up all night playing video games.
Seventeen boys from age 12 -17 came. Yes, I said SEVENTEEN. We had game systems set up in the basement and the main floor. They played basketball (until about midnight - sorry neighbors), foosball, and ate anything they could find. We turned on the alarm after the basketball game ended so that we knew everyone had to stay inside for the remainder of the night.
Pancakes were the only thing I could think to make for that many people for breakfast. And luckily the huge Costco bags of pancake mix are cheap. I only have one teenage boy and didn't really grasp just how many pancakes it would take to fill everyone up (seriously - some of those boys ate 8 to 10 pancakes!) After breakfast they headed out to rake leaves for a widow in the ward. They returned for one more game of basketball before lunch.
I was amazed at how easy it was to have that many boys in my house. Yes, they are loud and a little stinky, but they were respectful and grateful for all we did. The older ones included the younger ones, and they didn't grumble even once about getting up at 8am to rake leaves in the rain after only a few hours of sleep. These are good boys. A lot of them were friends of members of our youth group. Kids really want to be good. They just need some fun along the way. (Oh yeah, and a nap when they're done.)
I'm grateful that Dallin has such a great group of guys to hang out with. Not only would I have all 17 of them over again... I'm kind of looking forward to it.
This year's presidential election has been very interesting for us as a family. Dallin and Taylor have really learned a lot. I dare say they are more informed than a good portion of the adults voting out there... but I digress. This post will not include my personal opinions about the direction in which our country is headed, lets just say that I am a little apprehensive as we enter this new administration. It was, however, a great chance to get to know my children in a new way. They amaze and delight me.
Taylor's class was in charge of the kids vote in her school. Each child had to have a voter registration card and if the name on the card did not match the list, they were not allowed to vote until the issue was resolved (yes, everyone got to vote and we did not allow ACORN anywhere near our registration cards just to make sure it was all on the up and up;). The children in her class helped the kindergartners read the names, but made sure not to influence their decisions. According to Taylor, more votes were cast for Bob Barr by this age group than any other. They just liked his name:) John McCain pulled out a victory in the end. It was just about the only victory we got to enjoy in our house.
Taylor also went with me to vote. She wouldn't have missed it for the world. We stood in line for about an hour and she went into the booth with me. She loved it and can't wait to vote in her first presidential election in 2016. Taylor loves rules, order, logical processes, and fairness (we think she would make a great lawyer) and the whole election process was fascinating to her.
Dallin became a bit of a news junkie. He has a wonderful social studies teacher. He encourages debate and tries to inform, not indoctrinate, the kids. Dallin was always looking for a new and interesting topic to bring to the next class. I am amazed at how well he grasps the concepts of free markets, capitalism, and the role of government. Again, he could school most adults in a debate.
Cami wrote a paper in class about what she would do if she were president. She once again showed her gentle spirit that only sees the best in people. When I read the part about giving second chances, I couldn't help but get a little tearful. It's just so her.
So, we move on. We pray that those we have elected will lead with integrity. We pray that this great democracy will weather the many storms that lie ahead. We teach our children correct principles and raise up a new generation of leaders that we can count on to do the right thing. (Can you hear God Bless America playing the background?) We hope that as Cami says, we get "sekint chansis" to fix some of the monumental problems we face. Above all, we remind ourselves how very blessed we are to live in a country where we are free.
