That is exactly what I needed.

About a month ago Kali came running in yelling "I have found one! I was looking and looking and I found one." I couldn't figure out what she was talking about when she thrust into my face a four leaf clover. Yep, that's right we don't have a fine manicured lawn, we have been growing clover and Kali spends hours looking for the very elusive four leaf clover. We told her she would probably never find one, good thing she didn't listen and kept looking. We did facilitate her discovery by spending no time whatsoever on the so called lawn. Other than mowing every once in awhile. She is very welcome for the "Luck of the Irish" that is to come her way.

BIG NEWS!!! KIAH IS 12

I have put off writing this post for many reasons. One being that if I ignore it long enough maybe it won't really be true, I can't possibly have another child entering Young Women's. Two, she is the one most like me. Yes, she has my quirky sense of humor (read sarcasm), she sounds like me, she looks like me, she is my mini me. Needless to say we butt heads a lot. I know that is shocking. Of course when we are on the same wave length, there isn't anything the two of us can't do. We can read each others thoughts and feel each others pain.

I probably "get her" the best of all of my kids, it also means we tend to argue more too. It is harder for me to write about Kiah because she is most like me. Kiah is someone you just get or you don't, there is no middle ground. To most people she is ambiguous and amoeba like, but to me she is a very easy read. She is loyal to a fault, she is kind, she is creative and loves to work in 3D. She likes to create and make something out of things most people would never think of using as craft material. She is a thinker, she is reflective and ponders on things that many great thinkers have only scratched the surface of. She definitely thinks out of the box. She loves to cook (we are all grateful for this one). She makes the best beef stew ever. She likes to bake and make a mess of the kitchen and come up with things to please others. She adds lots of love to whatever she makes. Her cookbook collections is already better than mine. I could totally see her writing one someday. She hopes to go to culinary school someday and become a pastry chef or own her own restaurant. I say do both, as long as mom eats for free. She is passionate, full of fire and ambition. She is also timid, cautious, tentative and slow to warm to new people or situations. I have to say this has served her very well through out her young life. She is a great judge of character. I often look to see how Kiah reacts to someone before giving a final clearance. Kiah is someone who will give you her last dime, last meal, shirt and coat, and last breath if you need it. So it is good that she is a little slower to make a friend because once you have reached the inter sanctum of her circle, you are there for life and she is there for you.

She loves a good game of anything. She is very competitive and will not give up an inch for anyone or anything. If you win playing against Kiah, it is a well fought battle. Thankfully she is usually a pretty good loser if she loses. Kiah has always been my lover of the outdoors. She is most happy exploring the woods or streams. She loves to ride her bike, roller blade, jump rope, chase sisters. Of course as she enters these soon to be teen years she is discovering the arts of the home. She is becoming very capable in caring for and beautifying a home. She enjoys caring for younger kids and babies and can't wait to begin babysitting. It is fun to watch her grow into womanhood and to begin an amazing journey into discovering herself. If the past is any indication, she will be a witty, smart, funny, capable, handy, beautiful daughter of God.

Snowtober

Just when I was thinking that autumn was in full swing and the joy of the season was upon us, we were hit with our first winter storm. In October no less. We were in full Halloween mode, preparing for trick or treating when from out of no where came 10 inches of wet heavy snow. Now lets remember we are still in autumn mode and so are the trees, not all of them have lost their leaves. Enter high winds and heavy wet snow. We have trees that broke, some that came down and limbs and branches down. Power lines through out the town were on the ground and we were in the dark. Of course we were at the church when the power went out. Maybe I should back up a little. Saturday October 30th was the ward trunk or treat. I had finished costumes the night before and the day was spent carving pumpkins and doing hair.

With the emanate threat of snow coming the time was moved up an hour to 5pm. We were to have chili and cornbread, play games, decorate cookies and of course go from car to car to get those ever popular treats. Sister Faulkner said the snow wouldn't start until 10pm. So when it started at 3:30pm we simply ignored it because Sister Faulkner said it wouldn't start until 10pm. We carefully drove to the church and had one of the most enjoyed times we have had at a trunk or treat. Maybe because many stayed home due to the weather so there was actually room to move. We ate, paraded in costume and then proceeded to trunk or treat around the halls because there was already many inches of snow. After that we had the fastest clean up and take down of any church activity I have ever attended and then we drove home, slowly. The snow was flying wildly at this point and we listened to Christmas music all the way home. Yes, Christmas music before Thanksgiving. We came home to a dark and cold house. Started the fire, lit the candles and hunkered down for a long night. The youngest girls were thrilled with their candy and with lighting their pumpkins for light, that they hardly noticed the cold the first night. But by morning they were asking when the power would be back on. We were all asking when the power would be back on. We ventured outside to see the damage and were totally unprepared for the carnage that met us. Trees and limbs and power lines down everywhere. We cleaned up the need to get it off the fence or the road and left the rest for later. Monday afternoon and evening our small dead end street was filled with utility trucks. They pulled new wire, put up two new poles and replace a transformer or something. Dan was sure we would have power by that night. Well we didn't. We spent another night keeping warm by the fire and reading out loud from Charlotte's web. But by Tuesday afternoon we were back up in the lap of luxury. Warm and using the dishwasher. It was an early test of winter preparedness I don't wish to live through again this winter. It may just be a very dark, cold, wet winter this year. One that I am willing to for go. Here's to wishing global warming was actually true.

What else does one do in the snow with no power? Of course Tessa has made a recliner in the snowbank and is reading. She is a true New Englander.

Fall and Winter Wardrobes

The one thing you can count on is change. Here in New England the seasons are changing. The leaves are beginning to change colors and fall off the trees, acorns are every where, tour buses are making their way through small towns, apple cider is being sold on the town common, along with apple cider doughnuts (yum), the rains have started and the temperatures have dropped. I love the fall in New England. The other change that is taking place is the switching of the wardrobe. This is one of my least favorite things to do. We spend a couple of days going through every ones dressers and closets trying on all of last years fall and winter clothes, handing down what doesn't fit and making a list of what is needed for this year. And then the fun begins, a trip to the fabric store and a finger walk through the patterns and what do I end up with? A new wardrobe for kids, and hours of work for me. I hope I can get it all done before the snow flies.

I hope to show some finished products in the next couple of weeks. With any luck I just might be able to get it all done before they grow out of them. It is times like these I wish I had a sewing room where I could just leave stuff out all of the time. Instead we don't eat dinner. It's a trade off I'm willing to make right now.

I'M PUBLISHED

Granted I had to do the publishing myself. Here is a look at a fun little project I did recently.

On the last page you can slip in a picture of your favorite super hero. A really fun project for mommy's to be. I also made a little girl version but I don't have pictures, sorry. It has a cupcake, flower, baby doll, blue bird and something else. It is totally cute in pink and purple. For those of you who are wondering if my services are availible to provide you with your own copy of this very cute book the answer is no (unless you beg relentlessly and have time to wait for shippment). I will happily send you the pattern. Also for those of you who are close enough to little Mr. Wells, I made one about shapes and colors. Ask him if you can take a gander, maybe he will share. The best part about these books, you can chew on them and they won't fall apart.

New Phones

So this evening we made the big jump. We all have iPhones. Yes, I know what you are all thinking. However, Dan is only home for three days and he has had enough of Verizon. We all have the same numbers so you can still reach us if you really feel a need to. The home phone is going away very soon so feel free to lose that number if you wish. Needless to say Micah, Anique and I are all sitting here getting phones set up. I think that counts as quality time spent together. Mostly because Anique set up my phone and added some apps to my phone. I am grateful for the games that will now entertain me whenever I need entertaining. Micah loaded some music on his and had it clipped to his belt and says "it's like a digital Walkman" who knew? Yay for new phones that you can read your texts on.

Quotable Quotes by my Kids

Yesterday I heard from down the hall a lot of bickering and then this "so sorry, I meant to punch you in the gut." I knew in an instant it was going to be a long day.

This evening the same kid says, "You know what you need? A breath mint." What a sweetheart I am raising.

Dinner out with kids

It isn't often that we go out to dinner. First, it is expensive, second it is hard work to get that many kids looking acceptable for public viewing and third, it's expensive. When I am trying to keep the food budget below national standards taking kids to a family friendly restaurant does not make the list of to do's. But, last night I decided to take the four youngest out for dinner at a restaurant that shall not be mentioned and it was a nightmare. The girls were actually well behaved considering we had to wait over an hour for our food. After we were seated and ordered drinks, we looked over the menu and made our choices. We placed our order and started the waiting game. We played "I spy", "can you guess who", and colored the kid menus. This is usually enough to get us to the part where they bring out the food and all is well. That didn't happen, instead I got the "I'm so sorry but we have lost the ticket and we have to put the order in again" visit. So we waited longer, good thing I carry colored pencils and paper in my bag. We all proceeded to color and wait longer. In the mean time there was another family out enjoying an evening together. However you wouldn't be able to tell from all of the yelling that was occurring at that table. Sit down, sit still, keep your hands to yourself. Don't get me wrong, I have had and still have all of these "discussions" with my children. But really after the third "That's it you're not getting any dessert and I mean it!" I was ready to turn around and say, really do you really mean it? Both of those kids had dessert. Of course I was then serenaded with a chorus of "if you don't keep your hands to yourself you will not watch TV for a week!" To which my question is Really, are they really not going to watch for a week? It would probably be a good idea to limit their screen time but they did get that ice cream, remember. Honestly parents, if you can't mean it don't say it. Why would he stop, he is going to get whatever he wants. Finally our food came, we ate, we left a tip and finally we went home. Yes, I said nothing of paying for the meal, they were apologetic enough to give us our meal for free. I would have happily paid for it mistakes happen, however the unpleasant parenting that was happening behind us left me wondering how some people ever make it to adulthood and are useful people. I will be the first to say I am not a perfect parent nor are my kids perfectly behaved all of the time in every situation. They however know I mean what I say and there will be follow through.

Old Sturbridge Village

Think way back to May. Do you remember that far back? Well, Papa and Grandma Jubitz came out for a visit and we headed to Old Sturbridge Village. OSV is a living museum. We wondered for hours, the weather was perfect and we had a great time. Highlight of the trip the brand new baby lambs that had just been born a couple of hours before we got there. One of them was being rejected by it's mom and wouldn't let it nurse. The kids were worried and so was grandma. They said one gets rejected every year and they bottle feed them. Well of course we were going to have to go back and find out if that little lamb made it or not. More on that later.

We walked for miles and we enjoyed the weather and the village. We went to the store and saw all kinds of fun things for sale in the 1800's. Sorry some of these pictures are blurry but when you give the kids the camera you sometimes get blurry pictures. It's about the experience and the memories not the pictures. Or so I keep telling myself anyway.

We toured the saw mill, the grist mill, the carding mill, various houses and farms, saw the baby pigs, watched the potter and the cobbler. Ran amok in the school and on the town green, watched them weave fabric, learned how they died wool to make the yarn different colors. In short we had a mighty fine day.

The grist mill (that is grinding grain into flour)

The carding mill. That is the combing of wool to later be made into yarn.

Baby pigs.



You know what else you get when you give a kid a camera?

Butts and noses. Some of which you don't recognize as family members butts or noses.

More on our return trip to OSV later.

If you want to know how old I am, ask my kids.

I have thought about not writing this post, but because I haven't posted in forever I figure I should post something. I have no intention of writing a birthday blog post about myself but instead I will show you what my family gave me for my birthday.

First, do you know how excited you used to get when opening your presents? The thrill of discovering what was inside the box, bag, paper, or under the sheet. Yes the sheet. You know for the gift that was way to big to be wrapped in paper or those times when there was no paper. Well I have to say that my excitement pales in comparison to Torans. She was so funny. I was opening the present and she was crawling out of her skin with excitement. I went slower to drag out that excitement. It was more fun to watch her than to open the clock for my wall that I have wanted for months and months and could never justify buying. She was a hoot to watch. And the clock looks totally awesome.

Next, my super mom box. I made a super dad box for Dan for father's day (big hit) filled with his fav snacks and such. We renamed and labeled everything so it has super hero like. You know, sunflower seeds were x-ray vision drops, bottle of root beer was super hero juice, beef jerky for times when there is nothing to eat at the fortress of solitude, and so on. Well I got my own super mom version for my birthday. P.S. I love the stamp, artwork by Toran.

My favorite are the bars of invisibility, to sneak out unnoticed. Man can you imagine how much we could make if we could actually market that? I'd be rich!

The x - ray vision drops for finding the fib in half the time. Could have used those years ago. I also (already) enjoyed the sanity in a bottle - diet coke. Ya that was tasty.

But as awesome as all of that is, the cake topper is "a night alone away from the fortress of solitude". What mom doesn't want that? A whole night to myself, what to do, what to do. Sleep, watch TV, flip the channels, eat veggies with out rude comments or the kids wanting them. Hmmm, the possibilities. Happy birthday to me!

Double Digits!!



Tessa's new birthday dress

Around here turning eight is a pretty big deal. It is the age of accountability and it comes with the first big decision in ones life. Whether or not to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. That is a great choice that has to be made. But after that comes the digit jump. Going from single digits to double digits. At the age of ten one adds a digit to there age it is the only time until one turns 100 that a digit is added, and who really whats to turn 100? Not me, that's for sure. For Tessa however this June marks her digit jump, she turns 10. How does one celebrate a digit jump you may ask? Well, we had our first piano lesson, went swimming with friends, had a BBQ with those same friends and of course had cake (pineapple & toasted coconut cake) and sherbet.

 Oh, she also opened a few gifts.

Not  a bad day over all. Some of you may be wondering why we would start piano lessons on her birthday, well she really wanted to, that's why. She has been begging for some time now to start and I finally saved enough to pay for her and two of her sisters to take lessons. I can honestly say if I never hear "Mary had a little lamb" again, it will be to soon. I look forward to the day when music rings through the house and it is not a nursery rhythm. Tessa loves having her birthday in the summer. Unlike her sibling whose birthdays occur in the cold months, she is free to run crazy (and she is good at it) through the yard, the sprinkler, the neighborhood, the woods, the fields and dells. She loves the freedom of outside, the wind in her hair as she rides her bike in the middle of the street. The sun in her face as she paints or designs some new outfit or dress. And by dress I mean a formal ball gown. She is in the middle of designing a tooth dress for the orthodontist. Who is not female, but will display the final design in the office. Tessa can often be found with a book in her hands and her nose firmly planted between the pages. I think the only thing she does faster than talking is reading. She is finishing the first book of Harry Potter and has already read many other books this summer. She is loving the reading program we started at home. Around the world in 80 days. There are 25 different settings or characters and you need to find a book that matches the setting of character or has that scene in the book. She is having a blast. I think she may go around the world two or three times before the summer is out. This is the first summer that I have decided to take the summer off from school. Usually we keep some sort of school schedule even if it is lighter, but this year we are just playing. What I have found so amazing is how much all of the girls want things to do. And with this new freedom Tessa is crafting, biking, swimming, reading, singing, memorizing scriptures, writing talks for primary (with conference talk research), nature walks and notebooks, bug classification and of course the ever popular mall walk (not my favorite). This girl is just not happy if she is not doing something that she is learning from or teaching something to someone else. She can talk a mile a minute about nothing at all. No really, if she runs out of something to say on any one topic she will continue to talk about how she has nothing to say, until some other thought pops into her head and she starts again. There are times when you hope she will just fall asleep and stop. She is a very social butterfly and make instant friends wherever she goes. She loves forming clubs and planning parties and play dates, she  is great at making sure everyone is involved and included. This is truly a gift given by God. She is a ray of non stop sunshine. She is happy and happy to be a live. She loves to dance and sing through life and is a joy (most of the time) to have in our family.

To choose or not to choose that is the question.

Your choices affect other people. A simple statement that can take a child awhile to understand and grasp. We are each subject to the consequences, good or bad, of our own choices. However, we are also subject at times to the consequences of others choices and others are subject to the consequences of our choices. So, we should really think and consider what it is we are choosing, it may be that someone else has to live with it. The problem comes when the child never grasps this concept and is no longer a child but an adult. An adult who thinks the universe was created for just them. An adult who just really doesn't care what an inconvenience it is to you or anyone else. These people make my head hurt.  What does one do when faced with a person who can't or won't see that they are negatively affecting others? And you can not run away from them. Boy do I have a headache today.

Kali's baptism



picture taken by Tessa morning of baptism

                                             Kali was baptized on May 21, 2011 by her dad.

She was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day Saint and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by her Papa Jubitz.

We had a great day celebrating her willingness to make and keep sacred covenants with her Heavenly Father. The whole day centered around Kali. Sister Jonna Barnaby told the story of the three bears in relation to the promises she was making in baptism.

 The first bear is "bear His name" when we are baptised we take upon ourselves His name and we become a christian or follower of Christ.

The second is "bear your testimony" we promise to share with others the truth and joy of the gospel of Christ.

 The third is "bear one another's burdens" we promise to help others in need. We promise to comfort the sick and lonely, lend a hand of help in work, give to those who cannot get for themselves. Sounds like a lot for an eight year old. Kali however, is already doing these very things. Probably better than I am. She is kind and conciderate, she is compassionate, thoughtful, and generally hard working (exept while I write this and I have had to ask her many times to get the vacuuming done.). She loves to teach others what she knows, she loves small children, she is gentle and patient with them and doesn't get easily flustered. "They are just being a baby, that's what they do". She will one day be a great mom. I think most of my kids would be great in the nursey at church or in primary in general. Probably because their mom is most comfortable there and has on more than one occassion brought them along to help, or because our house is in a fairly constant state of a nursery like setting. I think for all of us it has something to do with the ease at which one can feel the spirit around these very innocent children.

 Kali now is the proud owner of three white bears with sashes to help her remember the promises she has made. Anique spoke about the Holy Ghost with a princess twist. Of course that is also very Kali. She spoke about tresures untold and used Ariel's cavern to reprsent the tresures of earth and how none of these things bring us lasting joy, it is the tresures of the spirit that we should set our hearts on. She also spoke about Aurora, or Brier Rose, or Sleeping Beauty as most of us know her. Anique talked about how Aurora was always a princess and she just didn't know it. But when she learned of her divine nature she had the responsiblity to act the part and do that which was required of her. It went over big in Kali world and made perfect sense to a little princess in training. After all of the baptizing and confirming we went to the gym that we had set up like a garden party and we ate. Kali wanted a garden salad party, so that is what she got. We made rose topiaries and added latterns with fake tee lights for the table center pieces. We had over 20 something differant kinds of salads, rolls and of course costco cake. It was the perfect in pink ending to a great day for Kali. I will add pictures of the gym later. I have to find them first. Sorry.