Bright Lights for the Dimits

Sabbatical 2010

2010-12-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, here is our blog entry for our Sabbatical trip last summer. Warning, this is a long blog entry.

2010 Sabbatical Blog

June 21st. Wildfire Safari. We saw cheetahs, lions, a bald eagle, the stone-gray back of a hippo submerged in water, bear cubs at play, a giraffe eating leaves off a tree. Alexis liked tigers. Brandon liked monkeys. Lester liked the cheetahs and bears. The monkeys were loud, and one was swinging from branch/pole to branch/pole.

We saw sun! Summer was finally here. Drove a windy freeway to Marge’s house. Baby Andy is 8-1/2 months old, and so cute! Such eyelashes. Jake is 3-1/2 years old. Also cute. Ashley was there working in the cornfields for the summer. Lots of corn jokes!

June 22nd. Marge took us to the California State Train Museum. We kept taking the wrong exit, but we finally made it! Alexis liked walking through the trains, especially the dining cars. There was different china for each train line. Lester liked the golden spike and the history. Brandon liked the trains, especially the mail train. Liz liked talking to Marge and looking at the retro toy trains.

We went to Old Sacramento, and saw old shops and the western-style boardwalk. We went into an old saloon that was very dark where you can munch on peanuts and order a large mug of sarsaparilla for 25 cents. Like Marge said, it’s like cream soda without the sugar and vanilla that makes it cream soda. Liz and Marge didn’t like it. Dad, Brandon, and Alexis liked it.

June 23rd. We said good-bye to Marge and the gang and the corn and went to Yosemite. On our way into the park, Daddy saw a bear. We hiked the Cook’s Meadow near the visitor’s center for a spectacular view of Half Dome Rock. Lots of mosquitoes. A nice couple from Pennsylvania let us use their mosquito repellent. We saw a ranger in the meadow assessing the health of the meadow. It was hot and sunny, about 88 degrees. In the visitor’s center, we saw rocks, including one over 100 million years old!

We hiked to lower Yosemite Falls. It was wet and cold and breezy from the mist. Huge granite boulders made great climbers. There was a lot of loud, pounding water.

We thought that we were staying in the park at a lodge, but turned out to be a place just outside the park on the loud, rushing Merced River. We ate pizza there, seriously the best light flaky crust that almost melted in your mouth.

June 24rd. Hiked to Mirror Lake. The kids made walking sticks and threw rocks. Lester and Alexis hiked Bridal Veil Falls. Alexis said it was “awesome,” but that she “didn’t get wet enough.” On the way out, we stopped at a fascinating viewpoint; it looked just like a picture.

That night we got to Carmel/Monterey. It was foggy and gray, but pretty. We went on 17-Mile Drive, but we had to pay $9.50! We saw the Ghost Tree, the Lone Cypress, Pebble Beach Golf Course where the U.S. Open had been held the week before. We also saw cypress trees, its leaves frozen into stiffness by the wind. It must have been 20 degrees cooler there! We saw beautiful homes, including one for sale for $11 million. It was over 7,000 square feet!

June 25th. We went to Point Lobos State Reserve and walked Cypress Grove overlooking the ocean. The moss was rusty from the sea spray. Note to self: Never wear flip-flops when hiking in Cypress Grove. We could seriously shred our feet on those barnacle-covered rocks. Visited China Beach, with beautiful white, Caribbean-style sand. There was lots of kelp (“kelp city” a la Alexis). Clear turquoise water. Almost looked tropical, but was Oregon-Coast cold. Alexis loved the beach and got all wet. We hiked near Bird Island and ate lunch.
We drove down the windy California coast. Beautiful! Clouds were brushing the tops of the hills, golden-orange wildflowers, blue ocean. We got slightly carsick. We stopped by a beach full of elephant seals. They were plopped on the beach, flipping sand on themselves. One was lugging himself toward the water. It was cold and windy but so cute!

We drove into Santa Barbara--loved the mission-style architecture of all the buildings, even an office-supply store and Old Navy! We drove forever looking for a restaurant. We found a Mexican place on the harbor with adequate Mexican food and slow service. Overall, we weren’t impressed with Santa Barbara.

June 26th. We visited the Reagan Presidential Library. We saw Air Force One, a replica of the White House (Alexis’s favorite!). We saw the suit Reagan wore when he was shot, a piece of the Berlin Wall, a replica of Ronald Reagan’s Oval Office (Daddy’s favorite!), and Reagan’s gravesite. We ate at The Hat, famous for pastrami sandwiches.
We visited G&G Dimit’s gravesite and checked into our hotel. It was called the Aloft. It was a new, super-modern place that only cost $50/night on Priceline.com. We went to Northwoods Inn for dinner, a fun, wood-panelled place where you can eat peanuts and throw the shells on the floor. Alexis especially loved that! We all loved their red-cabbage salad, house salad, cheese bread, and steak. The waiter was excellent with a sense of humor. He gave us a paper bag of peanuts for Alexis to make a mess of!

When we got back to the hotel, there was a party in the hotel lobby with loud music. Alexis started dancing around and Brandon stood there plugging his ears. So typical!

June 30th. On the 27th, we visited Pat and Dick in passing. We ate at Philippe’s in downtown L.A., home of the French-dip sandwich. We drove south to San Diego and straight into “June gloom,” a thick marine layer over the area. It was in the 60s.

We stayed at the Hyatt near the San Diego Temple, which was encased in scaffolding. On Monday, we went to LEGOland; it was a lower level than Disneyland, but still fun to see all the stuff that you can make with LEGOs, especially Miniland USA, major cities replicated in LEGO. Alexis liked one of the roller coasters the best. Brandon says he doesn’t know. Daddy liked the roller coasters the best.
June 29th. SeaWorld! The Journey to Atlantis was Alexis’ favorite. It is a wet roller coaster ride with a big splashy drop and some twists and turns. Mommy protected herself with Alexis’ raincoat. We also rode the Shipwreck Rapids. We got so wet at the end of Atlantis the second time, we went to these “people dryers,” but it wouldn’t take our money so we squished our way to the car. Brandon said he doesn’t know what his favorite part was. Mommy liked Atlantis and Cirque de la Mer. It was gray, except for a few minutes during one of the shows--enough to get burned. Daddy liked the Shamu show. We also saw a pet show, a dolphin/acrobat house, and Daddy went to a Sea Lions Live show while the kids and Mommy played at the Sesame Street playground.
June 30th. We left San Diego this morning, when it, of course, was sunny! Now we’re almost to Phoenix to spend a few days with Grandma Espinosa. We’ve passed near the Mexican border, and saw what looked like a new brown fence snaking over the sand dunes like a desert Great Wall of China. It’s much hotter here, well over 100 degrees, I’m sure. Stay tuned!

It was 114 degrees! We visited with Great-grandma Hoogendoorn, who is 90! She’s a little deaf, but still going strong with walking, bridge, her wigs, an her hundreds of movies!

July 1st. The kids played at a pool with slides, and Alexis went off the low diving board...only her second time! Bubba had fun with his floaties in the shallow water. Then Mom saw Eclipse with Steph and had Greek food with her and Di...stuffed peppers with a hint of mint..it was actually good! Daddy fixed the sprinkler system for Grandma Espinosa.

July 2nd. We went swimming with Grandma E., and Mommy and Daddy got fried. Mommy took the kids to the library while Daddy hauled junk the dump for Grandma E. Mom and Dad went out for so-so Mexican food, while Grandma E. took the kids to see “How to Tame Your Dragon” and ate dessert first (a waffle cone).

July 3rd. We went to a Fourth of July breakfast at Grandma’s church where we participated in a wheelbarrow race and musical chairs where they drew numbers for candy prizes. Mommy won twice, Grandma E. and Brandon each one once. Crazy! Alexis and Brandon participated in a Jell-O eating contest (Alexis was messier than Brandon). :-)
We went to Julie’s where the kids went swimming. We saw the whole family: Shawna and the kids, Ian and Slade (Slide, a la Alexis), Will, Danny, sporting a curly new ‘do, Julie and Amy. We went to Vito’s, a brassy Italian eatery for Grandma’s 90th birthday dinner. Grandma was surprised to see us all! Alexis saw her little cousin, “Slade,” and said, “Slide! Slide!” Brandon said to GGH, “In 10 more years, you’ll be 100!”

July 4th. We went to church with Grandma E. The Spirit was very strong. Grandma E is a happy new member. We went to Julie’s for a BBQ and birthday dinner. There was a cake for Shawna, Grandma H., and me. Among the three of us, we have 170 years of living between us! :-) Then Lester and Grandma and the kids went to the fireworks while Mom took a break.
July 5th. We said good-bye to Grandma E. this morning, spent about an hour searching for Great-grandpa Hoogendoorn’s grave site; turns out we were in the wrong cemetery! :-), but we finally found it. We then drove up to the Grand Canyon. Here are a few highlights:

1- We took a shuttle to Bright Angel and took a hike down the trail into the canyon. It was a rocky, switchback trail with mule droppings. Alexis and Daddy went ahead to the first resthouse (a 3-mile round trip), while Bubba and I trudged our way back up. We got a Butterfingers milkshake and water and waited for the other half of our family.

2- We also heard a ranger talk on the endangered California condors, and an actual condor flew overhead! Pretty amazing since there are only 184 in the world!

3- The Grand Canyon at sunset. The canyon seemed almost smoky in the dusk while the thin, pale strata gleamed in the rosy afterglow. Beautiful!
July 6th. We took the rim tour of the Grand Canyon and saw the Colorado River moving where there are rapids--an 8 out of 10 the sign said. Amazing!

We went to stay with the Masons in Albuquerque. As we were coming in, we saw lots of red cliffs and it reminded me of St. George. And finally, Mommy had another state! But she has a few more to go before she catches up with Daddy.

The Masons are expecting twins! (Boys, we found out later.) On Wednesday, we went swimming at a new rec center. Bubba went down the big water slide, a first! He is quite fearless in the water. Alexis, Nani, and Kale’a ran around like the Three Musketeers at the pool.

We also walked around the temple. Kale’a and Brandon were holding hands. So cute! That night, we went out for ribs and trudged through the sand and scrub to see their property. It was super windy, and Mahina says when they bring people to see it, it’s always windy! It was almost chilly.

We let the kids sleep in the family room, and they were up past eleven on all three nights! Bubba was thrilled to learn that they were Star Wars fans and could engage in light-saber duels.

September 26th. We’ve been home from our trip for two months, so I’m going to go from memory here. On Thursday, I think it was, we took the girls and Brandon to see Toy Story 3. Very cute! That night we played Power Grid with Mitch and Mahina while the kids watched a movie in the family room. Fun game, good times.

The next morning we said good-bye to the Masons and headed for Four Corners. We drove through some of the most remote and desolate country in the U.S.--part of the Navajo Indian Reservation. There is no direct route to get to Four Corners, so you have to really want to get there to see it. This, despite the fact that Mitch told us that the actual Four Corners is on somebody’s property. Too bad that it was closed!

I really wanted some “authentic” Navajo jewelry, so we went to this “trading post” in northern Arizona to use their scary bathroom and buy some jewelry. I got some turquoise earrings that are so authentic that they broke. But I can get them fixed.

The weather got cloudy and a bit darker as we crossed the border into Utah. We passed through Bluff, a small town that truly was well-named, with high sandstone cliffs all around. We continued to drive through some more amazing red rock country with fantastic formations before arriving in Moab, Utah, gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. We holed up at a Super 8, and got some of the best Mexican food of our trip.

The next morning, we headed for Arches, a small national park with the most amazing sandstone arches! We were so excited, keeping our eyes out for the arches. Again, we saw the spires and arches and weather-worn red rocks. We hiked to a viewpoint and saw Delicate Arch from a distance. It is a three-mile hike, so we viewed it from afar. However, we did stop and hike up do Double Arch, which is two stone arches of red rock streaked with a darker color, bold against the blue sky. It felt like we were on another planet, almost.

We met Brian Bridge, Daddy’s missionary companion and friend, at the visitor’s center. We said good-bye to Daddy so he could explore more of the park with Brian and headed down I-70 toward Richfield. There are 100 miles of no roadside service, but it was beautiful and desolate. Mommy managed to take out a construction cone, and knocked out a fog light, which Daddy was able to put back together. :-)

We were so excited to finally reach St. George, where we spent time with family. Unfortunately, Grandma Leavitt died on Tues., 7/13/10; she was 89 years old. The next morning, we got a call that Daddy’s sister, Shawna Dimit, had died in her sleep. This was a complete shock to all of us as she was only 40 years old and seemed to be in perfect health when we saw her in Mesa 10 days earlier. So, we spent the last weekend of our trip driving between SLC and St. George attending the funerals of G-Grandma Leavitt, and later the funeral of Shawna Dimit in Salt Lake. We miss them so much!

The Spoken Word, by Brandon

2010-11-09T17:42:00.000-08:00

1- For Thanksgiving, he recommends "smashed" potatoes.
2- Eating huevos rancheros (egg mixture w/ tortillas): "I like the cover," (a.k.a., the tortilla).
3- Brandon wanted to get some "injury" today ("energy").

I know we're supposed to correct them, but I just love hearing them blister the English language! So cute!

New one, from Brandon in the backseat of the car, after being driven to a bunch of stores by Daddy.

"Daddy, I'm carsick."

"We're just going to one more store, and then we'll go home," says Daddy.

"I'm store-sick."

Poor stuffed kitty

2010-10-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Today, while I was blissfully snoozing the morning away, the kids went to town. Brandon has a stuffed kitty named Yoggi, after our dearly departed cat.

He and Alexis were playing animal rescue. Yoggi had fallen into the garbage can and needed a bath. He had been searching for food, thought he smelled it in a trash bin, only it was dirty diapers he smelled. Hence, the need for a bath.

The kids put him in water in their bathroom sink. When they lifted him up, his fur was all "spiky." They wanted to put soap on him, but Daddy interfered and said he needed to go to the dryer. Both kids pulled up a chair and watched Yoggi do flips in the dryer.

Poor, poor kitty.

How to "Boo" Your Friends, the Dimit Way

2010-10-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

In our ward, we have an annual tradition of leaving anonymous treats on each other's doorsteps, along with a picture of a ghost and instructions for passing the love along.

We were "boo"ed the other night, and received delicious tuxedo popcorn and Chex candies...so beautiful, so delicious, so gone! :-)

Anyway, the kids and I made copies of the ghost and instructions and bought candy at Albertson's. (No gourmet treats, but lots of love).

We decided to "boo" one of Brandon's friends first. Here is how it went:
1- Casual drive-by to case the joint. Mommy whistles casually, as if we were sauntering along. Alexis almost suffocates on her laughter. However, we rein ourselves in to note that said residence has not been "boo"ed.
2- We park around the corner, and Brandon approaches the house, candy in hand, ready to make the drop. Mom and Alexis hover at the corner, waiting, waiting.
3- Brandon runs back, and we think...success! But, no!
4- We forgot the papers! Brandon dashes back with the papers, sees said friend and his mom at the door, unsure if he was spotted or not.
5- Mommy, Alexis, and Brandon collapse with laughter.

House number 2:
1- We drive by several residences, Mommy's whistling getting a little more tiring and a lot less funny.
2- We decide on some good friends, park down the street from them.
3- This time it's Alexis who sneaks around the corner. "Got the papers, Alexis? Good."
4- She runs up the sidewalk, when the goody bag bursts open and WHAMMO! Our homemade Peanut M &Ms and Crunch bars scatter across the sidewalk.
5- "Stop, Alexis! We'll put them in a new goody bag." Because, really, how pathetic is a broken good-bag at your doorstep?
6- But Alexis is on a mission. She scoops up the candy, and makes for the front door, broken goody bag and all. She rings the doorbell, runs, and we flee.
7- A couple of drive-bys, just to make sure the front porch is "blank," as Alexis puts it. It is.

Success!

Other funnies of the day:
1- At the cart return at Albertson's, Alexis stands on the side rails and treats the parking lot to a few spontaneous cheers (for Aloha football).
2- I put a plate of gourmet scrambled eggs in front of Alexis for dinner. She looks at the steam, and waves her hands across is, back and forth, back and forth. "I'm sending smoke signals."

Seriously, that kid is going to star in one of my novels these days.

Words of wisdom from a 5-year-old

2010-09-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

I really want to keep better track of the important (and just cute) events in the lives of my oh-so-sweet children and fabulous spouse. Brandon was just on one today with his mouth...so funny!

1- Swimming lessons this morning, learning the "look before you leap" rule. Swim teacher: What should you look for before you jump into the pool?" Brandon: "Sharks with open mouths."

2- Driving to swimming lessons: I think I see some houses that are being re-built.

3- After he spilled some milk on the floor: Me: "BRANDON!" Brandon: "I don't like it when people yell at me." Me: "Can I have a hug?" Brandon: "I don't hug people who yell at me until after one bed (night). Me, later: "I'm sorry, Brandon. Can I have a hug?" Result: Hug!

4- Prayers from a Star-Wars-obsessed little boy: "Please help for my family birthday I get all the light sabers, for my friend birthday party I get the Legos Star Wars AT-AT (or something like that)." And then to make sure he didn't leave out anything, he said something about getting all the AT-ATs and the Battle of Endor (both LEGOs Star Wars toys).

I love you, Bubs!

The End of an Era

2010-04-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is Lester posting tonight and it is with a bit of sadness and nostalgia that I announce the end of an era. After 15 years of driving fun, the time has come to bid a fond farwell to my Eagle Talon. This event gives me an opportunity to reflect on the many changes in my life during the last 15 years and to pay tribute to my reliable Eagle Talon.

Lester and his brand new 1995 Eagle Talon (May 1995)

Lester and very used Talon (Apr 2010)

Since I am a numbers guy, I would like to share a few fun #'s:

124,880: # of miles driven in the Eagle Talon

15: # of years I have owned the Talon AND years worked at Intel

9: # of positions I have had at work since purchasing the Talon (all at Intel)

7: # of places I have lived since buying the Talon

12: # of years I have been married to my sweet, wonderful wife, Elizabeth

2: # of beautiful children I have been blessed with (Alexis, 8 & Brandon, 5)

1: One reliable, fun to drive car

Goodbye, old friend!!!

Now, a new era begins with my 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. What experiences and adventures await in the next 15 years?

The Vacation of a Lifetime

2009-12-22T22:37:00.001-08:00

There are times when it is good to have a husband who travels frequently for his work. This was one of those times, as I was able to join him on a long-held dream of visiting the Middle East.

On my first day there, I toured Jerusalem while Lester finished his meetings in Tel Aviv. Jerusalem is about 45 or 50 miles up in the hills from Tel Aviv. It’s one thing to hear or see pictures of famous sites, but to actually see them in person is the experience of a lifetime. Seeing the golden Dome of the Rock, where Abraham supposedly took Isaac to be sacrificed, was such a place.

We also visited the Garden of Gethsemane. Like many a site, there was a church on or near it. The garden, however, was open and well-cared for with a small grove of amazingly old olive trees. Their trunks were huge! What was amazing was watching young branches growing out of the old twiny trunks. There was one there that Lester said dated back to the time of Christ.

Then we went to the Via Dolorosa in the Old City, where Jesus supposedly walked on his way to the crucifixion. We saw the Wailing Wall/Western Wall, a massive brick wall made of pale gold Jerusalem stone. Written prayers were stuck in cracks in the wall. I made sure to touch the wall.

The Mount of Olives was nothing like I thought it would be; it’s one huge graveyard. The entire side of the hill is crammed with graves, until it looks like the hill is covered with cement slabs.

Later that day we visited Bethlehem. At the Church of the Nativity situated in Manger Square, you get to stick your hand through a hole and touch the rock that marks the birthplace of Jesus.

The next day Lester was done with work, so we rented a car and headed south to Eilat, an Israeli resort on the Red Sea that borders Egypt and Jordan, and from which you can also see Saudi Arabia. On the way there we stopped at Masada, an ancient ruin on top of a mesa-like cliff overlooking the Dead Sea. It was the site of the last Jewish stronghold against the Romans, although the Romans ultimately prevailed.

We also visited the Dead Sea. We saw huge crystal chunks of salt on the sea bottom. Instead of a strip of sand on the bottom, we walked on a bed of salt crystals. And no matter how hard we tried, we couldn’t sink. It was like floating on an inflatable mattress without the mattress. It was very relaxing, but eventually the sulfurous smell drove us to shore.

We finished our drive down to Eilat. It has a beautiful Mediterranean climate, with palm trees and balmy air. The next morning we crossed into Jordan to visit Petra, the ancient ruins made famous by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. When we got to Petra, we saw, of course, an Indiana Jones souvenir shop.

Ali, our guide, took us on an amazing hike down a slotted canyon, where the stones changed from yellowish brown to the most amazing pinks and reds and dark browns, just like the colors of Zion’s National Park. Petra was built by the Nabataeans as their capital city about 100 B.C. What was amazing was the rock-cut architecture, with little stands for idols etched into the rock. Also amazing was their water system of old sluiceways and pipes running along the base of the cliff walls parallel to the path.

The Treasury at Petra, as seen in Indiana Jones, staggered my mind. It was huge! It looked as if it had been stamped into rock from a mold. It was cut back into the rock in a place the Nabataeans knew was safe from wind erosion. The ruins included far more than the Treasury, which was actually a tomb. The ruins were massive, marble-like sandstone that had been carved into a theater, including “skyboxes” (Lester’s term); tombs, living quarters, and more.

The next day we took a tour bus from Eilat across the Sinai Peninsula to Cairo. It took about six hours. On our tour was a Canadian couple who had been on our Petra tour.

Cairo is a huge, smoggy city of 18 million people. Traffic was a nightmare, and traffic laws were mere suggestions. We met up with our guide, Mohammed.

We went to a mosque, which was the oldest in Africa. The women had to put on these kelly-green rayon/polyester robes with hoods to cover our heads. We looked like overgrown elves. Built around a courtyard, the mosque is open to the air. The carpet is patterned in these squares so that the worshippers would face in straight lines toward, I think, Mecca or Medina. Fascinating!

We also visited a Christian (Catholic?) church that was traditionally the spot where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus stayed when fleeing King Herod’s edict to kill babies under the age of 2.

We went to a synagogue. I thought it was interesting that we had to go to a Muslim country to visit a synagogue. There are only 12,000 Jews in all of Egypt.

We also visited the Cairo Egyptian Museum and saw amazing mummies and treasures, such as King Tut’s funerary mask and coffins that fit inside each other like nesting tables. The inner coffin is solid gold and weight 100 kg.

That night we took a dinner cruise on the Nile River, complete with a belly dancer and a whirling dervish. After dinner we sat outside on the deck with Michael and Alisha. We saw a mosque, a TGI Friday’s, and a gym.

The next morning we visited the pyramids of Giza. The stone blocks were tall, about shoulder height to Lester. And they were huge, perfectly flat and joined together without cement or other kind of compound. The four of us took a camel ride around the back side of the pyramids. The camels are so high up; it’s intimidating to climb on their backs and trust that you won’t be propelled off. We took a back-jolting ride through the sand dunes, with a beautiful perspective with the city in the smog-shrouded distance and just us and the sand and the blue sky. After a twenty-minute ride in the desert, we got to see all nine pyramids lined up.

Lester kept petting the head of my camel and let one “kiss” him. Yuck.

Afterward, we went to see the Sphinx, which was smaller than we expected, but still amazing.

And, then of course, we went shopping in the old part of Cairo at a bazaar. We then started our six-hour journey back to Eilat.

The next morning we waded in the Red Sea. Some day I’d like to return and go snorkeling. It’s supposed to be pretty incredible, and it was warm enough to do that in December. I really love the warm climate there!

After returning to Jerusalem, we visited the Garden Tomb. It was peaceful and amazing to think that was where Christ was resurrected.

We drove back to Tel Aviv, turned in our car, and settled in for a 28-hour trip home. It was a long flight back (three flights, actually), but we had a wonderful time!

To see more photos of the trip, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/dimitfamily/.

We especially want to thank all of our friends who watched our kids and our house while we were gone. We couldn’t have done it without you!

My Daughter, Junie B. Jones

2009-07-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know who Junie B. Jones is, she's this extremely creative, free-thinking character in children's literature. My friend likened Alexis to Junie B. Jones. After much reflection I have to agree. Here's why:

- One day at Brandon's swimming class, I discovered Alexis in the lobby holding the front of the vending machine open for the guy to stock it with drinks.

- In the same day, I had to return a book to someone who wasn't home. After leaving a note, I found that Alexis had been talking to a construction worker who was doing some roadwork nearby.

- And after all that, we went to Hazeldale Elementary School for the free lunch. The THPRD rec mobile was there. Alexis took some jump ropes, hula hoops, Frisbees, and balls and set up an obstacle course for everyone. As we left, she said, "Wait just a second. I have to talk to the counselor" (ostensibly so she could explain the obstacle course to them).

- We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Utah during our recent vacation that has an indoor pool. Alexis wrote up an invitation inviting everyone in the hotel to a pool party from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (the pool hours). She said we had to be there at 8:59 a.m. to make sure everything was okay.

- The kids were going swimming with Grandpa Engstrom (my dad) last week. I asked the kids to change into their swimming suits. When I went to check on them, Alexis was standing stark naked in front of the fan taking an "air shower."

Life, whatever else it may be, is not boring with my adorable Alexis.

I love you, Junie B. Jones Dimit. :-)

It Took Me 5 Years

2009-06-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I realized it has been awhile since Elizabeth or I have blogged. So, I thought I would do a quick blog about the long 5 year journey to re-landscape our back yard. When we bought our house in June 2004, the yard hadn't been taken care of in quite some time (since the previous owners had died 4 months earlier. Hence, it was in shambles and I didn't think I would ever resurect it. Here are some pictures of the sorry state we found our back yard.

Well, after many years, lots of trial and error, hard work by the whole family, we have transformed our back yard into something we actually want to look at and spend time in.

I just love before and after pictures ;-)

A Trip to the Tulip Field and Down Memory Lane

2009-04-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

This is Lester blogging today. It has been awhile since we have blogged, so I thought I would do a short blog about our trip to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn.

Dimit Family 2009

It is a family tradition to go to the Tulip Festival each year, and each year it gets bigger and better. Although it was cold and cloudy today, we didn't get rained on. The tulips are in full bloom and were spectacular. The kids got to take a ride on an old steam powered tractor, which was the highlight of their visit. I was able to shoot dozens of pictures of Elizabeth, the kids, and the beautiful flowers. My favorite part of the visit each year is taking the kids' picture in the wooden shoe. I take their picture every year in the wooden shoe and it brings back a lot of great memories each year as I see them grow up.

Below are the wooden shoe pictures for this year. As an added bonus, I have also included a picture of the 1st year Alexis and Brandon came to the Tulip Festival (they were about 4 months old).

Alexis 2002 (4 months old)

Alexis 2009 (7 yrs old)

Brandon 2005 (4 months old)

Brandon 2009 (4 yrs old)

How Do I Love Thee...Let Me Count the 40 Ways

2009-01-02T22:14:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right...my man is turning 40 tomorrow! Since 40 is such a LARGE number, I won't list 40 reasons that I adore my husband, but I'll do the top 10.

10- He's the son of a plumber. If there's a leak or a clog anywhere in this house, I can rely on him to fix it!

9-His financial conservatism. In an economic downturn, I'm so grateful that we have money saved, no unnecessary debt, and a man who knows how spend our money wisely.

8- How hard he works. Whether it's on the job or around the house, he gets the job done.

7- His thoughtfulness. He rarely asks me what I want for gifts...he just "observes," as he puts it, and gets me the things that I really want or need: a kitty, an iPod, framing the first (and only) article I ever published, a down comforter to keep me warm. (Just don't mention the piano).

6- He is a loving son and brother. He is always calling on his parents' birthdays and on other holidays and praying for them.

5- I can depend on him. When I was so sick, he was father, mother, husband, nurse, chauffeur, employee, and everything in between.

4- He's a splendid father. He takes the kids on special "trips" like the circus, fishing, and the Children's Museum. He also knows how to make them laugh, and I love their little jokes.

3- He's funny and makes me laugh. For instance, he knows my aversions to snakes, mint, and Tabasco sauce and uses every opportunity to tease me (in a loving way).

2- His faithfulness. Ever since I've known him, he does his home teaching and fulfilled every calling he's ever received. The quiet, faithful acts he does day after day are a consistent example of Christlike service.

1- He loves me for me. Whether I am up or down or a little whacked out, he is the consistent rock in my life.

I love you, honey, and am so grateful to know that you will be mine forever!

Happy Birthday, sweetie.

My Son is Nick Arrojo

2008-12-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

For those of you who don't know, Nick Arrojo is the stylist on TLC's What Not to Wear. This morning, I was laying in bed like a slug (as I usually do on Sunday mornings), when Brandon crawls onto the bed armed with a comb or two and the announcement: "I'm going to comb your hair to make you/it beautiful."

He actually did a good job...no hair pulling or anything! It also brought back fond memories of when I would lay on my mom's bed and play with her hair.

Then, I took a bubble bath this morning, and Brandon kept smooshing bubbles on his hair and asking me to smell his hair. He also put mousse in his hair and asked me to smell that, too.

Being a stylist may not be my first occupational choice for my son, but hey, Nick charges $500 a haircut. As long as he doesn't compromise his manhood, I'm okay with it.

Although later today he took my temperature, gave me a shot, took my blood pressure, and listened to my heart with Alexis' doctor set. He has said on more than one occasion that he would like to be a doctor. Hmm, maybe that's my preferred career choice for him, after all.

Okay, Maybe I'm Feeling Better Now

2008-12-03T16:22:00.000-08:00

I hate to whine, I really do, but I need to vent. I've been sick for two weeks now with an endless stream of maladies, including strep, a bronchial infection, etc. After two trips to urgent care, a trip to my regular doctor, two visits to an ear, nose, and throat specialist, and a trip to the ER to be re-hydrated, I am finally on the mend.

Unfortunately, I am not allowed to hug or kiss my children for the next four-and-a-half days to make sure that I don't infect them. It's amazing how much I miss their little love and affection. So be sure to give extra loves to your babies tonight.

However, I am so grateful to my most divine visiting teachers for their dinners and ceaseless babysitting vigils. I'm also grateful to my parents for helping me out so I could have someone come and keep the house from falling down around our ears.

I'm also grateful to my fabulous hubby who has been playing nurse, babysitter, maid, and chauffeur. Bless that boy.

My only goal now is to get well enough to post Halloween pictures before Christmas. :-)

Thanks for listening.

The upside of being sick

2008-11-25T17:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, you must think we have spent the past six weeks standing wistfully on the porch watching the Masons drive on to a new life in New Mexico. Well, we have felt sad and do miss them, but as you can tell, they are well and happy and enjoying that which we Oregonians have very little of this time of year...sunshine.

(Although, I admit it was so nice to hear a diesel engine roaring at the back of the neighborhood this past week and realize that could be Mitch's truck since he was in town for a training meeting. It was also nice to have him borrow cleaning supplies and for he and Lester to go see Quantum of the Menace, or Solace of the Quantam or whatever the new James Bond movie is called.)

But when we finally pried ourselves from the porch, we enjoyed the most excellent October weather EVER, including Halloween. Pictures on that later, probably around Christmas time, hee, hee.

But lately, we have been sick. Not just sick, but super sick. The kids with strep and myself with strep and a bronchial infection. I will not describe the gory details, but seriously, there is a certain level of sickenss one sort of enjoys, you know, the kind that you can curl up on the couch in your plaid pajama bottoms and an old sweatshirt and sip hot soup and watch old romantic comedies. I was not at that level. But I am feeling better enough to tell you the positives from this experience:

1- My husband. It was the beginning of his weeklong Thanksgiving vacation. I'm sure he wished it wasn't. But he cheerfully did laundry and dishes, straightened the house, fed and cared for the kids, made beds, took us the doctor multiple times, became best friends with the Rite-Aid pharmacist, soothed my fevered brow, and otherwise rocked. You can't pay for loving service like that.

2- Alexis falling asleep under the piano and muttering in her sleep, "Go, Ducks, go." I think she was referring to the food drive at school between Ducks fans and Beavers fans. This, from the daughter of Cougar fans? Still, in the case of hunger, we can all be winners.

3- I lost EIGHT pounds in FIVE days. I know when I inhale Thanksgiving dinner, however, all those pounds will return....each bringing a friend, I am sure. Sigh.

4- Darilyn who called to see if I was going to our ward's monthly potluck for mothers with noisy kids. When she discovered I was sick, she asked if I need anything. I asked if she could pick up some OJ. She cheerfully arrived with two huge things of FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE. She even wouldn't let me pay her back. Darilyn, you rock!

4- Visiting teachers who have already over-served me. But, at one pathetic phone call from me, delicious dinners arrived at our doorstep last night and tonight, with HOMEMADE BREAD. Bless you, Sarah and Diana.

5- Two worthy priesthood brothers coming last night to give blessings to our entire family. When they entered and during my blessing I could feel the Spirit so strongly. Thank you, Julie and Brenda, for lending your wonderful husbands to us on a Monday! I am sooo thankful for my membership in the Lord's true church.

6- Finally, I am thankful I am feeling well enough to feel thankful that I am getting better, if that makes any sense.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my dear friends and their families!

Good-bye, Mitch and Mahina...and Nani, Kale'a, and Kawena

2008-10-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

It was with great sadness that I saw Mahina's Chevy Tahoe go up the hill away from our house yesterday afternoon for the last time. She was followed by Mitch in the super-loud diesel truck that hauled their fifth-wheeler.

Ever since Mahina welcomed me to the ward and neighborhood four years ago with a basket of fresh fruit, we've been good friends. The joy and convenience of having a close friend just up the hill (and what a hill!) has been amazing. It got to the point she'd just say "hi" on the phone and I'd know who it was. We did so many spontaneous things together, and had countless play dates and babysitting swaps with our kids (who fought only a few times a week).

I've cried with and laughed with and teased and confided in Mahina, which should be Hawaiian for "loyal friend," instead of "moon goddess." Personally, I think she made the "moon goddess" definition up, but don't tell her that. :-)

I will miss you, Mahimas.

PS: Don't ask me what the sex of the baby is, because I don't know. Believe me, I have tried many tricks to find out, but that girl is too sneaky for me!

7 Weird/Interesting Things

2008-10-02T19:44:00.000-07:00

My friend Tonya tagged me and said to list 7 weird or interesting things about myself and then to tag other friends.

When I told my husband I couldn't think of anything, he laughed and laughed and reeled off five things that, really, only fit in ONE category, which I will list first.

1- I hate, no, ABHOR, anything mint-flavored and anything related to oral care. I hate mouthwash, toothpaste, breath spray, mint gum, etc. Don't get me wrong, I brush my teeth twice daily and floss (with non-mint-flavored floss). I just don't like it. And when it comes to brushing my kids' teeth...ugh!

2- I hate food that is sprayed on. I can tolerate non-stick cooking spray. But when Lester sprays fake butter on his veggies, I have to shudder.

3- I have written a book. It is a young-adult romantic comedy that took me five years to write. Now I am editing it to submit for publication, which is a whole other journey. But it has been a fun book to write.

4- My nickname when I was a child was--blush, blush--"Buff." When things would get hard and I would whine, or if I wanted to do something I couldn't, my dad would say, "Tough stuff, Buff." Isn't that sweet?

5- I am starting to like classical music. That may not seem like such a shock, but I truly am an '80s music girl. However, I have been spending a lot of time behind the wheel, and I find listening to classical music is very calming. I think I am more cultured than I thought I was. :-)

6- I love anything with a tomato base: salsa, catsup, spaghetti sauce. But my favorite is GUACAMOLE (even though that has nothing to do with tomatoes)!

7- I'm with Tonya on the hubby thing. I LOVE my husband. He has been at my side through a lot this past year, and there is nobody I love more in this world. He makes me laugh and accepts me for who I am. I, too, have seen the hand of the Lord in bringing us together.

I tag my friends Ashley, Bridget, Brenda, Chelle, Melissa, Sarah Cook, and Sarah Smith.

The Ultimate Irony

2008-09-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, our car was among the victims of an apparent attack on inanimate objects in the Dimit household.

I was without my beloved Maxima for nearly THREE weeks. Special thanks to my good friends Bridget, Brenda, and Sarah for helping with preschool carpools during this stressful time.

Finally, I get word that the car has been fixed. Lester is in Japan, and my wonderful aunt Deslie has flown in from Utah to help me out for the week. So Deslie, Brandon, and I cram our bodies into the Talon for the ride to Forest Grove to pick up the car.

At the corner of Rigert and 185th, the Talon dies. On my way to pick up one newly fixed car, the other one quits. It doesn't sputter, it doesn't lurch, it just stops running. After turning the engine over thirty times, it finally roars to life and off we go on a wing and a very fervent prayer made at the stoplight of Farmington Road and 209th.

Deslie says she should drive the Talon ahead of me on the way home to make sure she isn't stranded in case of a breakdown. I heartily concur.

We arrive at the auto body shop in Forest Grove only to be told two things:
1- The Maxima needs a new battery...NOW. The mechanic had to jumpstart it to bring it from the back.
2- While the Maxima is idling, the mechanic informs me it needs to be filled up...NOW.

So instead of safeguarding Deslie in the Talon, she is my wingman, making sure I arrive at the gas station and Les Schwab's without incident.

Three hours after starting out, we arrive home safely with both cars and our sanity intact (sort of).

I really despise inanimate objects.

Whose Beach Is It, Anyway?

2008-09-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the Masons invited us at the last minute to go to the beach with them. But it was not just ANY beach, it was HUG POINT!

You see, Lester and I got engaged at Hug Point. He picked me up after work one Friday evening, and drove me to the beach. He brought a duffel bag which he set by a driftwood log while we took a walk. He kept looking back at the duffel bag until finally he suggested we turn around.

"Why" I asked.

"I don't want the sea gulls to make off with my duffel bag."

Okay, I was young, and I was naive, but I believed him.

Little did I know that contained in the duffel bag was dinner, roses, and my engagement ring! No wonder he kept looking back at the bag!

It was sunset and it was so romantic to get engaged at HUG POINT, and so I was so happy when Mahina suggested going there.

But when we arrived at the beach, this is what we saw:

- A couple of guitarists crooning in a cave

- A canopy set up from which dangled a black flag with a white skull and crossbones. This canopy belonged to a group (coven, congregation, herd, whatever) of people dressed in pirate gear.

- A small wedding party. The photographer was my hero because she pulled Brandon from a deep tidal pool in which he had fallen. Gasp!

- A large wedding party (A note about the large wedding party. We were playing happily in the sand near some waterfalls when we were asked to pack up and leave so they could hold the wedding! Of course, we said yes and left, but I mean, really! As Mahina says, if you want to hold a wedding there, you stake out your spot a few hours early so people don't have to pack up five kids and endless beach toys on a moment's notice.

Of course, after all that, could I remember the exact spot that Lester proposed?

I could not.

Although I have a suspicion it was where the pirates were hanging out.

A Matter of Perspective, part 2/An Answer to Prayer

2008-09-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've been bumming around the house today, feeling kind of sorry for myself because I don't have a car and I have kids who want to be constantly entertained and I'm not feeling super great, blah, blah, blah.

So I knelt down and said a prayer, asking Heavenly Father to help me out.

Well, I got the answer to my prayer by coming across an update about a beautiful mother named Carol who delivered a baby girl (their second) and she had the most HORRIBLE things happen afterward. Her story, however, is one that inspires me and helps me be grateful for healthy kids and a healthy body and the fact that I can run stairs for exercise (even if I don't want to).

Check out Carol's story.

In other words, Heavenly Father was telling me to get a reality check and be grateful for my many blessings!

I feel humbled now.

A Matter of Perspective

2008-09-09T21:16:00.000-07:00

I HATE inanimate objects (except chocolate, of course).

That's because in the past week or two, the following inanimate objects have broken. This list is not necessarily in order of importance.
- DVD Player
- Microwave oven
- Dishwasher
- Car (AGAIN! But this time I was NOT driving, and so I don't care as much as I might otherwise. No one was hurt, except our car (and the other car).

So far, the rest of our appliances are still ticking (cross our fingers and keep our repairman on speed dial).

BUT, none of this really matters when I have a sweet daughter who waves to me from the bus and a son who gives me bushels of dandelions. He even filled a plastic cup with ice water for the dandelions. I loved it, even if the dandelions didn't.

And as a funny postscript. I told Brandon he had to go to bed. He had his favorite "circle blankie" tied around his shoulders and informed me that "Superheroes don't go to sleep. They stay awake." Maybe I was just over-stressed from dysfunctional appliances, but I about died laughing.

Thank goodness I get to keep Brandon and Alexis and Lester forever, and I can ditch the appliances.

The Apple Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

2008-08-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

This is the guest blogger, Lester, making a quick blog entry. As some of you may know, I like to follow the news, especially political news. Some would say I'm a political junkie (I like watching the Sunday news shows, West Wing, etc.). So I wasn't surprised when Alexis started taking an interest in politics. She started by following the Democratic Presidential primary, rooting for Hillary Clinton because "she is a girl and she would tax our schools" (I think that translates into she would raise taxes to send money to schools). Anyway, once Hillary was defeated in the primary, Alexis' political affiliation quickly switched to John McCain. When a Barak Obama sign went up at our neighbor's house across the street, Alexis had to have a McCain sign. When Daddy didn't move fast enough, she took matters into her own hands. When I got home from work one day, I discovered the following sign posted in our yard:

Brandon, not wanting to be left out, got into the act as well. I would definitely vote for him, but I am biased ;-)

So, as you can see, we will have a very interesting fall at the Dimit home following the presidential election.

Many thanks to Adriana Dominguez for making the signs for the kids.

EW! What is that smell?

2008-07-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

For weeks, I passed through my laundry room (make that laundry hallway) and would catch a whiff of something truly foul. It was like stinky feet sitting in sewer. The thing is, the smell came and went, so I would tend to forget about it.

Finally, however, I uncovered the culprit. And what do you suppose that culprit was?

1- Laundry? Since I do my laundry with some regularity (I'm no Martha Stewart, but then she has people do her laundry for her. I'll bet in prison, she had someone launder and press the zippers on her orange jumpsuits. But I digress.) No, the laundry was not the smell.

2- Garbage can? Again, I empty the garbage with some regularity (at least before the trash reaches the ceiling), and I have been known to spray Lysol in the can before replacing it with a clean bag.

3- THIS WAS THE CULPRIT:

It was not this exact one that was the culprit, but something similar. ROTTEN POTATOES. Not having a pantry, my wonderful husband who is perfect in every other way stores our 5 or 10-lb. bag of potatoes on the DRYER. (Or maybe I put this bag on the dryer). Anyway, since potatoes fester in heat, and what is hotter than a DRYER, the leftover potatoes decomposed into a smelly, slimy, festering mess.

When I uncovered the mess, there was oozy brown and green slime on the dryer, on the bottom of the blue laundry basket on the dryer, and at the bottom of my laundry detergent box. My friend Mahina was over watching a movie with me at the time. Like the true pal that she was, she fed me paper towels and various housecleaning products until I banished the smell (mostly) from my house.

We opened windows, lit a scented candle, and sat down with a bowl of Tillamook Udderly Chocolate Ice Cream covered in Magic Shell and finished our movie.

Case solved and noses happy.

Alexis, the Newest Star of the Food Network and Lover of Strawberries

2008-06-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

This is Alexis's very own recipe for Strawberry Cake and Strawberry Cupcakes

1 T. Milk

5 cups sugar
10 c. Plain cocoa
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ tsp. salt
10 Strawberries
Fireworks food coloring
Rainbow sprinkles

Mix the ingredients for 10 minutes. Bake it for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. It has to be thick.

Who Are the Nicest People in the World?

2008-05-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

The Masons! The Masons! The Masons!

Why, you may ask, are they the nicest people in the world? Well, if you know them you don't need to ask. However, I do have a specific reason for blogging about their essential niceness. They helped us do that most abominable of chores...yard work!

They had a family home evening lesson on service and arrived this evening with kids and tools and gloves. Our yard is a wasteland of dirt because Lester pulled out all the old grass and is re-seeding. A lovely mountain of topsoil that smells like ammonia has been residing on our driveway for two days next to a pile of rolled-up sod and dirt waiting for a trip to the dump.

So, while Lester and Mitch hauled "rotten horse poop," as Mitch put it, from the front yard to the back yard, the kids ran around, helped, and ran around some more. Mahina methodically weeded the bottom of our hill while I pulled out dead tulips and tackled the area below our rock wall.

To correspond with their lesson on service, the Dimits had a lesson on gratitude. We were all prepared to thank them with dessert, but no, they even brought treats!

Now, isn't that nice?

He's all man...er, I mean, boy!

2008-05-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I had to do some work on-site at a client's this week, and Mahina helped me out by watching my kids...and a few others! It was quite the party at her house.

Unfortunately, Brandon, who is still being potty trained, had an accident. Here is what happened, in her own words, as copied from her blog:

it was a very exciting day and this little guy didn't want to miss out on any of the fun. the problem is, as most of you know, we have no male offspring in our home! so, when a cute little boy has a "little accident" in our home, he doesn't have many choices outside of pink! so this is what you get:

i was very pleased with lala's willingness to share her clothes with her friend. she excitedly took him up to her room and was so thoughtful in her choices. you see, these pink pants were the perfect choice for brandon because the bottom of the pants zip off to make capris. brandon is shorter than lala, so all she had to do was zip the bottoms off and these "capris" became the obvious best choice! (INTERJECTION: Yes, Lala was very sweet, and those pants were a great choice!)

who cares that they are bright pink and he is a boy! apparently, he is secure enough in his "manhood" to not care! at least she did let him maintain some dignity by giving him a blue shirt, just don't point out the cute little pink flowers along the bottom!

Cheerios in my Salad

2008-04-26T20:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight I tried yet another trend in cooking. Lester bought this delicious Asian Sesame salad dressing that just cries out for those crispy noodles. Since we were out of the noodles, I thought Cheerios might make a suitable substitution. However, those toastly little O's looked quite odd when nestled among the cherry tomatoes, grated cheddar cheese, and iceberg lettuce that constituted the rest of my salad. Needless to say, the taste was as odd as the appearance. So let that be a lesson...no cereal in your salad!

On another note, the other morning I was being a good mom (a.k.a. sleeping in) as Mahina noted in her blog. When I came downstairs, I discovered a winter wonderland of sugar adorning my kitchen floor. The kids had wanted to "sweeten" their Golden Grahams cereal.

Alexis got the broom out of the garage to try and sweep it up. We have a childproof gadget on our door to the garage, but did that stop Alexis? No! She opened the sliding glass door, went into the backyard, through the gate to the side yard, and entered the garage door code and brought the broom in! Kudos to her for initiative. It also taught me that we should probably dispense with the childproof door-thingamabob.

Later, when I looked in the sugar, there were a few squares of Golden Grahams.

Cereal and our family just don't mix.

Observations from the Backseat

2008-04-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Yet once again I had inflicted damage to our poor little Maxima by inadvertantly ramming it into the posts at the Beaverton City Library book drop off. You know the ones...they're supposed to keep you from running into the building. See, they work. I didn't run into the building.

Anyway, so the kids and I followed Lester to the auto-body shop in Forest Grove yet again. He was driving his 1995 lime green Eagle Talon, a.k.a, the Lima Bean. I, of course, was driving the damaged goods. Here are some comments from the kids about Daddy's driving:

Alexis: "When we go 45, he goes 55! When we go 55, he goes 65! When we go 65, he goes 75! And all the way up to 95 mph."

Brandon: "Daddy go super fast."

Daddy had gone so fast, he had to pull over to the side of the road to wait for us. When Alexis noted the Lima Bean at the shoulder of the road, she said: "Daddy must have had to go to the bathroom."

Finally, we're all gunning down River Road, and this final observation from Alexis: "It's a sports car. He has to go fast."

If he is the one going so fast, then how come I'm the one getting in all the accidents?

Some Alexis Funnies

2008-04-05T19:45:00.000-07:00

The things that come out of the mouths of our children are truly hysterical:

1- When Darilyn asked Alexis's Primary class to name a few of Jesus's miracles, Alexis's hand shot up. "Jesus healed the 10 leopards!"

2- When asked who she would vote for for President, she said, "That lady."
"You mean Hillary?" I asked.
"No."
"Clinton?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"She will fix our schools...I think."

3- We were driving down the street the other day and we saw an old wooden silo. Alexis said, "Only daddies can reach up there. But Mitch (Mahina's husband) is the tallest daddy."
So when Lester and Mitch stood side by side, I compared their heights. Maybe Lester was just having a bushy hair day, but it was pretty close.

Top 5 Things I Missed While In Utah

2008-03-25T22:14:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Salt Lake to an amazing writer's conference. Before I jump into the top 5 things I missed while in Utah, here's the top 5 things I got to do in Utah!

1- Have a one-on-one meeting with an editor from NY who looked over the first five pages of my manuscript. After my nerves recovered, I was grateful for his feedback.

2- Meet an agent face to face. I told her about my book and she said it sounded "cute" and "marketable." Considering the uber-competitive world of book publishing, I'll take it as a positive sign!

3- Sift through old pictures of Lester's childhood at my in-laws. Some of them will make for great blackmail, but they're all adorable. :-)

4- See my wonderful parents who drove 300 miles from St. George just to spend Saturday evening and Sunday morning with me.

5- Meeting with other fellow LDS writers and authors. They are an awesome, creative bunch of people.

NOW, the top five things I missed.

5- The kids' last days of T-ball, swimming, and music class.

4- The Easter egg hunt at the Vial farm.

3- A fun day at the Children's Museum.
("Look, Daddy, I'm a Lamanite!" Alexis painted her face all by herself!)

(Daddy painted Brandon's face with a mustache and beard. Like father, like son!)

2- The finding of Tom Worm. The kids and Lester were weeding in the front yard. They found a worm they named Tom. Lester put the worm into the flowers. A few minutes later he noticed Brandon throwing dirt at the flowers. He asked Brandon what he was doing. "I'm feeding Tom Worm!"

1- And the number one thing I missed (but not really), was the beginning of potty training Brandon. The quote du jour on this one (uttered when Daddy requested Brandon use the potty): "But, Daddy, I don't have any pee-pee in my p****!"

Prayers and Tears Come Easily Now

2008-03-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

By now everyone knows about Ross Barfuss, who is being called a hero for giving his life trying to save that boy. You can read the latest updates here.

Deanna, Ross's mom, is my visiting teaching companion. I've grown to love and admire her spunk and spirituality. I especially admire her request to pray for the other boy's family.

I also am in awe of our ward family who spent all yesterday combing the beach in search of Ross.

My heart is sad for this wonderful family, but my prayers will go on.

Teal Cake, Be Gone!

2008-03-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

I have finally redeemed myself. I had a hankering to make something with Dutch cocoa, since I had a whole new can of it. Mahina recommended trying the Texas sheetcake recipe on the Pioneer Woman's blog.

As a side note, I discovered my baking powder had November '98 stamped on the bottom of it! I am blaming the teal cake fiasco partly—okay, mostly—on the ancient baking powder. That sounds better than admitting I'm not a so-great chef. :-)

So with the teal cake disaster fresh in my mind, Alexis and I tetatively whipped up the sheetcake. Several positive omens were in our favor:

- I had to borrow sugar from Mahina. Between the two of us, I EXACTLY the right amount.

- I did not attempt to use food coloring.

- The recipe did not call for baking powder, fresh or otherwise.

We peeked into the oven as our sheetcake was baking. It smelled and looked divine, except for one small problem. It was higher on one side than another. But being a sheetcake, the difference in height was not too noticeable, especially when slathered with chocolate icing.

But most importantly, it passed the taste test! Everyone who tried it loved it. And it even looked like the picture on the Pioneer Woman's blog:

It's nice to have at least one recipe I can make well.

279 Pieces of Candy

2008-02-19T21:09:00.000-08:00

Oh, wo is me.

We attended the Cub Scout's annual Blue and Gold dinner. They had a count-how-much-candy in the jar contest. Lester and I, with unusual self-control, said we weren't going to guess. However, Alexis did. She wanted to guess 78, but I told her there were way more than that. I wrote down 307 on her piece of paper, and she put her name on it.

Guess who won?

Guess which household, in addition to leftover Halloween candy, Valentine's Day candy, AND potty-training-reward candy now has an additional 278 pieces of candy? (Alexis ate one already.)

The only thing that made it worthwhile was the look of sheer joy on her face when she one. Oh, for a camera. Oh, that I were Mahina who practcially has her camera surgically attached to her hands. The closest reaction I can show you is the one she had two years ago when she got her Dora dollhouse for Christmas:

Maybe I should just remember whose candy it is.

But, then again, what parents have never helped themselves ("steal" is such a strong word) to the kids' candy after they were safely asleep?

Singing the Red Velvet Cake Blues

2008-02-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

Happy late Valentine's Day to everyone! We had an adventurous holiday, as you will see. My goal was to bake a red velvet cake for Lester...from scratch. Not being a baker extraordinnaire, the results were interesting.

Alexis and I went to Winco to get the ingredients. They were out of red food coloring, so Alexis opted for blue. That was fine with me. Blue is Lester's favorite color, so a blue velvet cake, while not appearing very appetizing, would taste the same.

We started to make the cake. The recipe called for 1/3 cup of shortening. Not having shortening, I substituted butter. However, I thought that a stick of butter was only 1/4 cup, but as you all know, it is 1/2 cup. So, instead of 1/3 cup of shortening, I added 1/2 cup of butter.

The yellow butter and blue food coloring turned my cake batter teal, the exact shade, I kid you not, of our Maxima. Plus, the batter was thick and gloppy. Only somewhat daunted, I poured it into two cake pans and let my two teal cakes bake for 28 minutes.

That afternoon, we made the cream cheese frosting. The kids wanted it to match the cake, so it ended up a bright turquoise. We finished the damage by sprinkling it wth blue sugar crystals.

Here is the result:

(Er, thanks...I think.)

Lester said, "At least it came from the heart." I think that is his tactful way of telling me it didn't taste very good. But I really appreciate that he appreciated my effort. :-)

Here are a couple of cake close-ups.

(Put your sunglasses on for this one!)

(Note the eerie resemblance in color to our Nissan Maxima.)

The cake, however, was consumed eagerly by two little kids who, as far as treats go, don't have very discriminating palates.

(I can't decide if I like this or not.)

(See, Mommy, all gone!)

To be completely honest, after mixing the cake with Double Fudge Brownie ice cream, the cake wasn't so bad for the adults, either.

And this is what my thoughtful hubby got me. After what I went through this Valentine's Day, I deserve it.

Goodbye, Yoggi

2008-02-12T12:04:00.001-08:00

Lester took the cat to the vet last night and was told he was shooting clots. Basically, he was having the same problem that people have when they suddenly have an aneurysm and die without warning. The vet said there was nothing we could do, so after eight-and-a-half years with our beloved kitty, we had to say good-bye.

Here is a tribute to Yoggi, in pictures:

A relaxed Yoggi, BK (before kids)

No, really, people, you can't have my autograph. A picture is sufficient.

When I had my girlish (or boyish) figure, I could squeeze into tight places.

It's hard to say who's more relaxed...Yoggi or Alexis (Spring '02)

The staring contest

Um, hello, people, can I get down now?

I mean, really, how many pictures do we have to pose for?

Caring for Brandon is hard work!

We love you, Yoggi. Rest in peace.

Now My Cat is Broken

2008-02-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

You've all read about my broken car. Now, on the eve of taking our car to be repaired, Yoggi breaks down. He meows and pants and he drags his right hind leg. So, after a few calls to emergency vets in the area (they are few and FAR between), my wonderful hubby stuffed our fat cat into his ancient cat carrier and is going to TUALATIN for me.

Just a word on cat carriers. Growing up, we did the cat-in-the-pillowcase trip to the vet. Now, however, there are some DELUXE cat carriers, such as this gem:

- It has a base that you can buckle in (I never even used a seatbelt as a kid.)

- An attached feed tray (My attached feed tray is my hand.)

- Small top door for feeding, comforting, or leashing your pet. (That would be the equivalent of someone sticking their hand through my moon roof, patting my head, and throwing me an animal cracker.)

- And last, but not least, a padded waterproof mat (If I need to go that bad, I will make a pit stop. Seriously, this could be a useful feature.)

No, our poor cat is in the cat carrier equivalent of a Ford Pinto. The color is even similar.

But no matter what poor Yoggi has to ride in, I just hope he comes home in good health (and that he doesn't cost too much to fix).

It's No Contest...I Have the Sweetest Kids in the World

2008-02-07T10:25:00.000-08:00

I had a late night. At a fabulous baby shower at Bridget's for Jen Crosby, someone referred to the Pioneer Woman's blog and how they enjoyed reading her love story. Then I came across the same blog on Darilyn's blog. So, needless to say, I was hooked.

After some fishing through the Pioneer Woman's blog, I found the first chapter in meeting the Marlboro Man and steadily read through the next six or so chapters. The clock on the computer kept ticking toward midnight, but I just couldn't stop!

I finally went to bed but couldn't sleep, so it was probably close to 1 a.m. before I succummbed to slumber. Anyway, I got up about 8:15 and fed the kids and the cat and tumbled back into bed. A persistent voice in my head said I should stay up, but I was SO tired.

So, I dozed off and on for a while. I kept hearing the microwave door slam shut. So I told the kids to stay out out of the kitchen. Then my annoying alarm clock beeped at 10 a.m. (I know, some of us have the rough life). The sun was streaming through my window, and I KNEW I should get up. But you know how it is when you sleep too long. You just feel gloggy and groggy and totally NOT wanting to get out of bed.

Then who should appear but Alexis carrying a cookie sheet with an almost-empty glass of milk (two-thirds spilled on the stairs, but I didn't care), a bowl of cottage cheese, and a bowl of oatmeal! It was breakfast in bed! My goopy, lazy bedhead feeling fled because of the goodness of my sweet little girl.

I love her so much!

A Moment for Reflection

2008-02-04T21:28:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Letser's stepfather passed away from health complications. Coming on the heels of President Hinckley's death, my mind has been somewhat consumed with deeper things. I only saw my step-father-in-law a few times during our marriage, and I never met President Hinckley in person, but their deaths make me think about my own life:

- Where do I focus most of my time and energy?

- Do I treat my husband and children with the same respect I give to perfect strangers?

- Do I make time in my life for real prayer, scripture study, and reflection?

- How will my children remember their mother? Bridget was laughing the other night that now her kids are at the stage that they can remember their childhood, so she needs to be a good mother. B, I think you're the best mom! But you did bring up a valid point!

- Do I make time to laugh every day? Mahina's my laughing buddy. Good thing I see her a lot! :-)

- Do I take time to share, like Sarah Smith?

- Do I take time to be grateful, for things like all my other blogging buddies, my family, my talents, my health, my warm house, my five senses, my cat, dark chocolate, and the gospel?

Whoa, it's getting deep in here.

Wheeee!

2008-01-28T22:13:00.000-08:00

I love nothing better than the pure, unadulterated joy on my children's faces. Today's cause for such joy: Sledding down the Mason's driveway (prime sledding territory, let me tell you!)

Even Mommy got on the sled a few times. I had a talent for finding the slushiest landing places however, as my sogging wet jeans will testify.

But what fun!

I Hate My Car and I Love the Smith Family

2008-01-26T20:32:00.001-08:00

This morning I awoke to rain. Little did I know this rain had a hidden, dangerous aspect: it was freezing rain.

I slipped on my heels and skirt and headed out to a baptism at the church. Going up 185th, the car seemed to lose some power, but I kept driving. When I turned from Gassner onto Grabhorn, my brakes seemed to fail me. Up ahead I saw a silver Acura parked diagonally across the road and behind it a white Jeep. Frightened my brakes wouldn't stop me in time, I chose to slide into the ditch. I jammed into the muddy bank and got high centered on a ridge. Fortunately, I was not hurt, but I could not move the car.

The driver of the Jeep saw me, backed up, and who should pop out but Sarah and Nathan Smith, also going to the baptism! They cheerfully stuffed me and my two bottles of Sprite into the front seat and drove me to the church. (See Sarah's picture. She's not only beautiful but saintly and helpful! So is Nathan, but I don't have a picture of him. :-)

Later this afternoon, Nathan helped Lester yank the car out of the ditch. The use of what Lester calls "brute force" caused the front bumper to disconnect from the body of the car. Plus, I sort of smashed the front quarter panel when I collided with the muddy ditch. Sooo, now I will list the damages to our poor car:

- 1 disconnected front bumper

- 1 smashed front quarter panel

- 2 dented rear quarter panels (from other incidents I shall not name at this time)

- 1 broken passenger-side mirror (I was driving down Gassner a few weeks ago from church and a rock or something jumped out of the ditch and shattered the mirror. I swear that is the truth. However, I finished off the job when I accidentally hit a post in a parking lot. That is when the frame fell off the mirror and now it is swathed in plastic. A lovely ornament to my car.)

I will not post a picture of the damage because I prefer to let my poor car suffer in the dark silence of the garage until we can get it to the body shop next week.

Can someone say EXPENSIVE?

Beets and a Big-Boy Bed

2008-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Every mother knows of the eternal struggle between children and veggies. Lately, much to my delight, Brandon has shown a liking for raw broccoli.

Tonight, he scarfed down FOUR (4) servings of a veggie disdained by every other member of the family....BEETS! Granted, they were topped with salt and butter, but hey, he's a skinny kid.

Finally, for his birthday, we bought him a big-boy bed, complete with drawers underneath and bedding from the movie, Cars. It's a little big for him now, as these two pictures show. Note that he fell asleep in this position.

Sweet dreams, my little one!

A Working Vacation

2008-01-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

This is Elizabeth's other half, Lester, doing a guest blog entry. Many of you know that we spent my 2 week Thanksgiving vacation painting our living room, dining room, kitchen, and kitchen cabinets. It was a pretty big project, bigger and more time consuming than I thought it would be. Elizabeth was a huge help keeping the kids out of the paint by taking them out and arranging play dates. There were also numerous meals eaten at Wendys ;-). While I did finish the bulk of the project during those 2 weeks, I still had a couple of minor finishing touches I needed to finish (installing cabinet hardware and under-cabinet lights). Well, I finally finished the project this past Saturday and I wanted to share the pictures. I love doing before, during, and after pictures. So, enjoy!

Before

During (thank goodness I didn't have the kitchen torn up on Thanksgiving Day ;-)

After

Just one of those days...

2008-01-22T18:39:00.000-08:00

I must blog about today so I can cleanse my soul emotionally.

I KNEW it was going to be a crazy day, but still...

AM routine:
- Bathe Brandon and strip my sheets because he's in my bed when his diaper chooses to leak.
- Feed kids waffles
- Help kids empty dishwasher ("It's soo heavy, Mom!") and do vocabulary words with Alexis.
- Let kids watch TV while I am on a business call for 42 minutes (feel wretchedly guilty about the electronic babysitter, but what to do?)
- During said call, "MOOOOom, I'm starving!"
- At conclusion of said call, Alexis appears with peanut butter and jelly smears on her pink pants. Inspection downstairs revealed she made her brother a PB & J and had set out all the ingredients for her requested turkey sandwich. I was quite proud of her!
- Get another phone call from another client asking if "now is a good time to talk." It was somebody I REALLY needed to speak with, so sure, it's a good time. I barricaded myself in the study. A few minutes later, "Moom, I need two clean sheets of paper." I slide them under the door.
Client's cell phone dies. "Mooom, can you write the word 'name' for me, so I can copy it?"
- Happy to comply. Client e-mails with request to call office line. 15 minutes later, conclude call.

Arggh! It's almost time to catch the bus. Stuff kids in shoes and coats, throw a coat over my PJ's and march to the bus stop.

PM Routine
- Shower...finally! Am in big rush to get Brandon to Bridget's by 1 p.m. because of 1:15 doctor's appt. Fortunately, I realize appt. is not until 2:15. Whew, I have a little time.
- Load Brandon in car. CAR DOES NOT START. I have a dead battery! .
- Go get neighbors. At one point, I'm on the phone with Lester, I have my neighbor, her teenage son, her friend, and myself trying to figure out how to start car battery. After Lester's threat to hold a car clinic on Saturday, we have liftoff!
- Go to doctor, pick up Brandon, race to VT appt. No one is home.
- Go pick up Alexis from friend's house. No one is home.
- Go to store with Brandon. Return to friend's house, pick up Alexis.
- Pick up babysitter, return home.
- Sort of work for 1.5 hours.
- Babysitter leaves; help hubby prepare dinner for kids.
- Return to office. Do blog.

Okay, I have purged my soul. Now I can work. Thanks for listening.

Ahh, the routine!

2008-01-16T08:31:00.000-08:00

Finally! The Dimit family seems to be back in a routine. It is with great joy I sent Brandon off to Itty-Bitty Warriors at Aloha High School this morning with Lester (after checking the school district Web site for closures/delays). I mean, there was like, a quarter inch of snow on top of the fence in our backyard. Major blizzard conditions, I'm sure.

It will be with equal joy that I let Alexis board the bus at 11:56 a.m. today. We were tired of being cooped up in the house, so we went on a little walk yesterday afternoon to a spot that overlooks the valley. We could see the kids at recess at Errol Hassell. How happy she will be to be a participant, not a wistful onlooker.

By the way, I am falling into the therapeutic lure of blogging. It seems like if I don't get my daily (almost daily) post in, I feel like I can't start my day. Is blogging the Mormon woman's morning cup of coffee?

An odd birthday phenomenon

2008-01-14T12:34:00.000-08:00

Hello, people. Mixing bowls are for mixing birthday cakes in, not for catching birthday cake vomit in. But, apparently, my former mixing bowl is now the new vomit-catching bowl. Good thing I bought new mixing bowls at Bed, Bath & Beyond a couple of weeks ago.

Brandon turned 3 last Monday. Tuesday night he woke up vomiting all over the place.

Alexis turned 6 yesterday. Last night she woke up vomiting.

I'm really, really glad there are no more birthdays coming up in our immediate family.

Poor, poor Brandon!

2008-01-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

Brandon often wakes up crying in the middle of the night, but he usually goes back to sleep on his own.

But the night before last, he woke up screaming. I went into his room to find my adorable, newly turned 3-year-old sitting on the edge of his bed in his brand-new Cars pajamas covered in vomit.

Poor little guy.

So he spent the rest of the night in bed with me (we sent Lester to the guest room), alternately dozing and puking into a plastic bowl that he has come to despise (who can blame him!). Every time he woke up to throw up, he would scream. Alexis would yell from her room, "I can't sleep!" and then go back to sleep.

He slept all day yesterday, had a fever, but the vomiting seems to have calmed down.

Now let us hope it doesn't spread to the rest of the family. :-)

And maybe someday I will catch up on my laundry.

Family Pictures, Finally!

2008-01-06T18:52:00.001-08:00

Mahina, the photographer extraordiannaire, took out pictures at Rood Bridge Park last month. Here are a few of the highlights!

Ahh, aren't they adorable? :-)

When they're not fighting, they really love each other!

Somebody LOVES his circle blankie!

Ole' Mom and Dad don't look too bad in black and white!

Like father, like son (well, sort of).

Springtime Seeds Bring Wintertime Flowers

2008-01-03T22:06:00.000-08:00

Most blossoms appear in spring. My flowers bloom in the dead of winter. That is because my fertility cycle seemed to be linked to the life-giving warmth of spring. Let me explain:

Spring 2000: I discovered I was pregnant , only to have a miscarriage a few weeks later. The baby would have been a December/January baby.

Spring 2001: I am pregnant once again, this time to give birth to Alexis on Jan. 13, 2002.

Spring 2004: Good grief. It's spring and I am once again pregnant, and have Brandon on Jan. 7, 2005.

I don't understand this springtime phenomenon. Maybe it's because my hubby is also a January birthday (today he's 39).

In fact, the branches of my family tree are ripe with January birthdays: my dad, a niece, a brother-in-law, two cousins, a first cousin once removed (he's the oldest son of one of the cousins with a January birthday).

Don't get me wrong. I'm so grateful for my wintertime blossoms. They are the joy of my existence.

I just wish they didn't bloom so close to Christmas. :-)

PS: The carnation is the January birth flower.

Santa Isn't The Sharpest Tool in the Shed

2007-12-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to all!

I don't know what I was thinking, but I wrapped a present to Alexis from Santa Claus and put it under the tree a few days before Christmas. Last night, the following conversation ensued:

Alexis (holding up the box): Look, Mommy, it's from Santa Claus!

Me (scrambling for an answer): Oh, yes, he made an early delivery.

Alexis: And he uses our wrapping paper!

Nice going, Santa.

No, I Am Not Through With Diapers

2007-11-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

Well, the interest has waned. Brandon showed no interest in UNDERPANTS. I succumb to peer pressure and say "underpants." But to be honest, after potty training only a girl, panties just came out naturally. :-)

I have no desire to have my manly son express his feminine side, despite, as Mahina pointed out, his wearing Alexis's Princess tank top over his T-shirt to swimming one day. I tried to remove it, but he protested.

He likes to play with Alexis's Dora castle, but his idea of fun is trying to fly his cars through the window or cram them inside the castle. So I have no fear of his future manliness. :-)

Am I Through With Diapers?

2007-11-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

Tonight Brandon said, out of the blue, that he wanted to wear panties. I couldn't understand what he said, so he runs upstairs and comes down with some old Woody panties we'd inherited from someone and his pajamas!

I put them on and he has stayed dry so far. I have spent the better part of the past hour on the bathroom floor while Brandon sits perched on the Dora potty seat and gives me a lesson in anatomy. I tell him pee-pee comes out of the front and poo-poo comes about the back. Well, apparently I have it backwards. Poo-poo coumes out of the front and pee-pee comes out of the back.

Whatever end it comes out, after a long session in the bathroom...success! We have pee-pee in the potty! I don't know if this is the start of the real thing or just a phase, but hey, it's pretty cool!

On another subject, one of Brandon's favorite books features pictures of trucks, cars, boats, trains, and the like. In it there is a picture of a red Porsche that Brandon calls, "Mommy's car." It looks something like this:

Doesn't he have good taste?

My Person of the Week

2007-10-25T21:52:00.000-07:00

Every Friday on the evening news (can you tell I'm married to a news junkie?), there is a Person of the Week feature in which they spotlight a person making a difference.

My person of the week is my hubby. Well, he's my person for eternity, but you know what I mean. He just returned from a weeklong trip from Israel. Just before he left, he:

1- Unclogged the drain in our bathtub (have I really lost that much hair?)
2- Made a massive grocery run so I would be set while he was gone.
3- Apologized for not cutting up the lettuce into a salad.
4- Did more things that I have now forgotten (I meant to post this earlier.)

When he finally stumbled off his 10.5 hour flight from Frankfurt at noon today, he:
1- Helped me unload a TON of groceries I'd gotten at the Bishops' Storehouse for a distant relative of mine.
2- Cleaned up a cat mess.
3- Let ME take a brief nap after an exhausting week.

Okay, I think I'm in love.

By the way, I just received an invitation to my 20th high school reunion next summer. 20 YEARS! 2 decades. 1/5 of a century. A score of years. I'm stopping now. I'm starting to feel old.

The Cat

2007-10-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

I love my kitty. He's black and white and furry and was a birthday present from Lester.

His name is Yoggi, pronounced Yojee. We got him in 1999 at the animal shelter over by the airport, not knowing there was a much closer shelter. I told Lester it was meant to be. All the other cats were slumped in their cages, but Yoggi was pawing and meowing at us. The choice was easy.

According to the sign at the shelter, he was 2 months and 4 weeks when we got him. I've spent the last eight years trying to decide if 2 months and 4 weeks is older or younger than 3 months.

He was an expensive birthday present, as it turned out. He got congested as a kitten, so we had to stuff him inside a green bag the size of a makeup bag and zip it up until only his head was poking out. Then we fed him by syringe until he could smell his food again.

He has survived the birth of two babies-turned-toddlers, who, when they saw him would emit a high-pitched squeal loud enough to make any cat run off.

Now, when I'm writing at the computer, he is my muse. That is, he sits on my lap and purrs while I type. He's particularly helpful when he parks his fat carcass on the desk right in front of the screen.

Now, Brandon is in cat-loving mode. For instance, here is how his nightly prayer goes:

Mommy: Please bless Daddy, Mommy, Alexis, and Brandon...."

Brandon: "And kitty."

And today when I was in the shower, Brandon sat on the back of the toilet (no privacy for the mothers of 2-year-olds!) and wanted to sing "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round." Who should be on that bus but "kitty." And who is on Old McDonald's Farm? Kitty. And when I'm drawing a picture of Thomas the Train for Brandon, who has to ride on it? Kitty.

Finally, Brandon shows his love by pulling Yoggi's tail.

Sad to say, it's a case of unrequited love. :-)

Blogging Moms are Coool!

2007-10-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

We're so cool, we made the ABC Evening News! They profiled a mommy blogger who gets $4,000 a month from the ads running on her site, has been offered a book deal, and has received a request from Hollywood to write a sitcom based on her family. Most importantly, she has nearly 30,000 hits a day to her blog site. The article goes on to say that there are about 15,000 mommy blogs out there.

Let's hear it for all you Mommy bloggers out there!

A Daddy Fun Day

2007-10-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

For those of you expecting a blog entry from Elizabeth, sorry to disappoint you ;-). This is Elizabeth's other half, Lester. While I don't have the literary flair that my talented wife does, I will be a "guest blogger" from time to time.

I wanted to relate a great day I had with the kids. It happened a couple of weekends ago when Elizabeth was at her cousin's wedding in Boise. After we dropped Elizabeth off at the airport, we kept driving east on I-84. After about 1/2 dozen "are we there yets?" and "my tummy hurts," we arrived at the Bonneville Dam and the fish hatchery in the Columbia River Gorge.

We first went to the dam and the fish ladders. Inside the dam are big picture windows where you can see the salmon swimming up the fish ladders. We then went outside where the kids were able to play house at the Bonneville Power energy-efficient model home ;-).

Then it was time for the picnic. We had a delicious (if not nutritious) meal of a ham sandwich, Cheetos, and a cookie. We discovered that the ducks that were swimming near by liked the bread crusts, but the Cheetos not so much.

After the lunch was eaten (mostly) and the area cleaned up, it was time to see and feed the fish. The fish hatchery has a beautiful area of gardens and ponds with the biggest trout and sturgeon you have ever seen. Of course, the fish are so big because all they have to do is swim around and gorge themselves on fish pellets that are thrown to them by eager humans. Alexis took to feeding the ducks, too, and almost lost a finger.

We then went to visit "Herman the Sturgeon." Herman is a very large sturgeon that lives in a pond that has a viewing area below water level. There are also numerous other sturgeon and trout that share the same pond. Brandon was fascinated (and a little intimidated) by the big trout. Alexis seemed right at home with Herman's little brother ;-)

After the coins for the fish food were gone, we walked around and enjoyed the beautiful landscape and took some time to take some pictures.

At last it was time to head home. I decided to take the scenic route home and take the old Columbia River Gorge Hwy. and stop off and visit some of the waterfalls. The waterfalls were beautiful this time of year, and it wasn't raining (always a bonus in Oregon in the fall).

After a short nap during the long ride home, we had another nutritious meal of pizza and tater tots for dinner (when the cat's away, the mice will play ;-), we ended our Daddy Fun Day by watching Meerkat Manor (a show we have started watching together on Animal Planet) and going to bed (without too much fuss). All in all, it will be a day that Daddy will never forget!!

Funny lines from the backseat of the car

2007-10-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today we were driving up Miller Hill Road on our way home from music class. I spied a deer leaping across the road.

"Look, kids! It's a deer!"

Brandon missed the deer, but Alexis said, "Maybe Santa has been losing deers. He came from the jingles/bells [Santa's harness for his sleigh] from the North Pole to Oregon."

Poor Santa.

Then tonight we went to the Dollar Store to buy Halloween decorations. I bought each kid a trick-or-treat bag for Halloween. Alexis's is a spider and Brandon's is a monster with a big eyeball. I didn't pick up on the fact that it is a monster and not just an eyeball until later. So I called it an eyeball. This is important as you'll soon see.

Alexis was playing in the backseat of the car with her spider bag. Brandon wanted a spider bag. I said, "Hey, but you've got an eyeball." "NO eyeball! I want spider bag!"

Poor Brandon.

Wet Towels Everywhere (or, It's Just Not My Night)

2007-10-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

I saw Mahina whipping up homemade waffles for her family for dinner. It inspired me to make pancakes for my hungry horde. Not having Bisquick on hand, I Googled a "simple pancake recipe."

This "simple pancake recipe" required the wet ingredients to be beat on high for three minutes. The author recommended using a blender. I thought that was so clever! So I carefully poured all the ingredients in, only to find I had put in 3 TABLEspoons of vanilla instead of the required 2 TEAspoons! Oops.

I ran the blender for nearly three minutes. I tried to pull the container part from the base, but the bottom part stayed with the base. In a matter of 10 seconds my counter, cupboards and floor are swimming in over-vanillaed (sp?) pancake mix.

This is where my normally helpful, sweet hubby lands in the doghouse. He observes, "Well, at least you can redo it with the right amount of vanilla."

Ha, ha.

Then I ask him to help. "It looks like you've got it covered." This, as my kitchen is oozing in vanilla pancake mix. I asked him to at least put a towel on the floor, which he does.

30 or so minutes later: Pancakes properly prepared and subsequently consumed by my hungry twosome. I take care of business in the upstairs bathroom.

A few minutes I hear the rushing of water. I thought it was Brandon playing in the sink. Forgive me, Brandon. I was wrong. It was the toilet overflowing. Ew!

Helpful hubby doesn't wait for me to ask this time. He plops another towel on the floor. A few gross minutes later, the towels are in hot water in the washer. Now I must get to work and hope nothing else in my house leaks, overflows, or otherwise gets liquified.

PS: My hubby more than redeemed himself by putting the kids to bed, doing the dishes, cleaning the counters, and doing two loads of laundry. He's so awesome!

This is sooo cool!

2007-10-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! My good friend Mahina showed me the intricacies of posting pictures and creating my own playlist. I'm so excited! Now I have some background music for when I'm working.

And it's almost 11 p.m. and Alexis is wide awake. Any ideas on how to get a reluctant sleeper to sleep? She's not scared, or thirsty, or hungry. Just awake. Arrgghh!

Monkey bars

2007-09-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Every childhood has its rite of passage...first steps, first words, potty training (yippee!), the first day of school.

But there are other childhood milesstones I've watched Alexis navigate toward on her way to self-sufficiency:
- Riding her bike (still with training wheels) with no fear.
- Belly flopping and dog-paddling in the pool (we're still working on technique).
- Pumping on the swings. Now she can soar to heaven on her own.
- Reading to her baby brother.
- Writing her name so more than one person can recognize it.
- And, the big one...crossing the monkey bars at school today! I waited at the bus stop and she was pressed against the glass shouting something to me. She tumbled down the steps. "Mommy, mommy, I crossed the monkey bars all by myself today!"

How much longer before she's doing everything all by herself? Will she always need her mom?

I hope so.

Because I'll always need her.

BTW, I'm not sure if she really got all the way across the monkey bars, because she still couldn't do it at home tonight. But she kept trying. And that's all that counts! :-)

Musings on My Birthday Eve

2007-09-09T21:18:00.000-07:00

I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'll be 37 tomorrow. But I have a huge question. Will I still in my mid-30s, or is 37 considered my late 30s?

An even bigger question: Is there life after 40 which is, after all, in three more years! Gulp!

But I still feel 21. And I have so many blessings: a fabulous hubby, two wonderful kids, a great job, the gospel, and now....beautiful bloggers to hang out with!

I guess that's all that really matters.

Good night.

Awww, shucks...part 2

2007-09-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

Mahina is so sweet for nominating me for the nice bloggers award! Back at you, Mahina! Except for posting the pictures of the snake on your blog, you are a true friend! You are always so happy and cheerful and you let me play with your baby! :-) Plus, it's great to have a friend I can just run over and visit. I'm so happy I moved into your neighborhood.

I'd also have to nominate Bridget. She devotes so much time to helping others through her church callings and volunteering at the preschool and elementary school and just because! She also knows how to make lovely PDF files for me. And her blogs keep me in stitches!

I also nominate Rachael. She is the BEST mom ever. Her kids are fabulous; she is fabulous. I'm always asking Samantha how her mom does this or that. Plus, she's so cheerful and funny. I can't talk to Rachael without having a much better day.

Missing pears

2007-08-26T22:49:00.000-07:00

Scene: Dining room
Props: IKEA child's plate with pear slices for Brandon
Action:
1- Brandon gnaws on pears.
2- Mom so happy picky 2.5 year old is eating fruit.
3- Mom looks over. Pears are all gone. No peels, nothing.
4- Surprised Mom can't believe pears are ALL gone.
5- Daddy searches for pears. Not on table, not in sink.
6- Daddy asks Brandon where pears are. Brandon lifts blanket off toy shopping cart. "Ta-da!" he cries.
7- Missing pears found.

1st Lost Tooth!

2007-08-26T22:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm giving this blog thing a shot. And what a great event to start with. At dinner this evening, Alexis discovered she'd lost her first tooth...bottom middle. The dentist had told her it was loose, but we didn't think much more about it until tonight when she got all excited, and et voila, a missing tooth. Truly a big event in the life of our small family. When I figure out how to post pictures, Alexis's toothless smile will be the first one!