Somehow, Dad, in Trying to be Good, is Bad?

It was such a great effort.  We were all feeling drug out and unamused.  Hot, tired, overwhelmed.  John, being the super Dad that he is, announced, suddenly, that we were going to have the tramp with a sprinkler and wading pool with hot water from the water heater for Family Home Evening.  
I was still too tired and planned to just eat and stare. 
And then, "I  need you to get your swimming suit on please." was stated rather matter-of-factually. 

Poor Clara had been sick for a week with tummy flu and I was tired.  
But,
because Family Home Evening is of such importance at our house,
I obliged, as soon as I was done eating.  

Clara came in from swimming as I was getting dressed.  She was feeling sick again.  Just as I helped her out of her swimming suit and into pj's, Grace came charging into the house yelling that "Dad had an accident on the trampoline."  I was pretty worried as I ran out...

...and then pretty amused. 

Just minutes before I'd seen him, jumping very high in the air, body straight, a confident grin on his face.  I had found myself wishing to myself, that I was in that kind of good physical shape, grinning, jumping,  making the girls squeal with glee.  I had noticed that the mat nearly touched the ground when he was on the downside of his jumps. 

Now he just stood there, still looking surprised, that this could have happened.  He hadn't moved from the spot where he'd landed right after he'd jumped down, right before the big rrrrrrrrrriiiiiippp, following which, his feet had gone neatly through the mat and landed him nicely on the grass.  My favorite was how very unimpressed the girls wereI told them they should be grateful they weren't the ones on the tramp and very lucky they were that they weren't because they would have surely been hurt. 
They were still disgusted.  With John.  Poor guy.  They just don't know how unlikely they'd be to find many dads in their actual swimming trunks. In the back yard trampolining and filling a wading pool with hot water.  And, swimming in the pool after being humbled by ripping right through the family trampoline.  (Just to help you realize that John is pretty svelte right now, keep in mind that the tramp

is about 13 years old)

Well, the evening was salvaged as everyone warmed up in the hot tub wading pool.  I was persuaded to get in, even, as I laughed at everyone, feeling a little better myself.

But not poor Clara.  She found herself getting sick, once again, little sweetie.  John was a good sport, I'm sure, as he cleaned up the blankets, couch, and carpet, bathed a little sick girl, parked her back on the couch and even came back out for one last swim with us before he put away the pool.

Grace and Emma ended with a big finale by shampooing their hair before they got out.
A little practicality in all the fun.

Who Is This Man...

And What Have You Done With My Husband?!

When I married John, I was always rather surprised when we went out to dinner.  He would order what he wanted and maybe even a soda or raspberry lemonade or a desert.  Being a teen of the 80's I had learned to be pretty tight with money.  Even on vacation, my family had usually packed meals. I loved eating out once in awhile, now that I could afford it but I had usually ordered less than more in an effort to save where I could.   Though we were never big spenders, with John I learned to relax a little bit and enjoy a nice meal and worry less about the cost the whole time.

Imagine my surprise when suddenly, lately, this man with whom I've enjoyed a few meals out over the past 15 years suddenly turns on me.  "I really hate eating out."  he says with a disenchanted look all about him. " It's just so expensive and it'll kill you ya know." he'll tell me as I dream of eating a nice batch of chips and salsa and maybe an enchilada out, while I look moodily in the cupboards trying to dream up something as satisfying as all that.

Imagine again, my shock and amazement when lately, this same man drives up at 3 in the afternoon, asks me if I'd like to load everyone up and go to Boise with him.  He has a service call.  We can all go and then do something fun like go to the park.  Oh,  but of course, he's rebelling against eating out though, so we will need to bring some dinner.  And,  he needs to leave, now.

I remember my friend Kevera and also my sister Annie's words...."just throw in the peanut butter and grab a loaf of bread."   So we did.  I was even more amazed when my usually ever-so-proper husband chose the parking lot of TJ Max as the place to prepare dinner.   Just picture it, people coming out with bags of bargain clothes, and my man making sandwiches right out of the back of the van!  Hilarious!  Sort of fun, even, him doing it!

"There." he says as we all buckle our seat belts while eating Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches and drinking our juice bags (isn't that the weirdest word?  "juice bag"?  I can hardly say it).   "And we're already done,  that fast."  he states with great satisfaction.  "You know it's just not worth taking kids out to dinner.  They don't even eat anything," he tells me as we  pull out of the parking lot on the way to the park.

And I think, he must be right.

Grace

Clara

and Emma at the Discovery center.  After a nice meal in the car.

Ivy Lynn's Adorable Parents....

Sunday Afternoon

Our Kindergarten Grad!

Emma's happy day of graduation was today!

We were quite delighted that Grandpa Rod could come!

Here's Emma's good friends,

Melissa, Emma, and Elizabeth

Happy Mother's Day Mom.

You were the best because you were mine. 

And, Happy Mother's Day to the other Mother's in my life.

Mom Gayle who's done a great job sort of being two Moms for about 10 years.

To Grandma who's been there for me since the beginning and esp. in the tough times with all her heart.

And of course, to our wonderful Aunt Sandra who's worked with her heart and soul to fill in all the empty or hard times with her love. 

The Birthday Princess!

Miss Clara enjoyed turning 3!

Grandma and Grandpa brought Clara a tiara and feather boa to help her achieve the desired princess look....

We had a festive party with Grandpa and Grandma, Aunt Cindy, Uncle Tim, Brittani, Brian, Isaiah, and Ivy and us!

When asked what kind of cake she wanted, Clara said, "Strawberry".

I think she really enjoyed everyone clapping for her.

The girls all enjoyed the "Package from Aunt Sandy" with all it's goodies!

And the Birthday Fairy came and left new pajamas on Clara's bed that night.

Why Go To The Theater?

A Fun Little Visit

I love watching Gracie hold a brand new baby. She just looks down the whole time, with a quiet peaceful, almost reverent, look. She just loves to hold them, even when they cry.

Ivy was a bit fussy until we handed her Grandpa Rod. Then she suddenly was very happy and looked around at all of us.

Clara was quite taken with her, sort of squeezing up with the joy of looking at such a tiny darling baby!

Breaking Down is So Much Fun!

We had a lovely time breaking down on the way to visit Brittani in the hospital. From my dramatic screaming to pull off, to the obvious demise of the engine when John found smoke coming from the transmission dipstick, to the surreal lights of a big ol' tow truck zooming up and backing to load us,

to the absolute coolness of riding in the tow truck, and finally the relief of a quick rescue from Grandpa Rod, the Hero of the night! There really couldn't be a more breath taking night, I say.

It Takes the Sting Out!

Brian is so delighted with his tiny cute bundle.

John meets little granddaughter Ivy

with a delighted smile!

I have to admit,

darling little Ivy,
takes the sting out of
"So wow, that makes you a grandma then, eh??"

And this is was I saw....

as we were leaving.