Washington D.C.

Just got back from spending the weekend in DC with Todd, accompanying him on a business trip. I had never been to this historic place and it was a city of amazing architecture, art and yes Obama-pride. The city that lacked color (with most people wearing only blacks, blues and grays) made up for it in the colors of the changing leaves. I felt safe there, with a cop or security officer on every corner, even asking me to drink a sip of my water bottle to assure it was only water before I entered an exhibit. Even with the very efficient Metro system, I think we walked an average of 10 miles per day, thus keeping the many deliciously yummy calories we took in at bay. The Capitol awed me. The White House stunned me (it was smaller than I had expected). The Library of Congress and the intricate art therein wowed me. The Ford's Theater angered me (even early day terrorists killed good men like Lincoln, out of hate). The Smithsonians educated me. The Arlington Cemetary reverenced me, humbled me. The Holocaust Museum brought me to tears and left me with no words. This country of ours continues to be shaped by events and people who believe in freedom. It is amazing to see how far we have come and yet, still have far we have to go.

Halloween Weekend

Well, it came. It went. And left us a truckload of candy I wish wasn't in my house right now. It was fun and here are some highlights:

The annual Hillam Halloween party was at the Crocketts this year and I must say I was thoroughly impressed by all the creative costumes the fam pulled off, wouldn't you have to agree?









I got this eyeball doughnut hole idea out of a Family Fun magazine this year. They looked a lot easier than they turned out to be, so we had to capture a picture to remember the frustration that went behind making them!


Grandma and Grandpa read some fun Halloween books to the kids, we made mummies, made bracelets, played pin the nose on the pumpkin and did a pinata. We had lots of yummy food and I'd say we all left happy and very full.




As usual, the kids had fun helping scrape out the pumpkins, prepping them for carving. Even though we do this every year, they all still get so totally grossed out at the feeling of goo that they have to scoop out. Colby refused to participate and frequently would run away saying, "It's biscussing!"





Every year Todd unleashes his creative abilities on our pumpkins for Halloween. I think he really enjoys it. He asks each of the kids what they want on the front and then carves it for them. He's getting better at it because this year he did them so quickly! Good job honey--they turned out great!

Soccer

Fall season for soccer has ended. Both Alli and Andrew were on teams with great coaches and great teammates, yet I just can't decide if my kids enjoyed themselves. Sometimes they looked like this:



But I'd say the majority of the time, mid-game, they looked like this:





So what do you think? Big thank yous to their coaches for their patience and training. I guess I can chalk it up for another "good, learning experience" for them, right? They might never be the next David Beckham . . . but run, children, run! At least LOOK like you are playing! I pace my house in anticipation for Spring soccer.

11 Sweet Years

Happy Anniversary Baby
I love you even more now than then.

Boy Brains

I decided long ago (whilst growing up with brothers) that boys were just plain mean. Then as I got into my dating years, I decided that boys were just plain weird. It wasn't until I had two boys of my own that compassion for this gender really started to set in as I realized that they honestly and truly are missing part of the gray stuff between the ears.

Why is it that they are completely unable to determine that everything they do has a consequence? How do you teach a child to "look before you leap"? I am awe-struck every day as I watch my boys (4 and 2) do things that a normal person, under any stretch of the word, would stop and say, "oh, dude, hey let's think about this." I've compiled a list of things that surely they must ask themselves nano-seconds before the action actually takes place. What should follow is the thought of what will happen should they follow through with so-planned action. With boys, that is the element that is missing. An alarm should sound every time they get those wild eyes coupled with wide-spread grins, and throaty giggles. For me they have. And this is why:

"What would happen if . . ."

- I threw this entire box of Disney Trivia cards, or dominoes, as high and far across the room as I can? (Better yet, what would Mom do?)
- I ran top-speed, head first into (what looks like) a soft couch? (Unfortunately, the 10+ year old couch if bare bones with only the illusion of puffiness.) I know this fact as I've repeated the same action countless times, yet don't learn from it.
- I flew, again face-first, down the slide while baby brother sat unawares at the bottom? Consequence = bloody lips and heads
- I ran and body-slammed my Dad who is sound asleep on the floor?
- I climbed to my sister's top bunk, wrinkle free and perfectly made for the day, and chucked every item around each corner of the room?
- I took a mouthful of mom's arm and decided to bite HARD?
- I sucked on the tube of toothpaste?
- I held sister's long, red hair ribbon over the toilet bowl, directly in the stream of my pee. (This one took coordination, I'll give him that!)
- I jumped Superhero high on this Pogo-Stick, a thing, I might add, I know absolutely nothing about? (Anyone who has seen his now dead, black front tooth is witness to the consequence of this one.)
- I threw this towel straight up into the ceiling fan spinning on high-speed?
- I ran straight for my brother, who is running straight for me? Consequence = split, bloody lip and a trip to InstaCare.
- I squished my banana/muffin/cold cereal/pbj sandwich/syrup-filled pancake with my fingers and better yet, wiped it into my hair?

- I dipped my Cheetos into my Kool-Aid?
- I took handfuls of dirt out of my mother's only potted plant and flung it across the formal living room, oh and smeared the black soil into the couch?
- I poured this bucket of water over baby brother's head?
- I dropped a penny or a toy or a tissue down the A/C registers?
- I quickly pushed my plate of dinner that mom just dished out, so it slid off, spilling all over the newly-mopped floor?
- I dropped my pants and ran through my aunt's wedding dinner in my underwear, laughing all the way?

Nope. Nothin' in the noggin.
So why is it that, rather than getting totally exasperated, nay furious, with them, I find myself trying to stifle a giggle? Then I might possibly take them tenderly into my arms and say, "Well, honey, what did you think would happen?" Okay, so more often than not the whole tenderness thing goes by the wayside and I find myself clamped-jaw, yelling, mad at their inability to think, and then totally and completely full of remorse as I realize that this time I did not think before I acted. Could this brain-dead behavior be hereditary? Do boys just know how to melt their mother's hearts this way because we can relate to them so well on this "look and leap" theory? Either way it doesn't matter to me. I'm just darned glad I have them.

Sunday Reflection

I am filled with so much love today--there are so many people around me that I care so much about, yet I know I don't show it or say it enough. I came across this message and thought I'd pass it along. The truth drives deep into the soul. Let us choose love over anger. Love heals. Love enlightens. Love is eternal.

Huh?

My baby sister is serving a LDS mission in the Philippines right now. Being the sweet, generous person that she is, she sent a slightly bulky letter to my family a few weeks ago. Inside were 3 tiny packets probably measuring 1" x 2". Inside were mini beads. She said these were all the rage in the Philippines and the kids will love them. The front of the package reads "Seven Color Crystal Boll". I turned over the package to read the directions. I think the first person to decipher what it is I am supposed to do should get a big, fat prize! This is EXACTLY what is written:

product use information:
1. add water 400G on the product, about 4 hours it will grow up.
2. one clear beauty satiety face will grow up.
3. when the flower want to oxygen and nutrition, I will help you too much.

Not only did it leave me and Todd scratching our heads, but we laugh with every letter and every phone call from her because her broken English sounds just like the above directions.

Well, needless to say, we figured it out. Below is about 2 hours into the process.


The final product. They grew at least 10x their original size; and they are squishy, gel-like balls. And, yes, my kids do enjoy playing with them!



We are in the process of trying to dry them out because we heard they can be used and reused, hydrated and dehydrated. We shall see. Thanks Lace!