Sugar Eggs and Snow

Friday night we had a sleepover with the Wood Kids, at our house. That would be eight kids (ours and theirs combined), 9 and under, seven boys and one sweet little girl! We do this every month, switching off whose house it's at. It is always a zoo, but the kids LOVE it.

Thursday, at the Pinewood Derby, the primary president came up to me and said she had some left over sugar eggs from our Achievement Day activity, which had occurred the previous Saturday. (Have I mentioned that I wear two hats? I am the Achievement Day leader and a Relief Society Teacher!) She was wondering if I wanted to do some with my kids. I thought that it would be a great thing to do with all the kids over, so I said "Sure!"

The next day (Friday) I called to make plans to pick up the stuff. She said to come by Saturday morning.... This is where it turns a little awkward. Let me back up a little bit. When we were doing the Achievement day activity (at her house the Saturday before last) I asked her where she got the idea/figured out how to do these sugar eggs. She told me that her mother-in-law always did them with her kids every Easter and that it had been a tradition in their family for years. Her husband came in and made comments on his experiences making the eggs when he was little. It seemed like it was a really special thing for their family. I didn't really spend much energy on the subject, but, later, it definitely played into the irony of this Saturday morning.

So, fast forward to this Saturday morning. I make french toast with Strawberries and O.J., for the hoard of kids in the morning, and then head off to Lora's house. When I get to her house, there are probably 10 cars in front of her house. ??? As I walk up to her house, someone in one of the cars waves to me. I peer in. It is the Relief Society president's husband. Huh. I turn into Lora's driveway and find her garage door open, and a bunch of people inside. I say (idiotically, as it turns out) "Wow, is there a party going on here?!" Four very somber faces turn towards me. One is the Relief Society President, another is the Primary President (Lora), one more is also a lady from our Ward, and the final face I don't recognize. Lora says "Oh, I don't know if I told you or not, Bill's mother passed away, and her funeral is today." (Bill is her husband, his mother the founder of the Sugar Egg tradition) pause...as I compute what I just walked in on. "Oh, I am so sorry." I say. How sad! The woman I don't recognize starts crying. "Cami, this is Bill's sister", Lora says, "she just flew in from DC". "It was so sudden" the sister says. I am feeling really awkward right about now. All I can do is repeat my first statement... "I am so sorry, please accept my condolences" The sister nods her head in acceptance, and then continues on with the story of her mothers death, the timely taking out of a funeral policy, and the inconvenience of not being able to bury her until Monday. About this time I am trying to shrink away into the woodwork, feeling very much the intruder that I am.

Fortunately, Lora comes to my rescue, sort of. "Cami is here to get the sugar eggs, come on this way Cami" I feel grateful that I am being whisked away from the awkward situation, but I also feel so much the calloused intruder, who shows up in the middle of a funeral asking for sugar eggs! "I am so sorry, I would have never bothered you, if I had known!" I stammer, much chagrined. She, of course, insists it is no bother, and that she is very glad to be rid of the eggs and the boxes candies to glue on them. "I need the space right now, anyway" She says. We hurriedly whisk the boxes off to my car, on the way out I give the sister a conciliatory hug, whisper my apologies and get on my way.

As I drive home, I think of the irony of the whole situation. I was coming to get the very sugar eggs this deceased woman is famous for, and we are going to make them right during the time of her funeral. It feels very special to me. In some way, today, as we make these sugar eggs, we are honoring a woman I never knew, but who has left a small mark on our lives none the less. I don't think I will ever be able to look at these eggs (they last for years) without thinking of her.

Here are the pictures of us making the eggs:

The inside done, now it's time to glue it together. Everything is made from sugar, even the "glue", which is actually royal icing.

Calder, making his egg.

The eggs, half way done. (Notice Calder, in the background, going through the boxes of candies to put on the eggs)

This is what a finished egg looks like

Levi and his finished egg. He wrote his name in candy carrots.

Calder and his egg

Ansel and his egg. (He LOVED doing this, and made Kaelan's egg for him)

Some of the gang with their eggs

All Done! Each kid did one!


While we were making the eggs, it SNOWED, .... In April??
This is Oregon, it rarely snows in mid winter, let alone April. What is all this talk about Global warming?!?!?

Uh, Toothfairy ?! . . . . .I swallowed my tooth.

Friday, Calder lost his very 1st tooth, and he didn't even know it! We were eating lunch, before the kindergarten bus came, and all seemed fine. After, he went and brushed his teeth and came to the front door to put his shoes on. (the bus was just around the corner so we were hurrying) "Mom?" Calder says, and as he does so, I notice that his mouth is bloody and there is a gap in his bottom teeth. "Calder!" I say, "You've lost your 1st tooth!!" He gives me a confused look and slowly brings his finger up to the gap in his teeth. His eyes pop! "I didn't know,.... where is it?!"

We spend the next minute rushing around to no avail, there is no tooth to be seen. We decide that he must have swallowed it (we had soup and so he could have easily knocked his tooth with his spoon and then swallowed it) or spit it out into the sink while he brushed his teeth.

Just then the bus honks,... darn. As he rushes out the door, Calder looks at me pleadingly, "Mooooom!!!........what am I going to tell the toothfairy?!"

Poor kid, his first tooth and things are already complicated with the toothfairy!!

Later, when Levi found out about the fiasco, he decided that it would be best if we wrote the toothfairy a note, explaining the situation. He whole - heartedly believed it was too unfair that Calder wouldn't get money because he swallowed his tooth. So, today, Levi wrote the toothfairy a note, on behalf of Calder.

I thought that I would include it for your enjoyment! (It is now resting, safe, under Calder's pillow!) Now, if only that darn toothfairy will remember........

Ansel's Excuses....

Last night, on the way home from the Pinewood Derby, we had a little altercation in the car. Most of these usually occur around Ansel, and his temper, this one was not unique in that. I feel for the little guy, because he gets ignored by his older brothers when they are in the middle of play, and so he usually yells or strikes out to get their attention. (We are in constant improvement mode with this action!)

Anyway, in the car, Calder and Ansel were in the back - both talking to each other at the same time, trying to talk over one another. I call back, from the driver's seat "Quieter please, one at a time" There is a pause and Calder says "Uh, Ansel... I was -" SMACK! Ansel whacks him across the face! I tell Ansel, in no uncertain terms, that that is NOT okay. We don't hit our brothers, no matter what. I let him know that when we get home he is going straight to his room for a time out. He doesn't like this of course, and gets even more upset. "I didn't hit him, I was just patting him!", he says. "Ansel...yes, you did, I saw you" I say. "No you didn't" he says, "You can't see me". "Ansel...", I say warningly. (not mentioning the power of the rearview mirror.) "I didn't hit him!", he says.... and then precedes to throw his stuffed animal at me. It brushes past my face, glances off the windshield and onto my lap. (so much for trying to prove his innocence!!) Well, now he is in for it!! "Ansel!!" I say. Now, it is straight to bed when we get home, no passing GO, no collecting $200......BIG trouble. The keening starts..... *sob* "I didn't throw my toy at you, I was just passing it to you " (Levi and Calder's eyes are as round as saucers, watching the events unfold.) -sigh- .... "I am sorry Ansel, but it is not going to change... straight to bed when we get home"

It is a 10 minute ride home from the church (Joe stayed at the church for a EQ meeting), by the time we get home, everyone is silent, except Ansel, who is still whining and crying. It is 8:15pm, and really and truly bedtime (not that Ansel knows that, it is still light outside). As we get him ready for bed he is trying all the excuses he can think of..... "Mom, I get scared without people in my room".... "I will bring Kaelan in, in just a few minutes..." "NOOOO!!!" He wails.."I mean BIG people" "sorry, Ansel... Not gonna happen" He continues on his previous thread of conversation, ...I didn't hit him, I was just patting him... I didn't throw it at you, I was just passing it.... on and on and on. Finally, he is in his jammies, and I say "Ansel, I want you to try something for me" He looks at me curiously "When we say things that we know aren't true, it hurts us inside, and we won't feel better for a long time"... " I wan't you to say : 'Mom, I hit Calder, and I am sorry' and then tell me how you feel inside after. Just try it." He does, then smiles, and says "I feel good". YAY!

I talk to him about why he hit Calder, he says he wanted his attention. "What kind of attention did you want?.... Good or bad?" I ask. "Good!" he says emphatically. "How do we get good attention?" ... Pause... "I don't know" he admits.. "Oh," I say!! "So that's why you hit him... you didn't know that wouldn't give you good attention" He looks at me... I give him a few scenarios and ask which would give him good attention, he gets it right, and is much happier. Phew, we are past this episode (I know we will face it again, it's inevitable, but a step in the right direction, none the less).

Unfortunately, he still wanted someone with him in his room. (the kid just wanted one small victory of his own!) I told him when I came back to put Kaelan down, I would come and give him another kiss. He seemed mollified and I left. Not more than two minutes later, out he comes again.... more excuses on his tongue..... "MOOOOOMMM, I had a nightmare!" "Honey, you haven't even fallen asleep yet" "Yes, I have!" "Ansel..." "Well, I had a nightmare while I was awake.." "Haha" I chuckle "Ansel..." I give him a hug, "Get back in bed"............ "I can't!!!" He wails..... " I broke every bone in my body!!!" I laugh out loud, and poke him in the belly "You did not!" "I did..." he moans, gulping for air as if he were trying to control a gag (one of his more perfected skills of dramatization) Again, I chuckle.... "well, I broke 3.. no SIX bones in my body!" he says. I am silent.... "I can't sleep all alone!!", he cries (as if he didn't do it every night) -sigh- here we go again.... Time for me to give him his little victory. "Ansel" I say sternly. "Go get in MY bed, right now, and go to sleep" His eyes widen in surprise, he smiles and jounces off to my room and promptly falls asleep. Nobody tell him that he was still all alone, when he did!!

An ALL OUT Pinewood Derby Race

Levi had his pinewood derby race last night. Talk about FANCY! The new Cub Scout Master is REALLY into Derby cars, so he went all out. They bought a fancy race track and computer system that clocks the cars, ranks them and matches them up in other races, really high tech and accurate. Quite crazy, but fun just the same. They even had a flat screen TV set up to show the results as they happened! It was amazing. The kids all had a great time. (Even if Levi didn't place...we are sort of carpentry challenged!!)

Here are a few pics:

ready for the race!

The fancy track and flat screen TV

Pre-race excitement

All ready to go!

And they're off!

Flat screen TV showing the result of race #4 (Levi's best race!)
Sorry about the glare...


Not too disappointed! Good Sport.

Most of the kids of our ward's cub scout den. (and a little brother)

What a week!!!!

This week was really a full one. I have included the highlights. Enjoy.

Calder's Kindergarten Music program

Wednesday was Calder's music program. It was fun to watch how excited Calder was to perform for us, but the program itself was......long. I have never heard "the itsy bitsy spider" with so many verses.... They also sang "Manners, Manners everywhere (which I have included a video clip of, a minute long, the best part is the last bit) which was really entertaining because none of them were together, but they all sang animatedly. I think that it was their favorite song.

Calder with 2 of his buddies.

So sweet.

His class getting ready to sing.

KK and ..... Beans and Ice

Friday, we had Scott and Michelle over for dinner and games, which was so much fun. After dinner/before games we were just sitting around chatting. I had KK on my lap and he decided to get on to the table. We all four were sitting around it and so he was just going from one to the next. Then he spotted his "high calorie" beans he had been eating earlier and so we moved them into the center of the table for him to eat. We expected him to just pick them up and eat them......instead he folded himself in half and ate them with his mouth!! It was soooooo funny!

Do you see the bean on his chin?

Going in for some more

and some more!! HAHA

Next, he discovered the pitcher of water, well it used to be water, now it just had ice at the bottom. Which Kaelan thought was wonderful. His short little arms could barely reach in to get the ice.! We were all laughing to hard at his antics, trying to grab slippery ice at the bottom of a pitcher and then having it slip around out of his mouth, everywhere. Fun to watch.

Got it!!

Getting ready to get some more...

In he goes!!

"Sverson"
This week, Levi got his baseball uniform for his team "The Beavers". The Coach had contracted a business to put the players last names on their jersey. When Levi got his and turned it over for inspection, he discovered, much to his dismay, that he was a "Sverson" now. A Severson, no longer. Shock....gasp..... horror!! Fortunately, we have been assured, monday will bring rectification of the problem, and once again Levi will be a Severson!!!

Luckily the change in names didn't seem to affect his performance!!

Messing Around and "Take a Picture of me, mom!"

Ansel wanted to take a picture with me

"Please, take a picture of me!"

Ansel, showing off his balancing act!! Pretty Talented.

Hit and Run, Mailbox bashing...

Funny story. On Friday we had our very own neighborhood "drama". Somewhere between 3:45pm and 4pm, yes a 15 minute window, some crazy driver took out our mailbox (it serves 7 houses). NO one saw it. This is incredibly amazing considering the damage done and people driving in and out all over. Our Neighbors left to run an errand at 3:45pm and there was no damage yet, but at 4pm (when Joe got home) it was a mess, totally torn apart! Somehow this person came careening around the corned at quite a clip, took out the mailboxes, ripped their fender off, cracked the tree and shattered debris 30 feet into the neighbors yard, and then...... took off!! It was pretty amazing.

There is a stop sign just 60 yards down the street, and it dead ends right there, but people can turn left onto our street there. Yet, that didn't stop this fellow from attempting to break the sound barrier with his acceleration. WE all speculate that is must have been a teenager, because what adult (in their right mind) wouldn't stop and then report it?! Hitting a mailbox isn't like hitting another car or person, and much less of an offense than a hit and run!!! And, they left half of their car behind! The police took the whole front right fender with them in their car. It looks to be a new car to, every piece was new and shiny. Their was even the wiring, lamps, and plastic shields for the head lights strewn throughout our neighbors yard. Quite impressive.

Now the question begs to be asked..... How are we going to get the mail now? Nothing has changed yet, and I am imaging that they are just going to make us come to the postoffice, for an unspecified period, of time to get our mail.

The mailbox, as seen from our front yard.

The tree (the crack is hard to see, but the lady who lives behind our neighbor's house said she heard a huge crash and looked out her window and saw the tree swaying/shaking back and forth) and the mailboxes that suffered the damage. Can you see the car's black fender lining, next to the mailbox?

Our "box" is #2, the second one down, on the lefthand side ( in the mailbox underneath the pinkish one) This is after we cleaned up all the small pieces. The boys loved this part, well to be honest, they loved it all!

Our house, looking back from the mailbox. Isn't the Magnolia tree so pretty right now?!

A Saturday afternoon walk

It was 81 degrees on saturday, so we had to take advantage. Besides two baseball games and a primary activity, taking a walk seemed like a great idea!

Kaelan thought it was great!!

So sweet baby!

Once again, Mt. Hood looked fabulous.

Pink Eye and "Shake Senora"

This week was kind of slow, I decided to read a good book and play with my kids. (have to have a few of those weeks every once in a while) About 3 or 4 days ago, when I went to pick up the kids from the Kidsworld at Clubsport, the babysitter in charge of Kaelan was gushing over how cute he was. "He was dancing to the music!!" She said. And she preceded to describe his cute little dance to me. I was so jealous that I didn't get to see it! A day or two later, I got my chance.

Ansel came running up to me and said, "Kaelan is dancing to my Parrot!" I ran to see, then I grabbed the camera and went back to see if I could capture it. Of course, when the camera comes out, the performance slows down. He was bopping, kicking his feet and doing this side to side motion, before the camera. It was so cute. This video shows him doing it, sort of, he was much less animated. Probably had gotten a little old! :) Still so cute though. (watch his feet, about halfway through he starts doing this little step touch move - it is hard to see so watch carefully!)

Friday, Kaelan woke up with really gunky eyes. "ugh," I thought, "pink eye". Luckily I had a bottle of eye drops, for pink eye, so I started them right away. At first it was just one eye, by the afternoon (and two sessions of eye drops) it was both eyes and really bad. It was so goopy that he couldn't even see out or open up his eyes, and they were starting to swell. Then he started to get really cranky. We had taken the boys over to Aimee and Allen's for their sleepover (minus Kaelan of course) and when we got back we just put him straight in bed. His eyes were just oozing. It was awful. I would clean them out (he HATED this) and 10 minutes later it was completely gooped up again. Poor baby, he was miserable.

Saturday morning, he woke up with both eyes completely swelled shut and glued shut. He freaked out, little sweetheart. It was such a catch 22, he hated not being able to open his eyes, but he also hated getting them cleaned. I decided that we needed to take him in, the eye drops weren't doing anything for him. Unfortunately only Urgent care is open on Saturdays. So off we went to spend the morning at the Doctors. Lucky for us it went fairly quickly and soon we were in to the doctors. He ended up having a pretty bad eye infection and terrible ear infection to boot! Poor kid. They gave him a pretty powerful antibiotic to cover both and sent us home.

I, of course, gave the medicine to him immediately. But not more than 3 hours later his fever spiked to 103! And stayed that high for the rest of the day. I tried to give him Tylenol, he didn't like it, and refused to swallow it, ending up throwing it up (and everything else in his tummy) all over himself! He was one miserable little guy. His eyes didn't look any better, his ears hurt and he was not happy. The whole rest of the day was pretty long and exhausting for he and I both.

Today his eyes are not swollen, but they are still really gunky. This is probably the worst case of pink eye I have seen. At least he is happier, so I guess his ears must be feeling better!

Here he is, during conference, after 1 day of eye drops, and two days of antibiotics!! Look at how gunky they still are, and yet it is SOOO much better than it was.

Out of the mouths of Babes. . . . .

A couple of days ago, the boys and I were sitting around the kitchen table talking. Levi was asking questions about ages, and Ansel and Calder were interjecting their thoughts on the matter. The first matter of discussion was how far apart they each were from one another, and of course, once that was resolved they went on to ask about mom and dad.

Calder asks "How far apart are you and dad?"

I say "13 months, daddy is older than mommy".

"oh. . ." says Calder, "then daddy knows more than you.."

I stammer. . .and laugh "well, yeah, on some things he does".

"Yeah" interjects Ansel, "but mommy's ALWAYs right!"

Kids, they know everything!!

What happens when there are no little girls. . . .

When a mom has no little girls to play with their hair, a cute little boy with golden curls works just as well!!

Ansel's first glimpse of himself as Anselina!

He thought that it was a great joke.

on himself! He kept saying "AWWW, mom. . . "
What a good sport!!

But don't you think he makes a fabulous little girl?

That transformation would be complete if we had a perfect pink dress. But, alas, no pink dresses in a household of boys!!

After I gave the all clear to rip them out!

A baby and his puppy. . .

Once, there was a lonely little baby, who had nothing to do, and nothing to play with, but an old slivery bit of wood. . . . .

He tasted it. . . . yuck,

tasted it again. . . . . . still yucky,

. . . . waved it around in the air..... boring. What was he to do. . . . .



Not far away (a few feet actually) was a lonely little puppy. He wished for something to do, someone to play with. He tried playing hide and seek in the grass.... but there was no one to find him.. . . . he tried chewing on the grass, but all he got was a bad taste in his mouth. So uninteresting . . . until. . . . . he heard a noise and went to investigate.

There, he found a lonely little baby, with a bit of wood. The baby shared his wood with the puppy and they were fast friends.

They had good times. . . .

And bad.. . . . (fighting over the same stick!)

But in the end they were happy and the puppy even shared some of his grass with the baby, and afterwards, they each had a healthy respect for the other's space and favorite chew toy!