The Thing I Didn't Know About The Cold

Last week, before I sent all of my kids out the door to wait for the bus, I decided to check the weather forecast.  There was a windchill warning in effect that day and it said, "temperatures this cold can freeze flesh in 30 minutes".  Yikes!!  How have I lived here for a good chunk of my life and never know this?  Perhaps I shouldn't be sending kids out to wait for the bus?!  True, I wasn't sending them out in their bathing suits, but still, their faces are exposed.  And, while they don't wait 30 minutes for the bus, their has to be a progression, right?

A bit later that day, I was parking the car in the university parking lot to walk to my class when I noticed the temperature was -12.  Let me tell you what it felt like (my walk from the parking lot to the class room is 12 minutes).  The mental image that came to mind was that my face was so frozen it felt like it was going to fall off and shatter on the sidewalk.  I was glad I didn't see anyone I knew, because my face was so numb I could only form words in slow motion.  Was my flesh close to freezing?  I really can't wait until spring.  Please come soon before some one's flesh freezes.

If You Give a Midget an Apron...

Yesterday, Wendy was putting on her impossibly small apron to "help" me cook.  After she got it on, she said to me, "If I ever meet a Midget who doesn't have an apron, I will give her mine."  Now isn't that thoughtful?  Where did she hear about Midgets, and what made her think about them at that moment?  I would love to take a peek inside her head, as I'm sure some of her comments aren't as random as I think, but rather fully thought out and logical.  Right?

Cancun Adventures

Now for the report of our trip: The flight there went great. The kids were completely prepared with backpacks full of things to entertain themselves (They each carried their own!). We left home in heavy coats and boots, and arrived to about 85 degrees.

Our hotel was everything I hoped. It was just fancy enough, had ocean view balconies, and it was impeccably clean. The staff were friendly and plentiful. My favorite was the griddle chef, who made me delicious, original egg breakfasts every morning, with a wide, friendly smile. I wish I remembered his name.

The beaches were amazing! The most beautiful I have seen yet. Every morning our big decision was: "Which first, the pool or the beach?" It was always a hard decision.

There was lounging to do,
Seashells to collect,

Waves to watch and jump over,

Sand pyramids to build,
And a lot of pondering to do.


But it wasn't all play. There were also handstands to execute perfectly,

and pyramids to climb. Everyone except Nicole mad it up the 130 foot Nohoc Mul pyramid. She made it half way up then turned around to look down and got freaked out. She lamented the rest of the trip that she "wished she would never have looked down."


Did I mention the company was great too. The first night after the girls were asleep, I went into their room and opened their balcony so they could hear the sound of the waves. The next morning, I asked everyone how they slept, and Wendy replied, "I didn't sleep well because someone left the ocean on all night!" You have to love kids.


This was such a great trip! It had the right mix of adventure and relaxation with the benefit of kids who are old enough to be easy and add to the fun, and a husband who is always a fun and supportive person to hang out with. There is never a dull moment. All in all, I would not change a single thing.

Wishes for the New Year

I've thought long and hard about my wishes for 2011, and here they are, two simple requests:

1. World Peace
2. Obedient Children

Is that too much to ask?

Christmas Report and Mexico Preview

This year, our Christmas present was a trip to Mexico for the whole family. Months ago it was unanimously agreed upon that a trip was better than presents. In a later post (as soon as the 600+ pictures are sorted), I will give more details and photos. The trip was a huge success with very few hard moments. I am loving the ages of my kids right now. They are so fun and easy most of the time.

One of the highlights for me was a moment I shared with Wendy: We were on the upper level of our hotel pool, overlooking the older girls and James building a sandcastle as the sun set. The temperature was perfect and the scenery breathtaking, along with the lulling sound of waves crashing. Before long, Wendy pointed out the first star. I took that opportunuty to teach her about wishing on the first star, you know, "Star light, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight." Once she had the words down, she made her wish and asked me if I had made a wish too. I told her that I wasn't sure what to wish for, and her reply was, "Well Mom, sometimes I'm a little naughty, so I think you should make a wish that I won't be naughty any more." And she was serious.

We got home on Christmas Eve and headed to my Mom and Dad's house to spend Christmas with the family. I was a little nervous that since the trip was over and everyone else would have a lot more presents, the kids might regret our decision to take a trip. After the gift opening was done, Wendy remarked at how many presents she got, and Christine said she got everything from her list except the Ferrari (maybe next year). Once we got home I asked them if they were still happy about our choice, and their response was a resounding "YES!" I'm so happy they share my love of travel. Stay tuned for pictures.

Let the Winter Begin

Winter Storm Warning now in effect until 5 am MST Tuesday...
... Blizzard Warning in effect from 5 am to 11 PM MST Tuesday...

* Winds/visibility... sustained winds at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to
40 mph will increase during the day Tuesday. Widespread zero
visibilities are forecast by Tuesday due to snow and blowing
snow.

* snow accumulations... additional accumulations of 3 to 6 inches are
forecast.

* Impacts... life threatening conditions will occur through
Tuesday. Whiteout conditions will disorient travelers or those
stepping a short way from warm and dry shelter. Power outages
may also occur.

Precautionary/preparedness actions... A Blizzard Warning means sever

winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing

snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to

whiteout conditions... making travel extremely dangerous. Do not travel.

If you must travel... have a winter survival kit with you. If you get
stranded... stay with your vehicle.

I really hope I can get to the store tomorrow to buy a turkey and everything that goes with it. Otherwise I will have about 20 hungry people hanging out at my house. I guess I will go pack my winter survival kit.

Two years later

Our town is small enough that we don’t have a single pet store. We do, however, have pets. One day about two years ago, Christine and Amber were cleaning out the mouse cage when they informed me we were out of bedding. I asked if they meant we were almost out of bedding. But no, they assured me we were completely out. What did they expect me to do? The nearest pet store is 35 miles away, and I was in no position to go there right that minute. Then I thought of a local store called CAL Ranch (I have no idea what the CAL stands for). So, I went down there to see if they had any mouse bedding. They had a collection of stuff from camping gear to sprinkler system parts to cowboy/girl clothing plus a large assortment of animal paraphernalia, so I started looking in that section. I found cow colostrum (I’m not kidding), animal birthing tools, salt licks, horse tack, baby chicks, and large animal feed, but nothing for mice (with the exception of mouse traps, mouse poison, and mouse-looking toys for dogs.). So, I decided to go ask one of the cashiers. This is how the conversation went,

“Hello, do you have any pine bedding?”

“Why, yes, we do.”

“How much does it cost?”

“Ten dollars.” Ten dollars seemed a bit expensive, but what was my choice? So I said, “OK, I’ll take it.” After I paid for it, the lady said, “I’ll call someone to help you load It.” ……Load it? I need a man to help me load it? What did I just buy, and will it fit in my car? All of these questions and more were going through my mind at this point. So I followed the man outside, looking all the while like I knew what to expect, and this is what I saw: a shrink-wrapped package of pine bedding the size and weight of my six year old, with a picture of a horse on the front. It did fit into the back of my minivan, and in two years we have barely made a dent in it. I’m sure it will outlive the mice, but it’s good to know that for ten dollars you can get a lifetime supply.