My friend Luke

My mom has one of those home movies from the early 80s of my oldest sister tearfully playing with puppies and showing them off to the camera in the kitchen of our California house. The only light for the movie comes from a lamp. She tells the story of a heart-broken 7- or 8-year-old who was losing puppies the next day and couldn't sleep because she would never see them again, and she "didn't even have pictures to remember them by."

Enter Luke.

F and I found a grasshopper in the tomatoes one day (really it was one grasshopper giving another grasshopper a piggy back ride) and he took it to preschool to share and set it free there. S was sad he didn't have a grasshopper to show so he went outside with his papi and caught one. The poor grasshopper lost one of his back legs in the process. But S was so excited, he named his grasshopper Luke and took him to school the next day. Then when he got home, we decided to let Luke go free.

The next day he caught a caterpillar of some kind. And it died.

Two days later, S looked for Luke again, found a grasshopper (who might have lost his back leg in the catching process or he might have really been Luke), dumped out the dead caterpillar, and caught it in the jar he had already labeled with Luke's name. 

While he was working on his homework, I heard the poor grasshopper jumping into the lid and the glass wall, trying to escape his confinement, or maybe trying to get away from the stench of death, and encouraged S to let Luke go back to his family. S was sad. "I never get to have anything little to love," he said.

I told him the story of his aunt, and we decided that we would take a picture so that he could always remember his pet grasshopper, Luke. 

Even with the picture, he cried himself to sleep. But Luke didn't commit suicide trying to escape the wall of his glass house.

Because I think I can fly

So one night, R was playing with the boys. They called to me to come watch as they performed daring feats of acrobatic bravery. First, they tried to jump onto R's shoulders from the bed.

Then they practiced "flying" from the bed into their papi's arms.

I sometimes have to remember that they are just little boys and, as such, need to exert their physical selves more often. I also sometimes wonder if they are just testing out their super powers.

Rader Family Farm

We headed to the pumpkin patch/fun farm last week and the boys had a wonderful time. We were there with friends so the boys took off on their own (with their friends) and there were few enough people there that it wasn't a worry. So here is a happy autumn to you all.

Family Pictures

Without family close by, we are limited in our photo opportunities. We try and snap them as we can, but they don't quite live up to the standard set by our photographer-brothers. This Sunday, we grabbed an unsuspecting ward member and got him to snap a few pictures. I hadn't realized we were so shaded, but the pictures works none-the-less.

Granted, we did have to bribe the boys with candy for wearing the nice clothing and for taking the pictures. But it helped make them smile. (I don't remember if my mom used candy when we were little.)

After Sacrament Meeting (1st hour of church) was over, I piled the boys on the pew and snapped a few pictures of them together. F was a little sad and kept hiding behind Baby N. But I did get this one. 

 My favorite by far, however, is this one of the boys and me. I had wanted to try and get one of the boys all jumping, but it didn't work out. Instead I got them all lined up letting their personalities shine forth. Can you tell how big they are getting?

I never thought I would be a mom of boys (much less four boys and only boys), but I love all my boys. I'm lucky to be a mom.

Chicken Pox

I don't remember the chicken pox being that bad. The worst thing about them as a child was that I had to miss the zoo trip in 1st grade. And since I am sometimes leary of immunizations (the schedule and the types of things that are being immunized), R and I decided not to give them the varicella immunization. And this past month, we finally had success.

F. got them first, then two weeks later (almost to the hour) S came out with pox, and two days later A. succumbed. It was a hard month, but the boys did surprisingly well. Each boy had only about 28 miserable hours, which we treated with oatmeal baths, treats, lots of calamine lotion, and television shows.

The other pictures to come when I can find them.

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We try to have clean mouths, but we are not perfect. A swear word here or there never hurt anyone, we think. And then we hear the words tumbling out of the mouths of our babes. All of them. At the same time. Justifying the curse word that they chose to use. On Christmas Eve.

It all started with the Bourne movies. The actress in the movie plays a German and she swears in German. To keep from swearing in front of the children, my dear sweet husband started using her German swear word when he was frustrated. "Scheisse." Then, S. and F. both started using it. My dear husband repented, but the damage was done. Finally, he sat down and explained that one really shouldn't say "schiesse."

Fast forward a few months, frustrating months, with the occasional English swear word being shouted as boys blatantly disobeyed or ignored their parents, or injured each other. At dinner tonight, Christmas Eve, A. poured his milk out. F. looked at him and said, "Dammit." My eyes went wide and then even wider because he kept repeating it. I tried explaining that we really shouldn't say "dammit." S. jumped in with his own, "dammit." R. tried helping me (in between laughing while wiping up the spilled milk.) But the boys persisted.

Me: "It isn't a very nice word, F."
F: "But dammit is a good word. Dammit, dammit, dammit."
A: "Dammit, dammit, dammit."

For the sake of the world, I tried not laughing as all of my children swore with such jubilation on Christmas Eve, but I failed. I laughed. F. thought we were laughing at him, and started to cry. I hugged him and explained why we were laughing and why we really shouldn't say "dammit."

Dammit, it was a hilarious moment at the dinner table.

First day of school

S. started kindergarten this fall, and he was very excited. His class started with 24, but now has 27. His teacher, Mrs. Tracey, seems to be nice.

It started off with two hard weeks where S had to learn to navigate the difficulties of a new school, a big class, and a full day. But, he pulled through and has made some friends. I'm not 100% sure what happens, because the stories that S tells are more imaginative than factual, but I've been there and I'm not too worried.

All in all, we've missed him during the day, but F. likes having the chance to be the oldest.

6 (six)

Have you met Boris? No. Well, let me introduce you.

Boris, these are some of our friends and family.

Friends and family, this is Boris, the baby dragon, and one of the key characters in the series, My Father's Dragon.

Boris joined us for S's birthday party this August. I have to admit that he had a wonderful time and serious regrets his having to visit the garbage truck or recycling truck this week. (We'll miss you too, Boris. We just don't have space for a dragon.)

We read the story months ago, and when we started thinking about how to do S's birthday this year, we thought of going on an adventure (like Elmer in the book) to rescue a baby dragon. So we did.

We introduced the tigers to bubble gum with a gum shewing/blowing contest. (Those pretend bubbles were great!)

We taught a lion how to groom his mane.

We escaped from a gorilla via an obstacle course.

We ate lollypops with the alligators.

Finally we saved the baby dragon.

After our adventure, we went inside and ate cake and ice cream and drank blue Koolade.

It was riotous fun, and we're so happy to have a 6-ear-old at the end of it.

Family Hike

We went on a family hike in preparation for my sweet husband taking the 11 year-old scouts on a 5-mile hike. We went to Starved Rock, a park about an hour away. Supposedly two native American tribes were in the middle of a war, and one killed the other's chief. In retaliation, the tribe was forced to the top of the stone mountain, where they starved to death. Not the greatest story, but a great legend.

We ate lunch first, and then hiked around for a while. F. and A. started off in the backpacks, one of which broke, and then at the end we all walked back together. Here are some pictures.

The Diving Board

We have been taking swimming lessons this summer. F. was so excited to be old enough to swim, and, while he isn't the best at staying focused, he has done well. After the first session, they encourage the children to jump off the diving board. (The little ones get to wear life vests and jump to their teacher.) F. was excited and wanted to be first. Then he got on the board where the hand bars stop, and was ready to turn back.

One of the managers came up to help him--he still wasn't so sure

but he jumped to his teacher. He was a little scared and sad and cold.

The second session was a different story. He practiced jumping into the deep water with C on parent swim day and then we practiced jumping from high things so he wouldn't be so worried.

He took off like a shot and was the only one in his class to jump.

S also was in swimming, but since he had moved out of the little kid class, he was able to jump more than once, without a life jacket, and without a teacher.

His first jump was sideways, but he got better and better

We love swimming!

A Pet Show

On July 6, 2011, a pet show was held in the middle of corn country. The hosts, F and S, were proud to show the talents, and beauty, of the multitude of animals they have in their home.

The began preparing for the show, a first in the neighborhood, by making prizes and signs for the different animals. Both boys cut out and drew the pictures for the prizes.

They then prepared the venue, moving furniture and strategically placing the animals in the best place.

Although the entry sign listed dogs, cats, birds, dolphins, frogs, and bears, the show also included magical creatures, other amphibians, sharks, farm animals, and insects.

This is Pongo and Perdita (aka Puppy and Azul), whose marriage today was the inspiration for the dog show, according to show organizer, S. They are accompanied by Santa Frog and their son, Bill.

Taca and the twin sharks, Bill and Ben, began the show. The twins shared their special talents of spinning on their noses and bouncing on their tales.

Show organizer, S, took the time to advertise the show by knocking on neighbors' doors and showing the visitors each of the animals and their special talents. Here he explains to AB about Pongo and Perdita's recent marriage.

Visitors were also able to pet, hug, and cuddle with the animals in the show. Each of the animals, even the sharks, were good with people.

S, F, and their younger brother A, enjoyed the pet show so much that they hope to have another in the near future.