Post Christmas Sentiments

I've sort of put off writing because two thirds of the people who view this blog are here in Utah with me. Suddenly I'm not sending this out into a void of blank emails. You are faces I might see even as I click "publish post". This also makes it very hard to go into personal details as perhaps I might offend someone and perhaps that person might decide to make me a nasty snack later, or leave an inconspicuous banana peel on the stairs just as I'm about to descend. Hence, I shall be very bureaucratic and not mention particulars, simply to save my neck. (Click picture to link to more pictures of the Baxter Family Christmas. Thanks to Mary and Adrienne for some of their pics.)

Since people tout the importance of playing down a secular Christmas I capitulated to the humble-hearted masses and our kids really didn't get much for Christmas. One thing for each kid and Santa came for Avery. Boo-hoo, bah-hum-bug, ye ol' tight-wad. You might think that this was a relief from the hustle n' bustle of crowded malls and overpriced shipping fees, but actually it wasn't. I knew our kids would only play with their plastic vacuum pluggers for two seconds before jumping Dad...he is the best toy anyway. Also, we have to cart it all back to Washington. That will result in luggage with split seams, bulging sharp corners and the odd sock hanging out. And now that the candy cane's been eaten, I see how very wise Santa was to keep the quantities of benevolence to a teeny-tiny pile. HOWEVER, all my anti-materialism, unexpectedly, kind of took away from my pre-Christmas cheer. I found that an interesting result. Not to mention Avery was a little bit miffed. Frankly, she felt the magic of Christmas morning was only saved by the graces of grandparents.

My kids are loving all the snowy weather. They are loving all the cousins and grandparents (on both sides). They are not sleeping at all and this makes us delightful guests for every home we've invaded. Sean's parents have opened up their house to us and have locked themselves in a basement bedroom until we leave. This is great as I get to use their master bedroom and it has a gorgeous view of the mountains. I think we've only offended one ----- (remember no details) and only sworn off relations with ----------- so all in all we're doing really good I think. Sadly, we're only here for another week and a half, it will be hard to damage too many more family ties in that amount of time. But my kids are pretty clever, so we'll see won't we?

Blog Hopping

Since I'm having difficulty finding a good read I've spent a lot of time blog hopping and I found this hilarious picture which has nothing to do with Christmas but is rather amusing. (If you like this you can see more at kactiguy.)

Avery says...

I said, "Avery I'm going to sit here on the couch and plan our family home evening lesson. Do you want to sit here next to me?" She gasped, "Oh I'd love to! But I need to dance around the tree."

Avery said, "Mom, did you know there is a candle that has lots of candles so you can light more than one? Wouldn't you want that?" The look on my face showed confusion so she clarified, "It's called a 'manure'."

Alphabet Fun

Can you identify the logo's these letters are from? (Courtesy of tdog blog.)

MR. RIGHT'S DINNER CONVERSATION

Tobin will you say prayer? Oh you have food in your mouth...
Tenley will you say prayer? Oh you have food...
Tobin that's the lid to the butter.
Tobin, it's the lid to the butter.
OK, OK I'll put it on the butter.
Avery stop saying that and just go to the bathroom.
Whoa there is a lot of salt in these potato's.
Tenley why is your bib on like a cape?
Tobin stop stabbing Avery with your fork.
Tobin if you touch Avery with your fork again...
Who turned all the lights off?
Tobin that's my food.
Tobin why is my knife in your mouth?
Tenley why are you touching my church shirt?
Tenley is that syrup on your hands?
Avery we're not eating ketchup on this.
Who's got my legs?

Reality

Avery believes she is a princess. Truly. We took the family out to eat (after the lunch rush so we wouldn't offend anyone with flying bits of food and dancing on the table.) Avery looked at us all sitting at the table, water spilling onto the floor, Tenley balancing on the highchair, Tobin finger painting in the salsa, and then she asked, "Are we a normal family?" Oh you can imagine all the retorts whizzing through Sean's and my brain, so ten minutes later when we'd stopped laughing hysterically, we calmly asked, "Sure. Why do you ask?" She looked at us a little disappointed, "Well, I thought we were a royal family." Such a sad moment when reality hits us, but I suppose she's in denial because a few moments later, "Well, I am still a princess." (Despite her relations.)

I could write a dissertation on the different opinions and consequences of letting Santa visit your house once a year. Avery was looking at our gas fireplace cover and screamed with horror, "How will Santa get in here!?!?" "Avery, remember we're going to Utah for Christmas." "Well what about NEXT year?!?!" I wasn't quite prepared with an answer, besides I was trying to hide my face so she wouldn't see me laughing. Then the non-committal answer-all came to me, "He uses magic." I was pleased with myself. She looked at me and then her eyes got big and she gasped with pleasure, "So magic IS real!" Ah shoot, all our conversations about fairies and wands and Pegasus being pretend...up the chimney with three little words.

Driving Me Crazy

(Click the picture to link to other recent pictures in our album.)

At our library is a little basket with big, plastic, bubble letters. There are only 14 left of the original 48. Avery poured over those 14 letters and then decided out how to use every single one to make a sentence. (Please forgive her spelling...she's four.) Do Nt Bca Heteshi. "Mom read it, read it!" I looked at it, "Uhm...'Do. Not. Bca..." She interuppted, "Do not become hideous! Do not become hideous!" I thought it was clever for her to use all the letters.

Avery was chattering while I was making dinner. I noticed she was saying, "Absolutely! Absolutely!" Then she paused and said to herself, "That's just a fancy way of saying yes." She looked at Tobin, "Tobin do you want me to do the chicken dance?" Tobin looked at her for one second then turned away, back to his coloring. Avery proclaimed, "Then you should really say, 'No-polutely'."

Driving with children is so. . . what? Entertaining? Distracting? Like navigating a tight-rope maze blindfolded while trying to remember how to dance the Macarana? In the car, Avery likes to listen to Phantom of the Opera, and sing the high notes, over and over and over and over. Tenley likes to hiss "SHHHHHH" to whoever is trying to sing along with Phantom of the Opera. Tobin likes to intermittantly yell, "Go! Go! Go!" when you are pausing to make a left-hand turn on a busy road. Or he likes to scream the whole ride, "NO BUCKLE!!! WAHHH!" Sometimes the twins like to shriek back and forth, "Mine!" "No! Mine!" "NO MINE!" or even better is when they scream insanely at each other, "I LOVE YOU!!" "NOOO!! I Love you!" "NO. I LOVE YOU!" No wonder we women-drivers have bad repuations. Forget cell-phones; blame progeneration.

Avery Goes International

(Click image to link to more pictures of the kids.)

Avery was eating a French Fry, "So this is what French people eat." I guess she'd been wondering.

Avery's been inspecting everything we own for the little word that says where it was made. The other day she announced at dinner, "So, I figured it out. Everything we own is from China."

Tobin and Sean were weeding outside. Tobin dragged in a clump as big as my head...through the house...mud and all. Ah well, he was SUCH a good helper for Sean.

I like the following video clip because Sean recorded Tobin whispering (because I was on the phone). Tenley doesn't care one iota if she is supposed to whisper. She's oblivious to people sleeping, sacrament meeting, and if I'm on the phone. I actually think she talks louder and enunciates better when we're in those situations.

Visiting Redmond

(Click the picture and link to a slideshow.)

Sean drove me and the kids up to Remond Friday night so I could visit Adam and Lisa Powell, and then, Saturday morning, Nate Cahoon and his very cute family. A new-friend asked if I was nervous to see people I hadn't seen in 12 years. "No way" I told her, "I'm only nervous about how my kids will behave." So before we left I sat the kids down and said, "Children, we are going to see friends of mine that I haven't seen in many years so no matter what, don't pick your nose." And they all complied. They were so well behaved in fact, that what with all their whining and moping, Sean and I were able to show off our outstanding patient parenting techniques. Over the course of breakfast, lunch and seeing the Ballard Locks I think we made quite an impression.

Then driving home I got to thinking about that whining. Hmmm...it seems that with all the other families we've been around lately, our kids score highest in the whine category. "Why is that?" I wondered. It certainly can't be from their father, Sean is the eternal optimist. It seemed as I pondered that the obvious answer alluded me. Then, "aah-ha!" Everyone we've been socializing with only have two kids per family! Sean and I are outnumbered and thus our children are reduced to nagging for love. Of course! It isn't my parenting at all! I was so relieved I happily slept the rest of the way home.

Halloween

(Click the picture and link to a slideshow.)
This was the twins first real Halloween and I let everyone choose their own costumes. The Princess was our spokesperson. The Pixie didn't quite care. The Pirate was hesitant at first and wouldn't put the candy in his pumpkin but clutched it in his hand. Eventually his hands were full so we convinced him to release his iron grip on the treasure. Obviously at the first house he was thinking, "Why aren't we going to play with their toys?" and when we left with candy he was only pacified. By the fourth house comprehension dawned and furtherafter he jogged from house to house and waited for our spokesperson to say the magic words. By the sixth house, if you listened carefully, you could here a "day-doo" as he launched off in a sprint to the next house.

Cousins Visit from Utah

(Click picture to enlarge.)
I love this picture. You can actually see the Narrows bridge and the bay we live near (just up from the bridge). It's provoking to see how we are so surrounded by water.

Sean's brother and sister-in-law, Aaron and Melissa, came and visited over a weekend. Melissa is a great photographer and took lots of pictures of us. We realized that it was my camera that was making Tenley look un-photogenic. Poor kid, she was cute after all.

We took the ferrie to Seattle, explored Kopachucks beach on a very cold day, and tried to make our guests stay bearable. We fed them leftovers, let them share a very warm blanket, and even gave them permission to flush the toilet two times a day (non-family are only allowed once a day). I think they found it was quite a wonderful vacation, despite Tobin becoming suddenly territorial. He screamed like a banchee if his cousins touched any of our toys, or forks, or chairs, or doorknobs. I had no idea my children were so tight, but apparantly they refuse to allow outsiders into their domain. While it destroyed all future relationships with their cousins, I was quite pleased they found something to bond over. We would love to have family visit more often and as you can see, you'll really have good time.

(Click to enlarge pictures.)

Thank you Baxter Grandparents

How do we say thank you
for lending us your home?
Should we send flowers?
Should we send sweets?
No! We should write a poem.

To thank you for the miles you drove;
for all the food to eat.
To thank you for the things you cleaned
and nights you did not sleep.

To thank you for the car we used
and for your evenings spent;
putting children back in bed…
and all without our rent.

And yet we want to thank you
with more than just a poem.
So how about we’ll leave you both
quiet and alone?