L2Gant

Cousin Calvin

2011-11-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

The boys met their newest cousin, Calvin Markis Gant, the day after he was born. They're excited to have another Gant boy join the family.

The boys do not often fall asleep in the van anymore, especially all three at the same time. They were clearly very tired after getting up extra early on Tuesday to make sure I got to the hospital in time to see Calvin born and then two days of playing with William at Grandma Marsha's house.

Haircut Time

2011-11-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

When the haircuts are done, I always enjoy looking at the tricolored pile of hair.

Halloween

2011-10-31T20:16:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Cade.
Zane the surprised Park Ranger.
Luke disguised as a bunch of red grapes.

Bonding by way of accident

2011-10-17T14:03:00.001-07:00

Sometimes bonding moments between parent and child happen by accident. Literally. My friend recently shared with me just such an accidental bonding moment. After agreeing that accidents like this must happen to everyone and, no doubt, could even happen to me, she agreed to let me share her story. I will not use names in order to protect the innocent.

After arriving at the library and checking in books, she and her three boys {she has three boys just like me} went to the restroom; she in the girls and they in the boys, of course. Trying to hurry, she decided to squat over the toilet instead of taking the time to line it. She soon felt an uncomfortable warmth trickle down and a small puddle quickly formed at her feet. Having not had anything quite like this happen since high school, she handled it with surprising calmness. Thankful for the paper towels and water supply, she quickly cleaned up. While tying her coat around her waist, and therefore hiding all evidence of the accident, she began contemplating what to do; should she go home or could she possibly still get away with doing a couple necessary errands?

Just then there was a tap at the bathroom door. She opened the door and there stood her three boys. The youngest one, age six, looking concerned, said, "Mom, I've got a big problem." He then pulled up his jacket and revealed a large wet spot on the front of his pants. My friend smiled, turned around and lifted her jacket. Turning back around she saw her three boys with their eyes wide open and jaws dropped. The youngest one, who had been assured by his big brother that he was going to be in trouble for his accident, said, "Really, Mom!? Really?" My friend nodded. While giggling, she then whispered that perhaps they had better head home and clean up. The boys, still shocked but joining in the quiet laughter, readily agreed.

I have no doubt that these three little boys {who just happen to be the same age as mine} will never forget the day that they learned THEIR MOTHER occasionally has accidents too.

Luke's 8th Birthday

2011-10-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

Luke's birthday was extra fun this year. We took the day off school [a homeschool perk] and Grandma Marsha, Aunt Melissa, Cousin William and Cousin Peyton came to visit. We went to McDonald's for lunch and took cupcakes for dessert.

Later, Luke celebrated with friends. This was his first "kid party" and he had lots of fun and received many nice gifts.

The next day, my parents, sister and niece came for dinner. Grandma Boom-Boom made her famous pizza and Aunt Joy made a special bowling ball cake. The boys LOVED the trick candles that kept re-lighting themselves.

After dinner, we headed to the bowling alley for some more family fun.

The Picking Patriarch

2011-09-30T10:23:00.000-07:00

Poppy, our Picking Patriarch and orchestrater of all things fruit, sometimes takes us out for Chinese food after we pick. The boys love Poppy...and Chinese food.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.

2011-09-30T01:20:00.000-07:00

Beautiful cherries.

Pickin' is fun for the boys: climbing trees and eating fresh fruit...

You can't eat a more fresh cherry than this...

Plus, there is plenty of time to be silly.

Life's a peach!

2011-09-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

Teeth

2011-09-28T23:47:00.000-07:00

Luke lost one tooth and then so did Cade.

Then Cade lost another tooth...

...and Luke did not.

After about six months Luke went to the dentist....

...and had it pulled out.

Note: Having your mouth numb makes for a silly sideways smile.

My Journey to Jogging

2011-09-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

Four years ago my dad had heart surgery. We were fortunate that he had symptoms that warned him of a pending heart attack and that he was paying attention. Stints were put in and he was given another chance. He became a vegetarian [Well, mostly a vegetarian. I think he calls himself a 90% vegetarian.] and started jogging for the first time in his life. My dad, 90% vegetarian. My dad, a jogger. I would have never guessed! I'm very proud of him for taking his health seriously.

Six months ago I started my own journey to jogging. This was a big decision for me being that I am NOT a runner. I have never ran a mile before! [Well, maybe one time. I may have ran a mile the one day I was on the High School track team. Yep, the one day. I couldn't believe how much running they expected!] However, after my gym canceled 2/3 of my classes, I felt that it was a good time to start jogging. I was fortunate to have my friend, Margaret, join me.

One of my main goals for jogging was to run a 5k with my Dad. On Labor Day, we ran together in Run the Dam Loop at Cottage Grove Lake. He runs faster than me, but I was able to stay with him...barely.

Along my journey, Luke has also become interested in jogging. He set a goal a few months ago to jog a 5k before he turns eight. We accomplished that goal on September 17th, 2 1/2 weeks before his eighth birthday. I am very proud of him!

Note: In the picture below you can also see my sister, Joy, and niece, Lolly (6).

Margaret and I also set a goal of running a 5k together before the end of summer. Last Thursday, the last day of summer, we accomplished that goal at the Twilight River Run. I'm proud of Margaret. She has had to struggle with several health issues, but hasn't given up. Without her, I'm not sure I would still be jogging.

Not long ago I thought I would never be able to run a mile, let alone three. Now I'm thinking about how to run faster than my dad [Seriously. He's 26 years older than me! I've got pride.] and I'm considering an 8 or 10k in the summer.

2011 Huckleberry Hunt

2011-09-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

We went huckleberry picking again this year in the Mt. Hood National Forest. The huckleberries were plentiful. The weather was beautiful. It was even warm enough to go swimming in a nearby lake. We have such a nice time in God's beautiful creation there that Cory and I would really like to stay a week.

My mom's main goal for the camping trip is to get a good picture of her grandkids. She made them matching t-shirts for this year's picture.

In our family photo last year, Cade was making a face that made him look like a chipmunk. My dad e-mailed the picture to me with the caption, "I've found the forth chipmunk: Alvin, Simon, Theodore and Cade! This year we all decided to make chipmunk faces. Oddly, after setting the trend, Cade now looks the least "chipmunky".

Summer Slam

2011-09-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the boys and I went down to Drain for an extended weekend (Friday through Monday). We hadn't had much opportunity to visit our family in Drain, so we tried to make the most of our time. Here is a quick list of some the things we managed to do:

(1) Swimming in the Umpqua River near Elkton
(2) Blackberry picking (twice)
(3) Jogging with my Dad and then to breakfast (the boys slept through this)
(4) Wildlife Safari
(5) Pool party at the Drain pool
(6) BBQ with friends
(8) Church (twice)
(9) Reedsport Beach

Many thanks to our family for dropping everything in order to accommodate our wish list of things to do. If you're up for it, I think we should make Summer Slam a new tradition. We had so much fun!

I didn't take many pictures during our stay, but I did manage a few from our beach trip. It was one of those beautiful days at the Oregon coast which are seemingly hard to come by.

Cade's Cakes

2011-08-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

Cade finally got the Costco cake he has wanted for three years.

I served it with a small slice of the Dairy Queen ice cream cake that Pearl, Cade's Special Person from church, surprised him with. Talk about a load of yumminess!

Growing Up

2011-07-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

I try to give my boys the opportunity to learn to do some "grown-up" things for themselves: make purchases with their own money, check out their own books at the library, handle their own banking transactions, etc. At Cory's birthday dinner they each were allowed to order their own meal. [Red Robin makes it easy being that the kids menu includes pictures of each choice. I had them circle what they wanted and then tell the waitress. They did a great job and the waitress commented on how well mannered they were.]

Today, Zane learned to bargain! He found a toy at World Market that was missing a piece. He still wanted the toy and asked if I thought it would be sold for less. I told him that he could ask when we got to the sales counter. To my surprise, he quickly agreed. [I wondered as we walked around the store if the clerk would think that I put him up to it.] We got to the counter and I made my purchase and then told the clerk that Zane had a question. He showed her the toy, explained about the missing piece, and then asked if it was worth less. [At this point, I mentioned that this was truly his idea.] She offered him the $4 toy for $2. After a moment of thought, he happily made the purchase.

It really enjoy watching them learn these life skills and know that they are gaining confidence with each experience.

Busy Boys

2011-07-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

My boys do not have trouble finding things to do. They are not the type to complain about not having anything to do. I think I have only heard the word bored used in our house once or twice. I feel blessed that I don't have to deal with that attitude that seems to plague so many children.

They like building forts or towers with nearly every cushion/pillow in our house.

They were so excited when they discovered that Cade's little beads that expand in water would also stick to the ceiling. There were about 60 up there and it was very interesting and colorful; however, I was a little concerned they would stain the ceiling or dry and then damage the paint. They thought trying to get them down was also fun.

Sometimes I'm smart enough to harness their energy and put them to work doing things that I don't find the time to do. They had a great time washing windows.

Medic Luke

2011-07-08T09:46:00.001-07:00

Luke loves first aid kits. I think he would spend all his money on them. He has quite the collection and usually takes one with him wherever we go. He helps his friends/family, but lends the kit to me if a stranger needs assistance. Some have suggested to him that he may want to be a doctor when he grows up. He doesn't want to be a doctor, but is more interested in being a medic for the fire department.

Luke bandaging Cade after a fall during the kids fun run at the Butterfly Run in Elkton.

Luke's Goals

2011-07-08T09:36:00.000-07:00

Luke recently started 20 weeks of vision therapy. During one of our recent sessions, Penelope, his therapist, asked him to write down goals. I love the list he came up with:

1. Learn to swim.
2. Become a spy or ninja.
3. Go ice skating ASAP, but definitely before his is 16.
4. Be a Christian.
5. Learn how to make cookies.
6. Run a 5k by the time he is 8.

Mind your manners

2011-07-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

The other day Cade and I were in his bedroom and evidently I interrupted him. He began to scold me for it and I reminded him that I was the parent and that it was not his job to correct me. The way I remember it, he said, "Someone needs to teach you." I asked Cade today what he had said and he told me that he didn't say "someone" needs to teach me; he said that my mom needs to teach me because I interrupt too much.

What's for dinner?

2011-07-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

The other night we had potatoes and salad from our little raised bed gardens. I love providing the family with home grown goodness.

Also from the garden, but not on the menu, about forty roly-polys gathered by Cade.

Cade's Turn

2011-07-01T21:43:00.000-07:00

Cade lost his first tooth on the first of July. I told Cade that the root on his tooth seemed long. After finding two dollars under his pillow, Cade concluded the Tooth Fairy paid him extra for the long root.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T10:13:00.000-07:00

On Father's Day we hiked up Spencer Butte. It was the first time the boys and I had been there. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed it very much. I think hiking on Father's Day may become a new tradition.

Cory's 41st Birthday

2011-06-10T09:01:00.000-07:00

We went to dinner at Red Robin for Cory's birthday and then came home for ice cream cake. Cory loves ice cream cake!

Zane made his Snap Circuit set play Happy Birthday and had Cory "blow" out the light bulb. He also gave him a $10 Taco Bell gift card.

Cade bought Cory a petunia and also a $5 Cabela's gift card.

As a family, we also gave Cory a knife and a Cabela's hat. Luke was okay with those gifts and didn't feel like he needed to add anything to it.

Potatoes

2011-06-07T21:26:00.000-07:00

I pulled up one of our potato plants primarily to find out if the ants were eating the potatoes. Being that this is the first time we have grown potatoes, it was really exciting to dig them up. Cade lined up the five potatoes we found and said that they were Cade, Luke, Zane, Mom and Dad.

Cade holding our first potatoes.

Luke's Teeth

2011-05-26T09:46:00.001-07:00

Luke just lost his first tooth on May 14th.

He is 7 1/2.

His new teeth got tired of waiting.

We say he has shark teeth.

He likes that.

This means war!

2011-05-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I am at war with sugar ants! They started nibbling on my radishes and I was okay with that. I planted more than I needed and was willing to share. I should have known better. They must have thought, given my previous kindness, that I was also willing to provide them with a new home. Those greedy little suckers have made my potato hill into an ant hill. They have nearly killed one potato plant and a cauliflower plant too. They have gone too far and now we are engaged in battle. Or, at very least, a major food fight.

Battle #1 - Cornmeal.

Once ingested this is suppose to expand and end their little lives.

Victor- Ants. The cornmeal didn't seem to have any effect of them.

Battle #2 - Bacon Bomb

Jerry Baker's Ant Control #1. I like to refer to this as the Bacon Bomb. It is a mixture of cornmeal, bacon grease, baking powder, and yeast. It is the amped up version of cornmeal alone.

After I made this mixture, the boys and I headed out-of-town for the day. Knowing that the bacon smell would call to Cory, I left a note right under the bowl of Bacon Bomb telling Cory not to eat it. I should have left the note on top. Thinking it was brown sugar [and it does look like brown sugar] he had it in his mouth before reading the note. He didn't know the ingredients of my "ant bait" and quickly washed his mouth out at the sink. Funny, huh?

Victor- Ants. I'm pretty sure they love it. Maybe Cory did too.

Battle #3 - Vinegar.

Supposedly vinegar messes with their sense of smell.

Victor- Ants. No effect noticed.

Battle #4 - Terro?

I called a local nursery asking about diatomaceous earth and boric acid. The lady who I spoke to recommended Terro Ant Killer and said it is made from Borax. Unfortunately, being that the store was about to close and I'm desperate, I bought it and then read the ingredients: 5% Borax and 95% Other Ingredients. Uh Oh. Here comes the warning: DO NOT USE in edible product areas of food handling establishments, restaurants or other areas where food is commercially prepared or processed. Do not use in serving areas while food is exposed. Avoid contamination of feed and foodstuffs. Place bait in areas inaccessible to children and pets.

Feed and foodstuffs!? Is foodstuffs even a word? Regardless, I get the message and decide to try something else.

Victor- Ants, by default.

Battle #5 - Cinnamon.

I guess they hate it and I happen to have a Costco-size supply of it. I have now sprinkled it generously around the garden. The garden smells great and maybe my veggies will taste cinnamon infused. Yum.

Victor- To be determined.

Battle #6 - Molasses.

Apparently this is another thing they don't like; neither do I. I have a nearly full bottle and I'm happy to share [get rid of it]. I poured the whole bottle all over the perimeter of the garden. My garden is starting to smell like Cinnabon. I like that.

Victor- To be determined.

Battle # 7, 8, etc. - Bay leaves, Mint leaves and anything else I read about. Perhaps cayenne pepper and orange oil will soon be added to the mix.

This war is getting weird!

I must win. I must win!

Please let me win.

Cinnamon covered ground. Molasses drips. Bay leaves spiked into the ground. Mint leaves around the stalk. Bacon Bomb Hotel in the background.

Smart like Ben

2011-04-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Zane was learning about Benjamin Franklin. Here is an excerpt from Zane's history book:

It did not take his father long to realize how bright his youngest son was.

'That boy will make a fine minister. With seventeen children, I cannot afford to send them all to school. But I will try to send Ben.'

At the time, I wondered out loud what it would be like to choose one of your children, based on how smart they are, to go to school because you couldn't afford to send them all. Zane said, "I'd probably have to go." He's pretty sure he is the smartest of all three boys. I told him that I don't know which boys is the smartest, but I might not send him to school because he says he doesn't like it. I told him that I would rather send a boy who wants to learn.

Today, as I'm writing this, Luke said to Zane, "You think you're the smartest boy in the country." Zane, with a pondering look, said, "Maybe."

Church Clothes

2011-04-11T09:03:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, after Zane got dressed for church, I noticed that he was wearing faded blue jeans and asked him to change. He said,

"Mom, church isn't about looking good, right? It's about Jesus."

Who can argue with that?

Charpie Spice

2011-04-10T15:52:00.000-07:00

Cade said the other day, "I don't like babies, except William [his cousin] and Charpie Spice." Our friends, Ken and Charissa Charpie, make a special seasoning that they've dubbed Charpie Spice. The boys love that spice. It's the only way I can get them to eat some foods. On the day that Cade made the statement above, he couldn't remember the name Linus, Ken and Charissa's son, so he called him Charpie Spice. I officially recommend that Ken and Charissa begin using this new nickname for Linus. Just keep him away from British pop-music bands...

Whoa, Martha, back up!

2011-04-09T21:00:00.000-07:00

A few years ago I was given Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook. Although the book has useful information, I wouldn't have bought it for myself. I didn't want Martha's expectations swirling around in my head. Ignorance is bliss.

My bliss lasted until page 24 of the 744 page book.

First the good news. I actually do pretty well at Martha's Six Things To Do Every Day: (1) make the bed, (2) manage clutter, (3) sort the mail, (4) clean as you cook, (5) wipe up spills while they're fresh, and (6) sweep the kitchen floor. If only she stopped there I could, on occasion, pat myself on the back. I really wished she had stopped there.

Now the bad news. Next comes her Weekly Homekeeping list. [To be fair, the lists are meant to be a general guideline and the reader is encouraged to tailor them, but I think it's more fun to mock them.] The weekly list is where my grade starts to plummet. Actually, I failed before I even made it out of the kitchen. Here it is; Martha's Weekly Homekeeping list for the kitchen:

~Wipe surfaces, including sink, countertops, the outside of the ventilation hood, refrigerator and cupboard doors, top of refrigerator, appliance exteriors, shelves, and furniture

~Wipe the inside of the oven, microwave, and toaster oven

~Flush drain with boiling water

~Discard foods and beverages past their prime

~Dust light fixtures

~Wipe the inside and outside of trash and recycling bins

~Vacuum and mop floor

Whoa, Martha, back up. Wipe down the cupboard doors! Honestly, even if I had a staff of people working for me, I still wouldn't think it necessary to do that each week. Not to mention the top of the refrigerator and inside/outside of the trash bin. And the light fixtures? Weekly. Really?

I'm glad that Martha will not be visiting me.

Today, I decided that it was time to dust the master bedroom. Why? Because it is my weekly routine, like Martha recommends. Nope. Because the dust was thick. I could have easily written "wash me" in the layer of dust on top of the chest of drawers [and then made a plaster cast of the words].

I think that it is more gratifying to wait until something is a little dirty [or, in the case of dusting, a lot dirty]. Then, after you clean it, you feel like you've really accomplished something. Plus, in my opinion, if your house is immaculate people begin to feel uncomfortable. Even the people who live in the house. And, if you get the reputation of being an OCD type of cleaner, people become less comfortable inviting you to their home. I know a few people who cause me panic at the thought of them dropping by.

There seems to be a fine line between keeping a house comfortably clean and becoming a slave to your home. Another Martha quote:

Manage clutter: Whenever you leave a room, take a quick look around for anything that isn't where is should be. Pick it up and put it where it belongs. Insist that everyone in the household do the same.

This is, for the most part, a habit for me; however, I get tired of looking around to see what needs to be done. Sometimes it feels like each room of the house is wrangling for my attention and I just want it to be quiet. I certainly do no want my kids to feel that way. I want them to enjoy this house. I'm okay with finding Lego's in every room. I'm okay with the couch cushions becoming forts/motorcycles/islands. I do teach them to pick up after themselves. At least once a day I have them put things back where they belong. But I don't want to "insist" that they are always on the lookout for anything that is out-of-place. How sad.

That said, I must confess that I have a hard time allowing anyone else to see my house messy. Funny, huh? It contradicts what I believe; that a house should look like people live in it. That it is more welcoming that way. Unfortunately, those Martha-like expectations pop into my brain and persuade me that less-than-perfect isn't good enough. I'm working on finding the balance; enjoying more company and caring less about the condition of my house.

But for now, I'm off to wash the cupboard doors...

The Cake for Cade

2011-04-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

For two years Cade has wanted this rainbow cake from Costco for his birthday.

What Cade didn't know is that I am not much for store bought cakes; I prefer to make the boys' birthday cakes. The first year Cade asked for the Costco rainbow cake, I made each cupcake [that fit together into the shape of an alligator] a rainbow-ish color. Sounds a little strange, huh? It was. I didn't say that my cakes look better than the store bought ones. [Did I mention that the cupcakes were zucchini cake?] Unfortunately, I don't seem to have a picture.

Joy offered to make Cade's next birthday cake. [No, not because of the rainbow alligator zucchini cupcakes.] She said that she doesn't get to make many birthday cakes and wanted to help out. [Okay, that does kinda sound like a nice way of saying that my cakes need help. But, it wasn't. Was it?] She stayed up all night creating a masterpiece rainbow cake. It was amazing; the picture doesn't do it justice.

Cade really liked Joy's cake, but later told me [when I inadvertently took him by the cake section during a Costco grocery trip] that he really wants THAT rainbow cake. I will, and you're my witness, buy it for him this year! No homemade cake for him. If I don't buy him that cake ... may a shark bite MY nose.

Special People

2011-04-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

About 1 1/2 years ago our church assigned each of my boys a "special person" to pray for them and send them a letter once a month. What a blessing each of these ladies have been to my boys [and me].

Luke and Louise. Louise doesn't go to our church anymore, but we still go see her. Our trips haven't been as frequent as I would like, but I'm planning to do better. She lives on the 18th floor of her building. We really enjoy seeing the city from her apartment windows. Louise is a sweet little lady.

Zane and Bessie. Bessie fell in love with Zane the first time he smiled at her. He was ten months old and we had just moved to Eugene. Bessie has treated us like family every since and blesses us so much. Everybody needs a Bessie.

Pearl and Cade. Cade loves Pearl; he has said that he would like to marry her. He looks for her every Sunday and goes to give her a huge hug. The kind of hug that leaves everyone who sees it smiling. "Pearl" is actually a nickname that her father gave her when she was little; he knew she was a treasure. We agree with him wholeheartedly.

Sweet William

2011-04-02T21:30:00.001-07:00

My nephew, William, is staying with us this weekend while his parents are at a marriage retreat. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to take all four boys to the studio for pictures and scheduled the photos for today. Everything leading up to the appointment was going very well; I had outfits picked out for the all the boys, they had lunch, dinner was ready for when we got back, and William had a two hour nap right before we left and woke up in a great mood! I was hopeful that things would go well. Once we got to the studio William became very serious and reserved. I had the photographer take picture of my boys first so that William could see what was happening and get used to the idea. Nope. I tried showing him the pictures of the boys on the monitor and told him he could see himself too. Nope. I told him I wanted to surprise his Mommy. Nope. I told him that his blankie wanted to be in the picture. Nope. Just the mention of pictures brought him to tears. Poor little guy; he was a puddle on the floor. Fortunately he perked right back up as soon as we left the studio. I guess I didn't traumatize him too much.

Here are some happier times during his visit:

Mohawks and more...

2011-03-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

After filling my tank at the gas station today, I asked the boys to guess how much they thought it cost. Zane first guessed $100 and then changed to $50. Luke guessed $4 and Cade guessed $5. Zane won; he was closest. How much you say? $83.19! Eighty three dollars and nineteen cents! Yikes.
_____

Cade called me in to the bathroom today to help him finish up on the toilet ["Wipe" sounds so crass, but I guess I have to say it for the sake of clarity.] After a few minutes, and more than one summon, I went to help. I took the opportunity to try and gently encourage him to learn to do this by himself and mentioned that one nice thing about learning to wipe oneself is that you do not have to wait for help. He countered with, "How did you feel when you were little and had to wait for someone to help?" I told him that I didn't remember how I felt about that when I was little. I then asked him if he thought I should "drop what I'm doing and come running" when he calls me. He said, " No, put it down and come walking."

_____

"Mom, you know those zebra kids? The ones with lines on their heads [while using his thumb and finger to trace two lines from his forehead to the nape of his neck]. I like those kids. They look like zebras." Cade, age 5, describing a mohawk hairstyle

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

Cory and I usually try to schedule a date on or around Valentine's Day each year, but this year I thought of a new plan that would be special for us and involve the boys.

The plan: Cory and I would go on a date ... in our vintage trailer ... parked in the driveway. The boys would be our servers and entertainment.

First, I set the table in the trailer: tablecloth, cloth napkins, candles, music, wine glasses for sparkling cider, etc.

Then I fixed dinner: salad, chicken, baked potatoes, corn and rolls. Cheesecake for dessert.

I went over the idea with the boys. I made them a list and gave them a timer. We had two-way radios in case they needed me or I needed them. Plus, two-way radios make everything more fun.

After they met Cory at the door and directed him to the trailer, their list of jobs looked something like this:

1) BRING ROLLS AND ASK ABOUT DRINKS. Henry Weinhard's Root Beer or individual-sized Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider.

2) BRING DRINKS.

3) Wait 8 minutes. During this time Cory and I ate our salad that was already on the table and the rolls the boys brought.

4) MAIN COURSE. Zane would bring the prepared plates from the oven, one at a time (with oven mitts, of course). The little boys were in charge of opening doors for him and carrying the umbrella (yep, raining).

5) Wait 8 minutes.

6) ENTERTAINMENT, round one: Zane came to preform magic tricks. He wore a cape. He came up with some clever ideas. He was cute.

7) Wait 8 minutes.

8) ENTERTAINMENT, round two: Cade and Luke came to play music. Luke played the ukulele and Cade played a cardboard wrapping-paper tube. The sound of giggles accompanied the instruments. They were cute.

9) Wait 8 minutes.

10) DESSERT. They brought cheesecake that was sliced and on dessert plates in the refrigerator.

During their breaks they ate the meal and dessert that was waiting for them at the dining room table.

Cory and I have celebrated Valentine's Day together nineteen times. As time marches on, I have forgotten the details of most of them. This is one Valentine's Day that I will never forget.

Luke

2011-02-07T16:08:00.000-08:00

Of the three boys, Luke is definitely the most creative with his nighttime attire. I laughed out loud when I found him like this; he reminds me of Ronald McDonald.

Cookie Dough

2011-02-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

Remember when mom used to make cookies and you and your sibling would each get a beater from the mixer to lick clean? Those were the days. Now, thanks to Kitchenaid, brothers are forced to share one beater and things can get...complicated.

Zane

2011-01-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Recently I made a pasta dish for dinner that has peas in it. Zane is not fond of peas, but did a pretty good job of eating them without complaining. I complimented him and he responded that he didn't let the "pus" out while he ate them. Apparently he swallowed them whole.

Our friend, Breanne, came and spent the weekend with us. At bedtime Cade prayed that she wouldn't find anyone else to marry [he has proposed to her several times]. Zane then prayed that Cade would understand that that probably wasn't going happen.

Zane was working on a spelling test and asked me if he spelled two of the words that he had been struggling with correctly if I would be, "super, duper, exclamatory happy." I think it is funny that a third-grader uses the word exclamatory.

Zane often reads himself to sleep at night. I am glad that he enjoys reading and I try to encourage him by getting books that I know he enjoys. For an early birthday present I gave him a book from the Flat Stanly series by Jeff Brown. He read the entire book tonight -- all one hundred pages! 2/6/11

Zane is not looking forward to being nine on Thursday (2/10). He would rather that his age not be mentioned. He has come to me a few times blinking back tears and swallowing a lump in his throat because he is "growing up too fast." I know this is a result of hearing my mom and me talking about how fast time is going. I guess we better have those conversations in private from now on. 2/6/11

Blogging

2011-01-05T22:29:00.001-08:00

I mentioned to my mom tonight that I hadn't officially blogged anything since August. She was surprised and concerned that I wouldn't have a record of the boys' saying/doings for the past six months. Her comments urged me to finish many that I started and jot down a few more, like this moment with Cade:

I ask, "Cade, What are you thinking?"

"Let me show you!" he responds, and then gives me a huge hug and kiss.

Moments like this melt my heart and, with the help of my blog, will be treasured forever! Thanks, Mom, for encouraging me to get back on track.

Zane's ideas...

2011-01-05T21:50:00.000-08:00

‎"The stuff I want to do [for a job when I grow up] doesn't really have to do with words or numbers." Zane, 9/20/2010

Zane said yesterday that he thinks that cars should be germ-powered because you wouldn't run out of germs. If your tank was empty you could just say, "Okay, everybody get out and spit in the tank!"

Pajamas

2010-12-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

The boys scored matching pajamas from both Grandma Marsha and Grandma Boom Boom this year.

Grandma Marsha made fireman pajamas for each of the Gant boys. Here is my interpretation of each boys expression:

Cousin William- I have chocolate!
Zane- I want chocolate!
Luke- I already snuck some chocolate.
Cade- Maybe if I'm good they will give me chocolate.

Grandma Boom Boom gave each boy footed pajamas. Zane was excited being that he outgrew all of his footed pajamas and has missed them.

Footed pajamas are great [and adorable] but they can get very hot.

The Challenge of Parenting

2010-12-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

I think the most challenging part of parenting [far more challenging than the physical demands] is conforming the will of three little people, who were born selfish, into boys who consider others more important than themselves, while at the same time continuing my own journey toward selflessness.

Dolly [pardon me] Parton

2010-11-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

After my recent post about Halloween costumes, I showed pictures to Luke and Cade of Dolly Parton so they could see who my mom dressed me up to look like one year.

Luke laughed at Dolly's pictures and said that if she tried to kiss her husband she might knock him down. Then he laughed and said, "She'd be good at football. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang." [No, I'm not joking. It surprised me too!]

And then Cade said, "She couldn't even kiss her husband." [And this, from a five year old! I don't know where he got this from.]

Head's up, Mom!

2010-11-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

My dad dropped by today and wanted to take us to lunch. I quickly talked to the boys about finishing school after our lunch trip to Junction City and they agreed they would come back and do their school with a good attitude. When we arrived home, and it was time for them to follow through with their end of the deal, I found that they needed a reminder of our agreement. I added that if they were going to act naughty, then next time, if Papa came during school and wanted to take us to lunch, I would have to tell him we couldn't go.

Luke said, "We're not naughty. You wouldn't be telling the truth."

I replied, "I didn't say you ARE naughty; I said you are ACTING naughty. That is a big difference."

"Sorry, but I might not let you in my house when I'm older."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like you saying that," responded Luke, and then casually added, "Just a heads-up."

Halloween

2010-11-23T21:01:00.000-08:00

My mom did a great job of coming up with Halloween costumes for my sister, Joy, and me when we were young. She is, of course, the most creative person I have ever met. She never bought Halloween costumes, but could easily put together something original from her trunk of dress-up clothes. Here are a few samples of my mom's cleaver creations:

Joy, my friend Lori Frieze, and me dressed like Hillbillies.

Dolly Parton and a masked cowboy.

And my personal favorite: Michael Jackson. [Okay, so Mom didn't get the memo about Michael only wearing one glove. She's exceptionally creative, not perfect.]

Fast-forward twenty years. I now have three little costume-wearers to adorn with creative, homemade costumes and possess maybe 1/2 or 1/4 [or 1/32] of my mom's creativity. Mind you, we really aren't too enthusiastic about celebrating Halloween. If they go trick-or-treating, they usually go to family, church members, or our closest neighbors. My philosophy is that if little ones dressed in costumes can bring joy to some of our family or elderly friends, then I think that is a good reason to allow my boys to participate. Sorry. I had to chase that rabbit.

Back to costumes. Last year the boys were sick so I was able to escape the pressure. This year we celebrated with family at my cousin Sara's. Zane decided to be a spy, Luke wanted to be a University of Oregon Duck fan. Both those ideas were easy to do, but I was disappointed that I hadn't come up with some majorly creative idea like my mom would have done.

As for Cade, he said he wanted to be a butterfly. My thought; better now than later. You can get away with being a little boy butterfly when you're five. [And truthfully, I was a little excited to see Cory's reaction.] However, when we got to the store, all the little butterfly wings were gone. Cade saw some pirate accessories and determined that that was the new must-have costume. [I knew the butterfly stage would be short lived...]

Here are pictures of two of my boys with their adorable personalities making even the simplest costumes look good. Luke didn't want his picture taken until he had on a U of O hat to complete his outfit. Unfortunately we didn't find it until we were already running late. I keep trying to get a re-take, but it hasn't worked out.

I am already trying to think of something creative for next year. I have a really fun idea for a costume for Luke and, as of now, he likes the idea. Only time will tell if it comes together or if I again resort to some last minute costume of desperation.

Marry your mom?!

2010-11-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

At a tender five years of age, Cade is still in love with me. He was very pleased to learn that Cory is three years older than me and may die first. He thinks that after Cory is in heaven that we might be able to be married for at least a year before I die. He added to the ongoing conversation on another day, "You know, when Dad dies he may have money left and then we could have it." I asked why we would need it and he said, "So you could buy a job." He also asked recently if when Dad is in heaven and we get married if the cops will "be after us." I told him that they might be, being that it is against the law for a mom to marry her son. Rather than being discouraged by the knowledge that our marriage would be illegal, he seemed to think the idea of evading the police sounded fun.

+ Silly +

2010-11-15T12:05:00.000-08:00

There is plenty of silly to go around at the Gant house. I have proof.

Who knew that eating popcorn would require this kind of attire? Cade! That's who.

Who knew that swimming masks were not meant for water alone? Luke! That's who.

And who would have guessed that Cory [with his amazing eyelashes] would come home with his face painted to look like Jack Frost? Really, who knew?

Solution: Traps

2010-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was telling Zane that I think he is an attractive little boy and that he is going to draw people to him like a magnet. I also said that when he gets older he is going to have trouble with girls. He replied, " I've got all kinds of things [ideas] to stop that!" When I questioned him regarding what he would do, he replied, "Traps." He also said that he would tell the girls that he likes how to get out of the trap. It is hard to believe in a few short years that Zane's perspective on girls will change 180 degrees.

----------

I've been trying to plan a party for Cade's birthday with his cousins Lolly, Gabriel, and Abigail. I had to cancel the first time because my mom wasn't able to be there and really wants to be. When Gabriel, age 5, found out that the party was canceled, he was excited and asked his mom if he could keep Cade's present. Today, when he found out the re-scheduled party is tomorrow he was disappointed. I guess he would rather stay home from the birthday party and play with the present. Hopefully Cade will be extra nice and let Gabe play with it.

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Mary Poppins & Samantha

2010-08-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

My boys are very noisy when the play. Zane is the most noisy. He seemingly cannot play without sound effects and although I know I will someday miss this, at times it is a bit much. Really, when they all three get going, it is a lot of noise. Today Zane was playing and instead of asking him to quiet down I decided to start making my own noises. Sort of a Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle approach to parenting. So as I am washing dishes and wiping counters I begin making loud, random noises. Within seconds Zane is by my side asking what I am doing. I respond that I am just washing dishes. I take off to the bathroom to put towels in the washer while making jet-plane-like noises. He is right on my heals. He tries to ask questions. I tell him I'm busy. He asks, "Are you trying to make it fun?" Being that he cannot engage me in conversation, Zane goes off to play. Maybe five minutes transpire and my throat is becoming sore. I also notice that Zane is no longer making noise and I call him to the kitchen to ask why. He says that he doesn't always make noise. Then he asks if I was trying to make my job fun like he suggested yesterday. Yesterday, the boys and Cory were going for a bike ride and I was thinking about whether I should go or not. I asked, "Who will make dinner while I'm gone?" Zane told me that, like the lady with the umbrella says [aka Mary Poppins], we should have fun no matter what we do. He thinks maybe I should stay home and have fun making dinner. I laugh and decide to go on the bike ride. So today, after my experiment with noise making, he thought I must have followed his sound advice and used noises to make housework more fun. Personally, I would prefer the twinkle-my-nose approach to housework like Samantha on Bewitched, but he hasn't [and probably won't] see that show.

Cottage Grove Lake

2010-08-03T17:48:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went camping with Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Marsha at Cottage Grove Lake. We had a great time! Grandpa and Grandma brought their boat and the boys got to ski tube for the first time. Zane and Cade loved it! They had their thumbs up most of the time signaling that they wanted to go faster, faster, faster. Cade would hold up both thumbs hoping to urge Grandma to go ever faster.

You may have noticed that I didn't mention Luke. He didn't even want to be in the boat and was crying [warning: the picture below may break your heart]. He finally decided to give the tube a try, but there were conditions: (1) I would ride with him [not Dad, who enjoys speed and; therefore, crashes on occasion], and (2) Grandma Marsha would drive very slow. While on the tube, he confided that the only reason he agreed to the ride was because he could then control how fast the boat went. [Pretty smart kid!] Thankfully, being that Grandma and I did exactly what he wanted, he eventually liked it and we spent our time absorbing God's beautiful creation as we meandered around the lake.

Let me explain...again

2010-07-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

Zane told me this morning, "I don't understand why Cade frustrates me when he knows that he is going to get hurt." After thinking about it for awhile I later told Zane that I think it is because Cade wants his attention so much that he doesn't care if he gets good attention or bad attention. Zane responded, "So he really does want to get hurt." I think he missed my point and I had to go over it again to try to help him understand and be more empathetic.

Commando/Taekwondo

2010-07-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

Cade is still wearing Pull-ups at night. In the morning if he is wet he takes the Pull-up off and wears only his pajamas (no underwear) until it's time to shower. He used to say to me, "Mom, is it okay if I go commando?" however, recently he got a bit confused and began saying, "Mom, I'm going Taekwondo."

Speaking of Taekwondo, my niece Lolly has been taking lessons and my mom cannot remember the word Taekwondo. It seems each time she mentions it to me it comes out a bit different. One of my favorite versions: Kwon-fondue.

2010-07-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

I recently asked Cade if he wanted waffles for dinner. He replied, "YES! You are a genius!"

_________

Today we have Zack, age 7, over to play. I made a picnic for them to eat outside in their fort. After awhile Luke came in the house holding his neck. Here is how our conversation went:

Next time they ask if Zack can come over and play, say no.

Why?

He hurt me!

What did he do?

He hit me in the neck with a cantaloupe [ball]. Luke giggles because he thinks that sounds funny.

You really don't want him to come back?

Well, he can come back, but don't give him cantaloupe.

_________

In June we had a Palmer Family reunion. Luke spent a lot of time pushing Cade on the swing. I was very proud of him and later told him so. He said, "I want to get stronger" then added, as he threw his thumb over his shoulder pointing toward Zane, "So I can beat him up!" Humorous, but his motivation did somewhat negate the kind deed.

_________

This morning I showed Zane a video of a real car that transforms into a plane. I knew he would like it because he often talks about inventing something like that. As he watched the video he said, in a quite awestruck sort of way, "My dream. It's possible. It's possible. It's possible."

CUPCAKES

2010-05-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

FAMILY PHOTOS

2010-05-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

TWYLA ROHDE is an amazing photographer. I'm so glad that I worked up the nerve to have our family pictures taken. Here is a sample of her magic.

2010-05-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to for years, but it is difficult. It makes me so nervous! I don't even understand people who enjoy having it done. But, finally, I made the call and scheduled the appointment. Then I had to wait two weeks. Two weeks to think about how I could help, what we should wear, what I should bring. Yesterday came and Brad and Twyla, our friends and photographers, arrived. We drove to a farm on the edge of town. Five people to catch at just the right moment: no blinking, no wrestling (unless asked for), look at the camera, be still, smile naturally, look comfortable, etc. Three of the five have small attention spans and don't see the importance of remembering this time in our family history. So, I bribed them. I brought "shiny pennies" to give them each time they did what Twyla said. And I brought cupcakes to celebrate if they did well. There were some meltdowns. Thankfully, they were just before and right after. Having pictures taken is a lot of work for little ones (and, therefore, everyone else involved). There were also some weather/lighting concerns. But, now it is done and I'm thankful. Thankful that I will have these photos to help me remember how blessed I am to have Cory, Zane, Luke and Cade. On this day, Mother's Day, I am overwhelmed with thankfulness as I reflect on how the Lord has blessed me with such a wonderful family.

Soon, after a little more waiting and wondering and hoping, I will be able to share the photos that Twyla took. Until then, here is one from Cory who also brought his camera along. He just couldn't help himself.

Three Ride

2010-04-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

While Cory and I were in Seattle my mom and dad watched the boys. These are her favorite pictures from their time together. And her favorite story, which she requested that I blog, is from a trip they took to the park. Another boy that was about the same age as Zane kept daring him to do different things. Zane finally told him "No thank you" and walked away. He then went to my mom and asked, "What does dare mean?" She got such a big kick out of that.

Seattle 2010

2010-04-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Cory and I went to Seattle last weekend as an early celebration of our 17th wedding anniversary. After we settled in to our hotel we went to Pike Place Market and Cory bought flowers for me. Later we went to the Space Needle for dinner and enjoyed the amazing view as the sun went down.

Prior to our trip, I researched restaurants to eat at that were recommended by Food Network's Guy Fieri. He has the show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and being that Cory and I both like hole-in-the-wall kind of places I thought it would be fun. We went to Voula's Offshore Cafe for breakfast and it was delicious. The biscuits, gravy and hash browns were some of the best I've had. [Cory and I always like to try every restaurant's biscuits and gravy.] Later in the evening, we went to Pam's Kitchen to try Trinidadian food. It was also delicious. The Curried Chicken Roti with Paratha bread were great. We also really liked the Peanut Punch. It tasted similar to a peanut butter milkshake.

I'm glad we were not counting calories on this trip! First, we went to FROST Doughnuts so that I could get a t-shirt for my niece, Lolly FROST. While there we felt obligated to try their bacon maple bars and white chocolate raspberry donuts. [Actually, I kinda lured Cory into driving me there by showing him a picture of the bacon maple bar.] Then, being that cupcakes are quite the rage now and I have never been to a cupcake shop, I wanted to experience Cupcake Royale. I walked for nearly two hours in downtown Seattle before I finally found it. [I did have their address, but God did not equip me with an internal compass. I count on Cory for that and he wasn't with me at the time.] After the lengthy walk I felt justified in taking a couple cupcakes back to the hotel with me. On Sunday, we ate lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and I thought it would be rather silly to go to the Cheesecake Factory and not eat cheesecake. Can you blame me? I guess our trip to Seattle will always bring back sweet memories!

THE LATEST STORIES

2010-04-21T12:15:00.001-07:00

"Luke! You cannot control your anger that way!" Zane Gant, while pulling Luke off of Cade

"I like hot showers and I'm teaching you [Luke] to like hot showers. I'm teaching you to be a man!" Zane Gant

"Nothing is too heavy for me to spill!" Luke Gant

After talking about the Bible story where Elijah was taken to heaven in a chariot I tried to explain to the boys what a chariot is. I said it is similar to a buggy but built for one person and the rider is standing. However, the boys are also unfamiliar with a buggy and therefore my explanation wasn't too helpful as evidenced by Luke's comment, "It must have been a big bug [that took Elijah to heaven]!"

A few days ago Cory took the family for a drive to see a house in the country. It is a nice house in a beautiful location and comes with a hefty price tag. The boys decided that they should help save for it. Today Cade came up with a plan. He is going to hold up a sign that says, "I don't have any money!" when we are out and about and hope that people give him money. I should also mention where Cade got this idea. My sister, Joy, had all the kids in her Sunday school class [and Luke and Cade were there visiting that week] pretend to be beggars. They were holding signs like "I don't have any money!" and "I can't work." This was suppose to help them relate to the Bible story she was telling about a beggar. I'm not sure Cade understood the point of the lesson, but he evidently did remember how easy it was to get money from people when you're cute and little and at church. 5/6/10

BREANNE

2010-04-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

When you're lucky enough to have one of your youth group kids become a Physicians Assistant all kinds of fun ensues. Breanne is in Eugene for 10 weeks doing clincals and she has been coming to our house for dinner once a week. The boys have absolutely fallen in love with her. They love it when she tells them long make-believe stories [she has quite an imagination]! She also gave us all well-checks. She put on her lab coat and had her bag of goodies. She checked our hearing, reflexes, ears, blood pressure, etc. Afterward, I told her that she could perhaps payoff some of her school loans by providing birthday party entertainment. Who needs a clown or horse when you can have Breanne come to give well-checks? Well, at least our family thought it was a lot of fun.

Last week Breanne also stayed the night with us. Cory's dad was staying the night too and Cade repeatedly suggested that she sleep with Grandpa on the fold-out bed. For some reason, she opted for the couch. ;-) The boys were up at 7:00 and snuggling with Breanne. I have never seen Cade flirt so much with anyone before. Now that Breanne is his newfound love, I'm less worried that he will "off" Cory so he can marry me like he has been subtly suggesting.

Papa turns 63

2010-04-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

My dad is a hard worker. He likes work and when he isn't working it seems he is thinking about it; therefore, I was not surprised when he organized a work party at my sister's house to celebrate his 63rd birthday. A birthday party that involves more work than play was a new concept for the boys. Dad was cutting down trees and bushes and we were stacking firewood and hauling brush to a bonfire. We all worked hard and accomplished Dad's goal of having a hill ready for Lolly and the boys to play on. After most of the work was done, the kids found it great fun to chase the chickens. Fortunately Camille, Daisy, Cherry, and Lois were pretty good sports about being the birthday party entertainment.

THE DUCKS VS. THE CHICKEN

LOLLY SHOWS THE BOYS HOW IT'S DONE.

ZANE, LOOKING QUITE PROUD

LUKE, A LITTLE SCRATCHED UP AFTER WRESTLING WITH WIRE FENCING

Zane

2010-03-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to blog for awhile about Zane's gift of generosity. I am continually surprised by him. For Christmas (2009) he made it a priority to shop for all those close to him and did so on a small budget. If he got money from one Christmas celebration he would use that money to buy gifts for people at the next celebration. Here is a list of the gifts he gave:

Papa: Tic-Tacs
Boom-Boom: Bear ornament
Grandpa Bruce & Grandma Marsha: Elk ornament
Grandpa Terry & Grandma Loretta: Jerky
Aunt Joy: Snowman ornament
Daddy: Chocolates
Mom: Chocolates
Luke & Cade: Little electronic video games

I think he spent about $20 altogether and was so happy to give. He said that he doesn't like to spend money on himself so that he can make sure he has enough to get everyone else a present.

__________
11/29/11 Update: Zane is still sad that he forgot to get Uncle Curtis and Aunt Melissa a gift. He continues to be a very generous boy; his savings account is reserved for giving and he rarely spends money on himself.

They keep me smiling. :-)

2010-03-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Cade (4 1/2) just said, "When I get to Heaven I'm going to say to Him, 'Thank you for bringing us to Heaven!' and then I'm going to jump up on Him and hug Him and kiss Him." 3/3/10

Would God be proud of me if I give him how much money is a car? How proud? Maybe he would give me a surprise when I get to heaven? Cade, age 4, 3/10/10

My leg elbows are dirty. Cade 4/6/10

The boys like asking me to marry them. Recently, Cade asked me to marry him and then presented me with a Lego creation. He hasn't wanted the other boys to take it apart and they think they need the pieces. I tried explaining to Zane and Luke that Cade meant it as a symbol of his love. The funniest part by far of all the silliness is hearing Cade yell, "GIVE ME MY SYMBOL OF LOVE!!" 4/14/10

Last week we drove down a street that had no outlet. When Zane saw the NO OUTLET sign he said, "How sad!" I asked him why he thought it was sad and he said, "They don't have anything to plug into."

"We all probably feel like we have a spot missing in us. The thing that we feel missing in us is our real home [heaven]." Zane, age 8 2/20/10

I was looking at our pictures on the computer and told Cade and Zane that the pictures were of "last Easter". Zane said, "It is? We never get one again!?" 3/30/10

Today I heard Zane and Luke talking to Cade. They were asking him if when he got older he would still want the Lego creation that he made. They said that if he did they were going to take a picture and blog about it so people would laugh at him. It seems like our new cyber world has created a whole new level for teasing. That's not good. 3/30/10

One of Zane's favorite things to do is fold paper into different creations. Luke was watching Zane and said, "You're going to be a paper artist; I just know it!"

Alan Aldrich from our church called. Luke answered the phone and when he brought it to me he said, "It's Alamo." Zane then perked up, "Elmo!?" Sometimes I feel like we are always playing some weird version of that old telephone game. You know the one. You whisper something into a person's ear and then they whisper is to someone else. It continues down the line until the last person says some distorted version aloud.

2010-02-18T17:00:00.000-08:00

ZANE

Zane just informed me that words are too hard and that is why not very many people graduate from college. [This is in reference to his ongoing complaint that English is difficult to learn being that not all words are phonetic.]

According to Zane: Liberty is a big, big, big, big building. [The Statue of Liberty.]

LUKE

According to Luke: HOMESICK means you are "SICK OF HOME."

I have been working with Cade for a long time to not be so rough. I have adopted the montra "use your hands to do good." Recently Zane & Luke were very excited when they realized that Cade hadn't hit anyone that day. Cade then confessed that he had hit Luke. Luke said he didn't remember being hit, but thought maybe he had been knocked out [and therefore couldn't remember].

CADE

Cade angrily accused me of never making his favorite food. He then said with tears in his eyes, "When you don't make my favorite food it feels like you don't love me!" [It had been three days since I made his favorite, Macaroni and Cheese.]

How do you spell relief?
During a conversation about what bathrooms are called, my Mom said that they used to call it a relief room. Cade piped up that he knew why it was called a re-LEAF room. His reasoning: It's when you have to go to the bathroom and you at the berry patch and you wipe you bottoms with a big LEAF.

Cade was pretending to nurse his stuffed alligator, Chompy. He had him wrapped in a blanket and under his shirt. He added the following sound effects, "Yum. Smack. Yum. Smack. Yum. Smack."

Tonight Cory scheduled a meeting at our home at 6:30. At 6:25 I told the boys that I was worried if Daddy didn't get home soon then he wouldn't be here before the businessman and I didn't know what I would talk to him about. Cade said, "First you say hello." I asked him what I should say next and he didn't know. A little later he came back to me and told me he knew what to say next. I asked, "What?" and he replied, "How are you doing?"

LOLLY

My sister, Joy, helped her daughter, Lolly (4), write down messages in Halloween notes to the boys. Luke's said, "I love you! Have a happy really happy trick-or-treating and good candy. Be nice, that's what the Lord wants us to do."

I called and talked to Lolly and asked her what she had been doing. She said she had just got out of bed. I asked her when she got up and she replied, "Apparently now!"

Viral Gastroenteritis, aka: Stomach Flu

2010-01-28T16:38:00.000-08:00

Viral gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach and intestines caused by a virus. The infection can lead to diarrhea and vomiting. It is sometimes called the "stomach flu" and has taken up residence in the Gant household.
_________

This week has been difficult.

Early Monday morning, around 2:30am, Cade began vomiting. He was sick several times, but began feeling better at noon. The baton was then passed to Zane. He began feeling sick just as Cade began feeling better. Zane vomited close to ten times before the day was through.

The baton was passed back to Cade Tuesday morning and he spent a great deal of time on the couch. He felt better in the evening.

Wednesday I cleaned the majority of the day. I washed the boys sheets, mopped the floors, cleaned bathrooms, disinfected door knobs, etc. After a long, but productive day I finally started feeling like life would return to normal and the house was clean. At 11:30pm Zane took back the baton. I then realized that my cleaning and celebration were premature. He was so sweet to be concerned about the floors. He remarked, "Mom, it's pretty great that I didn't throw-up on the carpet, right?" and "Sorry I made a mess on the floor you just mopped." After much time in the bathroom, waiting for a heave that never came, Zane went to bed.

When we woke up today, Thursday morning, we had a few moments of reprieve before learning that Luke was now the unfortunate holder of the baton. He hasn't felt well all day and continues to vomit periodically.

I have been pretty patient with this flu bug; however, this afternoon I did mention to Cory that if Mr. Viral Gastroenteritis doesn't move out today I am going to quit. Cory reassured me (ha) by predicting that we are next on Mr. G's list. Please Mr. G, may in never be!

To be continued... (maybe)

Art Linkletter Questions

2009-12-16T14:38:00.000-08:00

In March I asked the boys a series of questions and posted the results. I liked doing it so much that I decided to look for some more questions to ask. I watched a few clips from Art Linkletter's old show and wrote down the questions that he asked. For reference, Cade is 4, Luke is 6, and Zane is 7.

What is your favorite Bible story?
Cade: Hmm…The God one. All of them.
Luke: Samson, maybe.
Zane: The one that the staff turns into a snake.

What do we learn from that story?
Cade: To be good to your family. To be nice to them.
Luke: If you don’t know if someone is good, don’t marry them.
Zane: That some Kings are very, very bad.

What is heaven like?
Cade: Like people not hurting people. God giving us a gift when it’s snow time. Then He gives His son to come to earth.
Luke: It’s too good…I don’t know. [Then Cade pipes in that it is “like snuggling your mom to Texas” and Luke says, “Yep. That’s what I think too.”]
Zane: Every treasure you would want and beyond.

What age would you like to be?
Cade: 104, because I want to be as big as Curtis.
Luke: Mom’s age, because then I would get a truffle.
Zane: 7

What is the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen in your life?
Cade: Some of my mommy’s shirts and my Mommy.
Luke: My Mommy.
Zane: You

Who do you look like in your family?
Cade: Cade
Luke: I look like me.
Zane: Mom

What is the longest word?
Cade: Nothing
Luke: Huckleberry Patch. Alligator. Crocodile.
Zane: This is very hard. Ginormous.

What do you like to do best?
Cade: Suck on suckers [as he sucks on a mini candy cane]
Luke: Snuggle with my Mommy and go to my [Grandma] Boom’s house and stay the night for 100 million days and nights.
Zane: Video games or make things out of paper.

What are you thankful for?
Cade: God & God giving us all of the stuff, but the devil.
Luke: My Mommy & Daddy
Zane: My mom

What is an American?
Cade: A picture? [As he looks at a picture on the wall.]
Luke: It is America.
Zane: Me

Who is the most important man in the world?
Cade: God, no one ‘cept God.
Luke: Jesus. My Mommy.
Zane: The President.

What do you think would make a perfect wife?
Cade: Hmmm… My Special Person [ at church ]
Luke: My Mommy.
Zane: I’m sure I don’t know. No clue. That’s very hard.

What is the first thing a fireman does when the alarm rings?
Cade: Get in the fire car.
Luke: Gets his fire clothes on.
Zane: Get up & put on their clothes, then jump on their car & drive away.

What would you do if you were president?
Cade: Be still and ‘tend I wasn’t alive.
Luke: I would say, "Who wants to make up the rules? I don’t. I don’t wanna be a President."
Zane: I would never even want to be the President.

How can you tell if a person is smart?
Cade: My Dad & Mom, them drive so good. It doesn’t make them smart, but that is smart.
Luke: If you ask them something and they know what it is.
Zane: When did you get all these ideas of hard to do stuff? Why are you writing that down? When they can do all kinds of cool things.

What animal would you like to be? Why?
Cade: A frog because I frog my Dad up. [Referring to a game they made up called Froggy Legs]
Luke: Lion, ‘cause I have a [stuffed] lion
Zane: Me. I think we’re animals. You think that’s hilarious?

If you could tell something to everyone in the world what would it be?
Cade: I love you. I love you. I love you.
Luke: I love my Mommy. Is that what you would say? Instead would you say, "I love my kids?"
Zane: Cock-a-doodle-do! I didn’t really want to say that. I don’t even like standing up in front of people. Bubble gum! Larry Boy!

Cade, age 4

2009-11-29T18:24:00.000-08:00

Cade's "special person" from church, Pearl, sent him a note that said she hoped that he got a turkey leg for Thanksgiving. He sent her a note back that said, "I hope you have lots of candy and a ... chicken foot!?"
_________

BABY TALK:

For awhile now Cade has thought that he might have a baby in his tummy. He has said that God and the doctors will get it out. He doesn't know if it is a boy or girl. Recently when we were snuggling he told me, "You're squishing me and the baby!" He also told me that when he has his baby that I will feel better about the baby that we lost [to miscarriage]. The other day he asked, "How did you know what to do to make a baby?" I thought for a moment and then told him I learned in school.
__________

Cade told me today, "I'm addicted to sugar. Pop has sugar!" Then he started reaching for my Pepsi like his hand was out of his control.

_________

Last night Cade smelled the chicken that I was baking for dinner. He said, "I'm going to eat that chicken like a pig!"

Allowance Update

2009-10-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

I think allowance may be put on hiatus for a few years. I had hoped that it would give the boys a small sense of independence and teach them some money management skills; however, after a few months of giving allowance, I feel that it isn't worth the cost [and I don't mean monetarily]. Not only have they continued buying way too many treats, but it feels like I have robbed them of their innocence and they have now joined our "material world". Obviously that is considerably more important to me than any sugar high or its side effects. Their thoughts seem to be consumed with money and it hasn't diminished over time. They talk about it, play with it, trade it, think of ways to get more, ask for it, get upset if their allowance is late [I don't always have the cash/change ready. My bad!], etc. They seem to have a serious case of The Wants. [I want this. I want that.] And, obviously, as our own society showcases, The Wants are hard to cure. The following Bible verse keeps swirling around in my mind:

No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
Matthew 6:24

I certainly do not intend to develop a love of money in my boys [the ramifications scare me] and, for now, allowance does not seem to be helping me avoid it.

On to a new experiment! This time my idea comes from the September 2009 Family Fun magazine.

DADDY DOLLARS. [Cory looks good on currency, don't you think? Perhaps we should all write him in for the 2012 Presidential election.]

They could earn Daddy Dollars for doing little designated chores/duties around the house and then be able to buy things from the "store" such as: making a special treat, playing 20 minutes of video games, a movie rental, choosing the dinner menu, a bike ride, playing a game with mom or dad, a trip to the park, ice cream, one dollar, etc.

Here's hoping that our new experiment is successful!

Lukulele

2009-09-22T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last night, while supposedly sleeping, Luke wrapped himself up in his special blankets. Cory thought that I must have helped him, but I assured him that I had nothing to do with this half Sumo, half Ninja outfit. [Isn't that a hilarious mental picture? I think it could be a very funny movie: The Sumo Ninja. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.] Luke didn't really like the idea of having his picture taken and wasn't very cooperative; therefore, I didn't get a good shot of him without his shirt on which would have showed just how funny his costume was.

More Money Talk

2009-09-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

I invite you to listen in on a conversation that Zane and I had last week while sitting at Target eating popcorn. [I have recreated this conversation to the best of my memory and even took notes of what he said while we were there.]

Mom, can we go to Wal*Mart to get Buzz Lightyear?

You didn't bring your wallet.

You could loan me the money until we get home.

I don't think that is a good idea. If I go to the store and don't bring my money then I don't get to have what I want.

I've loaned you dollars so you could buy Pepsi.

That is true.

Can you beat that?

What do you mean? [I begin thinking that this may be "blog-worthy".]

Can you come up with a better solution than me?

I think you have a pretty good point. [I dig through my purse for scrap paper and a pen and write down what he has said.]

So, I win?

[I become a little distracted as I get back out the paper and pen to add another statement.]

Why are you writing down what I say? [He knows why.]

You're being funny, but also a little disrespectful. It isn't about winner and loser. I am in charge and you are not. You should not be debating with me.

Which one works the most? Which one wins: funny or disrespectful?

__________

I mentioned in a previous post that Cade would prefer to buy gum with his allowance more than anything else. I forgot to mention that he also has a passion for glow sticks. Last week he bought three tubes and begged to go back for a fourth.

Haircuts

2009-09-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

Not only did Cade write his name for the first time today, he also got his first haircut at a barber shop. This was Luke's first barber shop haircut too and Zane's second time for a professional cut. After school I went into this little barber shop across the street from HomeSource to see how much a kid's haircut would be. The barber said $5 and I decided to give it a try. [I only cut their hair because it is the economical thing to do. I don't really like doing it and $5 is very reasonable; however, spending $15 + tip really made me feel like a high-roller and a little guilty.] The barber, who I believe is named Don, is a very old man and when we drove up he was cleaning his dentures in the sink [Yes, very gross, but remember -- five bucks!] Don is from Sicily and has been cutting hair since he was eighteen .... SEVENTY (70) years ago. As Zane started getting his haircut I remembered that he and Luke have school pictures for the very first time in ten days. [Oh Boy. Great timing, Lori!] He had a sign posted that said his doctor has ordered him to take more breaks / time-outs and I was truly concerned that he may not be able to make it through three haircuts. After each boy I would ask Don if he was up for another haircut. He seemed okay and all three boys did great. Don changed the TV to cartoons [ones that the boys would not normally be allowed to see] and he also gave me some tips for home haircuts. He was a very nice man and I think he did pretty well.

Recently Luke decided he wants to grow his hair out so that it to be long enough for a pony tail like mine and Lolly's; however, the excitement of a barber shop hair cut evidently outweighed his desire for long hair.

Cade was a little nervous about getting his hair cut. He didn't want Don to touch him.

School

2009-09-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

This year Zane and Luke have started attending HomeSource, a charter school for homeschool students. My main purpose for enrolling them is for social interaction and extracurricular activities. I am still teaching them all their core classes at home. At HomeSource, they are taking two K-2 classes: Forest Exploration and Kitchen Chemistry. So far we have been three times and they are enjoying themselves. Here are a few pictures from today's Chemistry class. They were learning about colors.

Zane is reading to the class a poem we worked on together about Potato Soup.

Parents are required to stay on premises and are encouraged to be in class with their children. I bring things for Cade to do and we get to observe the class. Today I bribed him with a quarter to concentrate on writing his name. I showed him what to do and then he wrote his name for the first time! I think he did great. :-)

Dr. Leman, are you a quack?

2009-09-09T18:30:00.001-07:00

We started giving the boys allowance about a month ago. I recently re-read a book by Dr. Kevin Leman and he suggested giving allowance in order for kids to learn about money management and decision making. Dr. Leman teaches that "allowance is something each child should be able to spend as he or she sees fit."

We decided to give the following weekly allowance: Zane $2.00, Luke $1.50 and Cade $1.00

I believe it was the second week of allowance we were in Wal*mart and unfortunately went down the candy isle. Zane picked out a package of eight (8!) little Kit-Kats. Cade picked out a box of about one hundred (100!) Mike and Ike candies. I started muttering to myself about how Dr. Leman is absolutely crazy! I was sure the boys would make themselves sick and then wouldn't eat dinner; therefore, wasting more money. Seriously, what was "DOCTOR" Leman thinking!? "Spend as he or she sees fit" -- really? However, I must admit, I was surprised to learn that the boys apparently have more self-control than I do at 35. Zane gave each of us a Kit-Kat on the first and the second day. That meant he only ate two little Kit-Kats. He decided that the next time he would break each little Kit-Kat in half in order for them to last even longer. Cade shared his Mike and Ike candies and then I suggested that he hide them until the next day which he did. The next day he got them out and then after awhile came to me and said, "Mom! I ate too many! What I should do?" I again suggested he hide them and he did. He finished them on the third day. They would have NEVER lasted that long when I was a little girl, let alone now. So, I guess that turned out okay; although, I am hoping that each boy "will learn that it is foolish to be extravagant and to waste his money for the entire week on candy" like Dr. Leman believes they will. [That wouldn't have worked for me, Dr. Leman.] If not, Dr. Leman gives permission to step in after a few weeks.

Regarding allowance in general, I have so far learned:

Zane (7) likes to save his money for something "useful", buy a gift, or enjoy an occasional treat. Money does seem to be on his mind a lot. He can hardly wait for allowance day and talks and talks about what he is saving for. He has asked me if I will give him more money to reward him if he chooses to save his allowance. Unbeknownst to Zane, Dr. Leman actually did that for his children. For every dollar that his children chose to put in the bank, he would also put in a dollar. I am very curious how my 7-year-old could came up with a fund-matching savings plan when he hasn't been taught of such things.

Luke (5) will spend it, save it, give it away, or even throw it up in the arborvitae trees in our yard where they have a fort. I am still wondering if the money will come back down. Luke thinks the birds might use it to build a nest. For another example of his view of money, this weekend I heard him say to his brothers "What do we need money for anyway?" He does really like playing with it which I am not fond of.

Cade (4) is an impulse shopper and loves to buy candy, candy, candy or gum! When he did end up with a relatively large amount of money for his birthday, he thought of a couple toys he wanted, but would have been just as happy with a pack of gum. Like Luke, he really likes to play with the money. And it also seems that he is more concerned about how many things he gets to buy. He may not know what he wants at the store, but he has determined he wants three things. Interesting, don't you think?

Another lesson I have learned: My life was easier before allowance. My boys had been taught not to ask for much at the store and they usually didn't get anything special while we were there, except free cookies from the bakery. Now, my shopping trips seem filled with little ones making "big decisions" as they peruse the isles I go down. I wonder how much time, if any, I should allow them for shopping? I also wonder, even though they enjoy having their own money, is it benefiting them enough to justify the expense of time and money?

As for me, the jury is still out as we continue this experiment in allowance and I would gladly accept suggestions.

OUR SILLY LUKE

2009-09-09T18:30:00.000-07:00

Zane asked me, "Does Luke still need his glasses?" Luke responded, "Do you still need to see?"

Luke and I both had the same idea the other day in school. I excitedly said, "We think alike!" Luke then stated, "We don't have very big ideas do we?"

The following picture of Luke is from last weekend when we went huckleberry picking. He found a couple red huckleberries and put one in each nostril. I told him that he should not ever do that again and he quickly popped them out. Then I asked him to put them back in just for a minute while I snapped a quick picture. It was just too funny! I must ask: Who wants to pick some huckleberries?

AND MORE FUNNY STORIES

2009-08-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

Zane spent nearly all of his money (even his special Sacajawea coins) on a Transformer. I was under the assumption that he was buying it for himself, but when we got home he wanted to wrap it up for Cade's birthday. I was very surprised Zane was giving it to Cade being that it was exactly what he [Zane] had been wanting. He later explained to me that it gives him so much joy to give gifts. His attitude toward giving is not new, he really does enjoy giving. The most touching part was hearing him explain that when you watch a person unwrap a gift that you give them it is like they are "opening joy". It is such a blessing to watch his face light up as he talks about his love of giving.
__________

As I am sitting here typing, Zane has pulled up a chair and is reading what I type. He corrects me when he thinks I have the facts wrong. He said that he didn't spend "nearly all of his money." He contends that he still has lots of coins left. He also corrected, "I don't LOVE giving. I just like it a lot". That reminds me of another story worth blogging:

In our family, like in most, we have words that we do not use. However, I did not expect to add the L-Word to our list. Let me explain: Recently, I have tried to teach my boys that love is a very strong word. That perhaps we shouldn't say it so casually when we are talking about things like toys, cookies, shirts, etc. That we should reserve the word "love" for things that are very special to us like God, family, etc. Zane usually takes what I say to heart and this was no exception. He will now question us when he hears us say we love something and recently said, "Mom! You said the L-Word!"

__________

This week I was trying to teach Cade, who just turned 4, how to wash his buns. While trying to soap himself up he said, "I have poop crumbs." Yes, it is a little crude, but it is also too funny to ever forget so I had to blog it.

__________

I often ask my boys when they come to tattle, "Did/Could someone get hurt? Did/Could something get hurt?" Luke usually sighs and says, "Oh, I did it again." Zane's response is, "Yes! My feelings [got hurt]!"

Blonde Brownies

2009-07-29T16:54:00.000-07:00

Today I prepared the ingredients for Zane to make a batch of Blonde Brownies, a recipe from his Grandma Marsha that is a favorite in the Gant clan. I then wrote down simple instructions and let him go to work.*

The younger boys were absolutely great about letting Zane be the Baker and they were rewarded by being the Batter Testers. Who wouldn't like that job?

After Zane finished, Luke was telling me that he saw Grandma Marsha use some red stuff to make frosting red and that he would make his brownies red. I didn't understand why he wanted red brownies and didn't give it much thought. Later when he talked about it again I realized that my little sweetheart had taken notice that Zane, his blonde-haired brother, made "Blonde" Brownies. Luke has red-hair and therefore would need to make Red Brownies!

----------
* I bet you noticed that Zane isn't wearing a shirt while baking and may think that odd. To explain, it is 105 degrees in Eugene today which is a record high. Why I chose this day for baking is beyond me. [Well, other than the craving factor.]

GOT BERRIES?

2009-07-01T15:23:00.000-07:00

Every year my dad plans various berry picking trips. We pick strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries and huckleberries. I think he organizes his summer more by which berries are ripe rather than by month. He has fond memories of picking berries with his family and wants to pass on the tradition. My favorite is wild huckleberries because it involves a camping trip, but each time we go picking we make fun memories. Here is a couple photos from our last cherry pick.

Funny Stories

2009-07-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Recently Zane and Luke got into an argument. Zane told me, "He pushed my button and took my temper!"
----------
Another time recently, when I was frustrated with Luke, I said, "Luke, every since you were born when I tell your brother not to do something then YOU do it!" [Yes, of course, I was exaggerating. He really couldn't have started this before he was mobile/verbal. And, no, my parenting wasn't up to par, but I am willing to suffer the embarrassment because his reply was so precious.] He responded, as though it was the first time I had pointed this out, "I do that? Thank you for telling me." My heart melted and again I was reminded that I can learn much from my little boys.
----------
Cory and I both believe it is important to present a united front to the boys. We try to back each others parenting decisions and not let the boys work us against each other. I guess you could say we have formed a team. At least that must be how the boys see it. I may have mentioned before that they too have formed a team. They have now championed a new motto, "Teams don't tell!" This is how it works: (1) Zane hits Luke, (2) Luke starts to yell/run for me, (3) Zane says, "Remember? Teams don't tell!" and (4) Luke stops in his tracks. [I think that Zane created this new motto and is benefiting most from it.] Granted this has stopped a bit of the tattling and it is a bit funny; however, I don't think this is going to end well. My "motherly intuition" or "mom-dar" [as in mom radar] is sending up red flags.
----------
The boys and I were driving along and Zane asked where we were going. I told him we were headed home. He asked, "Mom, have you been drinking alcohol?" I have taught the boys that drinking alcohol, among other things, can effect your driving and thinking. He was sure that we were not going the right direction and thought something must be wrong with me. [For the record, I don't drink and didn't laugh when he asked me the question; however, when I told Cory he thought it was funny and said I should blog it.]

RUJADA #15

2009-07-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went camping 19 miles East of Cottage Grove near Layng Creek at Rujada Campground. It was our second time sleeping in the Siesta trailer. We still have a few kinks to work out, but we really like it.
The boys like to pretend that the door has an order window. They ask me what I would like and then I "order" crackers, apples, or some other little snack which they deliver through the little sliding window.

The campground is small (which I like) and has flushing toilets (which I love, as opposed to the pit toilets) and a playground for the kids.

There is also a pretty 1.9 mile hiking trail around the campground. While hiking, one of the boys moved a berry vine or something out of the way for me and I complimented him for being a gentleman. I used that moment to teach them that gentlemen will hold things (like briers) out of the way, move things (like branches) or help a lady over obstacles (fallen logs, rocks, etc). The boys took my words to heart and would have moved any twig out of my way. They would call to me, "Lady!" and give me flowers. Cade felt bad that he couldn't move a large rock out of my way. Oh, they are so cute!

Before bed I decided to wash the boys up. I didn't want them to get their sleeping bags dirty and I think you sleep better when you're not sticky and dirty.

They all asked to get in bed with me (Cory wasn't ready for bed yet) for story time.

In the morning we had hashbrowns, biscuits, gravy and little smokies. Yummy! Good food is essential for all camping trips.

After breakfast we drove up Bohemia Mountain and went by the Musick Guard Station. We hiked 1/2 mile up the Bohemia Mountain Trail. It was beautiful.

Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

2009-06-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

On June 12, Cory and I will have been married for 16 years. Our pending anniversary has caused me to reflect upon our years together...

I first saw Cory Gant from across the parking lot at Boise Bible College [BBC] in 1990. I was visiting my sister during Spring Break. When I saw him, I asked my sister, "Who is that?" and she told me that his name is Cory. I said, "Cory and Lori, wouldn't that be cute!" My sister then informed me [as big sisters do] that I did not have a chance. I responded, "You never know what will happen."

Two years later, right before the beginning of my second year of college at BBC, Cory and I were both in the wedding of our close friends, Scott & Julia Riggan. After the wedding Cory asked me out on our first date.

In December of that year I was trying to hint about what I wanted for Christmas. I didn't want to tell him because then it wouldn't be special, right? I would only tell him that it started with a P and ended with a G. After Christmas he apologized for not giving me a Promise rinG. I didn't know what he was talking about. I wanted the Precious Moments muG that we had seen together in the mall. I did end up with the mug; although, I can't remember how. I saw it today in the cupboard and laughed as I remembered the story that goes with it.

Cory never did buy me a promise ring, but he did propose on either February 6th or 7th [the anniversary of both my paternal and maternal grandparents is the 7th, so I hope it was that day] in McCall, Idaho. During the proposal he asked, as we danced in the falling snow, not only if I would go to the Valentine's Day banquet with him, but if I would also be his valentine for the next 70 years. I agreed, but I do wonder what will happen after 70 years. I guess we will get a chance to evaluate our marriage. I think it would be fun, at 89 and 92, to renew our vows.

Before our wedding, I had two bridal showers. One shower was in Boise at my sister's house and one was at my home church in Drain, Oregon. At the Drain shower, I received a card from Shirley Miller [she was my Grandpa's school teacher] and the truth of her words have come back to me many times over the years. I laughed when I first read it aloud at the shower, but I also thought it a little odd to bring up something so unpleasant at such a happy time.

Lori,

Best Wishes as you start your married life.
You are joining the ranks of - Do the dishes, sweep the floor, cook, make the bed.
Do the dishes, sweep the floor, cook, do the wash and iron (maybe).
Do the dishes, sweep the floor, cook, but the dishes are new, the husband is new so enjoy it all.

God Bless
Shirley Miller

We were married June 12, 1993 in Eugene at Westside Christian Church by Bill Compton and although housework can be overwhelming, like Shirley joked/warned (I'm not sure which), Cory, and our life together, is worth every minute of it. I have never met a man that could be a better match for me and believe that I am a better wife because of Cory. I thank God for our happily-ever-after and give Him the credit.

And, as I reflect on marriage, I am also extremely thankful and encouraged by so many of my friends that are also happily married. I love reading, on Facebook, the little love messages that my friends and their spouses leave for each other. What a blessing. God is so good. Thank you, God, for marriage.

SUMPTER FUN

2009-05-26T13:35:00.000-07:00

During Memorial Day weekend we spent some time in Sumpter, Oregon. My dad had a booth at the Flea Market selling wood and invited us to come along. It is a beautiful area as you can see by the gorgeous picture that my husband took.At the Flea Market the boys also had a booth. They sold snake neck-coolers, log cabin seed packets & balloons. Zane was very serious about their new business and delegated jobs to each worker; Zane sold the snakes, Luke was in charge of the seed packets, Cade was to sell the balloons and Lolly could sell Grandma Boom-Boom's coffee pots. Zane later said that, "Lolly didn't work out." She wasn't too interested in selling.

Luke went up to one lady and told her about the Douglas Fir seed packets that are marketed as Log Cabin Kits [my mom's creation]. She asked him, "If I plant the seeds will a log cabin really grow?" Luke, our budding businessman, responded, "Buy it and see."

We wanted to go gold mining while we were in town, but the business was closed and we were not brave enough to go find a place on our own for fear we would inadvertently end up at someone's claim. While we were looking around, Zane said he thinks he knows why people who are searching for gold are called miners. He said it is because they say, "This is mine. This is mine. No one can have it, it's only mine."

Later that night we were sitting in a restaurant right next to an entrance with a "NO MINORS" sign. Zane asked, "Why don't they want people who look for gold to go in there?" Get it? NO MINERS! Those boys keep us laughing.

We also got to ride on the Sumpter Valley Railway steam-powered train. It was the first train ride for the boys, Cory and me [except for on the miniature train in Molalla]. It was also my Dad's first train ride and Joy and Lolly's too. My mom has been on trains before, but it was her first steam-powered trip. My father-in-law, Terry, and his wife, Loretta, were also able to come with us. It was a fun time for all and the scenery was beautiful.

Go Poppy!

2009-05-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

Two years ago my Dad nearly had a heart attack. He [We] were very fortunate that he had warning signs and did not ignore them. The Doctors put in stents to fix the blockage in his artery. Since then he has really tried to make changes in his lifestyle. He started exercising daily and doing competitive walks. He is now determined to become a runner. Recently, he even become a vegetarian [that was a surprise]. He is an inspiration to me & our family! I keep reminding him that I need him around for at least 15 more years* and I'm so glad that he is trying very hard to be healthy.

Thank you, Dad! I love you and I'm so proud of you!

__________
* Why fifteen years? Good question. I truly want my Dad to be around much, much longer, but fifteen years would allow each of my boys to reach adulthood. I think I will continue telling my Dad each year, "Fifteen more years." That ought to do it. :-)

READY, SET, GO!

2009-05-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

The boys line up for the race. They look very serious, don't they?
Notice cousin Lolly right behind Zane. She ran with her stuffed friend, Chewy, and a headband like Poppy.

READY, SET, GO!!

Yesterday the boys [and cousin Lolly] participated in a 400 meter [one lap around the track] fun run at Marist High School.

Cade had a volunteer that ran beside him. I don't know if he would have been able to do it without the encouragement. He thought that the "man [a HS student] was the nicest man in the world" and wanted to be his friend. Cade fell down once, but finished anyway. He didn't want to walk after the race and his knee is still bothering him a little today. I think that was a very long run for him!

Luke also did a great job & finished about 20 seconds behind Zane. He got a freezbie when he crossed the finish line. He said that he liked the race, but didn't like the way it felt when he was breathing hard.

Zane really enjoyed the race and said, "At the end I felt really happy." I think he finished third overall. The first two kids were a few years older.

I'm very proud of my little boys and hope they will always enjoy doing things that help them be "healthy & strong."

Mother's Day

2009-05-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

On Mother's Day Cory got the boys up, showered and dressed. I slept in [very nice!] and Cory took the boys to Fred Meyer. The boys picked out flowers to plant and Zane bought a Pepsi for me [something he had been planning as a surprise for quite awhile.] Cory also brought home biscuits, gravy and bacon for breakfast.

Zane told me that we needed to come home right after church because something might happen. As another surprise for me, the boys invited my parents, Cory's mom*, Aunt Joy & Lolly. Even though we had just been to Drain the day before Mother's Day, my parents still came. They didn't want to spoil the boys' plans. They even brought pizza and root beer and took me to Dutch Brothers for a free Vanilla Chai. [yummy!]

After lunch Zane rode his bike with me while I went on a 3 mile walk. When we got back, Luke and I went shopping together. I always enjoy spending time with the boys individually.

When Luke and I got back, Cory took us all out to dinner at a small diner called Mom's Snak Shak. Then we went for a drive in the country. I couldn't have asked for a better day.

I told the boys that when I see the flowers I am reminded that they love me. Cade has asked many times, "What do the flowers say now?" I tell him that they say my boys love me. He told me yesterday, "Us did that all for you 'cause us love you." I am so blessed.

* We figured out later that Grandma Marsha really hadn't been invited. Zane delegated that job to Luke and Luke got a little confused and invited her to Father's Day instead.

Business Minded

2009-05-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

One day the boys decided to start selling paper. They were all three on my bed working together to fold and tie little bundles of small notepad paper. They also put a sign in the window of our front door. In the following weeks when family came to visit they would try to make a sale and then split the money.

Then they decided that I needed a business. First they wanted me to cut hair and they put up a little sign. They expected people to start coming by for a haircut. However, I really don't like cutting hair. The sign came down.

Then they decided I should sell cookies and pizza. They put up signs. My dad came to visit and told them that they could not have the sign up in the window unless the product was available. So, I started making big cookies and freezing them individually. My mom said that she would buy them all if I brought them down to Drain. I explained that she would need to come to the "store." Later, I told Zane about her request and he said that we could deliver them...for one dollar. Where do they get this? It must be from their father who is always mulling over a new business idea.

BLESSED

2009-05-05T23:56:00.000-07:00

My boys are so sweet. I am thankful that God chose to bless me with them.

The other day I was getting ready for Bible Study and I told the boys that I needed to go and learn how to be a better wife and mom. They said that they didn't want me to go, that I am a good mom & that they love me just the way I am.

They (especially Zane) often talk about wanting to do something to make my day special and are currently trying to make plans for Mother's Day. From leaked information (they are not as good at keeping secrets as they want to be), I have learned that they have asked my mom to come. They also plan to acquire a Pepsi for me. Too cute!

Yesterday, Cade serenaded me with a wonderful song.

Zane & Luke decided to join in the fun.

2009-04-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

The boys and I went Lady Slipper picking last week with my family in Drain. I was especially happy that my Grandma, age 87, came. Any event that she is able to attend is made more special because of her presence.

Lady Slippers grow in old-growth timber, each flower standing alone amongst the moss proudly displaying its beauty. They must be the best smelling flower in the world. I anxiously await their arrival each year.

We took tiny bouquets to each of the boys' "special people." At our church, many of the older ladies (grandma age) have been assigned a child as their "special person." Our boys have been blessed by the ladies that were assigned to them. They each receive cards in the mail & sometimes little gifts. They really enjoy the attention. I think we were able to brighten the day of each of the ladies and the boys loved making the deliveries.

Politically Correct?

2009-04-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Today the boys and I were out shopping and saw Herman, a friend from church. Before saying anything to me, Herman started talking with Zane. Within a minute or two Herman said to Zane, "You don't know who I am do you?" I told Zane that Herman was our friend from church. Zane then explained to Herman that at first he wasn't sure who he was and then Zane innocently added, "You know, you're not the only black person in the world!" I looked away from the shelf and toward Herman. I asked, "Did Zane just say what I think he had said?" We both started laughing and I turned red. My reaction embarrassed Zane. After Herman left, I explained to Zane, as simply as you can to a seven-year-old, why Herman and I were laughing and gave him a little lesson about being politically correct.

Lick 'em

2009-04-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

Zane came to me yesterday morning and told me that he has read over 60 pages in his Bible. I asked him what he read that morning. He said, with much expression, that he was reading about the time that Jesus was in the temple and the people tried to LICK him, but He got away! I asked, "Lick him?" and he said yes. I asked if he meant spit on Him and he said no. I then asked to see the story. He opened his Bible and found the passage in question. It actually said "kill" Jesus. Evidently, the best that I can surmise, Zane had a dyslexic moment and saw "llik" which when sounded out would read "lick."

Princess anyone? Anyone?

2009-04-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

My niece, Lolly (3), has recently started to enjoy talking on the phone. The other day she asked me what the boys and I were doing that day. After patiently listening to my long list of to-do's, Lolly asked in a sweet little voice, "Are you going to play with your kids?" She suggested playing dragon, princess and prince charming. Although we didn't end up playing the game she recommended, I was thankful for the reminder to make playing with my boys a priority.

The humor of boys.

2009-04-03T19:46:00.001-07:00

Tonight I was playing cars with the boys (something I don't do enough). One of the boys tooted and I said, "Someone just backfired." Luke looked at me and exclaimed while giggling, "It was me. I'm just going for a little ride!" I must say, I am surprised at just how soon little boys start thinking that passing gas is a form of entertainment.

Okay Tooth Fairy, we're ready!

2009-04-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

LOOSING TEETH. Yuck!

2009-04-02T14:43:00.000-07:00

Zane's two front top teeth are loose. One is VERY wiggly. Cory doesn't even want to see Zane wiggle it and I don't like it much either. However, seeing it in there with its deviant crookedness, staring at me, makes me want to pull it out! I don't like tugging on it, but getting it out seems to be the lesser of two evils. Zane is a brave little boy and pretty good about letting me tug on his teeth. [I have pulled out three of the four teeth that he has lost.] He gives me permission and I stop when he asks me to, until today...

Today, I got to tugging on his tooth and had a hard time stopping when Zane requested me to. The tooth is just so close to coming out! Finally, I let him go and he went back to his schoolwork. After awhile he came to me with his paper. He was suppose to write two sentences about his favorite breakfast. What he wrote didn't exactly answer the question, but it did make me laugh:

"I have the feeling that my mom will pull out my tooth while I'm eating."

As instructed, he also drew a picture to go with his sentence. A picture of me pulling out his tooth just as he was about to eat his breakfast doughnut! I laughed so much that he asked me, "Mom, are you going to put this on your blog?" How could I not?

SPRING FLOWERS!?

2009-03-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

I love spring flowers, but with them come an inner struggle. The boys love picking them. They are so happy each and every time they bring me one. It seems they pick all the blooms and step on the rest. Even though each flower delivery is bittersweet, I try to remind myself that they're just flowers. I am sure one day, when I look at my yard full of blooms, I will miss the days when the boys picked them.
We have talked a little about saving some of the flowers for me to enjoy outside. And they have learned that once you pick the flowers they will die quicker. Cade has equated that information with the flowers need for dirt. He now brings me flowers & little handfuls of dirt! He wants the flowers and the dirt inside the vase. So if you come to my house and see a vase full of floating dirt and stemless blooms, you will know why. It's because my little boys love me.

An AMAZING story!

2009-03-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today my mom and her sister, Evelyn, came to visit. They ended up telling their moose hunting story to the boys. Here is the abbreviated version:

They flew into an isolated lake [it didn't even have a name] and were dropped off for a week. On day one, while they were making camp, my mom was chopping on a tree to make improvised tent poles. Apparently the moose heard that noise and, assuming it was another moose, came to them. They told of how they shot it; they both got it in their sights and counted aloud, "one, two, three" and then both shot. They did this twice before it dropped. Then they had to walk 45 minutes, around the lake, to get to it. When they approached the moose they developed another plan: my aunt would shoot it again to ensure the death and my mom would take a picture of her doing so. Just as they got ready, about 10 feet from the moose, it jumped up. My aunt shot it behind the ear and my mom captured an amazing picture. Next they had to gut it, cut it up [with a chainsaw lubricated with Crisco oil], and hang it, a process that took many days. When the pilot returned he was so impressed by what these two women could do he named the lake Two Sisters!

Hearing them tell the story together was a lot of fun. When they reached the end, Zane said, "I feel like I'm going to cry." When asked why, he replied, "That was an amazing story!"

2009-03-15T19:07:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago the boys and I went to see my sister. They live on about 40 acres and we were outside exploring. Zane got tangled up in the berry briers and wanted help. Being that he was up on a muddy hill and I didn't have on the right shoes, I told him that he could do it by himself. Luke told him, "She doesn't want to be a country lady!"

I think it was the same day that I was teasing the boys and told them that I was not going to feed them lunch. Zane responded, "Snot! It's a booger of a problem!" [He borrowed that line from a song.]

Oh, the questions...

2009-03-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

"What is that?" asks Cade.
"It's salt & pepper," respond I.
"Where did you get it?"asks Cade.
"From the cabinet," respond I.
"Where did you get it?" Cade asks again.
"From the store," respond I, hoping that Cade now has the answer he seeks.
"What did you get from the store?" says Zane, deciding that he know wants to be part of the conversation.
"The salt & pepper," respond I.
"Which cabinet?" Luke wants to know; however, no response is given from the tired I.
"I know! A cabinet we cannot reach," Luke concludes.

Recently Luke asked, "How do daddies help girls make babies?"
My answer: God has a special way.
To which Luke responded, "It could be that Jesus has a magic remote control."

Luke also asked recently, "Do butterflies go potty?"

Cory through the eyes of our children.

2009-03-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

1. What is something dad always says to you?
Zane (age 7): A tackling word. It's like 'Oh Yeah'.
Luke (age 5): Seems like he always says don't get out of bed.
Cade (age 3): Go in yours room.

2. What makes dad happy?
Zane: To squish us.
Luke: Me.
Cade: Me hugging him.

3. What makes dad sad?
Zane: To kill us.
Luke: If I burned all of the Pepsi.
Cade: Me no hugging him.

4. How does your dad make you laugh?
Zane: Tickling us.
Luke: When he tickles me.
Cade: From tickling me.

5. What was your dad like as a child?
Zane: Indian.
Luke: Me.
Cade: Bars. 'Cause us love bars. [Granola bars]

6. How old is your dad?
Zane: What is it again?
Luke: How old? 45?
Cade: Me think 5-8.

7. How tall is your dad?
Zane: I have no idea.
Luke: I don't know.
Cade: 8 points.

8. What is his favorite thing to do?
Zane: Go on bike rides.
Luke: Play with me.
Cade: Go look at houses with you [mom].

9. What does your dad do when you're not around?
Zane: Do work.
Luke: He goes and does a date with mom.
Cade: Go to the store with you [mom].

10. If your dad becomes famous, what will it be for?
Zane: The strongest person in the whole wide world.
Luke: I don't know.
Cade: No me know.

11. What is your dad really good at?
Zane: Basket....no. Football.
Luke: Making pancakes.
Cade: Cutting trees [as he stares out the window].

12. What is your dad not very good at?
Zane: Knowing if we're squished. He doesn't think we're squished when we are squished.
Luke: Dad isn't very good at making babies.
Cade: Climbing trees [as he continues staring out the window].

13. What does your dad do for his job?
Zane: Build houses.
Luke: He builds houses. That is what his job is.
Cade: Work on a house.

14. What is your dad's favorite food?
Zane: This is an easy one. It's tacos.
Luke: Salad and hamburgers, tacos. That is all.
Cade: 'Tatoes.

15. What makes you proud of your dad?
Zane: Because he is so much fun and he makes everything seem fun.
Luke: When he makes pancakes. Yum! I want pancakes right now!
Cade: He at our house.

16. If your dad were a cartoon character, who would he be?
Zane: Strong man!
Luke: A kid one that we could watch and that mommy could watch.
Cade: Spiderweb.

17. What do you and your dad do together?
Zane: Play football. Go out.
Luke: I go in the pickup with him. Sometimes I go to his work site with him.
Cade: Go to a store.

18. How are you and your dad the same?
Zane: We have two eyes, two hands, five fingers, two eyes, two nostrils, one body and two legs. Two feet and five toes.
Luke: We're people. He is a person and I am a person.
Cade: 'Cause me have the same hair as him. Just a little bit.

19. How are you and your dad different?
Zane: He's bigger than me. Almost everything about him is bigger than me.
Luke: He likes salad and I don't. And I like...what does I like and he doesn't? I don't know.
Cade: 'Cause us have not the same eyeballs.

20. How do you know your dad loves you?
Zane: Because he's nice to me.
Luke: When he hugs me and kisses me and says that he loves me. I thought that you knowed that? Didn't know that you didn't.
Cade: 'Cause he loves me. 'Cause dad told me.

21. What does your dad like most about your mom?
Zane: Nothing. He just loves her so much.
Luke: That he is her husband.
Cade: Making dinner.

22. Where is your dad's favorite place to go?
Zane: To go on drives when mom is in a store.
Luke: I don't know. Robins. [Red Robin Restaurant]
Cade: To the Steve's house. [Steve Cornelius]

Lori through the eyes of our children

2009-02-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

1. What is something mom always says to you?
Zane (age 7): Good job!
Luke (age 5): I love you.
Cade (age 3): Good stuff.

2. What makes mom happy?
Zane: Saying, 'I love you.'
Luke: Me.
Cade: Saying me love her.

3. What makes mom sad?
Zane: Being mean.
Luke: If I die or get on fire.
Cade: Hint? Me cry then her cry.

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Zane: Tickling us.
Luke: Tickling me.
Cade: Telling something to dad.

5. What was your mom like as a child?
Zane: I don't know. What were you like?
Luke: Me.
Cade: Cereal.

6. How old is your mom?
Zane: 35
Luke: 35
Cade: 8

7. How tall is your mom?
Zane: Can I have a tape measure, Mom?
Luke: Not very tall. It's okay how tall you are, I think.
Cade: This big [points at the computer].

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Zane: Make us happy.
Luke: Eat candy & chocolate.
Cade: Eat dinner.

9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Zane: Worry.
Luke: Go find me.
Cade: Go to a store.

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Zane: Doing crazy tricks.
Luke: Me.
Cade: Shar-Shar's.

11. What is your mom really good at?
Zane: Loving us.
Luke: Making food.
Cade: Doing Zane's school.

12. What is your mom not very good at?
Zane: Driving, right mom?
Luke: Nothing.
Cade: Cutting stuff.

13. What does your mom do for her job?
Zane: Feed us & clean up our toys.
Luke: Make me obey.
Cade: Hint?

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Zane: Ice cream & brownies.
Luke: What? I don't know.
Cade: Salad.

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Zane: Being nice.
Luke: Snuggling.
Cade: No me know.

16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Zane: Mom-my Girl.
Luke: Lori mom.
Cade: This one [picks up a pink pencil]

17. What do you and your mom do together?
Zane: Go on dates sometimes.
Luke: Go on dates & to the eye doctor.
Cade: Go to the park.

18. How are you and your mom the same?
Zane: Same color hair, 2 eyes, 2 nostrils, 1 mouth, 2 ears.
Luke: We love each other.
Cade: Us likes greens.

19. How are you and your mom different?
Zane: My mom is bigger than me.
Luke: I don't like peas or pickles & she does.
Cade: From us no like green.

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Zane: Because she snuggles with me & tickles me.
Luke: Because she hugs & kisses me.
Cade: 'Cause you love me.

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Zane: He does work for mom - making houses what makes us get money.
Luke: That he works money for her.
Cade: 'Cause he love you.

22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Zane: Home.
Luke: To me.
Cade: Go at the store with dad.

Seventh Birthday

2009-02-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Zane's seventh birthday (2/10) on Sunday. After church, Zane and I went down to Alton Baker Park for the Kids Fun Run at the Eugene Truffle Shuffle walk/run. Kids ages 6 and up competed together. I was so proud of Zane for doing his best and trying something new. (It was actually a little hard for me to take pictures because I was choking back tears.) He really enjoyed himself and said that he didn't let the kids behind him get past him.
Later that day, Cory and I took the kids to the bowling alley. Grandpa Bud, Grandma Boom-Boom, Aunt Joy and Lolly met us there. We had a great time; watching the kids bowl is so much fun! Next we went for pizza and then headed home for cake, ice cream, and presents. Cade was sad that he didn't have any presents so Zane let him open most of them. He said that next year Luke could open them. What a nice brother! What a great kid! Thank you, God, for Zane.

L2Gant

Cousin Calvin

Haircut Time

Halloween

Bonding by way of accident

Luke's 8th Birthday

The Picking Patriarch

Life is just a bowl of cherries.

Life's a peach!

Teeth

My Journey to Jogging

2011 Huckleberry Hunt

Summer Slam

Cade's Cakes

Growing Up

Busy Boys

Medic Luke

Luke's Goals

Mind your manners

What's for dinner?

Cade's Turn

Father's Day

Cory's 41st Birthday

Potatoes

Luke's Teeth

This means war!

Smart like Ben

Church Clothes

Charpie Spice

Whoa, Martha, back up!

The Cake for Cade

Special People

Sweet William

Mohawks and more...

Valentine's Day

Luke

Cookie Dough

Zane

Blogging

Zane's ideas...

Pajamas

The Challenge of Parenting

Dolly [pardon me] Parton

Head's up, Mom!

Halloween

Marry your mom?!

+ Silly +

Solution: Traps

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, Mary Poppins & Samantha

Cottage Grove Lake

Let me explain...again

Commando/Taekwondo

CUPCAKES

FAMILY PHOTOS

Three Ride

Seattle 2010

THE LATEST STORIES

BREANNE

Papa turns 63

Zane

They keep me smiling. :-)

Viral Gastroenteritis, aka: Stomach Flu

Art Linkletter Questions

Cade, age 4

Allowance Update

Lukulele

More Money Talk

Haircuts

School

Dr. Leman, are you a quack?

OUR SILLY LUKE

AND MORE FUNNY STORIES

Blonde Brownies

More Funny Stories

GOT BERRIES?

Funny Stories

RUJADA #15

Mawage, that bwessed awangment, that dweam wifin a dweam...

SUMPTER FUN

Go Poppy!