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My kids are cute....this snow isn't.

I did not order 6 inches of snow for my birthday. *sigh*

Oh well, backtracking... Tonight was the Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet, which means we weren't going to be able to go out to birthday dinner. So Aaron took us out Monday night instead. We went to Hu Hot, one of my favorite restaurants. It was a kick off for "Birthday Week" which is what I always call this last week in February because mine and Ollie's birthdays are only five days apart. I love sharing my birthday month with this goof. :)

Today, on actual birthday, my mom came down and we went shopping for a new temple dress for me. Yippee!! I got a skirt and shirt combo with a cardigan to go over top. No zippers, and SO much more comfortable.

Then Mom took us to lunch at Sizzler, because steak is my most favorite food. I love when my mom comes down and we get to hang out.

Ollie, Rue, Cal, Gramma Tam, and Krystal

Aaron is putting up the beadboard in our living room as my birthday present. I am in love with it. It's all up, now it just needs to be caulked and painted. I'll post finished pics when it's all done.

President's Day 2016

Oh Beautiful Weather!

All of Aaron's siblings are in town, which means there were quite a lot of us wanting to get together and hang out. A  picnic lunch at the park was the perfect solution. Above are all 23 grandkids except Jordan who is on a mission, and newborn Ilo.

Ollie and Eli

Rue

Jeremiah, Adelia, Ruby, Ollie, Bennett, Grandma Swan and Silas

Eli and Rue.

Update

We are so close to some Spring relief. I feel like we're all holding our breath waiting for it and just trying to push through the last little bit of winter any way that we can. Ruby in particular is just plain sick of being cooped up. The other day she was taking out her frustrations on Ollie, so in an attempt to redirect her energy, I put some boots and a coat on her and sent her outside to demolish the last remaining bits of the snow fort. Whatever it takes, right? 

My little Rue. She's been such a handful lately. The other morning she got up at 4:30am for no reason whatsoever. She kept coming in and out of our room, we'd put her back to bed, only to hear her five seconds later playing in the school room at full volume. After everyone else was up, and I'd finished feeding Cal, I noticed that I hadn't heard her for awhile. After looking around for a bit, and worrying slightly that she'd snuck out and run away, I finally found her sound asleep in her bed. 

I couldn't be too mad though. At the beginning of February a family in our ward lost their 4-year-old son unexpectedly. Everyone in our neighborhood's hearts are breaking as we mourn with this family. And I'll tell you what, it sure puts things into perspective. So what if I haven't gotten much sleep in the last 10 years. I'm tired, but I can still walk into Ruby's room and watch her peacefully sleeping like an angel at 9 o'clock in the morning. Even though she tears through our house like a Tasmanian Devil, leaving all our possessions scattered in her wake.....she's still here to follow me around and be my shadow and my buddy. I still get to hear her cute little voice practicing new words, and asking "What's that? What's that?" This week particularly, the messes and the crazy are taking a back seat, and blending in as part of the wonderful whole, that is my healthy, happy, living child. I wish it didn't take a tragedy to remind me. But I am glad that we live in an amazing ward where people come together and lean on each other and care for each other. Since I'm in the Relief Society, we got to be involved in some the details of the funeral and luncheon. There was such and outpouring of love and support from the beginning to the end. And even though it was such a sad, sad day; the Spirit was in the room and the feelings of peach and comfort were the most dominant. We were all uplifted, even as we cried with the family. And I just remember thinking, "This is it, right here. This is the gospel in it's purest and truest form."  

Switching topics:  Cal is five months old! I love this cute little baldy-head. He has been such a light. I finally caved, and he is eating solids now. Wolfing them down and begging for more, would really be a more accurate description. He's rolling all over the place now, back to front and front to back, he's pretty mobile. He loves to watch his siblings. He's always been wide-eyed alert, but now he's starting to be social, making eye contact and smiling; jabbering at you to try and get your attention. Giggling. No predictable schedule yet. He doesn't nap super well, or super long, but he is usually happy anyway. He loves to go places, and is very happy and well behaved out in public. He doesn't seem to mind strangers, and will let anyone hold him.  I'm REALLY leaning more and more towards the Type 1 every day. But I hesitate to say that for 100% sure. Lincoln was a really happy, social baby, and he's a Type 4. But time will tell, and I'm content to watch it develop and makes notes as I go, until I'm positive of one Type or another.

We have had a couple warm days where the sun has come out. And those days have been so wonderful. I've been letting the chickens run free in the yard when it's warm. I figure they can eat any bugs that have wandered into my garden, and they can fertilize the lawn while they're at it. Right now is the perfect time to let them have a little vacation from their coop and run, because I haven't planted anything yet. As soon as I plant, they'll be banished so that they don't eat my baby plants.

I've been inspecting things around the yard while we're out playing. It's almost time to prune my trees, probably next weekend, if the weather stays nice. I discovered a bunch of blackish reddish sap around the base of our peach tree. After doing some research, I figured out that it's Peach Borer, a moth that lays its eggs at the base of a tree, and when the eggs hatch and turn into grubs they eat underneath the bark of the tree and it kills the tree. Aaron and I had to wash the sap away and dig around the tree, we found 5-7 grubs and fed them to the chickens. We'll need to spray to kill the moths a little later in the year. I'm hoping we've caught it soon enough to save the tree. Because I will probably cry if my peach tree dies.

Since we've had such cabin fever, on the days when it's not warm enough to spend time in the backyard, I have been making a real effort to leave the house, and it has had such a positive impact on my mental state. Mondays we've been going to the grocery store, Tuesdays we hit up Springville Library story time, Wednesday Ollie usually plays with a friend, Thursdays we go to Provo library story time, and Fridays we go to the indoor playground with our homeschool group. This is all very loose. Last week we changed it up and swapped out one of the days and went to the BYU Paleontology Museum instead, because Ollie wanted to see a T-Rex. :) I love where we live, because there are so many options of free things to go and do nearby.

"Mom, today is a great day for me to fly!" -Ollie

Lincoln shooting a layup at his basketball game

 

Adelia, Krystal, Ruby

Adelia and cousin Eliza playing dress-ups and Grandma Swan's.

Real Life With Ruby

Sometimes isn't it just nice to know that you aren't the only one out there who is the victim of a 2 year old? Here are a few images from a-day-in-the-life-of-Ruby, while Mom was feeding Baby Cal.....

Hard to see in the pic, but this is about a 1/4 inch of water all over the entire kitchen floor.

Book Love

Love is in the air at my house....book love, that is! For whatever reason January/February is our season for lots of reading while we try to wait out the last little bit of winter. I've read a couple of great books lately, and I'm always looking for more, so I sent out this little questionnaire to my homeschool mamas. These are my answers...

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? My dad used to read out loud to us to keep us out of my mom's hair while she made dinner. I still love to be read out loud to, yay for audio books!

2. What are some books you read as a child? Tons. But the ones that stand out are Mouse and the Motorcycle, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series, Chronicles of Narnia, Heidi, American Girl Series, Nancy Drew, Babysitter Club....

3. What is your favorite genre? Historical fiction. 

4. Do you have a favorite novel? Many. But most favorite is These Is My Words by Nancy E Turner.

5. Where do you usually read? All over the place. I usually have a book in my purse just in case.

6. When do you usually read? Whenever I can squeeze it in, while I'm nursing a baby, while I'm waiting for kids in the car, at the park, at night before bed (at night after bed with a flashlight, haha!)....

7. Do you usually have more than one book you are reading at a time? Yep. Usually. I at least have one I'm reading/listening to with the kids, and one I'm reading on my own. And maybe one I'm reading with Aaron.

8. Do you read nonfiction in a different way or place than you read fiction? Not really. I guess it depends on what kind of non-fiction book it is. If it's a homesteading or gardening book, I don't read every word, but just flip to the section that has the information I want and read that.

9. Do you buy most of the books you read, or borrow them, or check them out of the library? Buy. I find our library doesn't have the selection, or if they do the line for it is out of this world. I buy used though and can usually find the book for just a couple bucks.

10. Do you keep most of the books you buy? I'd like to say only the good ones that I think I, or someone in my family will read again. But the reality is I keep most of them, unless I really didn't like the book. :) I'm a bit of a bibliophile.

11. What are the last 3 books you read? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Where the Red Fern Grows, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

12. What are you reading now? Just barely finished the book with the kids and my book, so need to start new of those, but Aaron and I are reading Hidden Figures currently. 

13. Do you keep a TBR (to be read) list? You better believe it....it's got 316 book on it :D

14. What's next? To read with the kids I'm trying to decide between Farmer Boy and The Liberation of Gabriel King; for myself I'm trying to decide between The Orchardist, and Salt to the Sea, or reviewing some of my gardening books

15. What books would you like to reread? These is My Words (I read it just about every year), Gone With the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, Farm City, The Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter. The Book Thief......so many

16. Who are your favorite authors? John Steinbeck, Willa Cather, Edna Ferber, Laurie R King, J.K. Rowling, Wallace Stegner

Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

by Mark Haddon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy smokes, what a ride! Fast paced, and so interesting. I read it in one day. The author does a great job of presenting the reader with a character that is different from most people (an autistic 15 y/o boy), and explaining his thoughts/feelings/actions in a way that make him loveable and accessible. All the characters are great, none of them perfect, but that's what makes them so interesting. A great read. I'll recommend it, but with the heads-up that there is a LOT of strong language.

Poetry Recital and Valentines Day

 One of my favorite activities that our homeschool group does is the Poetry Recital and Valentine Exchange in February. This year, I was in charge of this activity. Now, to be honest, I can take or leave the Valentine bit. The kids love it, so we do it, and that it a-okay with me. But what I really, really, REALLY love is our poetry recital. I love it more than there are words or emojis you could use to describe how much I love it. And because I love it so, we have made it into a rather "big deal" at my house. I have an agreement with my kids that if they memorize and recite their poems at the Homeschool Poetry Recital, they will earn a giant chocolate heart from me on actual Valentines Day. We started this tradition several years ago, because Lincoln (and Ivan and Adelia ended up memorizing it too) was learning My Mother's Chocolate Valentine by Jack Prelutsky that year and I bribed him with a chocolate heart because that's what the poem is about. And the tradition has stuck, so they earn a chocolate heart every year, no matter what they recite. :)

Since we've been working on memorizing Shakespeare this year, both Adelia and Ivan chose to recite pieces from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Ollie picked a very short, funny one-liner from Shakespeare that I'm not sure where it came from. "I go, I go, look how I go! Faster than an arrow from a Tartar's bow!" Lincoln asked if he could learn a nursery rhyme or poem in German and recite that. So I helped him find a reasonably short one about a cat walking through the snow, and by the time it got into the house it looked like it had white socks on it's feet. Linc was able to memorize it, which I thought was awesome because he hadn't learned the majority of the words yet in his German studies. He was pretty pleased with himself.

All the kids did an excellent job reciting. I love the variety, and the personality that comes through, and I love that my kids get to see that other kids memorize poetry too.

In order for me to get a reservation at the church, I had to so the recital during the daytime on Friday, which meant no dads. :( It also meant I was trying to keep Ruby and Cal quiet so I didn't get a chance to record my kids reciting. I did snap a couple of quick pictures. But I wish I would have been able to record them.

Ivan reciting "Captain of our Fairy Band" from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Adelia reciting "I know a bank where the wild thyme grows..." from A Midsummer Night's Dream

Ollie reciting, "I go, I go..." from Shakespeare.

Lincoln reciting, "ABC Die Katze lief im schnee..." a German poem about a cat.

 This year, as part of our celebration of words, I asked all the kids to bring samples of their writing to display for everyone to read and see. I don't know if this was a hit for anyone else or not, but I loved it! I think having people read and praise your work is really exciting and gives meaning to writing. Especially if it's your peers reading your work. So my good friend Wynter helped me set up and decorate tables, and we displayed the kids' writing projects and it was awesome. We have some really imaginative and talented kids in our group. I loved seeing and reading the different things they brought to show.

At home, I tried my very hardest to make Valentines Day a day where we express our love and appreciation for each other, and not just another holiday where we go berserk on candy and gifts. Easier said than done. But I did encourage the kids to write notes to each other. I helped Ollie sew around hearts with yarn, and then I wrote on them while he dictated to me what he wanted each one to say. Lincoln and Ivan both made cards for everyone too. Adelia forgot, but that's ok. Aaron opted to make everyone a nice breakfast on Vday morning, instead of cards, and that was awesome too. (He did make a card for me though.) I make everyone cards every year, and then I have them sitting by their plate at breakfast along with the chocolate heart they earned from the poetry recital. The kids really don't care much about the cards, but maybe some day they will. And they seemed to like it this year that they each got cards from almost everyone in the family.

For the record:

Linc,
You are getting so grown up, and are such a good helper. I love being your mom and watching you learn new things. You are a good kid. And I am so proud of the example you set for your siblings. I hope you never forget how much your old mom loves you, because it is A LOT! Happy Valentines Day.
Love,
Mom

Ivan,
What's black and white and red all over? Your Valentine! :) I just want to tell you how much I love you. I can't believe you're turning 8 soon. You are growing up so fast. You are a good kid and a big helper. I appreciate how you often step in to help without being asked.  I love to watch all the things you are learning and doing. Don't ever forget that your old mom loves you LOTS and LOTS. Happy Valentines Day!
Love,
Mom

Delly Bean,
Happy Valentines Day! I just wanted to tell you thanks for bringing so much light and happiness into our house and family. I love watching you make friends and brighten people's day. Life is so much more fun because you are here. I'm so proud of all the things you are learning and doing. Never forget how much your old mom loves you. It's A LOT!
Love,
Mom

Oliver Michael Swan,
Happy Valentines Day to you my little snuggle bug. I sure do love you A LOT!! I love that we get to hang out all day and that you are my field trip buddy. It's fun to go on adventures with you. I love to watch you learn, and to answer all your questions. Thanks for always being my sunshine.
Love,
Mom

Ruester Magoo!
I love you so! And all your spice and personality too. You make me laugh every day. I love that you are my determined little helper. I love that you want to do everything the big kids do. Happy Vday Chicka! Love you LOTS!
Love,
Mom

Cal Buddy,
You are such a personable and contented little fella. I love your twinkly smiling eyes and your round baldy-head. Thanks for being mellow and easy going. I love you more than all the stars and all the cars.
Love,
Mom

Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

by Rebecca Skloot
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book blew my mind in so many ways. I'd never heard of HeLa or Henrietta Lacks before this book, but she has definitely had an impact on my life. Her cells -taken without her knowledge in 1951- became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and more.

This book is nonfiction, but it reads like fiction. The author did a fantastic job explaining tricky scientific concepts in ways that were easy to understand and didn't feel condescending. She also does a fantastic job of not having an agenda, which is SO refreshing. The story doesn't feel slanted in favor of one party or the other. The author doesn't judge the characters. She simply tells the story using interesting facts, and then leaves the reader in charge of deciding how to feel.

And the "how do I feel" bit is pretty complicated. This book is going to be on my mind for a long time. Love it!

A to Z Book Tag

My friend posted this on her book blog, and I couldn't help but do it too. I think it gives an excellent scope of the kind of books I typically read. I tried to pick books I've read more recently, but some letters were a lot harder than others. I still can't find any for X or Y.

So basically it goes like this: Get on your Goodreads Account and go to your "Read Books" shelf. Then see how many letters of the alphabet you can match up with.


A- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Bachman

B- Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

C- Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

D- The Dirty Life: On Farming, Food, and Love by Kristin Kimball

E- Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

F- Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas

G- Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

H- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany, Jack Thorne, and JK Rowling

I- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

J- Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

K- The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

L- Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers by Ralph Moody

M- Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

N- The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

O- One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

P- Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Q- Q&A A Day (Not sure if this one technically counts because it's a journal I write in every day, rather than a reading book.)

R- The Road by Cormac McCarthy

S- So Big by Edna Feber

T- These Is My Words by Nancy E Turner

U- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

V- The Virginian by Owen Wister

W- Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

X-

Y-

Z- The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

Personality

What do Donald Trump, James Potter, Peppermint Patty, R2-D2, Gimli the Dwarf, a velociraptor, and myself have in common?  Well, we are all ESTP's in the world of the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality test that I'm am currently obsessed with. Haha!

Meyers-Briggs isn't your typical "Huffington Post" personality test. It's big. Tons of research has been done on it, and you can find boat loads of charts and information about it in the Internet.

From Wikipedia: "The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire designed to indicate psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions.

The MBTI was constructed by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It is based on the typological theory proposed by Carl Jung who had speculated that there are four principal psychological functions by which humans experience the world – sensation, intuition, feeling, and thinking – and that one of these four functions is dominant for a person most of the time. The MBTI was constructed for normal populations and emphasizes the value of naturally occurring differences. The underlying assumption of the MBTI is that we all have specific preferences in the way we construe our experiences, and these preferences underlie our interests, needs, values, and motivation."

Interested? You can take the test here: 16personalities.com



So, I am an ESTP. The gist of what that means is at the top. Basically, I'm a hands-on leaner, who can make decisions quickly and confidently. I like doing things more than thinking about them, and I tend to end up in charge of things, even though I don't seek out that role. The results you get when you finish your test go into a lot greater detail. And I thought for the most part the assessment was pretty accurate.



I also love that people have taken this into SO MANY different realms. You can find presidents, famous people, even Disney villains with your MBTI type. You can see which type would be your ideal match (amazingly enough, Aaron's type, ISFJ, is the type most compatible to me, go figure). Someone even did a blog post about what each of the different types look like as a homeschool mom. Mine fits the bill I think.

And here's me as a dinosaur......whatever that means, haha!

Anyways, I've been having a ton of fun with this. Not because I follow it dogmatically or anything, but because I think sometimes when you are a little off (which I have been lately) it's nice to remember what and who you are. It's nice to be reminded what normal looks like. And I think it's interesting and fun to understand yourself and the people around you through different lenses. And the Meyers Briggs lens is fascinating because it's so popular and so much has been done with it. I also feel like it fits in really well with Dressing Your Truth and Energy Profiling. Both systems describe me accurately.

This is a funny conversation Aaron and I had about our MBTI.....

Apparently, it's not hard to imagine me walking around lugging an axe while tasering people. :P