Boys' Week Part I

I first must state that all pictures included in the next few posts will be neither touched up nor cropped, as my parents don't have any form of photo editing software on their computers. Technological advances must be taken in stride, they believe. For example, they just upgraded their gaming system from Atari to Nintendo 64. (Kidding, Con & Glo).

So here I am in Grand Junction, Colorado, with my mother (aforementioned Glo), father (that'd be Con), and five wiley boys ranging in age from nine to eleven. Because two of them belong to me (Tanner-11, and Tucker-9), my mother invited me to come along for the proverbial ride when she decided to host a "boys' weekend" at their home here in Grand Junction. My kids and I drove to SLC last Saturday and dropped Kalli at her Aunt Debbie's to stay, then drove to Grand Junction and sent Katelyn home with her cousin Rachel for the week.

And so the fun begins. The cast includes my boys as well as cousins Sawyer (10) from Dallas, TX, Bowen (11) from Castle Rock, CO, and Trevor (9) from Thornton, CO. And of course Con and Glo!

Monday morning Mom and I took the boys on a hike around Dinosaur Hill.

There was a lengthy stretch of time where they threw rocks at...well...bigger rocks.

And then it was discovered that several makes and models of lizards resided on this particular hill and the buzzword then became LIZARD! shouted loudly, drawing a small crowd of scurrying boys trying to trap the poor defenseless reptile. At one point, I myself spotted a lizard and was rewarded with several glances of respect and appreciation.

More lizard hunting. Small boulders were often moved from their places in an effort to unveil fresh prey.

A hike up to a cave. Sawyer, who had donned flip flops for the day, tried to scramble up but withdrew after several attempts. Let it be noted that he made a worthy effort.

Trevor and Bo were my photo op posers. The rest of them hardly knew I was there!

Tanner on the prowl.

Tucker still enjoys seeing how small a space his body will fit into.

After a few hours of hiking/lizard chasing/rock hunting, we took the boys to the Dinosaur Museum. Grandma had painstakingly put together a worksheet (frighteningly similar to homework) and let the boys loose on the place. They did a fantastic job of working together to get all the answers and had a good time doing it.

Bowen totally dug the motorized dino head...

Trevor with a raptor claw up his nose. A good look for him, eh?

The boys, homework in hand, enjoyed the earthquake simulator. It was reminiscent of four boys needing desperately to use the restroom.

Then it was off to the Lincoln Park pool and waterslide. The kids had a great time on the slide and diving board.

Trevor. What kind of face is that?! (This is the point in the day where I somehow assumed the name "Hobo." I believe Trevor was referring to it at this time. I hear you can rest assured you've been accepted into the clan when you've been assigned a nickname.)

Sawyer's free-form diving board moves were very impressive.

Bowen's worthy effort ended in a belly flop, but he came up all smiles!

Tanner's an "off-the-side" kinda guy.

Tucker dismounting the waterslide. Impressive concentration there, Tuck.

After dinner, Con & Glo hosted Family Home Evening. The boys were each asked to share one of their special talents.

Sawyer did an imposing karate demonstration. He is completely adorable when concentrating on the moves. (No pics because I was desperately searching for Tucker's talent props at the time.)

Trevor shared his vast knowledge of dinosaurs and their origins (no pic here either. See above reason).

Bowen taught the boys how to make jumping oragami frogs which he did remarkably well and without any reference material.

Tucker taught several different pitching techniques, giving each of the boys a chance to try them out on Grandpa. Look at that impeccable form. Fit for the majors, Con.

Tuck pitching to Sawyer.

And Tanner explained the video game he created for his Hi-C project and handed out free copies and user manuals to everyone.

I'd love to say that they then fell peacefully into bed, but alas, I'd have no idea, as we've been sending them out to sleep in a tent in the backyard with Grandpa while Grandma and I enjoy some peace and quiet!!

More later...

Oh Blessed Mid-Winter Break

Here in our little slice of the great American pie known as the Cascade Foothills there is an annual occurrence that serves as a reminder that although we happily nest amidst the tall pines and low-hanging clouds of this soggy Utopia, mortal irritations occur as naturally as the falling rain. The particular annual occurrence to which I refer is this: mid-winter break.

As if winter break and spring break don't provide enough, well, "breaks" from formal education, our school district is among the several that have enough faith in our children's innate brilliance and ability to self-educate that they have kindly provided an additional break between the two afore-mentioned breaks.

So if you're wondering what we, the Sundwalls, do to further our budding intellects and satiate our inherent curiosity during this blessed five-day occasion, I've thought to enlighten you both in word and visual aid. Here goes.

Tanner, our budding saxophonist (is that a word?), has taken to sink-dancing while practicing his instrument; an inspired medium for such unhampered creativity. They don't teach that in school, now, do they?

On our way to a two-day sojourn in Eastern WA to visit my sister-in-law, Keslie, and her three sweet babies (bro Judah was out of town), we came across this little gem in the high desert. Although we did not have time to stop for the tour, I did make a mental earmark of the location for future reference, as a cheese factory tour is on my list of things to do before I die. Seriously.

My 11-year-old-going-on-16-year-old Kate gives driving lessons to baby Maylie. Incidentally, no one was hurt in this demonstration, and Kate is convinced she's now ready to take on my Toyota.

Always striving to maintain a balance in her young yet energetic life, Kate shows her skill on the Ripstick. Have you tried this death-trap-on-wheels? I almost broke my neck!

Anxious to use her time wisely in new pursuits, Kalli stretches her tomboy wings a bit under the direction of her more girly cousin, Shani. Her first official dance lesson (as well as her first makeup session, compliments of sister Kate).

Tucker, ever the creative genius, tries his luck as a human chew toy. Cousin Grayson obediently plays the part of the over-eager puppy.

With an obvious flair for ingenuity, Kalli commandeers a sheet of bubble wrap and two permanent markers, items rarely found in first grade art class. The result? A stained-plastic window.

In a rare moment of raw sunshine, Kate seizes the moment and relaxes with a good book in her butterfly chair...

... while sister Kalli multi-tasks by doing calisthenics and reading at the same time. Such coalescent skills are rarely seen in children this young.

On Friday night the boys and I attended a Harlem Globetrotters game. It was insanely entertaining to hear their goofy comments and giggles. Woefully noneducational, to be sure, but I guess we could consider this outing the "recess" of the week. :)

Although completely unrelated, I admittedly had a great time watching these two little ladies at the game. I imagine the conversation earlier that day went something like this:

"Hey, Gretta, let's ditch Bingo Night and head to the Globetrotter game. I hear the geriatric security guard is single."

I would love to say the week was filled to the brim with enriching activities, but it wasn't. There was some trash-kicking on Mario Kart, a few good sibling squabbles, a pesky flu bug, some boredom, a few occasions where I hid from my children, and a blast-to-the-past "Popeye the Movie" viewing that I ended up watching alone (the "Popeye" starring Robin Williams. A true classic).

But in the end it was all good. And as far as my hostility regarding another school break amidst breaks, well, I've come to terms with it. After all, if my kids end up uneducated burger-flippers, there's really no one to blame but themselves. And if things play out that way, then in the words of Popeye himself I say to the higher-ups in our school administration: "You may think I blames ya, but I don't."

Popular

As a child and teen, I honestly never aspired to being popular. Which is fortunate, as popularity soundly eluded me throughout my formative years.

But today I experienced my first taste of it. And it tasted goooood.

I helped coordinate a Valentine's Spaghetti Feed for the entire fifth grade at the elementary school. It wasn't much work thanks to email and several ambitious pasta-cooking mothers. In fact, I didn't even have to provide an entree for the event because we had so many volunteers. I did, however, offer my services for setup, cleanup and serving food.

I admit, I did have to do a little pushing and shoving to work my way through the crowd of over-eager mommies who showed up to help out while secretly spying on their socially-budding fifth graders. I bee-lined for the alfredo sauce, seized the ladel, and waited. When the throng of pre-pubescents formed a ragged line and started politely (surprisingly!) asking for pasta, the spotlight instantly turned on me. Fetuccine alfredo is apparently the bomb.

I was a mad woman. Ladeling left, ladeling right. The students eyes watered in anticipation of the much-coveted suicide sauce (do you have any idea what the fat content of alfredo is!?). I didn't work up a sweat, mind you, because that would be undignified, and popularity demands dignity. But I was one busy beaver and drew more attention, received more genuine gratitude, and ladeled faster than any other mommy there. Doesn't that equate to popularity? I even saw my friend Amy throw me a few envious glances while she stood idly by her massive bowl of largely untouched marinara sauce.

I had my moment of glory, but sadly, it ended all too soon. Whoever provided the alfredo sauce hadn't anticipated its popularity (such short-sightedness!) and I was left with an empty bowl and a dirty ladel halfway through the event. I busied myself by trying to one-up Debbie's puppy-problem tales (you see, Debbie had nothing to do, as she was in charge of the salad. What half-intelligent fifth grader asks for salad when their mom isn't there to make them eat it?!).

Afterward, as I savored the memory of glory, I was absent-mindedly carrying empty dishes back to the teacher's lounge when I was attacked from behind by my first-grader, Kalli. I plopped the dish down on a nearby table and seized her in a bear hug.

Now THAT's my kind of popular.

Cali with the She-Folk

Disneyland has been dubbed the "happiest place on earth," and I would concur. What they don't mention in the propaganda-laden brochures and commercials is that the dynamic changes depending on whom you choose to cruise Walt's acreage with. Sean and I have taken the kids on various occasions and had a great time, but I must say the dynamic of cavorting at Disneyland for three days with my two beautiful daughters, my mom, my four little sisters and their collective five daughters was priceless. Our clan would have been a terrific fit for a B-rated Mastercard commercial.

Kate, Kalli and I flew into Sacramento and spent a day with my sister Becca and her family before we headed south to Anaheim to meet the rest of the crew.

While at Becca's we walked to a local farm and teased a few horses with carrots.

The carrots were also put to good use as weapons and alternative body parts before being fed to the stinky steeds.

Claire and Kalli. They were separated by two weeks at birth and a thousand miles as mini-mortals, but I suspect they share some kind of pre-life history as they are two goofballs from the same mold.

Becca and I loaded up the kids late Friday afternoon and drove to Anaheim. I loved just chatting with Bec in the car. She's one amazing mother and a truly morally-driven woman. I always come away inspired. Plus, she let me read all the road signs without a single complaint or comment about my weirdness!

Saturday morning we converged at the hotel in Anaheim and unloaded the 12-tons of snacks provided by mom, Tami and Debbie from Tam's car. I had the privilege of shacking up with Debbie and thoroughly enjoyed our late-night chats. She outlasted me the final night though. I fell asleep mid-sentence, she claims. Deb is such a tender heart and a fantastic mommy to her two beautiful girls.

Grandma and the girls. And the Webkinz. Grandma never can help but shower her grandkids with gifts.

Claire, Kalli and Macy. All lovers of animals, especially stuffed ones.

Cooling off (yes, it was hot!) in the astro-spray near Space Mountain. I was proud of my girls; there was no chickening out on rides whatsover! In fact, Kalli threw a hissy fit when we realized she was too short to ride the monster coaster, California Screamin'. I appreciate her bravery, but could have done without the hissy fit.

Kate and Savannah and their horses. No carrots required.

Victoria, sweet, Victoria. One morning she was found hiding in the bathroom where she had stomped a banana to death.

Victoria is the spitting image of her mama Tami at age two. And because I so easily remember sweet Tami at that age, I couldn't get enough of V. Even though Tami was the youngest of all the girls, she has always been so very wise, lovable and forgiving. For example, I used to pin her down and breath up her nose after dinner, and yet she still likes me.

Claire, Kalli and Macy. Clearly good friends. And photo-op hogs. :)

Victoria before we even got started. Obviously Disneyland has its entertainment limits for two-year-olds.

All the females, minus Mom. I wonder what the accumulative hormone level of this moment would have been...?

Someone had the right idea with the whole child prison thing. Lure them in and leave them while the moms enjoy a quiet lunch. :)

Seriously, who doesn't just love Goofy?

Kate on a hard plastic Minnie Mouse House bed. Sweet cousin Aislyn got injured jumping up on the couch, that's how hard it was. :)

The kids ditched Anna and I on the Gadget Go-Coaster. Anna has always had a flair for humor and a nose for good clean trouble. She has an alter-ego named Angelique that has provided plenty of entertainment over the years. She's a crazy-hard worker and an incredible mother from whom I've borrowed many a good idea. :)

Playing on Donald's Boat in Toon Town. I would love to live in Toon Town. You can just hose the whole place down and call it clean.

Kate and Kalli on Splash Mountain. I got this great shot by sitting in the front of the boat, which was a brave step for me. I've always been secretly afraid to sit in front, for fear of falling out at the monster waterfall plunge at the end. If there's someone else in front of me and they start to fall out, I could death-grip the safety handles while watching the sorry shmuck in front of me dive to their death. But hey, at least I'd be safe!

Mary Poppins tying Kalli's shoe. It's true; Mary won't stand for anything being out of order! I so need one of her at my house.

Even Burt showed up for the photo-op.

I must say, if there is any character at Disneyland that I'd want a picture with it would be Mary Poppins (Burt optional), and she'd be wearing this dress.

Look at my beautiful sisters and mama! I sometimes joke that I, being the oldest, was the beta version of the Houser girls. Ma and Pa worked out the snags on me, cuz the rest of the girls turned out so darn great!!!!

So here's a little Disney tip: If you stay late enough on a Monday night, people start ditching their rented strollers. We picked up extras for each of the girls (minus Kate; she's always been more of a stroller pusher than a stroller rider). Sure, we got a little wild and crazy but it was all in good fun until someone got hurt. Sorry Macy. :)

V waving to her fans. Or fightin' off sleep while spinning wildly on the Teacups.

We capped the whole trip off with a 10:30 take-out feast from The Cheesecake Factory. A true Houser girl hallmark.

The trip was a smashing success and my girls came home with wonderful memories of Grandma, aunts and cousins. I came away with a muffin top and a sunburn on my nose. :) J/K...I honestly savor these times together and am so grateful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with such amazing women in my life.

The cherry on top was bringing my mom home with me from Cali to spend an additional week with my family and I. We thoroughly enjoyed her company. She's an angel to have around; so easy-going and good natured. I feel especially blessed to have her as my mom and appreciate the time she took coming up for a visit. My boys both cried when she left yesterday.

My next blog post will be far less sappy and emotional. Unless I'm premenstrual.

Ta!