Henry's Happy Meal

So the major challenge and stress of our trip was what to feed Henry.  The thought of driving 30 hours in the van without any treat bribes made me nervous but we pulled it off.

Basically Henry started reacting to any kind of grain,  dairy and fruit.  If you can see past the smear of residual chocolate meringue, the one sweet treat we found that works, you may see the eczema on his cheeks and arms that resulted from this challenge.  The most severe of his reactions included swollen face and vomiting but thankfully we did not experience any of that on the trek back.  

The good news is we are all eating a lot healthier because of it.  Instead of the typical road trip chips, candy and cookies we passed around baggies of fresh veggies.  Stopping for fast food was not even an option so before passing through Park City we made a stop at Whole Foods.  It was at their salad bar where I prepared a few "happy meals" for Henry.

It was so cute to see the smile these meals brought to his face but what made me really chuckle was him saying "ummm yummy cookie" every time I handed him a slice of raw zucchini.

The truth is every time he screams out in discomfort I could cry also.  For that reason I am on a mission to heal with appointments already scheduled with specialists and books on their way I am willing to do what it takes to help this little guy...... even preparing soups with, um, chicken feet or fish heads!  Because I call any food that heals or nourishes a happy meal.  

Camping with Daddy by Peter

We went camping with Daddy in the mountains.  The altitude was almost 2 miles up in the air from sea level.  It was about 9,752 feet up.  The altitude was so high the chip bag puffed up but if we went higher it might have popped.

 It was just the boys and Daddy so we slept in the tiny tent.   We roasted marshmallows with chocolate and it was so cold we got to drink hot chocolate.  I slept good because it was pretty warm in my sleeping bag.

We saw bright constellations.  I'm not an expert of constellations but William and James are so they showed me what Scorpion looks like.  We couldn't see Orion because it is summer. We saw some moose eating about 20 feet from our campsite.  I took a video of them and I hoped they wouldn't run away. I think these signs are for skiing.  It was not snowy enough to ski but we did see snow and touch snow.

We went on a hike up to Secret Lake.  There were streams so we had to walk on rocks to cross but Daddy just walked straight through the streams probably because he was too big for the rocks and they might have toppled over.  When we were nearly to the top there were big giant rocks so we climbed them and I said it was like Mt. Everest.  When we got to the lake I was surprised how tiny it was but I wanted to jump in anyways.  I didn't because the sign said "No Swimming".  If it was frozen I could have run across it in 5 minutes.  We saw a rusty anchor in the lake and I wanted to go and get it out.  James found a part of the rock that was like a chair and a tiny rock that looked like Utah but he put it back because he said it would be like destroying nature to keep it.

We all relaxed by the lake separately.  I can't remember what I was thinking about then but I did feel peaceful.  It looks like a green lake but it is just the reflection of all the green moss and trees and shrubs.  Oma let me borrow a flash light so I brought it on the hike just in case it would get all dark.  It only got dark at night but it felt comfortable to carry the flashlight anyways.  

I'm kind of getting sick of blogging so I want to draw a picture instead.  Anyways I hope I remember how much fun it was.

Wardrobe building at DI

Cathy arranged for a babysitter and took me to her favorite DI.  At first I questioned whether we should instead take advantage of the Nordstrom Anniversary sale but Cathy reassured me that we would not leave empty handed - she was right!

I admit the prices were much higher than I would normally pay but the store was clean, quality of the items good and I believe in the mission of Deseret Industries.  I was also a little desperate for some smaller fitting clothes because some where along the road and bustle of activities the excess baby weight thankfully and luckily starting slipping off.

 The best part of this outing was the non-stop laughter bouncing between us sisters and the fitting rooms. Cathy wouldn't mind me sharing how comfortable she feels at that DI - at one point she forgot to close the fitting room door!  My mouth was still numb from a dental visit just before and this episode with Cathy made me laugh until I could not control the drool - this made us laugh even harder!  Cathy got a good flip video of me in this laughing drooling state but promised not to share it on facebook.

In addition to a great laugh here's what I brought home:

vintage leather t-strap heels, made in Spain (and pictured in my previous post) - $6
vintage leather knee high cow girl boots (wore them to the days of '47 rodeo) - $6
2 pairs of jeans - $5 each
3 pairs of chinos in various colors - $5 each
printed corduroy bias cut skirt - $3
black skirt (to replace the one that got ruined after hitting a bump and dropping an oreo shake into my lap) - $5

Also found but not pictured:
3 pairs of brand new gap jeans for Maryanna - $5 each
1 pair of brand new gap jeans for James - $6
Books - too many to admit to but for .50 it was worth squeezing a couple boxes into the van

What I wish I would have bought:
a victorian doll house half finished:  $15
a bike rack that someone else grabbed while I was stewing over the beautiful doll hosue

Sunday Morning Date

After several weeks of field tripping, camping and entertaining the kids, it was nice to spend a quiet morning just with Paul.  Church didn't start until 11 am so with my mom in charge we were able to slip out at 8:00 am to stroll around temple square and attend Music and the Spoken Word.

Music and the Spoken Word has always been a Sunday tradition in our home, we record it listen and watch, but this was the first time I ever attended a live performance.  It was a great contrast to my typical Sunday mornings of bathing, wrestling, and dressing small children in addition to preparing a lesson.  I got a vision and sense of what Sunday mornings are suppose to feel like and will now work harder to pull that feeling into my home.

Paul always gets a bit misty eyed from the performances, even at home in front of the TV so this outing together was a special treat for him.  I just regret not ever attending one while we lived there but encourage anyone who has the chance not to pass it up, it is free, open to people of all faiths and I promise you will leave with your soul invigorated.

Campsite Commuting

While the kids and I have been busy having fun, Paul's been going into the office everyday so we figured out a way for him to feel half way on vacation.

This beautiful campsite was reserved at Spruces up Big Cottonwood Canyon just 10 miles from Paul's office.  We set up just after work on Monday with enough sunlight for the kids to get their fill of adventure and play.  Then after wiping them all down with half a package of wipes we enjoyed cooking our dinner of hot dogs and kabobs over the fire.

Family Night was held around the camp fire as well and I don't know if it was the mesmerizing cracks of the fire or the crisp mountain air that contributed to an unusual reverence and attention from the kids but it wrapped our family in a warm closeness.    

All snuggled up like little puppies most of the kids fell right to sleep . Their sleep continued past 9:00 am completely undisturbed by the rest of us who's night was not so restful.

We were short one sleeping bag and unprepared for 39 degrees.  Baby George was wrapped in my sweatshirt but Henry refused to be contained by a shared sleeping bag.  Both of them cried for what seemed like most the night.  Paul wrapped Henry in his puffy vest and held him close enough to keep warm and finally settled.  So we did get some some rest here and there.  During the in between times it was a treat to stare up at the stars and pine trees above us.

I love sleeping outside because I always have great dreams.  This time was no different so although I didn't get much sleep I did have pleasant dreams, so much so I actually woke up laughing.

By 6:00 am there was no sense wrestling Henry back to sleep so Paul took off with him in the Kelty backpack for an early morning hike. When it was time to wake the older kids I did so through the smell of bacon over the fire.

Meanwhile Paul got a head start on his day at the office.  When we drove him back down there he brought in with him a trail of campfire smell.  There is a shower at work though so by the time we picked him back up again in the late afternoon no one would have guessed he was on a little camping excursion.

We actually reserved two nights but only attempted one.  With dental appointments at 8 am the next morning and more than a couple of hours of sleep to catch up on we retreated back to my parents by 9:00 pm.  The kids were kicking and screaming as we packed back into the van but we assured them there would be many family camping trips to enjoy in the future.

African Art Day

With the weather too hot for our favorite field trips and most of the cousins away at Lake Powell we had a free day at Oma's.  She has stacks of great craft books and a room stocked with supplies so we put them to use.

These two projects came from the book Hands on Africa written by Yvonne Merrill.  My mom went to high school with Yvonne so she purchased the whole collection of what I am very jealous of.

The boys each made Kikuyu initiation shields and the girls made Masai jewelry.  The boys are still working on their initiation dances and have also been inspired for Halloween.  The girls are twirling around calling themselves African princesses.  

Flipping through all the books I kind of wish I'd studied anthropology but I suppose it is never too late to learn and discover, it is especially great that now I can do it along side my kids.

The Other Side of Fun

For as much fun as we've been having, there's been equal and opposite experiences to match.  The above picture was taken after one of our zoo trips but the scene has become familiar, in our family this is known as "blarbing".  Not pictured are the three youngest crying screaming and James, the oldest who usually just retreats to a quiet corner with a book.

Bedtime and naps have been optional and meals only happen on the days we run out of great snacks. It also took me a few days to realize that the clocks in my mom's basement are a few hours off so I guess bedtime doesn't matter anyways.

In some ways it feels great to lose track of time and days but I'm also losing track of my nursing schedule which in turn has resulted in painful milk clogs.

Occasionally I'm questioned, "what day is it anyways"?, or informed, "Mom, I think we forgot to have lunch and dinner today"! but my favorite is "please can I go to bed now"?

My parents aren't really helping much with the routine.  As soon as my Dad hears stirring he calls down the stairwell, "who wants licorice"? Of course they all jump out of bed (or off their couch) for that!  But that is still on the fun side of fun.

What I'm talking about has to do with the girls who all the sudden forgot how to use the potty because they were "laughing too hard" or "to busy having fun".

Then there's little Henry.  This would not be an accurate record if I failed to mention his recent struggles.  The poor little guy has been experiencing recurrent allergic reactions to the most basic foods (even rice!).  I'm now armed with two epi pens and have already taken him in to two different urgent care facilities.  I mostly blame the stress of that for our mealtime disruption - it's hard enough to feed a small crowd on vacation but even more challenging when you can't take any shortcuts.

Speaking of shortcuts I just realized that William has been wearing that Gators T-shirt for days but I guess that saves me a bit on laundry.

I certainly feel torn between the familiarity and fun with family and the cravings for normal routine and balance.  But I suppose the disruption of summer vacation actually does bring balance to our life, this season with its lack of daily routine is a part of our yearly routine.

I suppose also it is laziness that brings balance to our summer fun.  And that is why I just bought a box of books at D.I. and another pile at a yard sale today..... to encourage the kind of summer laziness pictured below.