Shhh! Don't tell Carter

Carter participated in the 4th Grade Dance
at school last week.
(It was required -- can you tell by that face?!)

Parents were invited to attend and take pictures from the sidelines. Which was fine by me, that's where I prefer to be during a dance.

Prior to the dance the kids filled out dance cards with each other. Then, at the dance, they found the appropriate partner for each song.

I'd have to say that Carter picked some pretty cute partners
(or perhaps they picked him...)

He had a good time.
(Here he is imagining the day he will be taller than the girls.)

He said, "Are you going to blog this?" I said, "Maybe."
And he said, "No!"

But he's just too cute and I thought you would like to see.

So, mums the word.

These are a few of my favorite things

We had a great Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Cook.

Grandpa is a great opener of those frustrating toy packages.
Hurray for the handy key-chain knife!

Chelsea loved her new doll, Malina.
(Don't ask me about the name -- she came up with it.)

Pink Dixie (don't ask about that name either)
her new dog was also a hit.

We love presents!

Bryce wasn't so sure about all the presents.
But he loved to eat the wrapping paper.

Thanks Grandma & Grandpa!

Searching for some peace and goodwill

Ahh... election year. The sweet sound of mud slinging and candidates debating and fingers pointing and pollsters polling and inhalers denying. It's all pathetically mesmerizing, like a cat fight in the lunchroom -- you try to ignore it, but you just can't help and watch.

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This year has been particularly negative for me, because for the first time ever there is a viable LDS candidate. Mitt Romney's campaign, be it what it may, has unearthed some surprisingly wide-spread anti-Mormon sentiment. From Evangelical preachers to CNN commentators to debate moderators and news pannelists, criticism of the LDS faith has been everything from laughable to searing. In a multi-media world, all the negative propaganda cannot be avoided, and I sometimes go to bed at night shocked at the percentage of Amercians who either condemn, ridicule or outright hate me for my religion. (Is this really Christianity in the 21st century?) Anyway, this morning as I was reading the press releases from http://www.lds.org/, I found this article which made me feel better. It's simply about decency and tolerance. My favorite paragraphs are the first and the last, but it's all refreshing. Read on:

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All Men —
Not Just Those Who Share My Beliefs

SALT LAKE CITY 21 December 2007 There is a spiritual maturity demonstrated by those who can accept religious common ground with others and also respectfully acknowledge differences. This comes from spending time with each other and by taking an approach that puts a desire to seek mutual understanding and goodwill above pride and self-interest.

Currently, many media and other discussions in the United States and elsewhere are raising questions about what it means to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how Mormons fit into neighborhood and national social mosaics. Some of these questions and comments are dispassionate, dignified and thoughtful. However, many others come across either as misguided utterances or as deliberate attacks. The latter type of comment is often underpinned by a tone of expertise and authority that baffles those who know Latter-day Saint beliefs best — Mormons themselves.

Ill-informed comments can be easily forgiven, and chances to engage in discussion to develop mutual, accurate understanding and respect are often seized upon — as they should be. But when a person starts excluding someone of a different faith as a legitimate participant in society because there are theological differences — then a line has been crossed.

It is bewildering to a Mormon to hear or read that some others feel that she or he is not a Christian. To a Mormon, any person who worships, loves and honestly tries to live by the teachings of Jesus Christ, as the Son of God and Savior of Mankind, is a fellow Christian. Theological differences unquestionably exist, but genuine, reverent love for and sincere striving to emulate the Savior qualify any person to call her- or himself a Christian.

Joseph Smith, the Mormons’ first prophet, said: “I want the liberty of thinking and believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled.”

Speaking more recently, Latter-day Saint Apostle, Elder M. Russell Ballard said: “Just as we claim the right to worship as we choose, we believe [others] have the right to worship—or to not worship—as [they] see fit. All of our interpersonal relationships should be built on a foundation of mutual respect, trust, and appreciation. But that shouldn’t prevent us from sharing deeply held religious feelings with each other. Indeed, we may find that our [religious and] philosophical differences add flavor and perspective to our relationships, especially if those relationships are built on true values, openness, respect, trust, and understanding.”

Cynicism and distrust are tainting much of the discussion about faith and values, and their influence on social systems. And this is causing us to miss the opportunity to engage with each other, through media and face to face, on more important issues — such as how we can get along so we can work together to do good in our homes, communities and nations.

Truly effective collaboration, for the good of our families and societies, is not possible until we have the will and the maturity to listen to, understand and respect each other. When the intolerance hurdle has been successfully jumped, all sorts of wonderful things can happen, as individuals rub shoulders while working toward common community objectives.

Muslims, Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons and many others, working side by side to help rebuild parts of Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami, provided a powerful example of what is possible. Political, ethnic and faith lines were washed away by the flooding as individuals temporarily put aside differences to focus on more pressing, shared imperatives.

During this Christmas season and at all times, a true showing of our depth of devotion and faith will be how we talk about and engage with others — others of our own faith and, even more significant, those who may have some differing religious beliefs. The way we talk and write about others says a lot more about ourselves than it does about those we seek to describe.

Thanks Clark & Natalie!

The kids are ready to open their presents from
Uncle Clark & Aunt Natalie.

Spencer is the official "boy" delegate.

Mario Olympic Games -- WOW!

Chelsea was thrilled with her beautiful tiaras!
They are so lovely and shiny.
(If only Spencer would stop touching them...)

Aren't they lovely?

I love cookbooks of all kinds and flavors.
I will incorporate this one pronto!

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Thanks Clark & Nat!

Santa -- We've Been Good!

Merry Christmas!

Only one week until Christmas!

We can't wait.

Talk about a shark's tooth!

Carter thinks this photo is real. I am doubtful.

What do you think?
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(Either way, it's cool.)

Candidate Match Game

Who do you support in the presidential race? (I'm sticking with Santa.)

The link below is a quiz that matches your political stance with that of presidential candidates. I found it interesting...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/candidate-match-game.htm

Camo Couch

What to wear when you have chores to do.

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My sister-in-law Angie sent me this picture

with the accompanying caption.

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I thought it was hilarious.

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Thanks Angie!

Thanksgiving Vacation

We had a great time in California for Thanksgiving.

We went to Disneyland again.
We played with cousins.

We walked on the HB Pier.

And played with more cousins!

We also hopped around Little Corona beach.

It was over too fast!

More Brotherly Fun

Carter's friend has a miniature electric motorbike.

He let Carter have a ride.

When he'd had his turn, Carter helped Spencer
put on his helmet and took him for a quick spin.

Brotherly Fun

Spencer! That is not funny!

You take that eyeball toy off your brother's face this minute!

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Right after I take a picture...

Dancin' with Dad

Today Chelsea participated in the

Second Grade Square Dancing Program.
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After the program, the kids got to dance with a parent.

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Aren't they cute?

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All Keyed Up

Some advances in technology were done without my permission. Take new-fangled car keys for instance. Anyone who has had a five-month-old knows that there is a specific hierarchy of interesting objects in this world to see, hold, drop, chew on, drool over and otherwise destroy. The top of this list is car keys. They jingle, they shimmer, they have a mesmerizing array of textures and shapes. Many toy manufacturers have tried to capture the magic of car keys in various forms: large, chunky keys; keys that sing; keys that light up; keys that give you the weather. But none are as interesting as the original.

Once upon a time, I could give my child the car keys in certain moments of desperation (church, bank, library) and he/she would actually stay focused for upwards of 30 seconds. These days, however, technology has greedily taken over the key realm (as it has all other areas of life) and robbed me of this ability. In the right hands, my "magic black key button" can remotely unlock the car, open the trunk, adjust the seats, open the sunroof, turn on or off the car-alarm, get a satelite image of Belize, and order a pizza. But in the wrong hands (short, fat ones, that routinely approach the mouth), the same technology could cause the car to unlock itself, roll down all the windows, turn on the radio full-blast, and do the Macarena in the parkinglot.

I am sure that one day when all of my children have outgrown the desire to hold, jingle, and chew on the car keys, I will appreciate the advancements of modern technology. But as for now, I miss the simple life when the most dangerous thing about my keys were millions of germs and sharp edges.

Sigh...

Happy Halloween!

Carter's Cyclops-o-lantern

Spencer & Chelsea's jack-o-lanterns.
Watch out for those jagged teeth. In the middle of the night, they might eat your feet!

Pumpkin carving for FHE

Spencer and I went trick or treating at the High School.
He wasn't sure what to think of the guy handing out candy at the science lab.

The night of a thousand treats.
Ready or not, here we come!

We are so proud of our vampire witch, life-size ewok,
and shoeless Spidey.

Nelson's California Adventure

This past week was our family vacation. We had many adventures. This post is dedicated to all our non-Disneyland Adventures.

Adventure #1: Wildfires

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The blood-red sun was rather ominous. It was also disconcerting to watch the guardrail burn as we drove by.

On the trip down, we called our friends the Cresaps in San Diego to see if everyone was okay. My favorite quote of the weekend: "Go home. California's closed." (That would be Clint, of course.)

Adventure #2: Feeding ducks
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We fed an astonishing number of ducks this week. There were ducks in the big lake at Disneyland. There were ducks outside of the restaurant where we ate lunch. There were even ducks at Grandpa's office where we all went for our final dental work. We fed at least a loaf of bread and several rolls to various ducks (and geese.) Oh, and FYI: geese are mean, steer clear.

Adventure #2: Finding Q's

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Yes, that's the letter Q.

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On long trips, we play the alphabet game in the car. And, since we were stuck in traffic for so long (9 hours total, it's usually 5 1/2), I bet we played it no less than 10 times. I still find myself looking for Q's. (La Quinta, Dairy Queen, Sequoia!)

Adventure #3: Animal Game
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We also play "I'm thinking of an animal" in the car. This is a great game to play with Spencer because when it's his turn to guess he just asks over and over and over, "Is it a bear?"
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But, when he's picked the animal it's a different story altogether. He just answers questions randomly until you say something cool, then he says, "YEAH, that's it!" I'll give you an example:

Us: "Does it have two legs?"
Spencer: "Yes!"
Us: "Does it have four legs?"
Spencer: "Yes!"
Us: "Does it eat meat?"
Spencer: "Yes!"
Us: "Does it eat plants?"
Spencer: "Yes!"
Us: "Does it eat tacos?"
Spencer: "Yes!"
Us: "Is it red, yellow, blue or purple?"
Spencer: "Yes!"
Tyler: "Is it a rainbow?"
Spencer: "YES!"

Oh, of course! The six-legged taco-eating rainbow animal.
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Outplay -- Outwit -- Outlast

In many ways, my life is very much like a Survivor episode. I am frequently surrounded by hungry, strong-willed people (some of whom are perpetually half- dressed), in constant competition for food, attention, and other resources. The main difference being that in our weekly "tribal council" we sing "Itsy-bitsy-Spider" and eat rice-crispy treats. I have to say though, if our family life were a Survivor episode, Carter would win hands down in the "Outlast" category.

He is the master debater. He can certainly outplay (lob numerous topics at me at once) and outlast (never give in -- never give up) in any debate. If you were a fly on our wall last night, recording just Carter's side of the conversation, you would have heard something like this:

"Mom, are you sure you are going to sell the playstation?"

"Have you talked to Dad yet about me playing football?"

"Tonight is the high school football game. It starts at seven."

"Can I play the playstation for just a half hour since you are going to sell it and then I won't be able to play it again ever?"

"I really want to play football. All my friends play football."

"If I can't play playstation, what is there to do? And, please don't say, 'Read a book.'"

"Jacob plays football."

"How much are you selling the playstation for?"

"So are we going to the game tonight?"

"All the books we own are boring."

"Kade plays football."

"Are you going to sell all the games with the playstation? What about Motorstorm?"

"I really want to go to the game."

"Ethan plays football."

"I started Harry Potter once, it wasn't interesting."

"Ethan says I could play on his team."

"What about Lego Star Wars? Are you going to sell that one with the playstation? I have all my levels saved."

"Jordan plays football."

"When does Dad get off work? Will he take me to the game?"

"Playing catch in the backyard doesn't count as football."

"Lego Star Wars II is mine. If you sell it, you have to pay me."

"Caden plays football."

"Who are you selling the playstation to? Will they even like Lego Star Wars?"

"Jacob plays football."

"Yes, I already finished that book."

"If Dad's not home, maybe I can go to the game with Kade."

"A book is not as interesting as playstation."

"Logan plays football."

"Why did you even buy the playstation if you are just going to sell it?"

"Have you talked to Dad yet about me playing football?"

"Brecken plays football."

I'm not sure from whom Carter gets this maddening tenacity (Tyler), or his sense of personal rectitude (Tyler), or the idea that every conversation has an ultimate "winner" (Tyler). So, I just try to do my best to keep up and be grateful he has traits that will ultimately help him be successful in life. (The funny thing is, all he'd really have to do is flash me that smile and the conversation would be much shorter -- but don't tell him that.)

Oh, and just so you know, I decided not to sell the playstation; he did end up going to the football game with his Dad; and we are still in discussions regarding him playing football next year. Stay tuned...

Chelsea-isms

I was accused recently of having a favorite child. A friend (who shall not be named) noticed that I tend to blog more about one particular child than the others. It is true that the suspected "favorite" is featured on my blog frequently, but I must emphatically state that this is not due to preference. Instead, it is because the age and character of said child provides me ample blogging material. Additionally, this child happens to be home with me during the day while the others are at school. Had the blogosphere been around when the others were three (oops, I gave it away), there would have been many humorous posts about them as well.

In response to this assumed favoritism, I am posting a Chelsea-Only blog (Carter-Only blog to follow). This one is dedicated to all the funny (and interesting) observations and comments Chelsea makes that keep us laughing -- and guessing.
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Chelsea's insight to politics:

Hillary Clinton was featured on the cover of a recent US News & World Report magazine. Carter picked up the magazine and asked me, "Why don't we like her?" Chelsea quickly responded, "Because she's a Democrap."

(While I don't affiliate myself with either political party because I think they are both corrupt, I am not necessarily a Hillary fan either. The assessment sticks.)

Chelsea's language control:

While I was driving the kids home from school, a left turner made a very dangerous turn in front of me, to which I responded, "Oh, that was stupid!" Chelsea quickly chimed in from the back seat, "What did you say? (Pause, sigh) Mother, I've already had to talk to Dad about using that word!"

Chelsea as informant:

I have on different occasions, heard all of the following during the drive home from school:

"Mom, can you believe some kids at school don't know how babies are made?"

"Mom, some kids in my class still think Santa is real!!"

"Mom, did you know so-and-so has one Mom, two Dads, and six Grandparents! Now that's lucky, her Christmas must be huge!"

When picking her up after school:

"Mom, why are you so late? It's so hot, kids could die out here!"

"Ok, just so you know for next time, I hate these pants, I will never wear them again, they are itchy and ugly and I have been waiting all day to tell you this."

On not wanting me to do her hair in the morning:

"You can go ahead and put it in a ponytail if you want. I'm just going to rip it out on the way to school."

"Hello! Please be aware of the tangles!"

On role models:

"Mom, who is the girl on Freaky Friday?"
"Lindsay Lohan?"
"Yeah! I want to be just like her when I grow up!"
"Uhm... (Redirect) Don't you want to be a mom like me?"
"No, you can't play the guitar."

And, her favorite subject, Bryce:

When cleaning spit up off Bryce, "I don't blame you, Bryce. I'd spit out anything that smelled like that."

"He's crying because he needs his Chelsea."

Color Test

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Follow the link for a quick brain challenge.

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http://www.fireworkspop.com/colortest.htm

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