When a mouse is a blessing

I'm grateful for a little mouse which is weird because I hate mice.

They are terrible.

I would rather have snakes, spiders, mutant ninja turtles, anything in my house rather than mice.

Last week, I was putting something away in the dungeon.  It's the fond name we have for our cold storage room.  (And this time of year, it really is cold.)  Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a mouse dead in a trap.  I couldn't give it a good look because I am too squeamish.  I did what any sane person would do in that situation, I averted my eyes and went in search of Adam.  He feels about mice like I do but he is more of a grown up in these situations.

He headed to the basement to look at the trap.  I stayed in the kitchen.

He said, "You have to come with me."

"Why?" I asked.

"For moral support."

I walked halfway down the stairs but that was all of the moral support I was able or willing to give.

My worst suspicions were confirmed and Adam came upstairs for a bag to deposit the mouse in before throwing it out.

"I love you," I said in an encouraging way.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't make me take care of the mouse," he said.

"I love you 99%," I said.

Then I went upstairs because I didn't want to see the mouse or even the bag holding the mouse.

Our pest control guy came over (we get periodic treatments on account of the tarantulas and the like) and I told him about the mouse.  I confessed my mortal fear of mice and he confessed that he's afraid of frogs.  Frogs?  No judgement though.  When stuff is scary, it is scary.

He inspected the basement and set more traps and was naming all the possible entry points he would inspect.  One of them was under the kitchen sink.

So I went upstairs to clear out beneath the sink.  It was wet and there were the beginnings of mold.  There was also a really slow drip coming from the disposal.

I cleaned it all up and we got a new disposal (which Adam and Mark, the wunderkind, installed).  Getting a new disposal wasn't really a dream come true for us but catching the leak before it caused more damage made me realize the mouse was a blessing.

And I'll take what I can get.

When you're happily married

Last weekend we were playing Codenames with our kids (including extra roommates).  Mark wanted to be on the same team as Braeden and friends but Emma knew enough to stick with Adam and me.  We're pretty much the dream team.  (Not to brag or anything, but yes to brag.)

In Codenames, you say one word that somehow links other words you are trying to get your team to guess.  Because it was Adam, and I was trying to link Canada and bed, I said Coquitlam.

"What?!?" our kids said incredulously.  They had no idea where I was going with that one.

But Adam did.  There is an IKEA in Coquitlam, B.C. and where do you buy beds (if you're us)?  IKEA.

Soul mates.

Then yesterday, we were doing errands and I realized I didn't have a book.  Rookie mistake.  Adam suggested we stop at the library so I could pick up another one.  Who does that?  Adam.  I told him I would try to be quick.

He said, "I'll stay in the car and keep it warm, take your time."

I had no idea how smart I was being when I married that guy.

“I want all of you, forever, you and me every day.” – The Notebook

Brother and sister

Emma and Braeden have three classes together this semester.  I love picturing them meeting up frequently and sharing experiences.

One day in their theater class, someone mentioned to Emma how nice it must be to have a class with your brother.

Another guy said, "Wait.  You're brother and sister?  I thought you were dating."

Emma and Braeden both said, "No."

Recently they were in their American Heritage lab on two sides of the aisle in a debate in a "Constitutional Convention."  They were debating states' rights and American Heritage/Constitutional Convention type things and Braeden and Emma, having years of experience under their belts in adversarial discourse, were really going at it.

Someone asked, "Are you two brother and sister?"

Yes.

Emma said something particularly zingy to Braeden and a guy on her team said, "Retweet."

(I don't know what zingy things Braeden said because Emma is the one who told me the story.)

Later, when a vote was called, Braeden was one of the few still in opposition.  Instead of "nay," he said, "oh, heck nay."

Yep, these are my kids.

Sunday they came for dinner along with Sam and Scott (two of Braeden's roommates).  We were having "experimental turkey."  We are having our own Thanksgiving this year and decided to practice.  Sam and Scott were up for the adventure.  They, like Braeden, have proven they will eat anything.  (Seriously, it is amazing those boys are still among the living.)

The four kids left to go to their various choir practices and the like.

Awhile later, Braeden called because they had been in an accident. That's just the kind of phone call you don't want.

My quick question was answered that they all were fine.  Emma had been driving and we talked to her, we could tell she was rattled.  I was heading out the door for a meeting but Adam headed out to be with our girl.

The other driver was at fault and told the police the same.  No one was injured.  All was well.  Adam sent the boys in his car and he stayed behind with Emma.

When they were done with the police, they drove to Provo too.  Emma told Adam, "I don't know what I would have done without Braeden there."

I'm beyond grateful no one was injured.  I'm grateful they have each other.  In the way of brothers and sisters everywhere, they argue and struggle to share the same car and make each other a little crazy at times.  But when the rubber hits the road (or when another car hits Loki) they have each others' backs.

Siblings were a very good invention.

I'll always have a fond place in my heart for Jack

Mark's play was this last weekend.  The Importance of Being Earnest.  I loved the show when Braeden played Jack four years ago and I love the show still.

And now for the zealous drop of cell phone pictures I took.  I make up for the poor quality by the sheer volume.

The play was double cast so here is Mark with each of the Algernon's (although most of my pictures are with the second cast because my seats were better):

I loved that they were both ginger.

I loved that this Algernon reminded me a little of Jaden who was the Algernon to Braeden's Jack.

They had all the romantic partners the same throughout all the shows.  They were matched for height.  Here's Jack proposing to Gwendolyn:

Mark had the same Lady Bracknell too.  She was played by Braeden's friend Nate's younger sister and she was AWESOME.

Here's Mark in his garb of mourning announcing the death of his poor brother Ernest:

And here he is refusing to shake hands:

During the muffin eating scene, the muffins were so dry the boys really struggled to keep talking.  Braeden was sitting next to me and kept laughing so loud that Mark fought hard to not laugh himself. I kept poking Braeden and telling him he had to be quiet.

I've included this picture mostly because I was so enamored with Lady Bracknell's dress!

Here Mark thinks he's discovered his mother, Miss Prism:

And here is the conclusion where Lady Bracknell accuses  Jack of triviality but he declares, "I've now realized for the first time in my life the vital importance of being earnest."

And they take their bows:

It was great fun to watch.

I love that Braeden and Mark have had this experience to share.

Braeden helped some with the rehearsals because he needed to volunteer for his theater class.  I loved seeing the junior high boys excited to see Braeden and giving him high fives.

Friday night my parents and Tabor's family came to watch.  I'm really terrible at getting good pictures after the show but I did manage to capture Mark with Tabor's girls:

We were grateful they came to watch.  (Tabor and family stayed with us that night.  Tabor and I stayed up way, way, way too late talking.  I'm grateful for brothers and sisters who love me.  Talking to them always heals something in me a little bit.)

Mark, more introverted than Braeden (everyone is more introverted than Braeden), is not sad that the show is over.  He enjoyed it but he's glad to "get his after school" back.

And I'll be happy to see more of him too.

Grateful Friday

When I was visiting teaching in October, the message was "Enfolding with Love those Who Stray."  My companion was giving the message.  She said to me, "You don't know anything about this with your perfect little family, but maybe you will someday."

What?!? (And also that sounded a little ominous.)

Whenever you think someone has a perfect family (no matter the size), you just don't know them well enough.

Today I'm grateful for my inner circle, the people that do know.

Yesterday I had a "playdate" with Janet.  That is code for a phone conversation that is 2 + hours.  We need to schedule it because we need that much time because we need to talk about all the things.

And all the things are our not perfect families.

It's so reassuring to have people you can talk to who you don't give the pat answers to.  How's your missionary?  Great!  How are your children?  SO happy! How are your college kids?  Fabulous!  

It's nice sometimes to give more real answers and to receive more real answers in return.

Marianne called while I was on the phone so I called her back later.

We continued the conversation.  We confided worries and not just worries about our people, worries about ourselves.  Am I doing the right thing?  What is the right thing?  Where is that fine line between doing our best to be helpful and doing too much to be enabling?  Basically we don't want to raise spoiled brats but where's the handbook? Where is the set of instructions?  Who can tell us whether or not we are really messing this whole thing up?

The rules keep changing with each different child and each phase of life but we keep slogging along.  We try to make the right choice when it is before us.

And it is so very wonderful to have people that give perspective and encouragement.

(And my number one provider of perspective and encouragement is Adam.  I'm so grateful for that guy.  Sometimes we look at each other mystified about how to proceed, but sometimes, rarely, we look at each other and think, well that worked!  It gives us the courage to keep trying.)

A working title

On Friday night Braeden came to spend the night because he was going to Mark's rehearsal with him early Saturday.  He got here around 11:00, after a date.  He and Adam stayed up way too late watching Stranger Things.

Saturday morning, Braeden was dragging.  Mark made him a breakfast burrito.  Braeden ate it and between bites, he said, "Mark, do you want to be a hero?"

Mark said, "I am already a hero."

Braeden said, "Will you go downstairs and get my wallet and keys?"

Mark headed off because he's spent a lifetime doing Braeden's bidding.  We all have.

Braeden moaned, "I stayed up way too late."

Then he looked around the kitchen.  Burrito gone, he was still hungry.

I said, "There are fig bars in the pantry."

He looked at the pantry then back at me.

I looked under the table.  "Yep, you have legs."

He sighed.

I said, "I'm not going to wait on you because of your bad decisions."

Braeden laughed.  "That could be the title of a parenting book."

(Then he got up and got himself a fig bar.)

Part of the 45%

According to CNN 10, which we actually watched yesterday morning because Mark got out of bed early enough, Americans spent 9.1 billion dollars on Halloween this year.  45% of Americans don't participate in Halloween so 55% are spending a whole lot of money!

I'm part of the 45%.  I boycott the whole thing.  Blek.

Our children participate.

Braeden has never been one to turn down a costume wearing opportunity.

He sent us these pictures (taken with them standing on the kitchen table in their dorm--that seems ill advised):

Sam is Heman and Braeden is Skeletor.

Then Braeden also sent this:

Apparently in a recent Star Wars movie (Who can remember which one?  My boys, that's who.) C-3PO has a red arm and introduces himself because he is afraid Han Solo won't recognize him with the red arm.

We asked him if people understood his costume.

"A few people did."

Emma and her friends dressed in Harry Potter style.  Of course they did.  Emma is a girl from Slytherin:

Adam asked her who tied the tie and she said she did.  He texted that he awarded 10 points to Slytherin for an exceptional knot.

Mark had some sort of costume in mind (as a Halloween boycotter I hadn't been involved).  On the way to school yesterday I asked him about what he was wearing.  "What is your costume again?"

He said, "Well, I changed my mind and I didn't do what I was planning before."

"So then what are you dressed as?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said, "I just look cool."

Apparently this is what cool looks like.

On the way home from school he told me a surprising number of people recognized his costume.

I said, "I thought you didn't have a particular costume..."

He said, "No, I'm Snake from Metal Gear."

Sometimes I'm sorry I ask.

Last night Mark went trick or treating with his friends.  Braeden and Emma couldn't go trick or treating once they were out of 6th grade.  I don't know.  He's spoiled OK?

Then he talked us into staying out later because trick or treating works up an appetite and they wanted to go get food.

"Do you have money?" I asked.

He said, "I have the 'treat yourself' money from Grandma."

You don't have to tell that kid twice to treat himself.