Grin and Bear It!

I thought once Robyn's high fever was gone, we were in the clear! No such luck. More high fevers, pink eye, diarrhea, and croup. The girls cried when they had to stay home from church, but enjoyed kickin' back with their daddy, making Play dough finger puppets, etc.

I am sorry for sleepless nights and living in isolation, but I am thankful for kind nurses and doctors, freeze pops, medicine, humidifiers, health insurance, and that my kids will get better. I was humbled by a story I read in the newspaper about a girl who was born with cerebral palsy and is now having to go through chemo for leukemia.

Carly's preschool class is studying about docs. and took a field trip to the Health Center. Many of the kids in her class are worried about getting shots for kindergarten, but Carly told me how we're lucky to get shots. One of the nurses told them the story about a boy who was begging to get a shot so he wouldn't get sick or die like a lot of other people in his village.

I'm grateful for the smiles my kids put on my face, even when they're sick.

Macy (while breathing like Darth Vader and living on the BRAT diet): Oh, Mom, come look at these clouds! They're beautiful!

Macy (in the car): One day, I will be the driver and my kids will sit there, there and there.
Me: How many kids do you think you will have?
Macy: 3
Me: Like me. I have Robyn, Carly, and you.
Macy: And Daddy!
Me: You think Dad is one of my kids?
Macy: Yeah.

Macy: When I'm a mom, I'm gonna make my kids waffles and if they eat 'em all up, I'll make 'em more, and then I'll wash their hands and face!

Macy: I wanna sing you the pizza song. Pizza, pizza, make a pizza, get yourself a pizza paper (piece of paper)!

Here are some jokes Carly learned at school and shared with us:

Why can't Cinderella play soccer very well?
Because her coach is a pumpkin!

How come bananas are never lonely?
Because they always hang in bunches.

Where does the vampire bat keep his money?
In a blood bank!

Two Fish, One Fish, Now We Have...

No Fish!!

I guess Goldy was Oldy Goldy since she lasted nearly 3 months. And, I guess our lucky bamboo wasn't so lucky, afterall.

We took Mike's advice and bought a companion for our new fish, so we had Tiger and Lily. I guess once Lily was gone, Tiger decided he couldn't live without her. They were both belly up within 4 days!

Maybe we'll try a beta this time...

We Love Miss Amber!

One of the biggest highlights of our week is dance day! We get to walk over just next door to Miss Amber's magical Ruby Shoes Studio where everyone is loved, everyone learns, everyone has fun, and everyone gets to be creative!
This week, Carly's class got to make shapes with their bodies using two pairs of tights tied together, one pair for their legs and one for their arms. I don't know who was having more fun, the girls getting tangled up or the moms watching!

Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips...

When I was a little boy,
I didn't like to eat.
Mama put things on my plate
I dumped them on her feet.
Then one day, she made some soup,
I ate it all in bed.
I asked her what she put in it,
and this is what she said...

Oh, chicken lips and lizard hips,
and alligator eyes,
monkey legs and buzzard eggs,
and salamander thighs,
rabbit ears and camel rears,
and tasty toenail pies,
Stir 'em all together,
it's Mama's soup surprise!

I went into the bathroom,
and I stood beside the sink
I said I'm feeling slightly ill,
I think I'll get a drink.
Mama said I've just the thing,
I'll get it in a wink.
It's full of lots of protein,
and vitamins, I think.

Oh, chicken lips and lizard hips...

This is a song Myles' mom taught him that he had fun teaching Carly's preschool class. (We found other fun images from the Internet to go with the song).

We LOVE Carly's teacher!

Carly: She's SUCH a nice person...she's EVEN nicer than Spider Man!

Rock-a-bye Baby

Macy: When I grow up, I get to be a mom, and I'm Soooooooo excited!

Macy: Once I was a baby, baby, baby. Once I was a baby, small, small, small. Now I'm a big girl, big girl, big girl. Now I'm a big girl, tall, tall, tall!

Daddy's big little Helper!

This is the way we help our dad, help our dad, help our dad. This is the way we help our dad weed our flower gardens!

It felt so good to get rid of all the old, dead stuff out of our iris beds, etc. Every year, we say we're gonna get on top of the weeds. May this be the year! I was surpised Robyn was so uninterested in helpling, until we came inside and found out she had a high fever. So, this is what the girls are proud of lately...

Robyn: swallowing her first pill (we were out of liquid Tylenol).
Carly: growing freckles
Macy: snapping her fingers and whistling

(After all the diggin' in the dirt)
Me: It's time to get in the bathtub!
Macy: I wish if I could be a bug.
Me: Why?
Macy: Because bugs don't ever have to get clean. They don't have a bathtub.

(Of course, once I get her in, I can't get her out)!

One Fish, Two Fish, Old Fish, New Fish

Goldy did get the flush, as my brothers like to say.

Macy: Did Goldy went down the toilet?
Myles: Yeah.
Macy: That's NOT funny!

I was glad she could finally go after being miserable for days. The girls picked out 2 new ones--a little Goldy and a white one. After much debate, we're calling them Tiger and Lily. We also got a lucky bamboo, which is supposed to bring us money...we'll see!

Go, Goldy, Go, Goldy, Go, Goldy, Go!

Goldy, our goldfish, our first family pet, is not doing so well. She doesn't move for hours, and I think she's really gone, but then she'll start moving again. I always thought fish just died. I didn't think they'd hold on for so long. I also didn't think I'd ever be sad, either. Carly made her a get well card and propped it up against her bowl so she could see it. I guess we'll see.

Does anyone have any advice on what you can do?

I meant for that title to be a cheer for her to live, but for her sake, it's probably better if she can just go!

SPRING FEVER!

OK, once the baseball fence goes back up at the park, it's official, spring is here!! And, so are the box elder bugs. We're having an invasion!














The girls brought in our first few grape hyacinths for a centerpiece. I'm loving the crocuses and daffodils, too! And our green grass.

I'm also enjoying my desire to spring clean. We'll see how long it lasts. If I could just go through one room every day...

Google said it's the first day of spring, so I guess it really is official. They used Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, to spell Google today. Fun random fact: the book was first published in 1969, and a copy of it is sold every 30 seconds!

Layover with Lucy

We were so excited to get to spend a few hours with my cousin, Lucy, and her little girl, Hazel at the airport! I grew up in Chicago with Lucy and wish we lived closer!

When Macy heard we were going to see Hazel, she made her a card right away and picked out a little horsey for her. She even let her take her Old McDonald toy with her on the plane.

We told the girls the night before to go to sleep because we needed to wake up early in the morning to go see them. At 4 AM, Macy popped out of bed, went to the bathroom, flung our door open, and announced, "Mom, I got up early!"

Lucy played hairdresser with the girls, just like she used to with me.

They had fun chasing Hazel around and giving her rides in the stroller. The next time we see her, she'll be a big sister!

Lucy is sporting a nifty wrap around sweater that doubles as a nursing blanket. What a great idea, especially while on the plane!

FTD

This is what Myles has coined as Female Temperature Disorder.

(I'm trying not to laugh because as I'm typing this with a laptop on my lap, I am BURNING UP!)

FTD is the condition of feeling comfortable in a very minimal temperature range, like one degree. It is also the condition of major temperature swings in a short period of time, say 5 min. He thought only female adults, such as his mother and I, were sufferers, but it afflicts even our little girls.

"Dad, I'm freezing! I need a hot water bottle!"

(Before the water bottle is found and filled) "Dad, I'm so hot, I can't sleep!"

So, now that we've defined the disease, who's going to research a cure?

Maybe the San Fran. area is calling our names...

Watson Family 5 + Gram

Don't you love my hair? Macy keeps telling me lately that she's not a baby any more. She's a big girl now, and could I please get her a baby boy!

Watson Originals:

Macy: Knock, knock.
Me: Who's there?
Macy: Tree.
Me: Tree who?
Macy: Tree hee.
Me: Tree hee who?
Macy: Tree hee hee hee hee hee...

Robyn: Knock, knock.
Me: Who's there?
Robyn: Doe.
Me: Doe who?
Robyn: Doe re mi fa so lah ti doe!

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...

You make me happy when skies are grey...and snowy! Last week, I was bummed out when the snow came down. Myles said it was time for chocolate--some hot and some not. We had previously melted some chocoate chips, stirred in a little whipping cream, and then froze it in a yogurt cup. He cut some of that up for a happy, tasty treat. The sun did come out again the next day, and since it's Utah, it's so hot today, my kids are wanting their shorts and sandals! Hopefully, it won't dump on us again, but it probably will...we'll see!

Circle of Friends

Make new friends, but keep the old,
one is silver and the other gold
A song from Girl Scouts,
from my mom,
our leader

We had Mac-n-Cheese for dinner the day my first best friend
Jessica
moved away
I left the table and ran to the bathroom
to cry in front of the mirror
'stead of in front of my fam'ly

We met in second grade
I loved that her initials spelled JAM
We were bus buddies
We wore jelly shoes,
jelly bracelets and friendship bracelets
up to our elbows

Silly sleepovers
where we never slept
Forts in the backyard,
as long as we "Put it all away when you're done"
said my mom and her mom, Mary Jo
who gave her the best stickers
for her collection

Bike rides to the park on banana seats
It was just the 2 of us
when she skidded on the gravel and lost
her 2 front teeth.
They were permanent

We were permanent.

My parents bought her house,
So, they made her move away,
I thought
sort of.
They were moving
anyway,
but maybe they would've stayed
longer

We only lived one block
away
So, we carried our stuff over
to their old house,
our new house,
through the yards
past the black dog's
cage

I slept in her bedroom,
and ate at the breakfast bar
we'd pretended was our restaurant

Now I serve my daughter
breakfast
before she's off
to second grade.
Her 2 front teeth are coming in,
one longer than the other

Her first best friend
is Mary Jo (the only other Mary Jo I've ever known)

At recess, they gather acorns for "food" and guard them
from the boys,
They share grass bracelets,
chapter books,
and treats from their lunches the other mom doesn't buy

After school, it's tag on the playground
'til I honk my horn.
They hop in with their
backpacks and giggles,
She comes to play
at our house

They work for hours
writing a book,
their book,
and illustrate it together.
BFF
(Jessica still has ours).

Mary Jo's allergic to peanut butter,
so I feed them
bread and
Mac-n-Cheese

I try to be their leader
and we sing
Make new friends, but keep the old,
one is silver and the other gold.



I've been thinking about friendship a lot lately, as many of my very good friends have moved and are moving. After the "Make new friends..." bit came to mind, I noticed it as the friendship quote that my good friend posted on her blog after just moving away! We really must be true friends!

Although I've lost touch with my first best friend, I still think of her often. She's a part of me, a part of my history.

I believe that certain people are put in our lives at certain times to help us along the way, so to my friends who I miss, you are only helping someone new who needs you now! And, because of you, I'll never be the same.

When You Wish Upon A Star...

. . . in your living room is where you are, where dreams come true! Carly and Macy thought it was hilarious to put their smiley face stickers on their princess shirts. Nothing like some free fun!

"Bye, Mom! I'm going to College!"

My Girls "Lite" up my Life!

I was brought back to the '80s doing Lite Brite with them. I remember my brothers and I spelling "welcome" with our Lite Brites and turning on a Neil Diamond record on our Fisher Price record player to welcome our aunt and uncle who came to visit from out of state.

This is an updated version they got for Christmas. It has a nifty drawer for storing all the little "crayons," as my girls call them, and turns off automatically after 5 min.

While doing Lite Brite as an adult, I realized what a great opportunity it gives kids to practice their fine-motor skills in a fun way.

Muy Excelente!

The other day, Macy was sitting on my bed while I was folding the laundry. I looked up to discover that she'd mated a couple pairs of socks and was on her third.

Me: Wow, Macy! I didn't know you knew how to do that!
Macy: I know how to do it because my daddy knows how and he teached me.
Me: Excelente!

(She had been previously walking around the house saying excelente, excelente)

It's easy to get discouraged about the mountains of laundry that always seem to grow no matter how much I do, but today I'm grateful for a happy helper and a wetter and a dryer (as she calls them) in my very own house.

MAN, THESE FREAK ME OUT!

But the kids think they're so fun.

Something's Fishy!

During our Sunday School class for little kids, the teacher was talking about moms and what they do for us, like make us yummy dinners. When she asked, "Do your moms ever let you go hungry?" All the kids belted out, "Yes!" in unison. So, when our kids are hungry, and I'm too tired to cook, this is what they get to do. Teach a kid to fish. . . and they'll stop bugging you for a little while!

Zin, Zin, Zin, A Violin!

The same week Carly learned about violins and cellos in preschool, we went to a free violin concert on campus put on by the University of Indiana. I thought some of the musicians seemed a little young, but figured I'm getting old enough that even college students are looking pretty young, especially freshmen.

They were AMAZING! They played for over an hour without any music. When playing in a group, they stood in a semi-circle, which made for a neat sound. I found out after the concert that they were actually high-school age and younger, and were just being sponsored by a Univ. of Indiana program. One girl told us she was 13!

If you haven't read this book by Lloyd Moss, you should borrow it from us or check it out from the library. It's one of our favorites.

Toadally Cool!

I highly recommend the Toad and Frog musical at the Scera. I enjoyed it as much as the kids. The music, scenery, and costumes were fun. I laughed out loud lots of times. One of our favorite parts was the snail who delivers the mail. He kept "running" across the stage between all the scenes and wore a rolled up sleeping bag on his back for his shell.

Our Weekend of Bees!

Robyn made it through 15 rounds of the K-3 spelling bee and took 5th place, but it wasn't her place that made me proud. She told me that she had stage fright, which is why she doesn't take dance, but that after a few rounds she was able to not be scared any more. I also helped her try to realize that the reason there are spelling bees is to be challenged. If she already knew all the words, there wouldn't be any reason to have a spelling bee.

That night, Myles and I watched The Secret Life of Bees--heavy subject matter, but great movie! I also liked the book.

The day after the spelling bee felt like the first Sat. in forever that we didn't have lots to do or places to be. We relaxed in our jammies all morning. Robyn and Carly set up an art studio for Myles and I to visit in our basement. They gave us a flyer (is that flier?) with the hours and a number if we had any questions. I had to smile because "questions" was one of the words that Robyn learned for the spelling bee. We both had to smile when we heard our alarm clock going off at the time that the studio was to open.

We paid our admission at the door, admired Macy's chalk drawing, took lessons from Carly, and chose something from their gift shop.

That night, we had a surpise visit from Bee Money, a "Provo icon," as defined by U-Tube. The one-man-band rapper actually lived in Myles' neighborhood when he was single. He was selling his CDs and T-shirts door to door. We were just about to sit down for Leftover Delight Night, and he was glad to join us.

Tonight, we had flatbread with peanut butter, honey, and bananas to top off our weekend of bees. I wonder what next weekend will bring...

Watson Family Humor

When our girls get tired, they either get crabby or slap happy. (I wonder where they get it)?!
Carly: What's a fortune teller?
Myles: Someone who tells what's going to happen in your life. Sometimes they read the lines on your hand.
Me: Or look into a crystal ball.
Carly: What if they read your spanks instead of your hand?
Christie: Then they'd say, 'You're not going to be able to sit for a few days.'

Deep Thoughts

Macy (after spinning the globe and studying it for quite some time): Mom, where is heaven?

Pay it Forward

The first time I found my friend, Robyn's blog (yes, I love that name!), I found a surprise! The first 5 people who posted a comment won something homemade from her sometime in the next year! So, the first 5 people who comment on this post get something from me. If you're one of the lucky winners, pay it forward to five people from your blog. Pretty fun.

Tagged By Britney

I didn't have a 6th pic. in my 6th pictures file, so this is the 6th one from my 1st file, which I thought would be fun to post with the recipe. When we visited my cousin and her fam. in Montana, they made this yummy stromboli for us.

Crust recipe:
1 pkg. yeast
1 1/3 c. warm water
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
4 c flour

Roll out, fill with your favorite cheeses, meat, veggies, and pizza sauce, fold over top and seal edges. Bake in 475 degree-pre-heated oven for 15-20 min. or 'til crust browns. Great meal for summer harvest time!

I tag Missy, Amy, Kara, Emily, Smithy, and Becky. Go to the 6th pic. of your 6th pics. file and show us what you've got!