Wishin'

I was hoping it was August for 2 reasons. 1, it means a break from the heat. An end in sight. 2, there was a really good ensign article I wanted to share. Maybe Monday then.
So I'll just settle for what's on my mind. Moving.
Yup, moving. I think we have decided we are going to sell when our house is finished. Although, right now is the perfect time to buy, it is a less than desirable time to sell. If the house was finished now, we would sell now, because interest rates are so good. We are hoping in 2 years to be able to get a 10 year, so we dont add anything to our time frame to have the house paid off.
Don't get me wrong. I love my house. If I could pick it up and move it to another neighborhood. No, let me rephrase that. Into A neighborhood, I would. I am not a big fan of my kids having no friends close by. No, I take that back too. I would be prefectly fine if we lived out in the middle of nowhere. What I don't like is the apartments accross the street, and the traffic from that. And said traffic going to the gas station next door. Maybe some business will buy our house, and tear the place down.
I wouldn't be opposed to moving into the neighborhood here, and staying in the ward. But the yards are not big enough. Maybe I'll think differently if I fail at my yard again. (it was destroyed by some unknown contagion.) I think if we actually do move, we haven;'t decided that it IS what we are doing. We will move closer to Trent's family.
Who knows, maybe I'll get the yard all put in, Trent will get the kitchen and bathroom done, and I won't be able to move. It would be hard to even leave the work we've done so far. Then we hear a drunken apartment neighbor, going on a beer run, or the neighbor walking down the street with no pants on, and I would get out of here no matter what. And really, I don't feel like we could up root again, once 1 of 6 hit 7th grade. So, we'll see where and if we are prompted to go. Maybe I'm just getting antsy. We have never lived in one place for more than 15 months, and we've been here for 4 years. Maybe it's just me.

A Camping We Will Go

We decided to buy her a pair of shoes.
If you follow my blog you know what I'm talking about. We chose the option, of getting her a good pair of shoes, and hauling her butt with us. Mind you, this could change. But for right now, it was the right option.
I didn't realize I was so uptight about dirt. I am not a germ a phobe by any stretch. But, there was something about the ashy, dirty, under the finger nails grubbiness that made me a little manic. But, I think it worked out okay.

We went up Thursday and came back on Sat., Usually we go for just a night. I was wondering what the use of packing a car full of crap, setting up a tent, sleeping like crud, getting dirty then turning around and coming home, was. Then we decided to stay an extra day. Now I get it. You actually have time to hang out. enjoy outside. Let the kids go grub around, get dirty.... and by the second night, I was so tired, our air mattress felt like heaven. (although, someday, I hope to have a tent trailer).
We went with neighbors, which was even more fun, than if we had gone alone.
It was time how ever to come home. 4 of 6 was getting tired, and when she gets tired, she gets naughty. She was rummaging through our neighbors stuff, our stuff, and burying herself in the dirt. Which wasn't too bad, except the dirty was really ashy where she was digging. SO she and 5 of 6 were a mess. We took many trips to the stream to wash off. It was perfect weather. 85 down in our camping spot during the day and 65 at night. Not too hot or cold. Although we did try to take the kids on a hike, and that was hot, and 4 of 6 got dehydrated, and it was after the first night, where I didn't sleep more than about 3 hrs, and that was 15-20 minute stretches. It was an experience. This is why Trent leaves me at the camp ground with the 3 girls, and takes the 3 older kids up a mountain. Anyway, we are looking forward to going again before the kids go back to school. Maybe 3 days this time. How about it?

Summer Co-op is a Go

We started summer co-op this morning. With a bang. 11 boys, and a few girls.
We started with a game of kick ball, in the sprinklers.
Then we made paper airplanes. 2 of 6 loves origami, so he has 3 books on airplanes, animals, ect.
Then we made paint out of chalk, and painted.
Then cooled down with Otter Pops and rice crispy treats.
We take turns with the boys on Tuesdays, and then the girls have Thursdays. The girl day will be easy, there is only 6 of them, and they're girls. I think we will make bean bags, and put together baby sitting kits, or decorate cookies, or make bread.... I haven't got that far yet. I'm still basking in the 'done with my boy turn' glow.
Did you notice 5 of 6's face at the top, and 4 of 6's face in this picture? Nice huh? This is what the 2 of them think you are supposed to do with markers. And since it's washable, I don't care. It's probably my fault anyway. We draw on their faces for Halloween, and a few days ago, I put facial hair on 2 of 6. Then it was only fair to let him do the same to me. Then I put "make up" on 4 of 6 because she wanted a turn. Yes, we did take pictures. Maybe I'll post those tomorrow. They're pretty funny.

A Post About 4 of 6

We are at a point in our journey, where we need to make a decision. Not a mind blowing, life altering, never come back from choice, but something that will impact our lives, none the less.
Let me start from the point where I knew something had to be decided.
We are a traveling family. We enjoy a good day trip, hike, picinic, lake, ect. Just being out side. When we had 4 of 6, it was still do able. She was carry able. We had 5 of 6, it was still do able, we had a double stroller, and 4 of 6 was little. Now 2 kids later, we can't. 6 of 6 is in the back pack, 5 of 6, loves to hike, run, swim... all the stuff we like. 4 of 6. No. She likes to sit and dig in the dirt, collect rocks and be carried. Which, the 1st to activities are fine, once we get to our destination, but getting there is a disatster. She doesn't like to hike, and she is too big and heavy to carry to most of our destinations. Camping is hard, because she wanders, and doesn't like to hike once we get there. SO I inevitably get stuck back at camp with the 3 girls.
As we were climbing, slowly, up Little Cottonwood Canyon the other day, I started thinking about options.
1 We could leave her behind, with a neighbor, Grandma, cousins.
pro- we could blaze trails, run, make good time.
con- I can't leave her behind. I have gone places with out all my kids before, and I have this constant nagging feeling, I am missing something. Everything is out of balance. I get anxious. It's also not fair, to her. She is part of the family. It's not fair to who ever has to watch her. it's not their job to take our kids because we don't want to. I Like having her with us. Our whole family is just that, it makes us whole.
2. We could haul her with us.
pro- she gets to be with us, experience things that every little kid needs.
con- It Is Hard. It really is really hard. I get frustrated with her pace, or lack there of. The kids want to be running and exploring, and she wants to follow. But, she can't some of the places we go are dangerous for someone like her. We go to ghost towns, hiking on mountains, and swimming in creeks. Or she wants to be carried. She weighs 36 pounds, which for right now, isn't too bad, but she's tall and floppy, so on your shoulders is awkward, and in your arms is hard on the back.
3. Scale back.
pro- maybe she would enjoy it more if we weren't constantly pushing her to go, come on, move faster, get up, no I am not carrying you.
con- It's boring. The kids have all been there done that.
4. stay home.
pro- we can lock our selves in, like we do everyday, and I can let my guard down. I can't relax when we are out because you have to know where she is and what she is doing at all times.
con- know one benefits from that.

I don't know what to do. I have noticed on friends blogs that have kids with DS, most of the times the kids are not there. Is that the best option? Would I just get used to it? DO you pick and choose what trips they go on? Even taking them on trips where there is the option to stay with friends or family, we have started picking to stay in hotels, there's just too many of us, and if you are not used to 4 of 6, she can be frustrating. Which is why I can't let my guard down, also. I have to know exactly what she is doing, so we don't irritate others. SO, traveling becomes expensive.
What is your families thoughts on this, and why?
I'm wondering also, if a good pair of hiking shoes would make hiking easier? Is she just so floppy in her joints, it's painful for her?
Thoughts please.

A New love

5 of 6 has a new love.
Yesterday she says, I Love Belly Buttons.
Um, you mean like the one on your tummy.
No, I want to watch Belly Buttons.
Ok, you weirdo.
Then she went and picked up the TeleTubbies moving.... 'See, belly Buttons'

Teletubbies.png

Teletubbies.png

Maybe I'll Grace You With My Presence

I have almost completely weened myself off the computer. So, you'll have to forgive me for my lack of FB updates, and falling off the face of the blog world. It's actually a good thing. I was finding myself craving the warm glow of the computer screen. Now, I barely think about it. Well, except the Scrabble games my sisters and I play.
In this process, I have re-found my love of reading. Not only has the lack of computer helped that, but our lack of TV has thrust me back into the reading world. Really, I don't have time to sit down and watch TV during the day. And I don't have a TV in my room anymore, so I can't watch TV at night. Occasionally I catch a glimpse of the news when I make dinner at night, or bread in the afternoon, because our only working TV is one of those drop down 4 inch kitchen TV's and we get Fox, NBC and PBS. Now that I have successfully veered of the subject of reading, I will go back. My favorite reads are non fiction history, and war. So and obvious choice if the books I read on WW1 and 2. I recently finished Schindler's List. I wasn't a big fan of him taking liberties on what these people were thinking, but he did put a disclaimer in the beginning about that, so all is forgiven. I am now waiting on the Hunger games. I have heard raving reviews about them. I have a friend who agreed to loan them to me, so I wait, filling the time with Stephen King. I will gladly put that down when I get new books. I don't mind him, but I get board with the likes of King Koontz ect. It's very predictable.
Anyway, things are slow here. We are having a lazy summer. Before we know it, school will start, but not before our co-op starting next week. I have tons of ideas, I just need to make them into tangible activities. Life is good. Slow and good. So until next time.