A fourth birthday cake with pink, purple and red flowers

My daughter never forgot her dream for a fancy pink and purple cake, an idea that started while helping and watching me make a four layer Halloween cake for a service auction. So, despite the fact that we had just moved to our first-ever house and were getting ready to travel across the U.S. to visit family, I made her a three-layer cake with buttercream frosting and pink, purple and red roses on top.

Jackie chose colors of the cake's flowers. Ask Jackie her favorite color and she'll tell you, "pink, purple, red" and then she'll probably go on to add whatever other color comes to her mind. But, it always starts with pink, purple and red. Once some adult asked her the favorite color question and received a very long response, leading me to ask Jackie: "Are all the colors your favorite?." "No, not black," she said. So, there are limits. While I didn't put in as much time as I had into the service cake, she seemed excited, and enjoyed sharing it with some friends from Ann Arbor and new families we've met at our new home.

A bedtime moment

It's 8:18 p.m., which means it's 18 minutes past my three-year-old's bedtime. She's sitting on our green, red and gold plaid couch cushion on the floor of our Ann Arbor townhouse, ready to jump on her make-shift trampoline, even though she's not supposed to jump on cushions. Mommy's feeding little sis' and tells Daddy to put the three-year-old, who didn't take her nap, to bed. Life in our new home here is good, but both adults are already looking forward to rest.

"Go to bed, Jackie," Daddy says.

"No, I want to do my jumping," she says.

Renn looks at his iPad a while longer, while Mommy feeds Bridget and types, then Daddy tries to encourage Jackie to go to bed. Finally, Jackie issues these words of wisdom:

"I'm too tired to go to bed."

That remark prompted me to finally update my blog. Meanwhile, Renn gets Jackie to go upstairs and a few minutes later, Bridget and I go up and see this:

After writing this blog, Bridget and I went to check on Jackie and found her and her daddy sound asleep.

A couple of graduates

This was graduation weekend. Last night we attended two graduation receptions, with the kids. Jackie wasn't that impressed by the shrimp or scallops, but she did love the chocolate dipped strawberries and most of all the live band. She attracted attention of crowds of people because she planted herself in one spot and watched for around 20 minutes. When we wanted to move, she said she wanted to, "watch the music." This is a little girl who goes around the house singing songs and asking mommy to turn on the tunes.

This morning Renn and I attended commencement. Renn graduated with his MS in environmental engineering, while I tried to watch and tried to manage two babies. Everyone who sat around us was very patient and went out of the way to be nice. Fortunately one of those, a friend of mine from Kenya with three kids, mostly older, was seated nearby and helped during the ceremony. Her oldest daughter sat with Jackie while I took Bridget out at first. After Renn got his diploma cover, I exited to a nearby lobby. As you can see the babies didn't find graduation too exciting. Here's us listening in the lobby while they read off names and handed people their diplomas (By the way, these two pictures were taken by a two-year-old boy with some help from me. Entertainment):

Eventually, Martha's youngest boy, age two, was restless and we both found ourselves in the lobby. We decided to take the kids for a "wiggle walk." The kids raced around the hallways and I felt relieved to walk and talk with another mom who understood.

Afterward, Renn's advisor met him, posed for a picture and took our pictures also. Then, he suggested some more people for Renn to contact in his job search and said, "See you Monday." Renn and I believe he's been fortunate to have a very good professor.

 I took Renn's pictures with the kids.

Then, he offered to take "graduation" pictures of me in his cap and gown because my commencement is next weekend at Utah State University and we won't be able to make it. I'm disappointed because I didn't go to my undergraduate graduation either because I planned to go when I got my master's degree. So, I suppose today is my graduation in a sense also :) I changed the picture to black and white so that you can pretend my hood is Utah State blue!

Here I am with the two future graduates:

Pinata making: the paper mache hot air balloon and bunny

The last month, Jackie and I have been making pinatas. It started when we made a hot air balloon for my Relief Society party. We got some old newspapers and mixed about 1 part water with 1 part flour to make a paste. Then we dipped long strips of the newspaper into the paste and flattened them over a large balloon.

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Jackie's friend McKensie came over to help with the second layer of paper mache, but the two of them got bored quickly and went to dress up as princesses and play with toys, which gave me lots of time to finish that layer.

Then I hung it up in the closet for two weeks. By the time I got back to putting on another layer, I was running out of time and had to use two large fans to dry it and then quickly decorate it for the party. Still, I was rather happy with how it turned out.

Happy birthday, Grandpa Steve!

Today, April Fools Day, is my dad's birthday. He's endured years of unflavored jello, beautifully wrapped empty boxes and frosted sponge cakes (made with real sponges). But, this year we decided to do something nice.

This last week, Jackie and I went to work to make him a birthday card. We sent it Thursday and amazingly we learned today that it arrived 27 hours away in Utah on Saturday. Since we didn't think it would arrive, we posted the electronic version, Dad. We love you and Jackie had a ton of fun coloring, drawing, painting, gluing and putting stickers on for this card. I put together the materials and came up with the ideas. It's our attempt to do better at honoring birthdays, which in the past have been lucky to merit even a simple phone call. I modified the song Twinkle, Twinkle because it's become Jackie's signature piece of late. She's been known to start singing and going on and on and on. Here's our new version:

Twinkle, twinkle little star

how I wonder what you are.

Up above my Grandpa Steve so high,

like a beacon in the sky.

Twinkle, twinkle little star

how I wish I could travel far

to see my Grandpa Steve today 

and wish him a Happy Birthday!

Jackie's marker tatoos, first snowman, Tech hockey, and other 2-year-old adventures

Over the last month, I've been jotting down memories and taking pictures, despite the fact I couldn't get my computer to upload them. Now it's time for some more catchup, with a post focused on my blog's greatest fan (she loves to see pictures of herself and family members!). Here goes:

Feb. 6 - Jackie and I ate a bowl of frozen blueberries -- that we'd picked fresh months earlier by Rice Lake -- they still tasted so much better than store bought and brought back a bit of summer. It was also kind of funny dying our fingers and mouths purple with berries mid-winter. Here's a picture of Jackie's mouth AFTER we tried to wash it clean:

Photo challenge: Patterns in nature

My daughters and I hiked along the frozen shores of Lake Superior as I sought material for this week's photo challenge: finding patterns in nature. It was a warm day for early February and after all the work to bundle up the babies, I felt like I'd mounted Mount Everest, or something, to actually arrive at McClain State Park, only to discover they don't plow much in the winter. We parked by the front office (the only place to park), ate Little Caesar's Pizza (an unhealthy splurge) for lunch, and then with no cars around Jackie could venture out through the snow as slowly and in whatever direction she wanted. She inspected her footprints as she slowly followed me from place to place. Without my knowledge, she had brought a bracelet with her and she enjoyed dipping it into the snow and made me look for it whenever she dropped it. Bridget slept in my Moby, while I tried to look at the clouds, ice and trees with a photographer's eye. I pointed out what I saw to Jackie and together we inspected ice crystals, fungi and natural patterns in the tree bark and gentle curves in the snow. I was hoping to get a picture of frozen waves or large chunks of cracked ice in the lake, but the water was too warm for that Friday, and wanting to stay safe with two babies I stayed far from the shoreline. I think my favorite shot is the close-up of white ice crystals, perhaps covering some type of fungi, on the tree bark. What do you think?

Meme: Thoughts on bad weather, marriage, movies, motherhood and majors

I was tagged by Lara who responded to a meme. Now, not being an avid reader of blogs, I had never before heard of a meme. While, the concept seems similar to a chain letter -- something I'm not too keen on receiving and try not to forward -- the questions were interesting, and I was flattered to be tagged by a REAL blogger. Then I made my best effort to respond, only to struggle, write and rewrite, especially in response to the first question. So, sorry for the ongoing edits the last few hours. However, I'm finally happy with my response and don't plan to change it again. And, I found it satisfying to look around inside myself to try to understand my thoughts -- one of the reasons I love writing!

1. How do you cope with the yucky season where you live?

Right now the sky is a cool gray and it is cold. The day's half over and I don't anticipate much change in brightness or warmness, except that it will eventually get darker and colder. It will get better over the next month or two.

This is an interesting time in my life anyway. A great quiet after a torrent of busyness. For the last few months I've had the luxury of long, quiet hours with my two daughters. That sense of luxury can make even gray days beautiful. Some days as I soak in the warmth of radiant heating and look out the window above my row of fresh herbs growing on the sill, I dream of blue skies, warm afternoons and walks with my daughters, and berate myself that I don't bring them outside more. Maybe today. Still, the cold gives me a desire to stay in these small, warmly heated rooms. I will go out and hopefully soon. My husband and I go cross country skiing on date nights. (We found old-style skis for my husband and I for $10 a pair from a couple of snowbirds and were given a hand-me-down kid's pair for our two-year-old, and so it's not too expensive for our student budget.) We tried it once as a family, with Bridget in my Moby wrap, but it made me too nervous that I'd fall on her and she'd get hurt. She's only four months, after all. So, for the rest of this year if we take Bridget skiing, the person holding her will be on foot. However, the added stability of snowshoeing makes it something I can do with both my daughters. My two-year-old now owns her own snowshoes (her main Christmas present) and the younger one rides in my Moby when we go out. There are other things I love about this time of year. I enjoy watching the ice sculptures of palaces, people and imaginary beings rising up for Winter Carnival. Icicles, snowflakes, and dense forests seem almost romantic to me.

Inside with our radiant heating, my two-year-old and I fill our day with art projects, music, reading books, and occasional television shows, and I stay busy administering breakfast, snacks, lunch, naptime, potty training, along with washing mounds of laundry, cooking dinner, calling relatives, taking care of baby Bridget, etc., etc. So, I suppose I cope by cultivating a sense of wonder for the everyday moments, and also finding time to continue to develop my talents. When I do feel fear, depression, worry and so forth, I try to set a new goal with my writing or photography, or perhaps forget myself and look for someone to serve. (My mother would always tell me that when I was feeling bad for myself I'd feel better if I'd spend more time thinking of others). Or, sometimes I just need to get out and go to the library or on a walk. Lastly, sometimes I just try to accept that there's nothing wrong with having a good, depressing day now and then -- and then move on.

2. Tell me something you like about me or my blog? (I need a little self esteem boost lately)

You make your family a high priority and it shows in your life and in your blog. I admire your daughters' broad smiles when my daughter runs over to them in excitement and how they come up with funny games to play with her -- like Sophia letting Jackie push her and pretending to fall to the ground dead -- building up Jackie's confidence and helping her feel loved. I also admire their musical skills, cute personalities and fashion flair -- all a good reflection on their mother :) In addition, you have many talents, like singing, photography, and blogging, which you take the time to develop and use to serve others.

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3. Name a movie you can quote several lines from.

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I'm not a huge movie buff. So, I'll have to revert to the overquoted Princess Bride:

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"Maarrrriaage is what brings us together today."

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Oh, wait, I'm struggling to think of any more lines ...

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Did I mention I'm not a movie buff?

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4. Least thing you like about mothering.

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Car seats have to be among the worst, especially when you have a five person coupe, that with carseats added only holds four. While I want my children to be safe, the frustration of leaning over the front seat and putting them into the car seat, often meeting a loud, "No," from my two-year-old, and then taking them out has the effect of making me not want to go anywhere (I still do go) and if I need to do an errand, I'll always choose the drive-through option, where before I liked to go inside and talk to people face-to-face.

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5. Favorite thing about being a wife

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Always having a date. Of course, those dates go better because I was lucky enough to marry one of the nicest guys in the world. (So, cheezy, I know.) Plus, it's fun to work with him to raise our two daughters!

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6. If you could've majored in anything in college, without thought to what you'd do with it afterwards, what would it have been?

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I was fairly idealistic in college and wanted to be a writer. That's why I majored in journalism and later earned a Master's degree in American Studies, with an emphasis in nonfiction writing. I became a writer and plan to continue to write. I enjoyed those majors, although sometimes I have a moment when I wish I would have chosen something like teaching high school, speech pathology, dentistry or medicine, which are quite marketable and present so many options. But, most days I don't regret my majors. I'd still like to complete a couple of others, given unlimited time. For instance, I would have loved to complete a degree in fine art as I want a foundation in art theory. I also wish I knew a few more languages ... Really, I just like to learn EVERYTHING. I also miss math and some days wish I could go back and take calculus, and maybe physics (somehow I haven't taken physics since around Middle School.) I'm sure that would lead to some fulfilling conversations with my dad and brother Brian, who majored in math and physics, respectively.

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This is where I'm supposed to tag someone, I suppose. Oh, wait, I hate sending on chain letters. I guess I'll tag my sis', Christie, and my sister-in-law Tiffany. They'll like me anyway, after all. (Sorry you two, I'm not even a professional blogger and so there's no incentive at all to comply :) But, if you feel like it, I'd love to hear what you have to say -- and it's kind of fun.)

Finnish Reggae

On a trip to Jamaica I discovered I really like reggae music. But, Finnish Reggae? Who imagined? Apparently the Finnish music has similar rhythms to Reggae and so musician Darrell Syria has combined the two for his band Conga Se Menne. He is 100% Finnish and spends many of his evenings touring with his band. In the daytime he drives a bus in order to get insurance and other benefits. His wife is a member of our church and went on the temple trip with us. As a result, we discovered some great music and went to a free concert in a nearby town -- one of many he was giving that week. Unfortunately it was moved into the community center from the park due to rain. As you can see, Jackie dressed up in her concert attire (outfit given to her by Grammy Lamby) and enjoyed the show.

First doctors appointment

Beautiful Jacqueline.

Tired Jacqueline

Cranky Jacqueline

Her first doctors visit. She did not like being naked on the table.

Publish Post

Renn at the doctor is easily entertained.