Eeeeeeeeek!!!

This morning I began my run on the trails. It rained alot yesterday and during the night, so I hoped the moisture had thwarted the arachnid acrobatics during the night, leaving a web-free path for my workout. There were fewer spiderwebs than usual, but I still ran into THE ONE. It completely covered my head and face. I must have blinked just when I hit it, and when I realized I had, the web was so sticky to my face and eyes, I couldn't open my eyes. I was frantically trying to wipe the webbing from my eyes so I could see clearly. My right eye was to first to be clear, and when I focused it, I spotted a bee--still alive-- stuck to my shirt. With my one working eye, I used the side of my pepperspray I was holding to wipe the bee off, afraid that my bare hand might catch the bee's stinger. Bees' little legs can hold on very tight to synthetic fabric. I think the legs are still on my shirt, and just the body was laid to rest along the trail. My left eye took lots of forceful opening and closing to finally become clear of the strong web. Luckily, I didn't see the web architect at all. I might have injured myself in the frantic dance that would have ensued. I am home now, showered and safe-- thanks for asking.

Eli's Baptism

Eli was baptized on his eighth birthday, August 2, 2009. Eric baptized him and confirmed him a member of the Church. Eli was very thoughtful and attentive during the service. I asked him afterward how he felt, and he said when he came up out of the water, he felt a warmness in his body. I feel so blessed and humbled to have such a valiant, good boy for a son.

No time for losers, 'cause we are the champions.....

Eli and Brandt participated in the Birmingham city championship swim meet last Saturday. They did SO well! Brandt swam the freestyle, breast stroke, and backstroke, and completed them and was competitive in each event. Eli swam the freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly and won the freestyle and backstroke. Their team won the whole meet (I think there were about 10 teams there), and Eli received a trophy for scoring the most individual points in his age group at the meet.
Having Eli swim each summer for the last 3 years has taught me something. Eli began swimming barely able to get across the pool (he had to wear a chest float for the first few weeks of practice). He didn't win a single race his first year. And although he doesn't swim year-round, he continues to improve each year. This experience makes me feel much less concerned when my boys aren't the best on the court, field, track, etc, when they first start a sport. No sport I have ever participated in has come easily to me, and maybe my boys will be the same.
I have also decided I want to encourage my kids to have a different sport for each season. I'm not a fan of "specializing" kids in sports. The purpose of their playing sports is to develop high self-esteem, become more physically fit, and to learn good sportsmanship--not to become professionals or get scholarships. I want them to always enjoy whatever they are doing. Eli and Brandt loved doing swim team this summer, but when I asked them if they wanted to do it in the fall, they said they'd rather do flag-football, and I said, "Okay!"

Jedi Training

Eli and Brandt each invited 4 padawans to their Jedi Training birthday party. They were greeted as they arrived by Princess Leia, who helped them dress in thier Jedi robe and explained the rules of the training.

We began with the "Physical Training Obstacle Course" in the basement. The Padawans had to go through the course once, then go through again and better their first time to move on to the next stage of training. They all passed with flying colors (brown, sandy Jedi-type colors, that is).

They then went upstairs to build their light sabers. This moved rapidly into light-saber training, done mostly out on our still work-in-progress sport court. They had a visit from Darth Vader and each took a turn battling him one-on-one to complete their training and become official Jedi Knights.
We completed the party with Yoda Pizza, Yoda Soda (Fresca with lime sherbet), and Galactic Cupcakes.

North by Northwest

We had a 10 day trip to Washington, and I think it was one of my favorite trips to the Pacific Northwest. I've tried to determine what made this trip better than the rest and have compiled a list, if you will:

• We spent very little time traveling, and when we did travel it was in a comfortable car. In the past we had to drive from Portland down to Eugene, back up to Olympia and then up to Seattle and back to Portland to fly home. On some of our trips, I was pregnant or nursing (which could be their own bullet points--the fact that I'm not, that is), which only added to the car-sick feeling I couldn't ever shake. Now his parents live in Olympia near his sister and everyone comes to us. And the rented van with air conditioning was a big bonus. Basically, I like to feel that the world is revolving around us. ;)
  
• The weather was typical PNW weather for most of the trip--a welcome change from the 90+ temps+humidity we have here. I'd rather just have rain than 90 percent humidity any day. I enjoyed running in rain and with long-sleeves.
• We spent alot of time outdoors. When family gets together, it is important to talk. This time there was a good amount of sitting and talking, but almost enough hiking and playing to balance out the equation.
  
• Camp Muir Hike. Pictures will say it all.
• I'm becoming more comfortable around Eric's family. They are very warm, kind, and friendly, but since we don't see them very often, and since they aren't "my" family, I have never felt as comfortable around them as I do my own family (which is normal, I know). However, after 9 years of marriage, I think I'm starting to feel less nervous about what they think of me.
• We got to help out some. We have helped with projects on trips in the past, and with all the hospitality shown to us, it feels good to do what we can to give back. Eric helped his brother and brother-in-law each finish some building projects they had, I pitched in with the cooking, and we all helped with picking cherries that needed a'pickin'.
• I wasn't pregnant or nursing. Did I already mention this? Well, it deserves repeating. Traveling with a kid in your lap (whether in or out of the womb) is less fun. I love babies, but don't love traveling with'em.
  
• The boys were exceptionally good on the airplane (about 7 hours total each way). No, we didn't have a dvd player. Just toys and books. And having Asher strapped into his car-seat was a bonus.
  

HOT!!!

"Illegally" eating our sandwiches from home instead of the $10 chicken fingers at the zoo.

The boys enjoying the splash park

Asher finishes up 1 1/2 pb&j sandwiches.

Cool customer Brandt rubbing in his sunscreen.The motherlode

The high for Friday and Saturday was 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Right now it is 92 with a heat index of 105. Wrong, I know.
Thankfully, we aren't in drought, and we have some generous friends who have opened their pools to us many times already this summer. Both Eli and Brandt are on the city swim team, and Asher is rapidly becoming a little fish (a bit of scary, wild, will-jump-in-the-deep-end-backwards-without-floaties-or-me-crazy fish, but a fish). I'm hoping to get him in lessons by the end of the summer.
Yesterday we decided to go to the zoo since Eric was off work. It was somewhat miserable, but we got to see the flamingos fighting (the only animals moving in the whole place), and the kids had fun in the splash park. Oh, and the llama spit on a lady--another highlight.
When we came home a big flatbed truck was parked in our driveway, and two men were unloading the 800+ pavers Eric ordered by hand onto the grass at the end of our driveway. They were almost done with the last pallet when we arrived, and Eric helped them finish. Eric has a BIG, HOT job ahead of him. He started moving a few after the boys went to bed last night, but the pile looked pretty much the same this morning. We may have to invite several strong backs over for a cookout soon. :)

BOO!!

I have a dear friend named Jan who loves art and is both talented and generous in sharing her joy and skill with others. She came by this week and helped the boys make paper-mache masks. They did the forming part on Tuesday and then painted the masks on Friday morning. We all really enjoyed it. I helped Asher a little with his design (though he did paint the majority of the surface area himself), but Brandt and Eli were the creative geniuses behind their masterpieces. Jan hasn't seen the final works yet--I can't wait to show her!