99.1, 101.3, 100.8, 102.5, 99.9

I don’t know why I find this so funny, but all five kids are sick with fevers at the same time. We’ve loaded up on Gatorade, Tylenol, and are having competitions to see whose temperature raises the quickest. The reward? Medicine, of course. What a great way to start out a 3 day weekend eh?

Catching up with August -

August is coming to an end and there were several posts I planned to write but never got around to it. Here’s the brief summary –

We went to Lagoon and had the best time ever! What made the difference? No strollers. We left S with family (thanks Meri and Grandma) so no pushing a stroller around or having to stop for nap time.
Also, for the first time, A went on a few rides that were both fast and high (he’s a bit scared of heights). Boo went on Colossus and Jet Star II. She was so excited to finally be tall enough to ride those rides. G went on the Bat and loved it so much he wanted to do it again. Speaking of bats. The kids were entertained during dinner by the local wildlife -

We went to DH's 20th high school reunion. I got to slow dance with him!

The Squash bugs proliferated by the hundreds in our pumpkin patch. Amazingly there are still a couple of pumpkins that might survive. Our zucchini plant is starting to fight its way back. We tried the praying mantis approach. The praying mantis got really big and fat enjoying his feast, but the Squash bugs were too numerous to keep under control. Last night DH put Sevin on the garden.

I got to go visit a family with the sister missionaries in our area. I love hearing the gospel taught by humble servants of the Lord. The lesson was on the Plan of Salvation. We had a few lessons in our home on that same topic since our parakeet died. We held a funeral for him. Our trampoline is finally in the hole! Yippee! The next day, B took a dandelion picker (long forked tool) to the trampoline. Sixteen holes in all. DH put epoxy on them. We’ll see if that holds.

Other stuff - We had friend's visit from Colorado. School started. I learned how to make crepes!

I think that's about it! Sorry for my disjointed ramblings.

Sad day . . .

One of our parakeets died today. He was about 6 years old. The worst part was that he was sick all afternoon and chirped (a pitiful, sad chirp) most of that time. The kids were distraught and I thought maybe I should let the cat have him to put him out of his misery (just kidding). Sunny is now laid to rest in a pink shoe box and his burial place has yet to be determined. Tomorrow we shall hold a funeral service for him.

These are our birds Sunny and Sky.

Olympic Gymnastics

At 8 years old, I watched the Olympics on TV. I couldn't get enough of Nadia. Soon after, my parents started me in gymnastics lessons! I was a natural. That's me in 1st place all around. I took state that year. I think I was 11. In '84 when Mary Lou Retton got her perfect 10 in the LA Olympics, I started planning my debut in the Seoul 1988 Olympics. I had it all figured out. I would be 16 years old by then.

Okay, so I had BIG dreams, but had no idea the complicated details of how to make those dreams come true. When I was about 13, my coach left and the gym closed down . This was the beginning of the end for me in gymnastics, although I did continue to compete in high school and I taught gymnastics in college. Even though I didn't realize my dreams, I love seeing others reach them! I am having so much fun watching the Beijing Olympics. I'm not getting much sleep, but who cares!


I was so glad to see Shawn finally get the gold! She deserves it. And Nastia, wow! She is amazing. I would have loved to see her get the gold on uneven bars, but she should be proud of her performance.


Sleepless and loving it!

From Boo's Perspective

Last week while finishing "Breaking Dawn," I gave Boo the camera and sent her off to keep an eye on her little brother. One hour and 300+ pictures later, this is what she saw.

Two things I learned from this: 1) Boo is a pretty good photographer and 2) S is a busy body and goes from one thing to another to another (okay, I already knew that one).

It's Over

I guess I'll have to admit defeat. I was already defeated before I began fighting. Those Squash Bugs have ruined my pumpkin plants. Thank you for all your excellent advice. I will need it as I work to rid the garden of these bugs before next growing season. Did you know that the Praying Mantis is a natural predator of Squash Bugs? Anyone know where I might buy some?

On the bright side, the Squash Bugs don't care about tomatoes. Those are doing great!

Reading . . .

Can't . . . blog . . . now! Have . . . to . . . read . . . "Breaking Dawn."