Shiny Happy People

Happy Birthday, dear Ruby! Our little Ruby is nine! Her day started out with modern dance and ballet. She gave all the kids in her classes little favors that we made, using the tiny t-shirt notepads, chocolate hearts and pencils. We sharpened down the pencils to match the size of the notepads. They were so cute, I was wishing I was nine so I could have one! The beautiful tulips my mom gave me the other day must have brought a little bit of spring...the sky was pure blue today. It was gorgeous weather for sledding with the Scheullers. Thanks, guys! What would we do without you? Ari said, "Mom, you and Sarah were strangers and then you met and now you're friends, and now we get to play with them." I told her that, actually, we were never strangers. We always knew each other. I'm so luck to have my childhood friends. It's just easier than making new ones! Thanks, guys! :) (If you remember me tripping and diving across the floor at ballet or had a role in "Days of Our Lives, the jr. high version," I'm talking to you!)
Speaking of friends, I posted this picture of my LOVE pillow for Michelle. This is the one my mom made for my doll, Elizabeth, to match the big one that I had. Cute, but not as cute as Michelle's!
As I sit at the kitchen table eating cookie dough and blogging, Ruby and her friends are watching the Miss America Pageant. The Girls' Spa Night birthday party went long for this, and the tweens are lovin' it. A BIG cheer went up when Miss Utah made it to the next round. She stayed in it long enough to impress my party girls with her modest swimsuit, then she got axed. Oh well. Now they're vehemently rooting against Miss Washington. All the girls are just glowing from their facial masks and cucumber eye therapy. Their comments about the Miss America contestants indicate that they are all sweet and confident girls. It's fun to sit in the background, obsolete, except for when someone needs a drink! Ruby wanted to make chocolate chip cookies at the party instead of having a cake. What a great idea! As I served the platter of cookies in the TV room, singing Happy Birthday, holding the platter and taking pictures at the same time, I thought once again about how much my waitressing experience has helped me in life. If you're thinking about having kids, go work in a restaurant for awhile. I promise, nothing will prepare you better for having kids who all want something different and ridiculously specific, all at the same time. If you can't pour pancake batter into Mickey Mouse shapes, put a bib on, get plates out, flip the pancakes at the right time, answer geography questions and shout if someone's note is out of tune while you stick straws in a juice boxes ("Not that way!"), your kids could starve!
Anyway, I wanted to post things that make me happy, like tulips and t-shirt-shaped note pads, but the cucumber facials are my favorite today. Girls, you're amazing!

Rubies in the Snow

A few scenes from our week in Antarctica...I mean Utah! I honestly don't remember a winter with this much snow! I remember a lot of recent winters where I lamented the fact that there was never as much snow as when I was little. Well, now there is snow piled up on every street corner and in front of every mailbox to rival my childhood memories. We might not see the lawn for weeks! I do love it. It's much better than the January inversion and gloom that we had last year. Today was so bitter cold, though, that the kids practically got frozen to their bicycles when they attempted to play outside. Nice try, kids. They did manage to ride their bikes up the block with E and E and their mom. They got home right before the next blizzard hit.
Earlier this week, the kids were out of school and we hit the Discovery museum. Freestone got a few adoring looks from moms who obviously have superheroes of their own, and understand why I would let my son wear a paper-thin Halloween costume when it's 8 degrees outside. (Because it looks good with the goggles, of course!)
I snickered at Freestone in the backseat, telling the other kids that his mom's super power is x-ray vision. Ari said, "Yeah, my mom said moms have eyes in the backs of their heads!" All the kids giggled, and compared notes on the times when their moms could tell what they were doing without even seeing them. I was thrilled to hear that they all truly believe that moms have super powers. Of course they do. They have to! (Speaking of funny kids, did you check out Jennie's story about Collin and Freestone?)
We stopped in to visit Nana, and a deer stopped in to visit us! This amazing deer was peering in the window at Nana's house, watching us. That has to be some kind of good luck or something! I got a picture of the precious Rubies together...Ruby and her namesake. Ruby is blessed to have such a wonderful grandmother to look up to. Our Ruby is a lot like Nana Ruby. They both have light red hair, and they are both very musical. Nana plays the piano, organ, violin, guitar and mandolin, and loves to sing and tap dance. She was in a senior citizen orchestra until the other members all kicked it except Nana. She laughs about being the last musician standing. She is so talented, and so inspiring!
Tonight was our Olive Garden birthday dinner with Ruby. (Thanks for watching the kids, Tricia!) Every year since she was two or three, Scott and I have taken Ruby to the Olive Garden for her birthday. Ruby always orders blackened salmon and tiramisu. She is very decisive about things. She skipped her field trip at school today and acted as my assistant at ballet when I taught the kindergartners. The little girls were in awe of Ruby, the seasoned dancer. She was so cute in her leotard, towering over the 5 year olds, acting wise and mature. Actually, Ruby doesn't have to act wise and mature. She just is. She's an old soul. It's amazing the endless, eternal possibilities contained in each child.
They're just like snowflakes. :) And snowflakes are pretty cool! We could use a few million more in our yard! Yeah, winter!

Lonesome tonight...

Happy Birthday to Aunt Michelle, Grandma Great, Alexis and Ruby, the January birthday girls in the Dopp family. We had a delightful party tonight, talking about babies vs. cruises and/or watching football. At the end of the night, when Rob and Michelle were ready to leave, Freestone raced into his room and emerged with his sleeping bag and pillow case. He said, "I'll be in the car!" After some murmuring and eyebrow raising among the adults "in charge," (Are we?!), Freestone was officially invited to have a sleepover with Jake. The boys jumped and cheered and immediately started campaigning for TWO nights. Freestone gave Daddy a hug and told him, "I'll be back from Jake's in two days!"
Now the house is quiet. The air is still. Nobody is about to come racing into our room with a breathless story to tell. Nobody is shouting random song lyrics in a frog voice. The Fab Four costume is empty and crumpled on the floor. I could fix myself some hot chocolate without getting Freestone a cup...and making it cooler...then hotter...and getting the right spoon...and then cleaning up cocoa powder...but I'm too lonely! Granted, there are still four little ones about, but they are so quiet!
I called Rob and Michelle, and Freestone was fine. He wasn't crying for his mama or anything. He was having fun! I'm sure Old Man Jake, six months older than Free, is teaching him how to be even more grown up, at this very moment. Giving him tips on tying his own shoes and fixing his own cereal. Teaching him how to give talks in church all by himself.:)
Well, tomorrow Freestone and a whole bunch of cousins will here, shouting for joy, as Nana says, and I'll smile. I'll remember the relaxing cup of cocoa I had the night before, and I'll be ready for the surround sound of boys' voices echoing through the halls, as well as the High School Musical crowd flitting in and out and through the sword fights and super hero adventures. It's going to be great. But first, the hot chocolate and the quiet...Thanks, Michelle and Rob!

We The People

It's a rite of passage for a fifth grader: the Fifth Grade Program, We The People. Golda has been practicing at school for this for many weeks. I knew it was important to her, so Scott and I were looking forward to it. When the kids marched in wearing their blue jeans and red shirts, I inexplicably got a little choked up. Little did I know, I'd be in tears for the duration of the show. At one point, the tears were tears of laughter. It was a song about vikings, and the kids did a little growl in the chorus and scowled at the audience. Golda, the little actress, totally worked the scowl-and-growl. Every time she did it, Scott and I doubled up laughing. By the time the program progressed to the Civil War, however, I was choked up again. The students did a great job of portraying the agony of the slaves and the courageous decisions Lincoln made during a perilous time in our history. Looking at the diverse studentbody was enough to fill me with gratitude for leaders like Lincoln who followed divine guidance while leading the nation. The real tear jerker was the medley of military songs, during which veterans and soldiers from each branch of the armed forces stood up in the audience. There were quite a few grandfathers standing, humbly acknowledging the applause. Who knows what sacrifices those among us have made for us?
Patriotism is not my strongest emotion, but I sure felt it tonight. There is nothing more encouraging than the leaders of tomorrow singing with confidence about our past. The fifth graders in our school know and value American history, and that is the greatest hope we have for the future. Those ten-year-olds believe they could solve all the world's problems over an uncrustable and a glass of milk. With their confidence, I believe it too, and I hope someday they do.

Grand Central Station

If our house were a city during the night, it would be New York. The city that never sleeps. Last night was an all-too-typical nocturnal parade of events that lasted from bedtime to sunrise.
8:30, and all 5 kids are tucked in.
8:33, Araceli creeps downstairs, claiming to be lonely. No problem, she does this or a variation of this every single night. We used to be stern with her and keep putting her to bed, just like Super Nanny says to do. Until we realized that two tired parents are no match for Araceli's iron will. She will fight to the death to win a battle, and I would rather watch Letterman. So now, when she snuggles up to us on the couch and says, "Can I sleep in YO bed," we say, "Well, since you're so sweet, OK. Love you." And she goes right to sleep, secure in the knowledge that she has won the battle.
8:55, Scott sneaks the big kids out of bed to watch American Idol.
10:15, Golda and Ruby are finally in bed. Xanthe has been asleep for awhile. I resist the urge to check on her, because she always wakes up when I go in her room. All the way up. Standing up and asking for a drink. She wakes up if I even peek at her. You would think sleeping in a room with 5 other babies and a nanny for her first year of life would make her a sound sleeper, but she wakes up at the slightest rustling of a blanket. And if tossing and turning were an Olympic sport, she would have a gold medal. When we first brought her home, she would contort her limber little body all over the crib for hours during the night. Tonight, I make the mistake of peeking in on her, and spend the next 10 minutes bringing her drinks and explaining how everyone else is asleep. "...Teetone apeep?...Doda apeep?..."
11:46, I am my bed with Ari, Scott is on the couch, and I hear someone sleepwalk into the pantry, thinking it's the bathroom. This happens all the time around here, so I leap out of bed in a preemptive strike against having to clean the pantry floor. Made it just in time! I should go back to bed, but I stay up reading for 45 minutes.
2:00, I develop this ridiculous cough and get up to get a drink. Scott is watching Sports Center. What??
3:57, Freestone crawls into my bed. I suggest that he goes back to bed in his own bed, and he says, "My bed is already made." Apparently, he's up for the day. I point out that it's still dark, and he goes back to sleep.
7:45 Not surprisingly, it's time to get up and everybody is sound alseep. Night time can be exhausting! I honestly haven't slept through the night since Golda was born, but I don't mind. I'm kindof a night owl anyway. All the movement during the night makes me feel like I'm not missing out on whatever is going on in New York or anywhere else. I have my own little Grand Central Station right here!

The Wedding Planners

Today: One of the more sublime moments of my parenting career, as I chatted with my tweens in an abandoned snow fort at the elementary school under a brilliant blue sky. I felt the sun on my face and listened to the girls talk about their wedding day, and how the bridesmaids will look and what colors the flowers will be. There were detailed descriptions of their rings and their dresses. Golda's color scheme will be red and white. Or blue and white. Midnight or periwinkle. Ruby's ring will have diamonds and rubies or garnets, and she will have 12 bridesmaids. Araceli said her flower girls will wear purple and all the boys will wear suits. She said, "We have to go shopping and buy the white dress I will wear at my wedding." I said, "Now??" "No," she said, as if I was being silly. "Tomorrow."
The thing that makes me so sad is that it will seem like tomorrow. Tomorrow, I'll be sitting in a dress shop waiting for one of my little girls to come out of the dressing room in a wedding dress. She will be in love, and all the ballet classes and music lessons and afternoons in snow forts will be behind us. Someday, I suppose I'll find a way to live with that heartbreaking reality, so that it won't be so wrenching when the time comes. For now, though, I'm thankful for this day, a day of dance and music and sunlight and snow, of cold fingers and hot chocolate, of crystal-clear plans for the future, and of childhood beauty and innocence. I hope all of their dreams come exactly true, down to the dark pink and lime green centerpieces at Ruby's reception. The best Scott and I can do is teach and prepare our daughters the best we can, so that their wedding days are in the right place and with the right person. And then say a lot of prayers!
Golda assures me her wedding won't take place for another 15 years. Besides, I shouldn't worry so much about the dress shopping. The girls will probably want Scott to do that with them! Maybe I can help with the flowers. :)

This is Living in Utah!

Freestone's weather indicator is stuck at "snow." Snowy? And how! There are snow drifts taller than Ruby out there! Yesterday, I looked out the window and saw Golda walking home from school. Ruby was crawling out of a big snow bank across the street. I thought she was hurt, but it turns out Golda and Ruby were having fun falling into the snow and digging back out. So that's what took them so long to get home yesterday.
Everything takes longer in the snow. For one thing, kids can't go directly from the car to the house or the house to the car. There has to be a big, slushy puddle or a mountain of snow involved somewhere along the way. And who invented GLOVES for kids? I don't think it's physically possible to get ten 2-year-old fingers into the right places in a pair of gloves. I tried to put socks on their hands, but they didn't like that, either.
Yesterday, for some insane reason, I decided to take 3 kids to the grocery store in a raging blizzard. I needed Great Northern White Beans for a recipe, and I had every kind of bean but. An hour later, Araceli and I were EACH pushing a fully loaded grocery cart through 5 inches of heavy, wet, dirty snow in blinding sleet. It was a big Quaker sale and I couldn't pass up the deals on school snacks. I think Xanthe went through two boxes of granola bars in the time it took me to get from the store to the car, so it's a good thing I stocked up. Anyway, the soup turned out good, and I am convinced that no other kind of bean would have worked. (Thanks for the best cookbook ever, Sarah! "Favorites" is fab.)

This Is Your Life

OK, the holidays are ALL the way over now. Last week was a segue back into the routine, but this week is just like real life. I like it! Here's a picture of Freestone wiping away his LAST egg nog mustache. He took it like a man when the last drop was gone. At least we still have "some of the soft stuff" left.
My New Year's resolutions are: Read with my child 15 minutes a day, brought to you by Shea Homes. Oh...and watch less TV.
My favorite thing about having older kids is Playing School. When I'm helping Araceli read, I recruit Golda or Ruby to play school with Freestone. They each have their own easel/white board in their rooms, and they go through white board markers like crazy. (I suspect it's mostly from leaving the lids off.) Freestone and Ruby surprised me tonight by showing me that Free can read the first "I Am Sam" book. He barks out each word like he's under duress, but he's pretty proud of himself! Ruby is a very patient teacher. Meanwhile, Golda was DRILLING Ari like a Kirov diva on her ballet routine. I don't know if it turned out, because it can't be unveiled until Golda makes a costume out of black and red fabric, which we, of course, don't have. I'm learning a lot from my mini teachers. Yesterday, Araceli was running out of steam practicing her cello. I used a mock teacher voice, and said, "OK, class, Araceli is going to show us all how to play a G Major arpeggio. Are you ready, Araceli?" I tried to hide my surprise and delight when she perked right up and played it a bunch more times. I'm telling you, I'm going to run this Playing School shtick into the ground. This is magic! Tonight my assistant, Miss Melody (Ruby), and I tricked Freestone into practicing for 45 minutes. Any other good practicing tricks out there?

By the way, I was going to take a picture of Scott sitting on the couch, watching the big screen TV AND the "Archos 605 wifi," which he was holding. But he fell asleep. I guess it was sensory overload.
Another P. S...Jackson heard Xanthe talking and he exclaimed, "She doesn't speak French anymore!" So we have that worked out of her system!:)

Superheroes Need Gadgets, Right?

This is my super hero, Mr. Fabulous. Coco and Bill gave him this Halloween costume for Christmas, and he has to wear it ALL the time, unless he's wearing his new jammies Grandma and Grandpa gave him! He even saved the package, and he pores over the picture of the Fab 4, inventing things about each character and quizzing me on his fake stats and information. Tonight, he sauntered into the kitchen and demanded "some of the soft stuff." I don't know where the name originated, but apparently, the "soft stuff" is Pomegranate Sprite. At last he's not asking for the hard stuff! (Dr. Pepper?)
My big super hero, Scott, came home with another gadget that "can play movies." Whenever he buys an electronic device, (which, in his defense, is not very often) he always explains it as, "It can play movies." As if that's the one thing that I'll be able to grasp. (Not far from the truth, given my lack of tech savvy.) I admit, I don't get it. First, he spends years researching big screen TV's. The bigger, the better. Now he brings home a hand-held device and says, "You can watch movies on it." OR you could watch a movie on our big screen TV...
As far as hobbies go, bringing home things with tiny screens is pretty tame. Scott, please accept my apathy toward your hobby as wholehearted enthusiasm. :)

In the baby department, Xanthe got her very own doll this morning. She showed the doll all her toys and patted her head and laughed with her in the car. She called her "Izzy." Then Grandma came and took her away! :)

We have a brand-new niece, Lilah, who is beautiful and perfect. Congratulations, Jeremy and Jenny!

The baby formerly known as "The Fifelet" stopped by today to let us admire her. She is gorgeous! We love her and we're glad she's finally here!

And...there is another Mijatovic on the way! We got Zeljko and Jen's Christmas card today, and I just knew it would contain some news. Sure enough, Baby #2 is coming in June. We can't wait! We are so excited!!

The new year is bringing happy changes already!

I shouldn't recommend books, because you might not like them. But any time I read a book in two days, it might be a book others would enjoy, too! It was out of the question to go to bed before I finished this one.
After a raucous celebration last night...well, OK, it was just dinner at Corbin's and ice cream at our house with the Scheullers...Scott and I celebrated with Golda, the last kid standing, at midnight. It was the best New Years we've had. We had a great dinner with great friends and did not try to have any more fun than we would have on any other night! We usually don't do anything on New Year's because it's so much pressure! We just buckle! So we loved ringing in 2008 with such a fun night!

Today we celebrated a belated Christmas with the Kings, because my mom has been sick with something she undoubtedly got from my kids, since Christmas Eve. Sorry, Mom!! It was nice to do Christmas a week late and spread the cheer a little more. Trajan got bombarded with cheer by the overzealous little elves. He is such a good sport. Thanks, mom and dad, for all the nice gifts. Everything was perfect!

We also got to relax with the Dopp crowd and polish off the last Christmas candy. I still can't decide which is my favorite, but it might be the gingersnaps, since I smuggled a whole stack of them home. I tried to play "Sleeping Beauty" with the cousins. That's where I go downstairs and sleep on the couch for a hundred years. Not one of those kids would buy it. I tried to explain what a spinning wheel is, but Jake pointed out that Grandma doesn't even have one. Kids use their imaginations non-stop, but they're always suspicious when an adult tries it. Instead of Sleeping Beauty, I was convicted by a tribunal of pre-schoolers of being a liar and a fraud who pretended to prick my finger on "one of those pokey things" so I could get a nap. So unfair! At that point, there was nothing left to do but go back upstairs and sample another chocolate. That's better than a nap, anyway!