The Nightmare That Began at PDX

(Just a heads-up…this is going to long one. My intent in writing this is for journaling sake, not necessarily for you, the poor blog reader, to endure. However, if you have the time and want to hear how angels come in all shapes and sizes, then by all means, read on. If not, go to the previous blog that has pictures!)

It all began at the lovely hour of 4:30am. I feel it’s necessary to admit right off the bat that it was a day of “Oops!” We were packed and ready, we just needed to dress, wake the kids (they got to sleep in their clothes), close up the house, and take off for the airport. The first hitch in the road came when Julie woke up and realized her brain was old-schoolin’ it. It’s been a year since we flew, and I totally forgot to print out our boarding passes. A quick trip to the computer solved that problem and ended up saving our day (as you will soon see why…if we hadn’t…oh, that would have been bad!).
We left our house with ample time…two hours before our departure time. We decided to drive ourselves to the airport, since we come home in the middle of the day. We figured it was easier to drive ourselves than to inflict pain upon someone else. It felt like it was taking FOREVER to get to PDX in the pouring Portland rain. (Mind you, we were glad to see the rain after so much snow.)
Gratefully, we decided to have Chad drop the kids, the luggage, and myself at the drop-off spot. (Best decision of the day.) Chad drove off to park the car while the Mama Duck and her row of luggage-carting ducks went to get in line. We noticed there was a HUGE backup at the skycab for Southwest. I foolishly looked at those poor line-dwellers and thought, “Why don’t they just go inside?!?” So imagine, Julie pulling the two large suitcases and 1 carry-on, Matt and Trevor each pulling their small suitcases and carrying backpacks, Jason pulling his suitcase, and Jenna pulling her suitcase. Plus, each of us had a warm extra puffy Utah-bound coat. Simply getting through the revolving doors was a task! Well, once inside we realized why people were waiting in a long line outside. There was an even LONGER line inside. In fact, it spiraled around the Southwest area, went down to the escalators, took a turn and went past the computers, and continued down towards the Delta/United security area. As I corralled my little crew to the end of the line, we realized that the line outside might have been the better idea. It’s probably a good time to add that we were making quite a scene. It’s not every day that a family with 4 kids travel in an airplane…ok, it probably does happen every day. As we were attempting to find the end of the line, a kind gentleman pointed us in the way and mentioned that it wasn’t worth talking to the Southwest workers about the long line. Apparently, they were all in a bad mood as were all the people waiting in line. Oh joy!
Matt suggested and I jumped on the suggestion to go wait in the outside line. So, the Mama Duck and her row of ducks began our tour through the airport again. (I can’t tell you how many times I said, “Come on, you can do it, stick together, keep coming, good job, you can do it, etc.”) By the time we got outside, the line was even longer! We found the end of the line and began our crawl to the counter. Luckily, it wasn’t too cold outside (although some kids began to wonder after we waited in the line for 1 hour and 20 minutes!!!!!!
The good news was that Chad owns a cell phone (a blessing that manifested itself MANY times today!). He was able to park the car, get on the bus, and come find us in line. Having the Dad back in our ranks was comforting to us all. One more hand to push the luggage, one more set of eyes to make sure we didn’t lose any kids, and one more brain to make sure we survived the day.
So, after 1 hr 20 min in line, it was our turn to check in our bags. However, one of the bags was MISSING!!! We frantically looked for it, but couldn’t find it. Turns out, Chad thought I was pulling it and I thought he was. He hadn’t touched the bag. After interviewing our fellow line-dwellers, we learned that a police officer had come and taken the unclaimed bag away. (How many times do you hear at the airport to NOT leave your bags unattended?!? Good thing it had an orange string on it and was easily identified as being the bag that was carted away!) We’ve usually got this airline thing down to a science, but obviously, we were rusty. It’s also important to mention that we now only have 20 minutes to get on our flight. I check in our bags (with Chad’s license in hand) while he tries to track down the officer or our luggage. The Skycab guy agreed to make a tag for our “lost” luggage and that we could just bring it up to him when we found it.
The 5 pieces of luggage (the kids all have their own small piece) and two carseats were checked-in. Ah, one breath of air. Trevor and Matt were getting very anxious as we waited in line. Matt really had anxiety over the possibility that we wouldn’t make the flight. Matt gets really worried about being late. I had to remind him SEVERAL times that it was MY job to worry today, not his. All we could do was our best.
A cell phone call to Chad (blessing!) revealed that he was on the airline phone with PDX trying to find out where he could go to get our “lost” luggage. The kids and I headed to the security line. We figured finding a spot for 1 on another flight would be easier that finding a spot for 6 (if we didn’t make the plane).
After the ducks and I got to the security line, I realized I had Chad’s ID with me. Snap!! Another cell phone call (blessing!) revealed that Chad was downstairs at the lost and found (by the baggage claim). We had to take the ID to him, because he was waiting for the officer to come.
The kids were already panicking that we wouldn’t make it to the plane in time. Now we had to run to Chad and then run back to get into the security line…again. That’s what we did. However, I had several kids in tears as we ran. Another cell phone call (blessing!) and we found Chad again. Another public scene was created as Julie and the 4 kids ran through the airport. The kids were crying and Julie was yelling, “Come on, you can do it, stick together, don’t give up, miracles can happen, let’s just do the best we can, etc.” Matt and Trevor kept saying, “We’re going to need a miracle to make this plane!”
Then the angels came to work (if they weren't already at work!). We got back into the security line with tearful, stressed out kids. A kind gentlemen led me to the shortest line. I explained to the lady who took my ID and checked our tickets of why we were tear-stained with 7-minutes left until departure. She kindly soothed the kids as she identified them. Then, she led us to the “family line.” I clearly could see she opened this line just for us. “See kids, MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!”
Another cell phone call (blessing!) revealed that Chad found the bag, checked the bag, was in the security line behind us, and had a story to tell me later. "See kids, MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!"
We got through the security (coats off, shoes off, bags up, through the scanner (don’t get lost!), shoes back on, grab your coats, grab your bags (don’t get lost!!) and we began to run. AND RUN! Run, like the wind, bull’s-eye!
Another public scene of running, Mom encouraging kids to keep running, kids crying, kids hyperventilating because they are so worried that we aren’t going to make it.
Finally, ARRIVAL at the gate. We made it! We report that Dad is still coming. They assure us that there are others in our same situation. They will wait. Good thing we pre-boarded at home!!!!
More angels at work as we get on the plane. It’s pretty much full. Not a place for 6 people to sit together. We head to the back of the plane. As my situation became knowledge for all in the back of the plane, I had volunteers giving up their seats (without being asked and often hindering their ability to sit by their loved ones). I overheard one person say, “He’s my husband, I can sit by him any day. A child needs to sit by their parent.”
We also had one non-angel on the plane who was upset about the changing of seats and didn’t want to sit by a teenager. He was nearly removed by security. The steward wasn’t about to mess around with trouble. The guy decided to behave and someone else moved, so the teenager wasn’t stuck by that guy.
Trev and Matt both ended up on rows by themselves, but not far from Chad and Jenna. Jason and I also got to sit together. (Yes, Chad made it! The kids cheered! Half the crying was the result of not knowing if Dad was going to make it.)
The plane ride was rather uneventful, especially given the events of the previous 2 hours. We landed 20 minutes late, which we actually were grateful for. The “lost and then found” bag didn’t make the flight, but got to take a flight of its own. It was the bag with Julie’s clothes and the Christmas presents. Trevor and Matt got a laugh at the thought of Julie wearing the same clothes for 7 days. Ha ha! We just got a call saying the bag made it safely. Jeff is going to pick it up on his way home from work.
The “lost baggage” arrived safely back at the house, however, the contents of the top of the bag were completely soaked. Apparently, the bag waited a couple of hours in the pouring rain of Portland to get on the plane. The presents were still wrapped, but with wet wrapping paper. Maybe we should consider buying waterproof luggage...
Oh, in case you are wondering the results of Chad’s story: He waited for several policemen to come until the right one came. He was asked several questions like, “How could you leave your bag behind?” “We make a big deal before we take a piece of luggage…how were you unaware that we took it.” The police officer just couldn’t understand how we could lose it. All Chad could say was, “We have 4 kids, 8 pieces to move along the curb that we did for 1 hr and 20 minutes. We were stressed and worried that we wouldn’t make the plane.” Finally, the cop asked where we were headed and why. When he heard “Utah” and “to see family,” he handed over our bag that was sitting in a room full of desk working people. Maybe Angels wear police uniforms and just have to be thorough in their security details.

The Great Meltdown -- finally we can see the street!!

After Christmas, the rain came and started to wash away our snow. We didn't think it was possible, because there was SO much snow. This picture was taken of our street on December 27. Every time I looked out the window, I was shocked to see...a black street (we had seen a white street for too long!)

WHAT Were We Thinking?

I can't take credit for all of these, as some came from Santa. I have to admit the following has slipped from my lips several times the past couple of days, "What was Santa Thinking???" or "What were we thinking when we bought ___?"1. The Volcan N-strike n25-E: This was actually Matt's gift from Santa (see below). An automatic nerf gun...just what our house needs...the potential to shoot (and loose) 3 nerf bullets per second.

Matt was so excited about this gift. It was the one he asked Santa for (like a scene out of "Christmas Story"--see the blog from the end of November). We ended up with a few more nerf guns, which led to more running, chasing, nerf bullet flying, etc. (I have to admit: it is fun!!)

2. Spore: What was Santa thinking? Trevor got the PC game called "Spore," where you create creatures that evolve, eat other creatures, make friends with other creatures, and fight other creatures. Nice.

3. A DS? Another excuse to tie themselves to an electronic devise. This was proof to the boys that Santa exists, because they know Mom wouldn't buy a DS.

4. More Candy? Santa gave the kids candy in their stockings, but worst of all candy canes. There's the dental damage that they do, but the icky and sticky is just not a fun thing to clean (times 12 of course). Jenna went and confiscated all the candy canes and hid them in her secret hiding spot. I think she was a bit surprised when her stash of broken-licked-on-pieces-of-candy-canes was found and removed from the premises.

5. Helicopters that are allowed to fly in the house??? Can foam and plastic do that much damage? (see previous post)

6. Little Pet Shops: so cute, so adorable, but with so many tiny items...they are bound to spread around the house and become one more thing to clean up!

All complaining aside...what would Christmas be without kids and the fun that comes with new toys. You're only a kid once, so it best be enjoyed...right?

Christmas Day

These are the kids who could hardly wait!! Chad tortured them by making them wait until 7:00am. Luckily, and for the 1st year ever, they actually slept pretty well for a Christmas Eve night. Matt declared that he had heard Santa during the night. All the kids gathered their "friends" (gifts from last year) to join them on Christmas morning. I thought Trevor was going to explode before it was his turn to go downstairs (they entered the room youngest to oldest).

Santa had come afterall!!! He brought a present for each of them and filled their stockings with little bears and treats. Julie had awoke in the middle of the night to start the cinnamon rolls and egg casserole for Christmas Breakfast. After we opened the Santa gift for each child, we took a break and had breakfast. We were in no hurry to go anywhere (as has NOT been the case in past years), so we took our time and enjoyed each present.

One of the gifts that Trevor and Matt received were these little helicopters. They take some practice to learn how to drive, steer, and keep in the air. They also get caught in decorations easily. The hanging snowflakes were impending doom for the helicopters (and a pain for Mom to untangle). Unfortunately for all involved, this wasn't the first time or last time the helicopter looked like this. Ugh!

Christmas Eve

We had a most enjoyable Christmas Eve. These pictures are in reverse order, but oh well. Our Christmas Eve was the most relaxed we have had in years! Normally, we travel on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day, but this year we delayed our traveling. There was no packing on Christmas Eve this year. The stress was little to none. We loved it.

Our Family Tradition handed down from the Smith's and the Hancock's: Everyone gets PJs on Christmas Eve.

Our kids had so much fun acting out the nativity last year with cousins. We decided to do it again, but our cast was short in numbers. Jenna played a perfect Mary: very meek, mild, quiet, and fercely protective of her baby. She took her role very seriously. Trevor was the shepherd with Lumpy as the sheep. Jenna wouldn't even let her beloved Lumpy near her precious baby Jesus.

The Cast: (not pictured was Chad as Joseph and the narrator) Matt as the wisemAn, Jenna as Mary, Julie and Jason as the angels, and Trevor as the shepherd. Jason wanted to be an angel, because he has fond memories of being an angel with TJ last year. He refused to be Joseph. However, as it came time for the angels to speak, Jason decided he didn't want to be the angel anymore.

This picture was taken when Jason was excited about being the angel. He even wore the halo and wings for the picture and then decided it was too girlish. I think when TJ was by his side, being an angel was cool. Without TJ, it appeared to just be a girlish thing...a bit disappointing for Jason. (But hey, we have the picture for posterity sake!)

We did something new for Christmas Eve. We had made sugar cookies earlier in the week and froze them. We thawed them and decorated them for Santa. The kids also had one. Some of them dabbled in the icing a bit too much which was revealed by the sick tummies when it was time for the Christmas Eve festivities.

Something we really enjoyed about this year: we acted the nativity and read stories while dinner was cooking. So, after dinner, we cleaned up, opened pajamas, watched a little Christmas movie, and then went to bed early. Usually we do the activities after dinner and the night seems to last forever.

Catch-up Time: Dec 22 to Dec 23

So, we measured about 16 inches of snow when all the snowing was said and done. Here's what we did with it (once it started to rain and made the snow packable, of course):

Jason, Jenna, and Julie made a two-faced snowman, so it could look at us and look at the street. They had LOTS of fun placing the buttons for eyes, buttons, ears, jewels, etc.

Chad, Trevor, and Matt built a snow fort. The boys made secret compartments to hold their snowballs. Chad put their skills to the test by lobbing LOTS of snowballs their way.

We broke out the Marshmallow Poppers, gave some to our neighbors, and had a good marsmallow war. Some people attempted to blow their "bullets" the farthest, some attempted to knock down empty pop cans, and some preferred to eat the AMO. To each there own. Hopefully, marshmallows biodegrade quickly, because they were lost in the snow. (In the picture, the box was full of AMO - mini marshmallows.)

The snow was so deep that you couldn't tell we had a 2-tier retaining wall. Crazy!

This is Jenna with a view of our street. What a mess! We never saw a snow plow in any of the neighborhood streets. Finally, after 12 days of snow, they snowplowed the major roads by our house. When it started to rain, we just had 14 + inches of slush. Someone called it a giant slurpy--a perfect description!

We swapped kids with the neighbors on the 23rd to give the adults a "break." Chad and Julie went to 2 stores. The roads were AWFUL. You had to drive in the ruts left by the other cars. Changing lanes was a scary experience. What normally took 10 minutes to travel took 30 minutes. The stores were packed, because everyone was desperate to do that last minute shopping. Despite the road and crowd conditions, it was fun to have a "date."

So Much to Blog, So Little Time (for today!)

Wow, am I behind on the events of the week! I dropped out of blog world to live in real life, I guess. You'll have to stay tuned to hear about: the snowman, the snow fort, the marshmallow war, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, time with cousins, nerf mania, laser tag, the great meltdown, and the Mt. Fuji of laundry. Nevermind, we'll skip that last one.

I've been transferring my blog to a book (so as to appear as a journal...or to feed my book-making cravings...I'm not sure which). It's been a bit time-consuming, but I'm liking the result. I just wish blogger and blurb would fix their issues so I could "slurp." ("Slurp" is obviously blurb lingo...did I mention that blurb has revolutioned my world? I love it!)

Two Items of Needed Blog Discussion: Things I just need to type out

Two things I really need to blog about: (frankly, just because I need to get it off my shoulders and because I've been stuck in the house for too many snowy days. . .)

The First: I find it humorous that the news channels in Oregon have to "name" our weather "events." After all, any snow in Oregon is surely an "event." As is evidenced by how many things/people shut down when the snow comes. It makes me wonder how many people had to weigh in on "THE name" and how long it took them to come up with the perfect name. At first, I didn't notice that specific channels had "names" for the snow, however, they said and showed it so many times. . . I couldn't help but take notice. After all, "Arctic Blast" and "Deep Freeze" can't help but make you feel as if you have experienced/endured an "event."

The Second: Gray hair! This week, I noticed that my hair had an occasional glistening appearance when I glanced in a mirror. To my horror, I have found 3 short, wire-y, nasty, little gray hairs. I know it's only three, but you see, it's the beginning of the end. This is not just a single long term hair turning colors. This is new growth in a color that is wildly different than the brown I currently possess. I thought the 30's where supposed to be "THE GREAT AGE." Ha! For my body's sake, give me back my 20's...the early 20's please. As I see it, the 30's are just the beginning of the downward slide. If I'm already falling apart now...what's left for my 40's, 50's, 60's, and beyond?!? Gray hairs should at least wait until I have teenagers...right???

Ah, that feels better. Just needed to get that out there. Surely for no other person's benefit than my own. Did I mention we have been cooped up here for too long?? 'Tis a winter wonderland. At least we still have power...so I can blog!

AND MORE WINTERY WHITE STUFF!!

Come on! We're seriously sick of the snow now. We woke to more snow with a nice layer of ice. Lovely freezing rain--never knew what that was until we moved to Oregon. Church was cancelled again today. There wasn't much hope of going anywhere. We had planned to do a "glorified" FHE with some of our neighbors today, but it wasn't to be. The ice caused for problems and one family got the flu. We decided just to stay in. We had a "family devotional" instead.

We have enjoyed the family time today. That's one thing that the snow has brought--lots of family time.

Just checked the weather report...more snow expected tonight. Looks like we aren't going anywhere for awhile. We have an eye appt tomorrow...fat chance of that happening! Looks like we'll have snow on Christmas Day.

BTW, our walks were shoveled, because Chad has that Utah blood in him...if it snows, you best clear your walks ASAP. Good man.

Just When We Thought We'd Had Enough Snow...it SNOWed Some MORE!

So, a full week with no school--thanks to the snow and ice. Gratefully, on Friday, most of it melted. We took advantage of the melt and went to Jason's indoor soccer game and out to eat. Little did we know what we would find today.
SNOW, SNOW, and MORE SNOW. We have had a continual flow of snow all day today. So far, we're at 4 1/2 inches (our picture was taken at 4 inches). They are predicting 6-10 inches. Usually our weathermen are rarely accurate, but they have been pretty correct this snowstorm.
In the 10 years we have lived in Oregon, I have NEVER seen this much snow. Crazy!
The kids are enjoying the snow. They have reveled in the days off school, but we're going to hate it come June. We FINALLY bought a sled and it's been a big hit. Especially for Matt, he has gone out several times a day to ride the sled. This is definitely the snow storm that makes memories. Remember when . . .
Good thing the stores were open until midnight last night...Chad went and finished the Christmas shopping. Then we wrapped presents until 2am. Crazy!

Snow Day Play

And then the weather could hold us back no longer. Today, the light fluffy snow was back in abundance. Seriously, are we in Utah? This is so not typical Portland snow. Gratefully, our neighbors have a sled. I guess we're getting enough snow that we should actually buy one...

Mr. Snowball was busy making and throwing his large bundles of snow.

Snow brings out the sillies in all of us.

These girls think they are "stylin'" and ready for the snow.

Snow Day...Again!!!

Yes, it's true. No days of school for us this week and it doesn't look good for the rest of the week. We have full blown snow today. It's the pretty kind of snow, though. We're supposed to have freezing rain later in the afternoon. Knowing how things work in Oregon...it looks like Winter Break started on Dec. 12th. It will be a bummer when we have to make up the days in June.
We had "Mom School" today to keep our brains going...

With the threat of another snow storm on Sunday and Monday, we might be stuck here until Christmas. Looks like what I've done for Christmas shopping will have to do.

Beyond Brrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I admit it...I'm a whimp! Yesterday we had the 1st snowfall. Today, we still have snow, because it is so stinkin' cold!!! What are we in Utah or something???!!!??? Where people have walked/drove their car...we have ice. Nice. Going out to the garage is seriously physically painful...especially if you have to stay there for longer than 30 seconds. In a household where we are slow to relinquish to winter (anti-coats, anti-shoes, anti-socks, etc), we are really having a hard adjustment. Today I found Jason out in the snow...in his shoes with NO SOCKS!!!! Apparently, he doesn't feel that toes are necessary!

I'm just not a 20-degrees-kind-of-girl...I can tolerant 30 degrees, but 40 degrees is more my style.

If we have to miss school all week due to the snow...it might be rough (missed parties, missed projects, missed giving presents to teachers--again!, missed time for mom to shop without kids, etc). Survivable though. Then, I think to myself, "Have I prayed for more time with my children lately? Hmm..." Well, I think I've got it. The kids have actually been great today. We've been able to get lots of things done and enjoy some time together. I swapped kids with my neighbor for part of the day and that has been nice.

One beautiful thing about today...blue skies and sunshine...ah, vitamin D.

Ok, enough ranting...ah, but it's nice therapy.

WE GOT SNOW!!!

At 8:00am this morning, the snow started! It's been going all day...sometimes stronger than other times. You'd think we were in Utah.
Only in Portland would they cancel everything when the snow comes. Church was cancelled today. With how the weather is progressing, we're expecting that there will be no school tomorrow.
Portland just doesn't know what to do with snow. They don't have the equipment to clear the roads. Plus, there is the ice factor. Ice settles in quickly.
Trevor had a sad moment this morning, because he thought I wasn't going to let him play in the snow. We were working on a Christmas gift for their school teachers. He thought the snow was going to disappear in 20 minutes time (which is typical of Portland snow). Luckily for him, I think the snow is staying around.
Matt's been working on a big snow ball periodically through the day. At first, the snow was packing nicely and we had dreams of a snowman. Maybe by tomorrow.
We've had a nice day at home...playing and trying to remember it's Sunday. We worked on the boys' Faith in God. Trevor and Matt both taught us some lessons and they made pedigree charts. We did have some quiet time in the afternoon, because we all needed a break from one another.

Hancock Dictionary- Revised Edition (with Trevor's Help)

All of the following come from Jenna. Trevor was asking the questions.

Teddy Roosevelt: a teddy bear that can't talk
Barack Obama: a teacher, that's not mine
John McCain: a doctor
President Monson: a president
Rudolph: all the other reindeers called him names and that's NOT NICE (say "not nice" with drama)

Ode to Jason

Jason is 6 years old! Where did the time go? He had a "friend" birthday party on Wednesday after school. He wanted a polar bear birthday party (which provided much fun for Julie's apparently creative-starved brain). He invited 9 little friends. This immediately sent Julie into "preschool" mode. Crowd control of 10 excited 5/6 year olds cries out for stations, of course.

With the help of Chad, Trevor, Matt, and Sheri (our superhero neighbor) we set up 7 "awesome" (said Jason) stations. Matt led the penguin bowling in the garage. Chad led the "winter snow hunt" (imagine a bowl of fake snow with marbles hidden inside) and the "Ice Age Melt" (we froze those "sponge pellet things that turn into shapes" in ice cubes. The kids melted the ice on my neighbor's "Instant thaw melting plate"--a VERY cool thing found on EBAY these days). Sheri led the polar bear marshmallow ornaments. Trevor led the penguin jumping on the wii fit. I manned the "arctic scene" (making a picture out of stickers) and "Polar Bear Cave" (made with marshmallows and toothpicks).

When all was said and done, this was the report:
1. Chad asked if this was preschool or a birthday party
2. The shear number of things that I sent home with the kids was a little embarrassing (crafty projects, etc). I had gone overboard with my creativity...but it was so much fun! (Ok, it felt like preschool...)
3. The kids were INCREDIBLE! They got a sticker to prove that they had been at each station. They all moved around to each of the stations and had fun. It was a great little group of busy little beavers. It was fun to see their creativity at work as well.
4. Jason thought the party was "AWESOME"!
5. Stations proved to be a great way to handle the crowd control and to keep excited little minds/bodies busy.
6. I heard reports from other Moms that their children enjoyed the party.
7. The station "managers" were FABULOUS! Many thanks to Chad, Trev, Matt, and Sheri!
8. The Polar Bear theme was a BLAST! Way to think outside the box, Jason!

Forget to Breathe and Two Weeks Go By

Wow! I've been on the computer A LOT the past two weeks, but not to blog (obviously!). I've been working on a Christmas Project that has a "free shipping deadline of Dec 5." I think I'm going to make it...

We had a great Thanksgiving. We gathered with the Oregon Hancock's at Mike & Tanya's House. It really was a lovely meal and day.

Friday began early for Julie...at 4:45am. Why ruin a tradition that started 6 years ago? She really enjoys going out among the craziness. Something about the thrill of a deal and finding a way to avoid the crowds when it is WAY to crowded. She returned at 8:30 to find everyone, except Trevor still asleep! What!?! Must be nice!

After Josh came to babysit later in the day on Friday, Chad and Julie went shopping again. We think we have all the shopping done now! We enjoyed playing games with the Melanson family later Friday night.

Saturday brought house cleaning (our favorite -not!). Then a trip out to Loch Lolly's to see Santa, have cocoa and hot dogs, see friends, and get a "live" wreath (we're fake tree people). Later that night, we decorated the house all festive-ish and watched a movie with the kids.

Sunday brought out the Becky-Homecky in Julie. She decided it was time to start some treats to take to neighbors. The family all helped. The house was smelling good.

Then we decorated the Christmas Tree with Julie playing the role of "Tree Nazi" (according to Chad). Don't mess with my ornament boxes...put the packaging back in the correct box and no one will get hurt. Oh, and don't hang 5 ornaments on the tip of one branch. Is that too much to ask? Finally, don't touch the 2003 talking ornament unless you are ME...because if it accidently gets deleted, it's going to get ugly...ugly crying that is!

Lastly, I'll end on a Christmas Carol kind of note. It seems that Jason has inherited Julie's "gift" for lyrics. A few carols a la Jason:

"Charlie the Snowman was a jolly, frolly snow" ("He had eyes of coal? I thought his mouth was made of cold (coal).")

"Felix Mar-i-a" (Repeated every time! He really likes this song, because he "really likes Spanish"

Hancock's Dictionary

We've had some real quotables this week. I think it's best presented in dictionary form.

Flu Bug: (according to Jason) is a blue bug that he saw land on his table at kindergarten. "Not to worry, Mom. It didn't touch me, so I didn't get sick."

Mulan: (according to Jenna) is a bra. (Now that your laughing has subsided...she is dead serious about it. She tried to put on one, because she knew that moms needed "mulans." Nice.

Next Beautiful: (according to Jenna) is me...Julie. When we were getting ready for church today, Chad told Jenna "Hi Beautiful" and then turned to me and said, "Hi Beautiful #2." Jenna then proceeded to "help" get me beautiful. She was making sure my shirt/skirt was straight and then told me I needed a bow in my hair to be the most beautiful. After I put a bow in my hair, I was referred to as "Next Beautiful" by Jenna. "Come on, Next Beautiful, let's get our shoes on." "Let's go to church, Next Beautiful." And so forth.

Mrs. K's real name: (according to Jason) is "Mrs. Kirkpatrick" (as revealed by Jason in a real secretive manner). [FYI: Mrs. Kirkpatrick is Jason's Kinder teacher.]

Ranch starts with "W": (according to Jason) Jason's "r" sounds are still sounding like "w's." So the other day at dinner when a debate was had about Ranch, Jason declared that that couldn't be the Ranch bottle, because Ranch starts with the "wa" sound!

Lawn Mower: (according to Chad) is something that Julie shouldn't touch. Just ask her dad, she has a record...and it's not the gold medal kind. It's been YEARS since Julie has mowed the lawn. When she miraculously decided to mow the lawn since it would be dark when Chad got home (and the downpour of rain was due the next day), it seems that the lawn mower cowarded in fright at the thought of Julie using it. An embarrassing phone call resulted in the admitance that Julie could not get the lawn mower started...which resulted with silence on the other line (I'm sure his head was saying, "What is that girl doing touching my lawn...this can't end well...this can't end well...) The end result was Chad leaving work immediately to "save" his lawn from the "non-green thumb monster" and mowing the lawn himself...in the dark.

Movies: (according to the Hancocks) are WAY TOO expensive!!! It's been a long time since we saw a movie at the movie theater and were a bit (read: A LOT) shocked at how much it costs. Crazy!

FINALLY, outdoor soccer is done...for the season!

Trevor had his last game yesterday. Unlike last Saturday, we had blue skies (What?!? I know!). It was a bit chilly, though, especially at 9AM. We doned our winter coats, gloves, hats, and gathered some hand warmers and we were ready to go. It was a pretty intense game. Two teams that were a perfect match for one another. A great game to end the season! Trevor's team name was "Men in Black." At the end of the game, their coach gave them sunglasses to wear. Too bad I didn't have my camera. I think Chad got one with his cell phone. We'll post it later.

Another soccer season in the "Done" Pile

Matt had his last soccer game on Saturday. We nearly made it through a soccer season without a downpour...until Saturday. By the time Matt's team hit the field, the "field" was a gigantic mud pit. I had never seen Matt's grin so big as when I told him before the game, "Have fun and get muddy!" When does your mom EVER tell you to play in the mud??? I think it was hard for the boys to remember to play soccer when the mud puddles were calling their names. They would often "pause" to jump in the puddle as they ran down the field.
Matt's shoes were so full of mud that when he took a step, mud would ooze out of his lace holes. Gross!
The one positive thing about daylight savings occuring this week was that it was too dark to have soccer practice. After 3 1/2 months of having dinners on the run, we reclaimed our dinnertime and actually ate as a family. What a concept!
So, the questions arises, is the soccer sacrifice worth it? It's tough on the family schedule, but this has definitely been a year of great learning and confidence building for the boys. They have really enjoyed soccer.

Shi-Zam!!

What to know what happens when you put an unopened can of pop in the freezer??

(The picture doesn't accurately show how bloated this can was at both ends. We're lucky it didn't burst!)

For the record, I'm not sure who had the zany idea to put the pop in the freezer. There are 4 likely candidates, 1 unlikely candidate, and 1 who knows she DID NOT put it in the freezer. We'll leave it at that. "Some people" are pleading that it is the result of the new pull-out freezer..uh-huh, sure.

A Tic-Tac in My Nose

Sitting quietly (somewhat) in our pew in church today, Jenna informed us that she had a tic-tac in her nose. One glance up the old nostrils confirmed her truth: there was a tic-tac in her nose and it was not reachable by finger or tweezers.
The Bishop had just born his testimony, so we were in the middle of Sacrament meeting. What to do? Luckily, she was breathing well and didn't see to be in too much pain. She just wanted it out. We tried to have her blow it out, but she just kept sniffing up. Yikes, wrong way!
After a few minutes, we noticed that clear boogers were coming out her nose that smelled, well, minty. (Hey, what a concept...good smelling boogers!)
By the time Sacrament Meeting ended, Jenna was feeling much clearer and quite minty. The tic-tac was dissolving. We wouldn't need urgent care today. Later, she informed us that she had swallowed the mint. Maybe when she is older she'll be able to do the the ole' "spaghetti noodle through the nose & out the mouth" trick. GROSS!!

The Long and the Short of It (ok, actually there is nothing short about this post)

So, on Saturday, I planted myself down with a blow dryer, a flat iron, and the partial-draft of Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun on my computer. An hour and a half later, I had straight hair! My hair is longer than it's ever been...probably since I was 10. I just couldn't resist the temptation to see it without curls. With curls, I lose about 5-7 inches in appearance. That's a crazy thing about curly hair.
I haven't had a haircut in a LONG time (dare I even admit it!...15 months! What?!? My mom is probably twisting in her sleep right now! In my defense, the way I have to "product" my hair to avoid the Portland frizz limits the damage since I don't use a curling iron or much of a blow dryer.)
My childhood dream was always to be a "Mom with Long Hair." From my childhood perspective, it seemed that when you became a "mom," you had to get a short haircut. Then a lady moved into our Richfield ward, who was a mom with long hair! I vowed then to be a mom with long hair. The other day, recalling my vow, I had a "ah-ha" moment and discovered I had arrived!
Mind you, I've NEVER had the neck length hairdo...it just doesn't bode well with my type of curly hair (imagine Ronald McDonald...).
Reactions from the family were comical: Jenna noticed right away and had to touch it. She proudly exclaimed that my hair now looked like hers (straight) and that I had princess hair. She was excited to find out that I would let her comb it (something that NEVER happens with curly hair).
The sad part came when I went outside to take the kids to the ward Trunk-or-Treat. It was raining. My hair caught one wiff of the humidity and began to grow. Darn rain! Foiled was my plans for silky, straight hair as "Jungle Woman Hair" was quickly materializing. Darn rain! Oh well, a quick braid job made for good Princess Leia hair (Straight hair always looks better in braids than curly hair...so I told myself to justify that my 1 1/2 hours of pain was worth the sacrifice). Good thing Midnight Sun was a good read!

Happy Puke-o-ween!

Trick-or-Treating started with quite a treat in Oregon: no rain and not that cold outside. In fact, some of my children did NOT wear coats! We went up and down the streets, gathering the few kid neighbors that we could. By the time we crossed to a new street, Jason said he was tuckered out and wanted to go home...WHAT?!?

Chad valiantly (ha!) volunteered to go home with the "too tired one." As Chad opened the garage door, Jason proceeded to puke on the sidewalk. It was a long night for Jason as his body erupted too many times. He's such a trooper though. When he woke in the night, he would take care of his business and never holler for us. The only way we knew he was "busy" was because Julie could see the bathroom light from her bed. Poor J!

The rest of the crowd enjoyed gathering their treats on Halloween. Jenna even got brave enough to go to the doors on her own (with her friend, Sarah, of course). At one house, our little girl, dressed in an angel costume, gave an impromptu performance of "Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat, if you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear." Ugh! Thanks a lot brothers! How embarrassing!!!! The "you have on purple underwear" would been a slightly better way to handle the song. Oh, the influence of brothers...

Our costumes were thus: Trevor-Clone Trooper, Matt-Obiwon Kenobi, Jason-Boba Fett, Julie-Princess Leia, Jenna-the angel (cuz she didn't want to be in Star Wars), and Chad (who was supposed to wear his "I don't do costumes" shirt, but bailed because Jason was sick...).

A Jack-O-Lantern Mouth for Halloween

Jason lost ANOTHER tooth. That's 3 teeth in a weeks time! Now all he wants for Christmas is his THREE front teeth. He is having fun sticking his tongue through the holes in his mouth, but it's really hard to eat an apple!

33 days and no Toilet Cleaning...

Thirty-three days ago, I struck a deal with my sister: no eating sweets, eat salads for lunch, no snacking after dinner, and have veggies/fruits for snacks until Halloween. If I failed, I had to clean her 4 toilets. Sorry, no sweet temptation was worth cleaning someone else's toity when I hate to clean my own toities.

I have to admit there were some pretty tough days and many thanks to my family for putting up with me when I was onery that I couldn't have my sweet fix.

I'm grateful for the all the calories that I DIDN'T consume. I'm amazed how tempting it is to have a little treat here and a little treat there. You could justify your sweet consumption til the cows come home.

So, today...I dreamt of the possibilities of eating something I've been craving for 33 days...what would I want most...hmmm...the possibilities. I went with a sugar cookie. How I love a good sugar cookie.

So, I had one...and then another...I was disappointed that it wasn't all I had dreamed off. Which tells me that it's really my brain that WANTS the cookie and you always remember things better (or worse) than they REALLY are.

AND NOW...I'm sick. Apparently, 33 days without sweets makes a difference inside one's body. I'm not used to sugar. What a concept! I see the cookies sitting over on the pan and I really want nothing to do with them. I do not feel well.

So, it comes to this: we really don't NEED treats...our brain just thinks that we do! Life lesson learned...wonder how many times I'm going to have to learn it again.

The Close of the Kindergarten Soccer Season--Hooray!

Jason's first year in soccer has come and gone. His coach was a trooper and coached 2 teams this year. Last night, the two teams had their final game against each other. The coach's wife brought colorful hairspray for their hair. Even the coach colored his hair.

What a fun season it has been for Jason! His coach REALLY taught these kids soccer skills. It was our best kindergarten soccer experience...ever!

Jason LOVED playing soccer!

Matt, the Man of the Day

Matt turned 9 on the 29th! I can't believe it!

He was sooooo excited to celebrate his birthday. He was so worried that we would forget his birthday presents.

I'm so grateful to have Matt in our family. We would be lost without him. He has a very kind and generous heart. He often finds opportunities to help others and show compassion to them. He has a strong desire to be responsible and wakes early to make sure he has time to do all the things he needs to do. He hates to be late and will often make breakfast for others, so they won't be late for school.

We had homemade pizza, carved pumpkins, and had ice cream cake on his birthday. Soon, he will get to go on the "Big 9" date with Mom and Dad. He has been plotting possible restaurants for weeks now.

He also celebrated a little early with Grandpa and Grandma here. We had giant cupcakes on Saturday night and blew out candles.

Toothless!

Jason lost his front TWO teeth today (on the bottom). They have been VERY wiggly for several weeks now. They were literally hanging on by a thread. A little bit of floss and out they came! (For posterity, we should mention that it was Julie who helped the little teeth out...which is nothing short of a miracle as pulling teeth completely grosses her out! She's always more than willing to send the kids to Chad for teeth pulling!)

Jason was quite estatic when I explained that the tooth fairy brings money for teeth. Somehow he had missed the "Tooth Fairy Training Seminar." Poor third kid! He was scared to sleep on his pillow for fear that his head might break the two little teeth. Then panic set in when he thought the tooth fairy might take his teeth. Oh, then came the questions..."When does she come? Why in the middle of the night? Why is she a she and not a he? What is a tooth fairy?"

He's pretty excited to go to Kindergarten tomorrow to announce his news. He also mentioned that now the boys will have lost more teeth than the girls in his class (a point he is pretty proud of!).

Fearless!

On one of the school days off this month, the boys (and friends from the neighborhood) were having a "typical" boy day. Just like in the "old days." They were trying to build a ramp for their bikes/scooters with supplies they were finding around our house. It started with empty shoe boxes and the remains of our old baseboards. After several failed attempts, Sheri donated some stable wood and then they were in business.

The only problem was WHO was going to ride the scooter down the ramp...no worries, Jason was ready to go. (Mind you, no one else was brave enough to try and were quite relieved to send Jason on it.)

Then, ever convident in Jason's ability to survive anything, like a "good" (whatever?!?!) mom, I grabbed the video camera. Man, did I feel bad when Jason flew like Superman at the end of the ramp. Yikes! Gratefully, there was no blood, just the shock (for me that I didn't stop Jason and for Jason...because...he flew!). However, reality had sunk in and Jason had NO desire to ride that ramp again...until Brett brought over his knee pads, elbow pads, and hand pads. Next thing I knew, Jason was ready to roll at the top of the ramp again. Fearless!

Also, Jason is the only Hancock so far to conquer the two-wheeler at age 5. He has the most interesting way of starting his bike. He pushes off with both feet and moves them both up to the pedals. He has an amazing sense of balance.