We All "Stick" Together . . .

We're not a particularly artistic family. My kids have the usual assortment of Crayola crayons, finger paints and molding clay. I even keep tabs on all the suggestions put out there by Design Mom about "creative play." But in truth, most of the time my two would much rather be running wild outside than sitting at the table creating a masterpiece.

However, this week Ethan may have found his creative calling in a Costco package of Scotch tape. Normally I would expect this purchase to last me at least one year, maybe two if I get lazy at Christmas time and start using a lot of gift bags. But thanks to the "projects" below (most of which are started when I am trying to shower, make dinner, etc.), I am down to only 1/2 a roll left! Three sippy cups encased in one ENTIRE roll of tape then embellished with black watercolor paint (which is why this one ended up outside).
A plastic mixing spoon attached to his bike with 1/2 a roll of tape displaying his "circle drawing flag" which is affixed with more tape.
His Memorial Day flag attached to our stair rail with several strips of tape. What is not pictured was the tape that was also criss-crossed up and down the entire railing of the stairs in order to create a "tape wall." I was too frustrated to take a picture when that one occurred.
Luke waits eagerly for the tape project cast-offs, which he holds up to the wind and runs around with. This can be risky if the wind blows the tape sticky-side up into Luke's hair. I'm sure our neighbors are wondering when we're going to buy this kid a proper kite instead of giving him tape strips to play with.
I will be thinking long and hard about a new hiding place for the tape the next time I purchase some. In the meantime, as I continue to scrape stickiness off of every imaginable surface of our house, I really hope this is fostering some sort of amazing imagination.

Memorial Day Fun

We had a really wonderful day at the annual Calder Family Bash.

It went something like this (or you can just scroll down to the pics):

Show-up & eat some Taco dip. Talk about my cousin Tricia's upcoming wedding! Eat more Taco Dip. See my cousin Kelli's tiny baby-bump. Eat more Taco Dip and clean up the Taco dip my kids have spilled on the floor. Try and fit in bathing suits after eating so much taco dip. Sit in jacuzzi and further discuss wedding and/or upcoming baby arrival. Keep kids from drowning in pool and/or jacuzzi (no small feet when Ethan wants to float around the deep end by himself on a floaty). Realize I have somehow forgotten all sippy cups and force my kids to drink from regular cups. Have an early birthday celebration and open several fabulous cards and presents. Keep Ethan from burning his eyebrows off on birthday cake candles. Casually try and look for more Taco Dip. See Katie and her adorable girls on the Mac web camera. Further discuss the intricacies of bridesmaid dress colors and/or styles for wedding. Glance briefly at Will showing his awesome Volleyball skills in backyard. Realize the taco dip is now completely gone. Watch Luke jump from the window seat to an over-sized bean bag chair about thirty times. Pack up two happily tired children. Drive home and return to reality.

Dinner Surprise

At Women's Conference I attended a workshop entitled "Raising Boys," taught by a couple who had raised seven sons (and no daughters!). One of their many good points was that when communicating with boys you must make your meaning crystal clear. Subtleties are lost in the black-and-white of the male brain.
Case in point: On Mother's Day we were at a family dinner at my in-law's home and had decided to eat outside. Ethan was sitting next to Will, wedged between the pool gate and the dinner table. Ethan tells Will that he has to go the bathroom, so Will promptly helps him unbutton his jeans and tells him to just go under the table, in order to get inside to the bathroom. Sitting on the opposite side of the table I'm oblivious to all of this, so it comes as quite a shock when warm liquid starts splashing over my legs. We all jump up to see a naked Ethan crouching on the pavement because he had decided quite literally to just go under the table. You couldn't really get mad at him because the confusion was written all over his face--after all, he was just following directions.

Father's Sons Campout

They went. They got dirty. They saw Papa, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Joe & Cousin Max. They had fun with friends. They ate Smores. They eventually fell asleep in the new tent. They made it home alive.

First Father's Sons campout was a success.

I had a gloriously relaxing night to myself. This could be my new favorite weekend of the year!

Pretty In Pink

My husband out-did himself this Mother's Day and spoiled me with pink roses and a pink ipod Nano. It's going to take some serious restraint not to go crazy in the iTunes store. Thus far we've only had my father-in-law's old iPod, which was loaded with an awesome assortment of music, but unchangeable since we didn't have our own account. Now ideas about customized playlists are constantly running through my head.
Here's a few of my first purchased songs:

New Soul by Yael Naim
Inside Out by The Mighty Lemon Drops
Stolen by Dashboard Confessional
Love Song by Sara Bareilles
Clarity by John Mayer
Home by Daughtry

Time to start syncing the CD's . . .

Happy Mother's Day

Here are two of the most talented, supportive and beautiful women I know. I knew I loved them long before I had children, but it is only since then that I have truly understood the amazing job they both did as mothers. I have some BIG shoes to fill. Luckily they are both great teachers and have gently guided me in my own journey as a mother (I guess "mothering" never really ends). They have different personalities and approaches, both of which I have needed at different times in my life. But what they really have in common is that they are the best Grandmothers' to my children. We know that when they call to invite us over, Ethan & Luke is who they really want to see! They have made my children's lives rich and for that I am so grateful.

Christy: Thank you for raising a son who grew up to be a kind spouse and wonderful father. Thank you for welcoming me as a daughter-in-law without ever making me feel like an "in-law." Thank you for giving me confidence to raise these two crazy boys!

Mom: Thank you for always being my biggest cheerleader--making me feel that I could do anything I set my mind to. Thank you for showing me the meaning of true service by your example. Thank you for never being concerned about the phone bill during our endless chats!

I love you both. Happy Mother's Day!

Called To Serve

Today my brother David received his call to serve in the West Virginia, Charleston Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He will leave at the end of July and serve for two years. It will be his first time living on the East Coast. We are so excited for him and proud of his willingness to serve. Congratulations Dave!

Food for Thought

My Mom clipped an interesting newspaper article for me, reporting a study in which a research team in Britain have found the first link (in humans) between a woman's diet in the year prior to conception and whether she has a boy or girl. "Having a hearty appetite, eating potassium-rich foods including bananas, and not skipping breakfast all seemed to raise the odds of having a boy." The women who had boys in this study typically ate an additional 300 milligrams of potassium daily and an extra 400 calories than those who had girls on average. Of course, a man's sperm still determines the gender of a baby, but "it could be that certain nutrients or eating patterns make women's bodies more hospitable to the male chromosome." The article is quick to point out that "no one's recommending pigging out if you really want a boy or starving yourself if you'd prefer a girl," because the study reflects the results of women at opposite ends of a normal eating pattern, not those with extreme habits. Researchers also point out that these results may fit into a larger theory that since boy babies tend to weigh more it requires more calories to create them.

I had to laugh when I read this because I've skipped breakfast maybe twice in my whole life, typically eat a banana nearly every day (often with my breakfast), and probably (okay, definitely) fit into that "hearty appetite" category . . . who knew?! And here I thought it was all because I married a Bollard.