Babies Feeding Babies

Maggie said, "I'm a good mom, huh." And then she winked at me in camaraderie.

The Power of Advertising

While watching a Cash 4 Gold commercial on TV...

Matthew: "Mom, I really want to do that."

Me: "We don't have any gold, Matthew."

Matthew: "Yes, we do. Your wedding ring is gold."

Me: "I'm not sending in my wedding ring--I wear it every day."

Matthew: "Why do you have to wear your ring every day?"

I tried to explain the significance of my wedding ring, but I don't think he got the point that sometimes symbols of love are more important than cash. When you're six and trying to save up for a lego set, it's all about the cash.

Writing Family Histories

Here's what I've been spending all my (very spare) spare time on:

"David John Barker and His Fathers"

It's an article about Brian's third (I believe) great-grandfather who, they just found out through DNA tests, was not actually his grandfather after all. I wrote it up based on the documents and information Brian's mother has pulled together through her years of research. What's really interesting to me, these people worked so hard to cover it all up and they had no idea that 150 years later we'd be able to uncover the secret. Fascinating story, actually, I wish we knew more details.

See? That degree in Family History is good for something, after all. Now, if only I had more time than two hours twice a week, I might be able to make something of it. (Except, Grandma watched the kids for me while I wrote for her and I'm not sure I'd be able to work that into other writing contracts...)

Boise Break

The boys had a four-day weekend from school a couple of weeks ago. When I asked how they wanted to spend their vacation they chose a trip to Grandma and Grandpa Camper's house in Boise, Idaho. So we piled into the car and headed up for several days a beautiful fall weather, the apple harvest, marathon legos for the boys, Grandma for Maggie, and a suddenly Mama's-girl Becca. We stayed a couple of extra days so we could see Aunt Tori and cousin Owen for a little bit before we headed back to Utah and school and reality.

The Five Grandkids

Trick or Treat

Nathan, who had been running a fever all day and woke up from a nap only a few minutes before heading out the door to trick-or-treat, dressed up as Indiana Jones. We found that jacket at D.I. and dyed it dark brown, everything else in his costume we already had. Let's hear it for cheap costumes!

Matthew, or His Majesty King Matthew the First, went as, well, a king. His costume cost the most of all the kids' this year, but we had a lot of fun hot-gluing fake fur and jewels everywhere we could, and it still came in under $20.

Maggie was a "scaredy cat". After pictures, she took her ears off and refused to wear them trick-or-treating. Oh well.

And Becca dressed up as a bunny...a vicious, pumpkin-chomping bunny...who finally started sitting up by herself this week!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Happy 9 Years Old!

Last Friday, Nathan had a late-night Indiana Jones birthday party (it was supposed to be a sleep-over but his friends couldn't spend the night so they went home at 10:00 pm). They ate pizza and a green snake birthday cake, played some Indiana Jones party games that Nathan planned, prepared, and directed--that's the way to run a birthday party--and played Indiana Jones Lego video games until their mothers came to take them home. I think they could've played all night, they were having so much fun.