On snuff and "boy cheese"

Jonah and Luke have been learning about "snuff" in their health class and so snuff has been the topic of many a conversation lately. We have been warned over and over what the risks of taking snuff are--and believe me I'm staying clear of the stuff.

The other day Rachel was telling Luke and I something and she was not real clear in her speech. Luke (very seriously) asked her if she had a "ball of snuff in her mouth" that was impeding her speech. Much to our relief Rachel was snuff free, but we'll be keeping a close eye on her.

We are still struggling with getting Seth to eat things other than cereal and bananas. He does enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich and has a few of those a week. He recently inquired, however, as to why they are called "girl cheese" sandwiches and insists that when we make one for him we should refer to it as a "boy cheese" sandwich. In an effort to avoid as much conflict as possible we have complied and as we speak Jared is making him his "boy cheese" for lunch. I hope he doesn't assign gender to all his foods. It could get tricky.

on my trip to Costco...

So I think that we can all agree that this "picture a day" project is not a good fit for me. Actually, committing to anything every day is not a good fit for me. So while taking a picture each day is do-able...posting them clearly isn't, so I will post my favorites as frequently as possible. I'm sure everyone will be holding their breath.

So, last Saturday Jared attended the University of Scouting...which I'm not sure exactly what that is, all I know is that it meant that I was home with the kids by myself almost all day Saturday. Always a recipe for disaster. By about 2:30 I decided it was time for us to have some time away from each other, so I headed out for Costco--because I can safely do that now--it's a beautiful thing. (Note: the University of Scouting was being held about 1/3 mile from our house so I had reinforcement close by in the event of an uprising against Rachel who was in charge.)

So off I went to Costco--along with everyone else the greater Boise metropolitan area. I have never seen such a sight. And to make matters worse all I needed was some milk and fruit strips, but once I was there and had my 2 items in my cart I was committed (hey, look I can make commitments!). So I started to make my way to the front of the store to pay for my items.

Now some are aware of my love/hate relationship with Costco and/or Sam's Club. I have issues with their "receipt checking" policy at the door. Several years ago--with the support and therapy sessions with Troy & Kris Smith (my warehouse shopping heroes) I was at Sam's and decided that not only was I NOT going to stop for the lady to check my receipt, but I was so bold as to head out the "IN" door because it was closer to my car--oh boy did I cause a scene, but it was worth every moment. I felt like Thelma (or Louise) as got in my car and headed off into the sunset. It was quite liberating.

Anyway, my new "beef" with Costco is their lack of traffic signals which I believe need to be installed INSIDE the store. Why can people not just adapt the rules they follow for driving to pushing a large cart?? It was mayhem. Traffic jams everywhere. The only good thing that came of it was that while I was stuck in traffic near the spice aisle I found myself stopped next to a taster cart with these delicious morsels...

Now if you are a lover of ginger snaps and all things lemon these babies are for you! LOVED THEM! So did my kids.

I eventually made it to the front of the store and found a line to commit to for the next 1/2 hour of my life, and found myself behind a couple who had clearly come out from the jungle or Walden Pond to the big city to do their yearly shopping. I have never so much meat purchased at one time. I guess the hunting on Walden pond isn't that good. I was happy to see that wherever they came from they enjoyed indoor plumbing--it was obvious by the 6 pack of toilet bowl cleaner they were purchasing.

I kept hoping they would notice me with my 3 items and be so kind as to let me go first, but alas they did not. So I sat, and sat noticing the likeness of the man to Brian David Mitchell and admiring his shirt that looked as if it was made from a shamwow. The thought of abandoning my cart crossed my mind several times, but I stuck in there mostly because I really wanted the ginger snaps.

So there you have it. Why I will not be going to Costco on a Saturday with or without my family.

All you need is love...

Is this not cute. I just made it. And even cuter (until I tried to take a picture) was all 4 kids on the love sac. Rachel was asking the boys for input on the books she is writing. They adore her and as I watched I was thinking how much they are going to miss her when she heads off to college...good thing we have a while until that happens.

I found this video from the last Childrens Congress (2007). The first part with the kids speaking to congress is especially great!

I found this essay the other day that Rachel wrote in 4th grade...I think they did this for the Centennial celebration...

Why I like living in Tomball

Why do I like living in Tomball? Tat's easy...I mean, who doesn't like living here? I wasn't exactly born in Tomball; I was born in Los Angeles, California. My family moved here when I was 3, so it was only me, my mom, my dad, and my little brother, (my other brothers were born here). It's been fun living in Tomball, and there is an law unwritten in Tomball, if you live here, you HAVE to have a friend. It's impossible not to! If I made friends when I was 3, anyone could make friends. Even if you were 100! The schools here are great. The teachers are pretty much superheroes in disguise! And Tomball has LOTS of fun challenges.l The contests are superior, and the programs are amazing! No one, and I mean noooo one, can't have fun here. And when I move to Boise, Idaho, there is one thing I won't forget, even if I'm moving from here, Tomball is my real home.

We gave it a shot...

My subject for today was my cute little (almost)Kindergartner. I tried to take a picture of him before we headed out for Kindergarten Registration, but the flash was a little much for him and it's so gloomy there was not enough natural light to not have to use it. So this is what we ended up with.

Oh well, he's cute anyway. Seth was a bit concerned about going today because he's not 5 yet, but I assured him that he was close enough. I'm still not totally sure what we're going to do with him next year--I'm looking into some full day programs in the district--but I figured that I should get him a spot at our school in the mean time.

Onto other things...We watched the premiere of Lost last night and the whole time I was thinking...why are we still watching this? But, we did and chances are we'll keep tuning in for more and each time I'll think to myself...why are we still watching this??

We are enjoying Idol. I'm not sure I like the new judge. She's pretty and has a beautiful voice, but...she bugs. I can't wait for the SLC auditions. We read that there is an Osmond on. The other day Jonah told me he hoped David Archuletta would try out again.

Me: He can't because he already has an album.

Jonah: What's an album?

Me: A record.

Jonah: What's a record?

Me: A CD! A CD!

Kids these days.

Disecting squid...

So I'm already a day behind on my project...so 2 pictures for today. I'm going to give myself some leeway because I'm nice like that.

First yesterdays pictures...

I'm thinking we need to invest in a display case for Jonah's cub scout paraphernalia. If only he would keep his desk at school so organized...

Now onto the squid...

I had the pleasure today of assisting in Rachel's science lab. It was stinky and slimy, but it was fun. So here are my pictures for today...enjoy.

A few items of business...

First of all, I hate peas. I just found a bag of perfectly good peas in the freezer--peas that Jared must have purchased because I know I didn't--and I was tempted to throw them away. Just because they are peas. I refrained, so at some point they will be put to use--preferably on an evening when I am not at home--like when I'm at a church function or helping the needy--because I WILL NOT eat them. Not even one.

Secondly, I started taking piano! My teacher said I'm her best student to which Jared quickly pointed out I'm her only student, but I'm certain she'd have said the same if she had 100 students. I know for sure I'd be her oldest student, so I have that going for me. I have practiced every day and can hardly wait to impress her with what I have done with my pieces for this week which include--Meet the Flintstones, Home on the Range and, my personal favorite, Roller Coaster Rhythm. As you can probably guess, in light of the current economic state of our union I have opted to just use Rachel's old books instead of purchasing the "Adult Beginner" books.

I believe it has put a bit of a fire under Rachel because she does not want me to pass her up. I am on level 2A right now, and she is finishing up 3B. I do have an unfair advantage of already having 5 years of piano under my belt even if it was 25+ years ago. She is currently decking our halls--can you still use that phrase after the holidays?--with tunes from "Wicked". We got her the piano music for Christmas. She is working on "Defying Gravity" right now and I LOVE it! She's a good egg.

And lastly, I'm bored. Not in the sense that I have nothing to do, but in the sense that I need something to get me movin'. A project of sorts. So I've decided to jump on Sarah's bandwagon--since I'm the most uncreative person I know, but I'm the best person I know at jumping on other people's bandwagons. The name of said bandwagon is "A Picture a Day". I can promise that others who have gone before me on this project will have much prettier and thought provoking pictures, but hey it gives me something to work towards. I'm not sure I'm ready to commit to a full year yet, so I'm just going to sign up for the 3 month package. So here it goes...

I'm getting off to a really bad start today with this beauty, but I'm a bit short on time and so here it is.

This is a picture of a 10 lb. bag of chocolate chips that Jared procured for us when we were doing some food storage shopping. I have to give him kudos for remembering that anything tastes better with a little chocolate...even ground wheat and kidney beans.

And the bowl is my cute little turquoise fruit bowl I got at the Boise market when Jared and I were downtown celebrating our 15th anniversary. It is much cuter in person. And if you look closely you'll see Rachel in the background enjoying her after school snack. So...for those of you who stuck with me through those ramblings--you may need to consider starting a "Picture a Day" project because you clearly have too much free time on your hands.

Big News!

You are looking at a delegate for the 2009 JDRF Children's Congress!

At the end of June Rachel, and I her chaperone, will be traveling to Washington D.C. with the other 149 delegates from all 50 states and meet with Congress to discuss type 1 diabetes related issues...money for research, stem cell issues etc.

As a delegate she will also be responsible for media spots here in Idaho as well as other local responsibilities.

We are so excited for her and this great opportunity.

Here is a portion of her application letter...

Dear Member of Congress,

My name is Rachel Hansen. I am 11 years old and I have Type 1 diabetes. I was 14 months old when I was diagnosed with this disease. I don’t remember what it is like to not have diabetes. My parents don’t remember either.

In the 10 years that I have been fighting this disease I have had to prick my fingers over 29,000 times to check my blood sugar. The tops of my fingers are so hard now that I really don’t feel the prick anymore, but sometimes I have to try more than one finger because it’s so hard to get the blood out. I also had more than 4,000 shots before I got an insulin pump six years ago—now I only have to get poked once every 2 or 3 days when my mom changes the catheter. It’s better than the shots, but it still hurts and is hard for me to do, so my brother, Luke, squeezes my hand and counts to three to help me out.

I can do most of the things other kids my age do, but it’s a lot harder for me. I play soccer, but I have to come off the field to check my blood sugar a lot and sometimes I get feeling really shaky and sick and have to sit out for a long time. After games it can take hours for me to get back on track. I am also on the swim team, but it’s tough because I have to take my pump off while I swim and often end up getting too high. It’s almost impossible to keep your blood sugars where they’re supposed to be when you do any activity.

At school I go to the nurse 3 times a day to check my blood sugar. I miss a lot of class time and sometimes miss important things the teacher has to say. I also miss out on a lot of recess and spending time playing with my friends. Here in Boise there are no Pediatric Endocrinologists, so we have to travel 370 miles to Primary Children’s Hospital in Utah so I can get the care I need.

I know taking care of diabetes is a lot better than it used to be, but I wish we had a cure. I am tired of pricking my fingers and many times having to wait to eat until my blood sugar comes down. I want to be able to hang out with friends and not have to say no to all the treats they get to eat. I want to be a normal kid.

We have had a lot of people with diabetes in our family. My great-grandfather had type 1 and my grandpa and his brother were both diagnosed with type 1 when they were about 25 years old. I was so little when I started getting sick that it took a long time for the doctors to figure out what was wrong with me. The pediatrician thought I was just teething or had strep throat and I almost died. I’m lucky I have an uncle who is a doctor and recognized the symptoms—he saved my life. People need to know what diabetes really is and how it changes your life.

My family and I try to help people understand this disease and why we need a cure. When we lived in Houston, my mom and I would travel to our state capital to tell my representatives why it is important, we put together a walk at my school and have participated in walks and other things to raise money for research. I have learned from my grandpa how important it is to be involved and let people know how important a cure is. We have been in Boise for just a year, but can tell that there is a lot of work to be done to make people aware. I hope they hear me.

When my brother Jonah says his prayers he prays that I won’t have diabetes anymore. I pray for that too. I know that someday there will be a cure. I know that there can be in my lifetime, and I hope that there is before my brothers or anyone else in my family has to live with this terrible disease. Please support me and my family and all of the other kids living with this disease by helping us get the money that is needed to find a cure and STOP juvenile diabetes—no just try to make it easier for us to live with.

Sincerely,

Rachel Hansen

Oh where, oh where has my little blog gone...

My computer died...that's where. But my sweet Jared has now fashioned me with a new one and loaded all my stuff onto it, so I'm back!

I loved Jane's review of 2008, so I think I'll copy and do the same. Hold onto your hats!

January

Trip to Utah--sledding, Diabetes clinic & New Years celebration...

and of course...the garage door incident...February

Surprised Rachel--trip to Houston with her dad...she surprises her friends...

Jonah gets braces...

Luke starts Kepra...and a nightmare of being sick and loosing his hair begins...
sledding at Bogus Basin...

trip to Idaho Falls/Rexburg for a (very cold) tour of BYU-Idaho, bowling and Allison Seils wedding reception...

American Idol fever enters our home...

and...the discovery that we really should have invested in a good shovel BEFORE the snow came...

March

Easter

Spring break trip to N. California to visit cousins and Yosemite...introduce the kids to In-N-Out...

April

Rachel turns 11!

Flag Football for Luke...center is the perfect position...

Jonah fractures his wrist..

May

Mother's Day Celebration at our home with the newly added Hansen's from Ohio (Jared's brother & family) Jared's parents, my sister Ann & Travis, Angela & Roy and Roy's parents...

FHE with the Johnson's...marshmallow guns and fishing...

June

Jonah & Luke's Birthdays

swim team

Seth changes his name to "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ"

swim team

Seth changes his name to "Brownie"

swim team

I get my new bike!!

swim team

new cousin Brynn enters the world
visit from Grandma & Grandpa Ellison

frisbee golf

swim team

July

Visit from Karen & Bill

floating the Boise river
swim team

Seth turns 4 & falls asleep with his new birthday goggles on... Dan, Zibbey, Noah & Sloane come through and we get to meet Sloane for the first time...
Luke starts the Ketogenic Diet

August

visit from the Smith's...trip to Twin Falls temple open house...homesickness for TX ensues...

I take 7,000 pictures of my zinnia's

trip to San Francisco with my TX girls...a much needed trip...
all the Hansen's converge on Boise for a quick reunion...
Ellison reunion at the 71 ranch...Annie announces that she is pregnant with TWINS!
trip to Utah...diabetes clinic, visit the historic East High School & send off Karen and Bill to New York...
school starts...Rachel is in Jr. High!!

September

Jonah has a soccer goal land on him and needs staples...

Soccer for Rachel and Seth

I become paralyzed and stuck to my computer watching IKE's every move...

October

Jonah's braces come off and the girls are flocking!!

girls trip to NY with my mom and Ann to visit Karen...

November

Jared & I celebrate our 15th Anniversary with a night downtown!!

Thanksgiving in Boise...

No more KETO DIET!!!

December

Baby Samuel joins the family & Annie & Travis find out they are having 2 boys!

4 Christmas Concerts...Jonah is less than thrilled to be in his...Seth embarrasses us with the extra moves he's choreographed into his...

Rachel is tripped at school by an admiring boy and fractures her radius and ulna...

live Nativity with our friends the Gamettes...

Christmas celebration with the Hansen's--bells and puppet show are a hit!

Christmas Eve Fondue with the Johnson's

Santa makes it to our house...Seth finally gets his own scooter...which he promptly trips on, hitting the fireplace with his face and getting a black-eye...

head down to Utah...a day late because of the snow. Took 2 extra hours...

fun with my brother Dan and nephew Noah in town as well...

Down to Springville for Mitchell Shaw's wedding reception and a fun visit with the Shaw's!! (More TX homesickness to deal with!)

All in all it was a great year! Now onto new goals and resolutions...one of which will be updating my blog more often!