When we lived with my parents in 2008, I started a story about a boy who had a big adventure. The kids helped me name this boy and called him "Westcatrav", which is a combination of my three boys' names: Westley, Caleb, Travis. The boy went on an adventure that involved fighting dragons and rescuing a princess held captive by an evil king in a castle at the top of a high mountain. After that story, which was totally impromptu, they begged every night for a "westcatrav" story. But I was always too lazy or too tired to think of anything as clever, so I didn't add to the story or tell them any more.
A few weeks ago, when Corey was home from work early enough in the evening to help with bedtime, they boys asked for Westcatrav. It was strange because I thought he'd been forgotten about. So we took turns, each adding a sentence to the story, where Westcatrav gets himself into a pickle and has to be rescued by a witch. Then the witch casts a spell on him forcing him to marry her. He's able to break the spell and ends up marrying another witch, a witch-princess named Eliza. Anyway, after that story, the boys were hooked again and begged every night for another chapter. Because my husband was home for several evenings in a row, he started adding to the story every night and now, it has become a special nightly ritual for the nights when Daddy is home from work--he tells them Westcatrav, making it up as he goes along (though I think he now puts thought into it while he's driving to and from work), and they get a wonderfully rich, imaginative story that they will probably remember for a long time.
We realized after Chapter 8 of Westcatrav that we probably should have been recording these tales in order to write them down and possibly have my oldest, very artistic child illustrate them. But, oh well.
I can just imagine them 20 years from now sitting and talking and remembering: "Remember when Dad used to tell us Westcatrav?" and then rehashing some of the tales. I think it's great bonding time for Corey and the boys and just think of the literary skills they are developing from listening to the stories and talking about them!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Getting to Know You 2010
I know that we have all done these before but the questions are just a bit different, and although most people get annoyed with them, I think they are so much fun!
I "tag" anyone who follows this blog and wants to do this because I love reading about the people I love and the things they like... Here is what you are supposed to do, change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then post to your blog or Facebook page. Have fun!
1. What is your occupation right now?
Homemaker. I know, it's not p.c. to call it that anymore, but that's what I do and that's what I am. I like saying that better than a stay-at-home mom because that makes me feel like I'm kind of a lazy bum. But the "maker" in homemaker implies that I'm doing something, which I am, and it keeps me pretty dang busy.
2. What color are your socks right now?
White. Always white. Why bother with fun socks? Nobody ever really sees them!
3. What are you listening to right now?
Westley is reading his chapter book out loud to Corey before Corey leaves for work.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
chocolate chip cookies
5.Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes, but it's been a long time since I had to, so I'm sure I'm quite rusty.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Corey when he was on his way home from work last night.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes.
8. How old are you today?
32
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
gymnastics
10. What is your favorite drink?
hot chocolate (right now), chocolate milk in the summer
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
no, never, just highlights occasionally
12. Favorite food?
chocolate covered strawberries
13. What is the last movie you watched?
Spaceballs with Corey and Caleb during naptime today
14. Favorite day of the year?
My kids' birthdays--so right now, I have four favorite days
15. How do you vent anger?
Yelling and crying
16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Art supplies--crayons, pencils, paper, scissors, glue, etc.
17. What is your favorite season?
Spring, Summer and Fall--but Fall is probably my favorite because I always loved the start of school
18. Cherries or Blueberries?
love both
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Usually.
20. Who is the most likely to respond?
don't know
21. Who is least likely to respond?
everyone else!
22. Living arrangements?
A two-story rental house with my husband and four children and our dog.
23. When was the last time you cried?
Last weekend
24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes, boxes, random things
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
Not sure who all reads my blog
26. What did you do last night?
Went to bed early
27. What are you most afraid of?
Poisonous spiders
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Cheeseburgers definitely
29. Favorite Dog Breed?
beagle
30. Favorite day of the week?
I don't have a favorite
31. How many states have you lived in?
I have lived in 6 states--Texas, Connecticut, Utah, Idaho, Arizona and California
32. Diamonds or pearls?
Both
I "tag" anyone who follows this blog and wants to do this because I love reading about the people I love and the things they like... Here is what you are supposed to do, change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then post to your blog or Facebook page. Have fun!
1. What is your occupation right now?
Homemaker. I know, it's not p.c. to call it that anymore, but that's what I do and that's what I am. I like saying that better than a stay-at-home mom because that makes me feel like I'm kind of a lazy bum. But the "maker" in homemaker implies that I'm doing something, which I am, and it keeps me pretty dang busy.
2. What color are your socks right now?
White. Always white. Why bother with fun socks? Nobody ever really sees them!
3. What are you listening to right now?
Westley is reading his chapter book out loud to Corey before Corey leaves for work.
4. What was the last thing that you ate?
chocolate chip cookies
5.Can you drive a stick shift?
Yes, but it's been a long time since I had to, so I'm sure I'm quite rusty.
6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Corey when he was on his way home from work last night.
7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes.
8. How old are you today?
32
9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
gymnastics
10. What is your favorite drink?
hot chocolate (right now), chocolate milk in the summer
11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
no, never, just highlights occasionally
12. Favorite food?
chocolate covered strawberries
13. What is the last movie you watched?
Spaceballs with Corey and Caleb during naptime today
14. Favorite day of the year?
My kids' birthdays--so right now, I have four favorite days
15. How do you vent anger?
Yelling and crying
16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Art supplies--crayons, pencils, paper, scissors, glue, etc.
17. What is your favorite season?
Spring, Summer and Fall--but Fall is probably my favorite because I always loved the start of school
18. Cherries or Blueberries?
love both
19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Usually.
20. Who is the most likely to respond?
don't know
21. Who is least likely to respond?
everyone else!
22. Living arrangements?
A two-story rental house with my husband and four children and our dog.
23. When was the last time you cried?
Last weekend
24. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes, boxes, random things
25. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
Not sure who all reads my blog
26. What did you do last night?
Went to bed early
27. What are you most afraid of?
Poisonous spiders
28. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Cheeseburgers definitely
29. Favorite Dog Breed?
beagle
30. Favorite day of the week?
I don't have a favorite
31. How many states have you lived in?
I have lived in 6 states--Texas, Connecticut, Utah, Idaho, Arizona and California
32. Diamonds or pearls?
Both
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Bean Museum
On Friday, Westley had his early day where he gets out at 1:50 pm instead of 3:50, so we took advantage of the early-out and went down to Provo to the Bean Museum at BYU. My cousin does the live animal show there, so I contacted her earlier to see if she could meet us there and she was able to do that. She took us around on the tour and then we went to the basement and she brought out some animals for us--a tarantula that only Westley was brave enough to touch, a snake, a tortoise and a lizard. The kids loved it. Caleb was the only one brave enough to put the snake around his shoulders, but all the kids touched the snake, the tortoise and the lizard.
Car Trouble
We took the van in on Monday because the engine light has been on for a while now and so has a light that I thought was for the brake system, but it was actually because a brake light was out in the rear. The driver side door was also not locking at all. Corey drove it in first thing Monday morning and then I was going to drop Westley off at the bus stop at 8:30 and then drive over and pick him up with the other kids. Unfortunately, his car would not start. His car has this weird problem where it won't start, the battery seems dead, so he gets the jumper cable out, hooks it up to his car and the alarm sounds and then his car starts. We have taken it to three different places so far and they all say the same thing--they have no idea. We're not sure if it's the connection to the battery or something to do with the anti-theft system, which is what causes the car to alarm when the cable is on the battery.
So the car wouldn't start and it wouldn't even start doing the jumper cable trick either. By the time I realized it was useless, the bus should have come already (8:38) but sometimes it didn't come until 8:40, so I ran Westley up the street, leaving the other kids buckled into the car in the garage, but there were no kids at the corner, so the bus had come and gone. Corey had to catch a ride from the mechanic and come start his car himself. It always happens to me when he leaves me his car, so I'm now totally terrified to be left with his car for any occasion.
So we got my car back on Tuesday, finally, and when Corey went to get it, the dashboard light for the lightbulb outage was still on. They didn't have time to figure it out before he had to leave and bring me the car. So they printed out a paper saying they were checking it out and he needs to take it back this week. But he stopped on the way home to get gas because the gas light was on, and I thought that was strange since it was close to 1/2 a tank when we dropped it off on Monday. I thought, they must have driven it all over the place, gone to Vegas or something, but no, the gas gauge is just all screwed up too. He filled the tank, only put in about 12 gallons (20 gallon tank) and the gas gauge still showed empty. So now I have to watch the mileage until we can get it back. It's got to be something to do with what they did with all the electrical stuff they dealt with on the door locks and the rear lights because the dashboard is also showing that the doors are ajar and they're not.
The worst part is that we're now out of money for car repairs, having spent the whole of it on that van repair last week. Don't know when we'll ever be able to figure out what's wrong with Corey's car, and hopefully they won't charge us, because it's something they did to cause it, for the new problem with the van.
GRRRRR!!!!!
So the car wouldn't start and it wouldn't even start doing the jumper cable trick either. By the time I realized it was useless, the bus should have come already (8:38) but sometimes it didn't come until 8:40, so I ran Westley up the street, leaving the other kids buckled into the car in the garage, but there were no kids at the corner, so the bus had come and gone. Corey had to catch a ride from the mechanic and come start his car himself. It always happens to me when he leaves me his car, so I'm now totally terrified to be left with his car for any occasion.
So we got my car back on Tuesday, finally, and when Corey went to get it, the dashboard light for the lightbulb outage was still on. They didn't have time to figure it out before he had to leave and bring me the car. So they printed out a paper saying they were checking it out and he needs to take it back this week. But he stopped on the way home to get gas because the gas light was on, and I thought that was strange since it was close to 1/2 a tank when we dropped it off on Monday. I thought, they must have driven it all over the place, gone to Vegas or something, but no, the gas gauge is just all screwed up too. He filled the tank, only put in about 12 gallons (20 gallon tank) and the gas gauge still showed empty. So now I have to watch the mileage until we can get it back. It's got to be something to do with what they did with all the electrical stuff they dealt with on the door locks and the rear lights because the dashboard is also showing that the doors are ajar and they're not.
The worst part is that we're now out of money for car repairs, having spent the whole of it on that van repair last week. Don't know when we'll ever be able to figure out what's wrong with Corey's car, and hopefully they won't charge us, because it's something they did to cause it, for the new problem with the van.
GRRRRR!!!!!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Family Movie Night
Corey came home early from work on Saturday and surprised us with tickets for the whole family to see "The Princess and the Frog". The last time we took the kids to a movie in the theater was in June 2006 to see "Cars". Westley was just barely 3 and Caleb was 1-1/2 and I was pregnant with Travis. I did take the kids the summer of 2008 to see a flick, I think it was "A Bee Movie" during the summer movie days in Mesa, courtesy of my friend who gave me her summer pass because she went out of town for the rest of the time, but we didn't make it through the whole movie. It was a nightmare. Of course, it was just me, a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old, a 1-year-old and a new baby because Corey was either at work or in class.
So, anyway, the kids really enjoyed it. Eliza didn't sit through all of it and Corey took her out to run around a little. The boys really liked it, and I was surprised because every time the commercial for it came on TV, Caleb would say, "yuck, girlie stuff" or something like that and so would Travis and Westley. We then hit Chick-Fil-A on the way home, or as Travis would put it, "Chick-a-flay". It was a fun surprise.
So, anyway, the kids really enjoyed it. Eliza didn't sit through all of it and Corey took her out to run around a little. The boys really liked it, and I was surprised because every time the commercial for it came on TV, Caleb would say, "yuck, girlie stuff" or something like that and so would Travis and Westley. We then hit Chick-Fil-A on the way home, or as Travis would put it, "Chick-a-flay". It was a fun surprise.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Pain hurts...but the chicks dig it
Travis went in yesterday to get his stitches out. He hit his head and cut it open on December 22nd and got six stitches. He went in on December 28th and got those stitches out. But then he and Caleb bonked his, which split the laceration open again, on January 1st, requiring 8 more stitches. He went in yesterday and got those 8 stitches out.
He cried some when the nurse took them out, because he was scared of what she was doing I think. But after she was done, he screamed and screamed. I kept asking him why he was screaming, and he wouldn't answer (Travis is very unresponsive when he chooses to be).
Later, when Daddy came home from work and Trav was showing him the cut without stitches, I told him that Travis had screamed and screamed. Daddy asked why, and Travis told him that it was because he got them out and he wanted the stitches to stay in because they were cool.
That's a boy for you!
(Chris Cagle, Chicks Dig It)
"Hey y'all.. watch this
Daddy's belt, momma's drapes
Standin' tall on the backyard shed
Lookin' cool in my superman cape
I told the the neighborhood girl
Say hey y'all watch this
My fate was a broken arm
My reward one big kiss
When daddy asked me why I did it
I made him laugh out loud when I told him
'Cause the chicks dig it
"Scars heal, glory fades
And all we're left with are the memories made
Pain hurts, but only for a minute
Yeah life is short so go on and live it
'Cause the chicks dig it..."
He cried some when the nurse took them out, because he was scared of what she was doing I think. But after she was done, he screamed and screamed. I kept asking him why he was screaming, and he wouldn't answer (Travis is very unresponsive when he chooses to be).
Later, when Daddy came home from work and Trav was showing him the cut without stitches, I told him that Travis had screamed and screamed. Daddy asked why, and Travis told him that it was because he got them out and he wanted the stitches to stay in because they were cool.
That's a boy for you!
(Chris Cagle, Chicks Dig It)
"Hey y'all.. watch this
Daddy's belt, momma's drapes
Standin' tall on the backyard shed
Lookin' cool in my superman cape
I told the the neighborhood girl
Say hey y'all watch this
My fate was a broken arm
My reward one big kiss
When daddy asked me why I did it
I made him laugh out loud when I told him
'Cause the chicks dig it
"Scars heal, glory fades
And all we're left with are the memories made
Pain hurts, but only for a minute
Yeah life is short so go on and live it
'Cause the chicks dig it..."
Sunday Morning Mayhem
Church went from 1 pm to 9 am this year for us. When we were in Queen Creek and had church at 8 am, I would lay out the church clothes the night before, pack the Sunday bag, and just make sure everything was ready so all we had to do in the morning was get up, get dressed, eat breakfast and go.
I should really start doing that here now.
On Sunday, I had gotten up and showered and gotten dressed. After that, the kids were all up, so we got them to the table and fed them breakfast. At that point, it was about 7:50, so I went upstairs to get the Sunday clothes out so they could come up, brush their teeth and get dressed. I got the suits for the two older boys. I got Travis' vest and pants out. But when I went for the white shirts, they weren't there. Those white Sunday shirts weren't in the boys' closet, or Eliza's closet, or my closet. They weren't in my room anywhere. They weren't in the boys' dresser drawers either. I looked downstairs and upstairs, in the laundry closet, everywhere. I could not find the white Sunday shirts.
Corey saved the day. He found them. After 20 minutes of searching everywhere, he found them in the costume box in the toy room. Who'd have thought? Because they went from the wash on Monday into the costume box somehow, they were all wrinkled. We had to iron them. Our fabulous plan to have be completely ready by 8:30 to have scripture reading and prayer and then casually walk out the door was not happening.
Next week, those shirts will be ironed and ready on Saturday night, for sure.
I should really start doing that here now.
On Sunday, I had gotten up and showered and gotten dressed. After that, the kids were all up, so we got them to the table and fed them breakfast. At that point, it was about 7:50, so I went upstairs to get the Sunday clothes out so they could come up, brush their teeth and get dressed. I got the suits for the two older boys. I got Travis' vest and pants out. But when I went for the white shirts, they weren't there. Those white Sunday shirts weren't in the boys' closet, or Eliza's closet, or my closet. They weren't in my room anywhere. They weren't in the boys' dresser drawers either. I looked downstairs and upstairs, in the laundry closet, everywhere. I could not find the white Sunday shirts.
Corey saved the day. He found them. After 20 minutes of searching everywhere, he found them in the costume box in the toy room. Who'd have thought? Because they went from the wash on Monday into the costume box somehow, they were all wrinkled. We had to iron them. Our fabulous plan to have be completely ready by 8:30 to have scripture reading and prayer and then casually walk out the door was not happening.
Next week, those shirts will be ironed and ready on Saturday night, for sure.
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