Green Beans

It's not very often that we're sitting at the table for dinner and I hear the words, "Mom, can I have more green beans? They're delicious." But maybe the next thing I heard was the reason for Trevor's new found love of green beans. "These are good, but the ones from grandma's garden are even better." Grandma's garden has been a fun thing for all of us this summer. Trevor will go out and pick peas and eat them right out of the pod (they are so sweet and good that way) and Trevor and Colin like to look and see what is out there growing. I guess people are right when they tell you that if you want your kids to eat vegetables you've got to get them in the garden and in the kitchen. Whatever my mom is growing, whatever the boys have looked at and picked they seem to be more interested in. Trevor and Colin both tried tomatoes the last time I put them in salad, they love peas and carrots and of course last night's green beans. Logan even ate his green beans which was a shocker to me. I always make the boys at least taste what is on their plate. "You might just like it," I tell them. And I think after tasting it so many times they are starting to like it. I've wanted to try a garden before I've just never know how to get started or what you're supposed to plant and when. But now that my mom has her garden growing and is a little bit of an expert on planting and caring for vegetables I may just have to have her teach me what she knows. I mean Logan goes out back and eats leaves off trees so I might as well have something back there good and healthy he can much on, right?

All boys

I don't know how many times I've been to the grocery store or Target, Wal-Mart, the library, anywhere with my kids and people have looked at me with a sad smile and said, "You have all boys?" as if I was walking around with two broken arms or something. What's wrong with having all boys? And I just have three of them. I know a few women who have 4 or 5 boys (no girls) so I wonder what people used to say to them when they went out when their boys were little. I'll have some ladies say, "I raised one boy and that was enough for me!" or others who will just step back a little and wait for us to pass by, watching to see if disaster happens. My boys are not always angels when I take them places. There are many times I have found myself at my wits end trying to get my errands done for the day without one more thing going wrong, trying to keep my temper so I don't get accused of child abuse in the middle of Smiths. But I think that's because they are kids and not just because they are boys. I just wonder where this thing came from that if you're a mom and you don't have a daughter there is something sad about your life, or that things are so much harder for you because there are no girls balance the "boy" in the house. I'll admit I really wanted Trevor to be a girl. I was a little sad when I found out he was a boy and I put my ballet shoes away, back in the closet for another time. Then, with Colin, I had a girl name all picked out. It was going to be Kathryn, Katie for short, and I was sure I'd get a girl. With Logan I still had a little bit of hope of getting my Chloe, but by then we were so used to boys that having a girl would have meant getting all new clothes and toys. But once we had Logan it just seemed to fit. They could all grow up together being the best buddies. They do make me crazy and they are loud and they fight, but I bet there are times when my friends who have all girls, or a combination of girls and boys, go through the exact same thing. So I guess the next time I get that look or get one of those comments I'll just smile and count myself lucky for being a mom, their mom.

Dreaming

I've been to Coronado Island at least 4 or 5 times in my life. I've been with my mom and grandmother, my sisters, I went with a groups of friends one weekend in college, Dave and I spent an afternoon there on our first anniversary and we took Trevor and Colin to play at the beach there about 3 years ago. I love the whole Island - I love everything about it and if I were rich I would have a vacation home there. I love the way it looks, the cute houses, the main street with the shops and restaurants and I love the hotel - the famous Hotel Del Coronado. Ever since the first time I visited Coronado and we walked around the hotel marveling at the beautiful grounds and lobby, looking at old pictures from when it was new and reading about it being haunted I've wanted to stay there. Every time we visit I have to sit on the beach by the hotel so I can turn around and look up at it every now and then. It's not an exotic location, a far away dream vacation that you spend years planning and saving for. But I've always wanted to stay there and one of these days, when it's my turn to plan our anniversary, or on a whim when I want a romantic weekend, a get-a-away from the kids and everything else, I'm going to book a room at The Del. But for now, I'm just going to dream about it.

Surprise date

Tuesday was our 8th anniversary. I had already planned for a babysitter on Saturday so we could go on a date but on Tuesday around 4 my dad shows up at my house. He tells me he is there to take the kids to his house for the rest of the day. So I get the kids ready and put them in my dad's truck and then go back in the house and enjoy the peace and quiet. Dave had been sending me sweet e-mails all day so I check my e-mail again and there is a message telling me to relax and enjoy the time home alone and not to cook dinner. Dave came home a few hours later with our favorite dinner from Outback (we used to get it all the time when we were first married) and flowers for me. We had a great time being home alone for a while. It's so nice to be in your very own house and enjoy time with your husband and no kids to worry about. And after 8 years Dave is still romantic and knows how to surprise me when I least expect it. I'm so happy to be married to Dave. He is the perfect match for me and we compliment one another so well. It's fun to look back and see how we've changed and I think we've both changed for the better because of one another's influence.

Writer's block

I have ten stories saved on my computer that I have started but not finished. They are all in different stages and sometimes I will be working on one when I'll get an idea for another. I have one that I have been working on for a while now and I am almost finished with it. For some reason, though, I can't bring myself to work on it anymore. I don't know if it's because I'm starting to hate what I once loved or if the thought of finishing it brings with it the next steps and I'm just scared. I've always wanted to be a writer. I majored in English in college so I could read and write. I took a creative writing class where my teacher always had good things to say about my writing, things I will read often when I am stuck and I feel like I'm no good. I'm not sure if I'm even writing the right things. I want to write something I would like to read, but there are times when I think about the stories I write and I wonder if they are interesting enough. Today I sat at the computer and looked at all of the stories I have and I realized that the books I love to read the most are not reflected at all in what I write. My favorite class in college was Young People's Lit. It was designed for those of us who were going to teach English or be librarians. My favorite books are Newberry winners, books written for kids or teenagers, picture books I read to my kids. I have read Jacob Have I Loved a million times and I never get tired of it. I tell people The Giver is the best book ever. I read Charlotte's Web in a few hours and the books I taught to my students are still some of my favorites. I will go to the library with my kids and check the Young Adult shelves for books for me to read and I have looked over the requirements for the Newberry award, just to have it in the back of my mind. I used to think I would write for the LDS market. I read a lot of those books and it just seemed like the direction I would take. But today, when I had writer's block with the book I have been working on, I thought I needed to start writing what I love to read the most. I thought about how great it would be if I wrote something my boys would like to read. One of these days I want to go to a book store and see my book on the shelf; I want to send my kids off to school and sit down at the computer and write knowing I have a deadline. One of these days I will finally finish a book, send it in to a publisher and see what happens.

Apricot picking

I heard from someone that the Gilcrease Orchard was opened so I called my mom and we took the boys Saturday morning. I had never been out there before and the boys were excited to see everything. We saw corn growing, squash, apple, pear, plum, peach and apricot trees. Logan loved picking the apricots from the trees (the unripe ones) and we all had fun looking for the best ones. Trevor said, "Grandma is the boss because she has a garden so she knows if the fruit is ripe." Afterwards we came home and everyone ate some fruit. It was so good. The boys had a really good time and it was fun showing them where some of our food comes from. Trevor has loved going to my mom's house to see what she has in her garden. He loves picking peas and eating them right then and there. He wants us to plant a garden in our backyard, so maybe one of these days, with the help of my mom, we'll try it out.

Swim lessons

The boys started swim lessons this week. I wanted more than anything for them to be comfortable in the water so we could take them swimming more often. They've done really well for their first week. Trevor and Colin have both had fun getting in the water, playing and learning some of the basics. While the boys swim, Logan likes to "jump" on the trampoline.

Trevor practicing his kicking

Colin loves being in the water. When it's time to leave he gets upset and says, "But Mom, I LOVE swimming!"