The most exciting thing that has happend this summer so far is that Samuel has potty trained. Well, I shouldn’t say potty trained because sometimes he doesn’t use the potty. I’ll explain.
Funny Samuel
When we went camping the end of May I decided that this would be a good chance for Samuel to learn how to get close to nature. So I took off the diaper, and let him “go commando”. This is something that my Aunt Joanna did for her kids on the farm. Teach them how to go while running around outside playing. “Go on that rock,” is what she said to her kids, and it worked remarkably well. I just forgot to include that part of the instructions because Samuel decided to be like the dog and mark his territory everywhere.
So now that he has potty trained, I now have to remind him that if he’s in the backyard playing, that he needs to come inside to go pee. In fact yesterday after dinner, Samuel finished his dinner then went outside. The rest of us were finishing up. One of the kids got up to clear their plate and went to the window to see where Samuel was. “He’s got his pants down again. Oh! He’s popping!” I sent Dave out to help Samuel. When Samuel came back inside I quietly and gently pulled him inside and told him that he really needs to be inside when he has to go pee or poop. “Understand?” He said yes. I asked him “Where do you go to pee and poop? “Inside.”
We’ll see if he actually remembers and follows instructions.
Julles told us that Springville was opening a new firestation, so we went over to check it out. Not many
Dad pointing out some of the controls to Ben and James
people for the ceremony (complete with a printed program – only in Utah), but more people drizzled in with the rain. I found the EMT explanation quite interesting, but the boys were much more interested in the big trucks.
But the LifeFlight that landed and their tour was very interesting. Not that there was much to tour through, just their pointing and showing….
Watching the copter land was quite noisy! And dusty!
The boys kept asking silly questions. But I thought it was interesting that the flight nurse had to have a certain amount of years as an ICU nurse, ER nurse and take flight school classes. (Makes sense.)
Here's cousin Ryan with Aunt June, checking out the helicopter
One of the funnest things for the boys was to go and be able to sit on one of the original firetrucks, now on
Here's cousin Ryan sitting in the original fire engine (with random girl)
display. It was used until 1975, and still was fully functional at the time of decommission. That wasn’t impressive to the kids. What was really cool was that they were able to ring the bell from the inside of the truck that made it ring on the outside. Anthony immediately went to work trying to figure out how pulling a cord from the inside would make the bell ring on the outside. He figured it out pretty quickly!
Wish I had brought my better camera, but the phone camera will just have to do sometimes!
Look out - Anthony's at the wheel!
What really made me laugh was that they began serving cookies/cake/punch at the Open House by 9:30 am. Talk about needing to help people that go into sugar shock!!! I told my boys, NO SUGAR because they had not eaten breakfast yet. Apparantly I didn’t get the memo to Dave. He let them have cookies and punch when I was off helping someone else. Sigh.
Smiling Benjamin! He's so calm...(sometimes)James and Samuel James behind the wheel
Provo’s Freedom Festival always hold a flag retirement ceremony. I thought this would be very educational for the boys to go see. I thought it would be a good FHE activity. I had them wear their scout uniforms (as did I and many others, even though they didn’t participate). June also came with her kids. Dave ended up having to do some work, so he wasn’t able to join us this time around.
It was a good opportunity to talk to my boys about respect, honor and service to our country. I had to keep explaining it over and over to Anthony. He kept asking why we were burning the flag. It is a rather difficult concept to grasp for a 7 year old.
Some Marines were also there and I made sure my boys noticed how well they dressed, and walked in formation. It was not too hot of an evening, but the heat from the fire at times was a bit much.
Scouts saluting the flagBenjamin showing his respect for the flag. Ryan did too, but it was getting kind of long.
While at the music store to pick up some music Benjamin saw some little violins hanging on the wall. We said with the most fasinating tone of voice, as if mesmerized by the sight, “Oh mom, I want to play one of those.” It’s been a month since then and I’ve now got him started with violin lessons with Meika. Fortunately the Lewis’ had a little violin that Amanda had outgrown, so we traded for a 1/2 size violin that has been in my closet that is a family violin. When James practices piano, Benjamin likes to get out the violin and practice. Still the basics, and he’s only 5, but still it is fun to see him do this!
Yesterday a whole slew of us went to Springville City Art Days, braving the rains and thunder. Each of the kids were allowed ONE ride (at $5 a ride)! Anthony, James, Savannah went on the Spaceship 2000. “That was the best ride!”
Coming off the ride - "That was so totally awesome!"
James went to a new dentist here in town. The dentist has some new procuedures that I’m much more in favor of than
Rubber Dam surrounding James tooth. The video goggles really helped to distract him.
traditional dentistry. Removing mercury-based amalgams is first and foremost, and then restoring the tooth to its normal state. (Using a porcelain-fiber composite filling.) James wasn’t quite sure about having the rubber/plastic dam surrounding the tooth. (Purpose of the rubber dam is while removing the amalgam with a drill, the mercury stays contained and is not splashing everywhere to be reabsorbed. Also , the porcelain-fiber composite filling requires the tooth to stay dry for a few minutes) Also, the use of Ozone to kill the remaining bacteria didn’t quite go over well with James. He accidentally inhaled it which caused a 20 minute coughing attack. For 3 cavities it took 2 1/2 hours!
One of natures wonders is right here in Utah County. Timpanogos Cave is 1 of 3 caves in the world that has a particular kind of calcium formation. I went once when I was a kid, but hadn’t been back since. (From that trip the only thing I remember was being scared, so my dad had me on his shoulders. And at one point in the cave his head got cut and required stitches.)
We went on Thursday with June and her kids. (Dave stayed at the office to get some work done.) Fortunately the day was beautiful (in the 70’s) with a bit of cloud cover. I had no idea that the climb was going to be that steep! When I pointed out to the kids that we were going to be hiking THAT mountain to get to a cave I said, “But we’re not going to the very top”. True, we didn’t get to the very tippy-top, but we certainly got darn near close to the top! I kept telling them over and over before we left, “You have to wear good, comfortable shoes. No cleats! And you HAVE to wear socks.”
Jacob loves being outside
We had a 1:00 tour appointment (when you are supposed to start hiking up). Me and my boys were late getting out the door because Benjamin couldn’t find his shoes. (The curse that is now mine since I always lost my shoes as a kid.) June had already got the tickets and the instructions so she filled us in as we quickly got to the trailhead. It takes most people 1 and 1/2 hours to hike to the top. So we had to hike quickly.
Taking a rest, but up against the rocks for safety!
But once we got started, it was quite the climb!! Extreme switchbacks. We had to stop and rest at every switchback plateau. Jess (15) kept saying over and over, “I hate switchbacks!” I was constantly reminding my boys that they needed to stay away from the edge, and to always walk next to the rocks. (And NO throwing rocks either!) Samuel (3) had a hard time remembering to stay away from the edge. Though there was always someone to remind him. Benjamin (5) was always right by my side (or hanging onto my diaper bag). Anthony and James were good troopers. And Jacob LOVED being outside and smiling at everybody that was coming down. The sling was great!
Jessica keeping Samuel safe during the tour
It tooks us nearly 2 hours to get to the top. (Just 1 1/2 miles, but very steep.) When we started the cave tour, we loved the cool 45 degree (F) temperature. But shortly into the tour Benjamin started to say, “I’m freezing!” And within minutes Samuel said, “I’m scared!” Since I was holding Jacob in my sling, I couldn’t hold him too. Cousin Jessica held Samuel’s hand and stayed with him for the tour. The formations were so interesting, and our tour guide was a junior high school science teacher, so he really catered to the young kids in the group. While showing us the long calcuim formed tubes, he said, “See these? They are hollow in the middle, just like a straw. So if you were to break off one of those and drink some soda through it, it would completely dissolve, just like your teeth.” I snickered and said, “Did you hear that boys?!” James wasn’t paying attention and said, “What? what’s so funny?” So I had to quickly explain it. But it was lost a bit in the retelling. I’m always telling my boys that soda is poison.
Halfway through the cave, a man came up to me and said, “This would be a great place to play some Baroque music.” It took me a few seconds to register, but it was James Rhodes. A professional violist that just played a Utah Baroque Ensemble gig with me in April. At the end of the tour he caught me up on his Chamber Music camp that he is holding for local students.
Nearing the end of the tour Jacob had enough and was exhausted. He starting crying and I couldn’t console him. Fortunately we hurried out of the cave and I was able to nurse him to sleep on a bench. Then we began the descent. (After explaining to the boys that they COULD NOT run down, complete with a story of a 3 year old boy that tripped and fell off the side and died. To which Anthony commented, “ouch”.)
On the way back down June and her kids (along with Sam) quickly steamed ahead because they had to get to a toilet. I took my sleeping baby Jacob (in comfy sling), James, Anthony and Benjamin at a bit of a slower pace. All the way down my boys asked, “tell me a story of when you were a kid”. It was a very good time to pass on childhood stories, mistakes that I made and learned from. We had a wonderful bonding time.
The amount of energy kids has constantly amazes me. Samuel nearly immediately fell asleep on the 45 minute drive home, but he woke up when we got home, and was awake until 11:00pm. I was ready to go to sleep at 8:30, but the kids were just as wired as ever. At 10:30 I was reading stories to Anthony and I asked through my own bleary eyes, “Aren’t you tired at all from the hike?'” He looked at me like I was crazy, “No.”
Three days later, my body is still a bit sore! The boys told a ranger, “if our dad came, he’d have a heart attack!” But that’s another story for another post.
Anthony, James, Benjamin: "Cool!"Now that's weird looking.Anthony thought this adventure was great!The boys thought this looked like a dinosaur tooth.Benjamin standing in front of a huge slide formation. "That would be fun to go on!"Savannah and Jess, Samuel and James
