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Christmas 2011 – LOTSO PIX

/ Jo Bird / 1 Comment
Christmas 2011 brought the entire Tony & Cathy Hall family together, for one week all six children, their spouses and their children gathered.  All together there were 26 people, 16 adults and 10 grandchildren.  It was really great.  It doesn’t happen very often, given that only two of the six children reside in the same city, and that city not being the city where my parents live.  Unfortunately, the day the last of the gang arrived was the day that began the Great Hall Family Stomach Flu Epidemic.  Only a few blessed souls were spared.  My own little family were likely the ones who started the plague, ironic considering we were the only family not staying at my parent’s house.  But by Christmas Eve most were healthy again. 
I thoroughly enjoyed the time with my family, but it was also sometimes chaotic, exhausting and busy busy busy.  But now, looking back through these pictures I feel so blessed. 
These pictures are poor in quality and although there seem to be many, there are not enough.  I’ll have to call upon the new family photog for more/better photos. 

Before the Hall festivities began we had Christmas with the Bird side of the family.  Miriam received a pair of boots but was initially excited about the green tissue paper, holding it up to her body as if it were clothing.

Simon finally received his own little article of Bronco gear, and it was much needed as his little “dome” is prone to getting cold. 

And then the descent of the ten Hall grandchildren on the Hall household. This was after the Christmas Eve pajama unwrapping.   Missing are the newest babies, Eve and Sonya.  Present are [from left to right]: Miriam, Thea, Grace, Cameron, Simon, Charlie, Eli and Antonia.



Here is what seems to be a bad picture, that actually captures perfectly our way of life around here. 

A little better. 



2011 was the year of the babies for the Halls.  [And Birds for that matter!]  It was all things baby with new high-tech moniters, sleep-deprived parents, juggling schedules around breast-feeding and OH THE DIAPERS!

 

No babies yet for these two, thank goodness!

 

Cameron, with solicited support from his dad, Charlie and uncles, organized a flag football game in the backyard.  They played for a long time and I think it was probably the highlight of the holiday for my little football junkie. 



I might have to take that back.  My dad organized a Minute-to-Win-It competition that probably trumped even the football game in Cameron’s esteem.  To this day, any time we go over to my parents Cameron is scheming up some MTWI challenges. 



For these two, marshmallows and chocolate chips were the greater temptation than frantically shaking their heads with a pedometer strapped on, or stacking things with chopsticks. 



I can’t quite remember what this was all about, but it needed to be included.  Brit and Jenessa were team-mates for MTWI.  I think it was some code that they came up with that said “These Halls are crazy, what have we married in to?”

 

Then of course there was bowling, dining out and lots of talking.  Those are the things we do best.  Well, except for bowling.



exhausted

/ Jo Bird / 9 Comments
I once ran a half-marathon, nearly eight miles up-hill and five miles down.  When I went to bed that night I wasn’t as exhausted as I was yesterday when at last my weary body collapsed on my bed. 
Miriam got a hold of a couple markers.  I’m not sure if she was feeling particularly deprived of attention or just especially mischevious, because she’s had markers before without using them to decorate her brother and herself and the walls and floors and stool.  I admit, I sometimes get distracted while online, or trying to accomplish some other task, but that was not even the case in this incident.  I was in the laundry room, sorting through mail and it still boggles my mind how quickly she worked.  The picture almost doesn’t do it justice, his hands, neck and scalp/hair were colored purple and turquoise.  She was no better, her cheeks, hair and arms also covered in markings.  And I mentioned the walls, floors and the stool behind Simon? Fortunately they were washable markers, nothing a wet rag and quick bath couldn’t fix.  UN-fortunately Simon has decided in the last few days that he hates baths, and cried through the whole thing.  I hate baths too, or at least my back hates me after giving them.  But I was able to laugh about it all in no time. 
BUT THEN…
Vaseline. Two-thirds of the 13oz tub. They weren’t in bath when I discovered them, Miriam the trouble-maker and Simon the incidental partner in crime.  Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  When I found them in the boys’ room they were both shoving fistfuls of petroleum into their own and each other’s hair.  I was angry.  I put them in the bath while I composed myself.  I spent 45 minutes washing and rinsing and re-washing the slippery little grease-monkeys.  It was fruitless.  I combed through their hair with a fine-tooth comb and gobs of soap-slime came out but when I finally removed them from the bath with an aching back and no more hot water, it seemed I had made no progress.  I put Simon in his high chair and gave Miriam a “pretty hat” to keep her from contaminating other surfaces.
About this time I called Richard, whose plane had just landed from Spokane.  He asked me if I’d googled it.  I’m not sure why I thought I was the only woman in the world whose child lathered their hair with vaseline.  Apparently it’s a common problem.  The most popular solutions were baby powder/corn starch and Dawn dishsoap.  Hopefully Miriam and Simon don’t develop asthma because I didn’t have corn starch and despite the many warnings about NOT using baby powder because it was so bad for their lungs, I was desperate.  I did Round 2: baby powder, wash with regular shampoo, wash with Dawn, wash with shampoo.  There was definite improvement but still their hair could stand straight up off their head, defying gravity with the stiff support of the vaseline.
This was when the exhaustion took over and I had to call it good.  Off to bed they went, to make greasy pillows and sheets. 
This morning I did Round 3 in the shower, unable to bear the thought of hunching over the bathtub again.  More baby powder, more Dawn and more shampoo.  Once again progress, but I’m sure Simon will require another round and Miriam two or three. 
Someday I will laugh. I know I will.  But this has been by far the most lasting of Miriam’s reckless destruction and I am still feeling totally defeated. 

YMCA Christmas Run

/ Jo Bird / 1 Comment
I love the Christmas Run – I love most runs actually but this one has a special holiday-community-festive atmosphere.  I signed up myself and Cameron and then due to illness Richard ran instead.  I took the little ones to get donuts while we waited.  I got a kick out of the sign, but had no one else to laugh with me so I’m
sharing it here. 
 

the fans



the racers



the fam



the star

This was Cameron’s longest race so far- 2.5 miles.  Richard says he set quite the pace.  Cameron is a spotlight runner.  When he sees someone he knows or when someone cheers for him he gets sudden bursts of energy.  We need to figure out how to help him keep his spotlight speed when no one is looking/cheering.

work party

/ Jo Bird / 1 Comment

Office Christmas parties have such potential for comedic material- but these pictures are about as funny as I can get.  The party was booked at a sports bar this year.  (Not just any sports bar, but one featured by Guy Fieri- Rick’s Press Room.) But despite its fame, some members of the staff thought it tacky to have a holiday party at a sports bar, so in the spirit of being tacky we all dressed up.  There wasn’t a specific decade chosen as a theme, just something fashionable from any decade other than this one.   Michelle took the prize for spending two hours crimping her hair.   I guess it could be debated whether or not some of these outfits were ever fashionable. 

The Christmas party itself was great.  I’ve been working at Carter Dental for five years now and since I only work one day a week I really look forward to other opportunities to spend time with these people.  All but one have been there as long or longer than I have, and Emily – the “newcomer”- was a patient before she was an employee. 

After Kathleen passed away there wasn’t a funeral or service.  We didn’t have the chance to sit share our memories and laugh about her quirks and outbursts.  Kathleen was incredibly kind, thus making said outbursts exceptionally entertaining.  So we took that chance at the Christmas party.  It personally gave me some closure, the chance to say goodbye to her through vocal tribute. 

Miriam turned TWO

/ Jo Bird / 2 Comments
 For her birthday- and because it’s a tradition on the day we get the Christmas tree- we went to IHOP for breakfast.  Every time we go there we wonder “Why don’t we come here more?” I know- it’s IHOP.  But there is something so hard about having to choose which tasty and horribly-unhealthy breakfast we want, so we therefore need more opportunities to do so.

 Miriam didn’t have a lot going for her at this birthday- she is the third child so she gets a lot of hand-me-downs, we live in a small house so there isn’t much space for new toys, and her birthday is unfortunately close to Christmas.  She got a Scensty Buddy (stuffed pig) to prevent the on-going poopy-diaper odor in her bedroom, a book and a doll stroller. 

We adore Miriam.  She is the perfect combination of fiesty and sweet.  She has the tender heart of a sensitive little girl, but paradoxically the tough spirit of a pioneer woman.  You can easily hurt her feelings but you can do nothing to her independence.  She is curious, determined and fearless; a combination that drives me crazy.  She is the child that I used to attribute to bad parenting when I saw her behaviors exhibited in other children.  Perhaps it is bad parenting- but these kids all come so different and we’ve all heard it said that they don’t come with a manual.  Since she was old enough to crawl (which wasn’t very old) her heart’s deepest desire was to be with her brothers, and it continues to be so.  She hasn’t been interested much in princesses, like many of her peers but that is probably related to the gender dynamic around her.  She has recently been putting on skirts in the mornings, after she gets out of bed and before she leaves her room.  So she’s got her feminine side for sure.

Her current loves are band-aids and Yo Gabba Gabba.  Her vocabulary continues to grow, and I think she enjoys the added effect of words when expressing her opinions, rather than relying on sour expressions alone. 
But all sour expressions are forgiven when she politely responds “Yes peese” to all my questions.
“Will you get your shoes?”
 “Yes peese.”
“Will you throw this in the garbage?”
 “Yes peese.”
That’s our sweet and sassy little Miss.

if tables could talk

/ Jo Bird / 6 Comments

We temporarily return to the present time period for a tribute to a kitchen table. 

I mentioned I wasn’t particularly sentimental about our tv.  But I’m painfully sentimental about this kitchen table.  I’ve eaten meals at this kitchen table for my entire life.  This table has been witness two a family of four, then five, six, seven and eight.  (Yes, it only seats six, the little boys had to eat at the counter.)

I imagine this table saw Hall family debates, family meals, much laughter, dozens of birthday parties, and I know for a fact that tears were shed over this table.  Tears about slimy broccoli.  Homework was done at this table, sewing done at this table.  Letters written, letters read.  Books and newspapers read.  Thousands of mugs of ice cream.  Delicious meals were eaten, not so delicious meals were reluctantly eaten.  Countless bowls of cereal were consumed at this table.  Siblings argued at this table, parents paid bills at this table.  Imporant decisions were no doubt discussed at this table.  Games played at this table.  Oh the games played at this table! The alphabet was carved into this table, along with the romantic tribute “Mom + Dad” in a heart. 

Then this table once again belonged to a family of two.  Then three, four, five and now six.  More of everything mentioned above was done at this table.  Children spent hours at this table eating and avoiding eating.  Little people climbed on this table to retrieve fruit with little hands.  Painting and crafting have been done at this table.  A chair, that currently resides in Nebraska, is missing from this table. 

We ate our last meal at this table on Sunday.  I didn’t cry.  But I still want to.

I couldn’t bear to part with this table if it weren’t for a new table I received as a gift.  The new table isn’t “new” but it was a labor of love from a friend who moved away.  And it is much nicer looking. 

I’m tempted to selfishly hold on to it, keep it in my garage until I have a house big enough for two tables.  (HA! I can see Richard cringing as he reads that.) But I am reminded of Buzz & Woody.  What good were they packed up in a box in an attic?  What kind of life was that for them? 

Hopefully my dear table will find renewed functionality meeting the needs of a new family. 

So long kitchen table.

********
Does anyone need a kitchen table? Free to a good home. 

rewind to… October!

/ Jo Bird / Leave a comment

Okay! It’s time for catch-up! I’ve always enjoyed blogging so much that I’ve never had to do the “catch-up” thing before.  Sigh.  Just one of the great sacrifices I’m making to be a better mother. Gag. Ahem…

Anyway- I’ll post the events of the last three months here briefly for those who really care (family members) but then I will change the date of the post so they will fall into the proper chronological order for someday when this blog becomes a book.  Which, thanks to Richard, might actually happen. 

well that explains so much

/ Jo Bird / 5 Comments

Warning: This post was an exercise for me in finding synonyms for “feces.”  That may be all you need to know to discontinue reading. 

On Monday night, we went to my in-laws to watch the lamest NCAA football championship ever.  (For an entertaining commentary on that, go here.)  During the game we encountered some digestive trouble with Miriam.  She was complaining of a sore bum so I changed her diaper to discover a nightmare of a bowel movement.  Sure enough she had a wicked diaper rash from the undetected foul diaper going unchanged for too long.  The problem was that the stool had no smell.  It went undetected because, validate me here parents, for the most part I only change a stinky diaper when my nose makes me aware that I ought to do so. 

Some time went by and poor Miriam continued to complain of her tender tush.  There was once again no stench and so I assumed she was just suffering from the existing rash.  At last I checked and realized she needed to be changed again.  I lathered her up with butt paste and sent her on her way, but I was so confused.  Where the heck was all this poop coming from?

Shortly after the second full dump, and not long before the third I received the following text from my mother.  She had been caring for the kids while I was at work that day. 

“Miriam got into your dad’s candy so she might get diarrhea from the maltodextrin.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter. 

Apparently while my mom was watching Simon in one room she heard Eli shout from another room down the hall.

“I want some of that!”

Naturally she responded quickly only to discover Miriam had enjoyed the better part of a sugar-free chocolate bar my mom had bought my diabetic father for Christmas.  I guess maltodextrin is an ingredient used in sugar-free treats and I guess eating too much can cause some belly trouble.

(I considered researching this more, but who wants to spend their precious minutes learning about causes of odorless diarrhea?)

Fortunately aside from the diaper rash Miriam had no other symptoms or issues. 

The girl just has a nose for chocolate.  At one point during the game when she was nowhere to be found, I discovered her diving into a bag of M&M’s she’d found in my mother-in-law’s office. 

Pinterest- a justification post

/ Jo Bird / 6 Comments

My blog has gotten to the point where I am so overwhelmed by all the un-written posts that I’ve decided to temporarily ignore them.  I will return when I finish my annual new-year purging of my home.  Another Christmas blessed us but this house ain’t gettin’ any bigger. 

Today, inspired by my friend Krista, I’m writing a tribute to Pinterest. 

First I want to say, I pinned before pinning was cool.  I am so annoyed by people like me who insist on taking credit for something that was just a matter of chance and was not the result of any effort on my part.  But people like that, well we just can’t help ourselves. 

Today I looked back through months of texts between Krista and I, until I came across the one where she introduced me to Pinterest.  Bless you Krista!  For those who are unfamiliar with Pinterest, it automatically hooks you up with all your Facebook friends.  In May when I began, I had only one friend besides Krista on Pinterest.  Today, 130 of my Facebook friends are on Pinterest. 

I’ll admit, in the beginning I spent excessive amounts of time just perusing and pinning.  Pinning and perusing.  It wasn’t until the last month or two that I’ve actually used my pins.  I made six Christmas gifts from ideas I found on Pinterest.  With help I planned a fun New Year’s Eve for my kids and nieces and nephews inspired by Pinterest.  Yesterday I needed to know how to clean a mattress and I found it on Pinterest.  For many things I skip the Google search and go straight to Pinterest.  Halloween costumes, recipes, gift ideas. 

Pinterest is the most practical and productive of all social networking sites.  I don’t use this phrase lightly, but I am truly grateful for it.

Gag! I know right?  Grateful for Pinterest?

Naturally, with most internet fads it has its drawbacks.  It can be a huge black hole for time.  And it is not censored so when you are first exploring and if you venture from your trusted follow-ees then you can stumble across crude or offensive pins. 

But as with most things, used correctly and with moderation I find it to be my favorite way to either pass time while I eat my sandwich or wait in the Dr. office and my favorite way to efficiently find practical solutions to daily tasks.  All right there literally at my fingertips. 

I recently read that “Pinterest’s user growth rate is what Facebook’s was five years ago. Earlier in 2011, it was valued through venture financing at $40m and, most recently, just a few months later, at around $200m.”

Wow.  Thanks Paul, Ben and Evan for your brilliance that has made my life at the very least more convenient, and possibly more fulfilling.  I just love it.