Cleaning Outfits

I gave the kids an assignment to clean out the car. Simple instructions: Each were given two grocery bags and told to go fill them up, bring them inside, and put away the contents of their bags. Then I proceeded to make dinner. I went outside a little later to check on their progress.

Me: "Oh my! What are you wearing?"
Isaac: "Our cleaning outfits. You have to have something special on to do a job like this."


Isaac's looks especially uncomfortable, though his shimmy doesn't seem to be restricted.


Clara, slowly but surely, filling her bag with crayons. (Ooh, it's painful to look at Isaac...)



Will in the van, trying to figure out exactly where the opening in his pouch is.


The master-mind of the operation. Isaac announced that he had Jacob's outfit all folded and ready for him for when he came home from soccer practice.

Ma Sweet Baby James

I believe this boy took no detours on his way from heaven down to the Allen house way back in August 2007. I hope I can be the kind of mom that helps him decide to be good and happy all his life. Back when I had only one or two kids, I kind of assumed that once you had "a lot" it'd be routine. It is not. I marvel how fun and fresh the experience is even with my fifth. At the moment, this little naked buck-toothed boy (who's not potty-trained and who's sitting on my pillow reading his book) is my very favorite! Is that allowed?

Weekend Hike in the Cascades with the Boyz

Because we had such a great time last year with

Dad, brothers and nephews on a fifty-miler in eastern Oregon, this year's follow up hike (20 miler) over a weekend in the Three Sisters wilderness area seemed like a good idea...and it was. Here Dad and I are on top of the world, or at least on top of the South Sister (3rd highest peak in Oregon). We could see from Washington to California. Dad was born in '35. You do the math. If you are anywhere near my age, then my dad can still beat up your dad, end of story.

The Cascades are active volcanos, so there is a lot of lava rock which we (Dad and I especially) found could be a little sharp, he with his finger, and me with my leg. I had crossed a stream to retrieve a fly the brookies couldn't resist, slipped on a rock, and looked down to discover what my tibia looks like. When I got home that night I had to tell Anna how my leg got cut and I had to go get some stitches. This is what she got to see. No, I didn't retreive the dry-fly.

"It really hurts! (sniffle, sniffle) What? I'm not sure what you can do to help Anna, maybe...well if you really wanted to... a backrub would probably help take away some of the pain, (sniffle)."

She was concerned, so I reassured her that the ER doc did an excellent job getting me numb, and was really amazing with the suture, and he was crazy smart and good looking and I don't know, I just really liked the guy. I mean, I just knew I was in really good hands. Did I mention smart, and good looking, and really strong, too, and awesome, and smart.

Good thing I didn't sleep through that lecture. Thanks dad and brothers for bringing some suture kits along (dental nerds). We used one suture the day before on my Dad's finger (compliments of David).

"This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you".

The gloves are not because of OSHA regulations and me being worried that I might spread blood born diseases to myself. After three days of dirty camping and eating fish out of a pan, gloves were available and seemed like a good idea.

Another reason to look forward to the resurrection.

Moral of the story: 1. Don't go into the wilderness without a suture, hemostats, a syringe, some sharp scissors and a disinfectant. 2. Don't step on a big sharp stone with wet shoes and slip, and

3. If you fish on the Sabbath, you may be given extra opportunities for growth.

Boy For Sale...

...apparently. I went to check on William during naps and this is what I saw.

He'd swiped a tag off something I had purchased yesterday. I thought it was a fitting label, though a little cheap for what it cost to make him, plus labor.

After naps I said, "Okay, kid. Let's see what we've got for sale. Show us your giant whining tin self!" Here's what I got!

Life would be dull without this little creature around!

Things That Make Me Happy

~Peaceful early mornings at my kitchen table.


~That my husband and bro-in-law were willing to stand and sing the BYU fight song with me during the BYU/Washington game, even though we were amidst a sea of irate Husky fans, and I'm pretty sure they were embarrassed.



~James Grey's baby birdie fuzz, and that he tries to be happy even when he's feeling sad.


~Patlican Guvec ( a Turkish eggplant stew), so hearty and delicious!

1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper, 1-2 mild chile peppers (anaheim), all seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/3-1/2 c. olive oil
3-ish T. lemon juice
feta cheese, crumbled
cilantro, chopped
1 lb. groung lamb, browned and drained
kalamata olives, sliced (maybe 10 or so, with a dash of the juice, is about right for me)
plain low-fat yogurt

Seasonings to taste:
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, garlic powder, Greek oregano, dried mint

After browning the lamb, mix everything into a casserole dish and bake for 45 mins-1 hr at 350. Or simmer it all in a pot (faster). Add the feta last just before serving. Serve over a bed of steamed rice, with a dollop of yogurt on top.

~Our old apple tree. She fills the air with sweet fragrance in the spring. She fills our table (and food storage) with delicious apples in the fall. And she provides endless games for the imagination for the kids all year 'round. (I know you've seen this picture before, but it was the best one of the tree I could find at the moment.)

My Irish tin whistle. New hobby. Not very good at it yet, but it's fun and it can go in my pocket! $10,000 to whomever can name this tune... I'll spare you all and attach just the introductory lines of this song. (Don't mind my post-cleaning, pre-cleaned self! I was taking a break from scrubbing.)

~Old black and whites of my mom and dad. They were, and are, beautiful people in every way.

More Racket

Okay. This one's for you, Pop. Some day I'll be able to play it as deftly as it's supposed to be played. Until then...

Spancil Hill, a traditional Irish song. (Whoa. Nice freeze frame! What you can't see is the liquor bottle under the desk.)

School

Every two years another baby bird tries out its wings, and I assume it will get easier, but it never does. My sweet daughter waved an apprehensive good-bye this morning as she stepped into her kindergarten class. I confess that I was temporarily undone. However, midget #4 was having a harder time than I was, so pulled myself together for his sake. I always forget how much the younger one depends on the next older one. Jake will always be the alpha male to be revered by his siblings (and rightly so), but Isaac and Clara loved each other and it was hard for her to see him go. Clara and Will are the same. And I'm sure, though James, at the ripe age of one, is already a professional at driving Will up the wall, that these two little boys will feel it when Willy leaves for school also. Enough blubbering. I'm sure most of you reading understand my feelings today. A pictoral sequence of events:

Our happy school-bound quartet. (James was still in bed.)

Waiting for the bus at our corner. Only the boys ride in the morning, then they all come home together. William, trying to bug his mom...in all ways. Port-A-Potty in the background that the painter had delivered so he doesn't have to come inside. Guess who was the very first person to use it (and continues to on occasion). Yep. Clara.

Little Clara Margaret, just before I dropped her off at school (afternoon kindergarten).

A dejected William getting left behind. We had to take our lunches to the park to make up for it.

Will voicing his worries about sister. Will she ever come back?
A happy crowd comes home on the bus to a happy crowd.

Rejoicing, Will embraces his sister. What did we do without her all those three hours??