Tub Phones

What a week. What a week.

There is much to be learned as a parent, and much, I am convinced we will never learn, no matter how many times we are given the opportunity to do so. One of those lessons is patience. Don't tell me you are a patient parent - you are fibbing - perpetuating a lie that has been passed on from generation to generation. Don't tell me that as you watch in silent horror as your three year turns your $300 phone into a bath-time U-boat you are able to keep it together. I don't call your 3 seconds of stunned I-have-lost-all-voluntary-muscle-control patience. I call that divine intervention. God knows that your initial knee jerk reaction is to reach out and take hold of the little perp and try your best to turn him into a human satellite. So he has built into you a small window of time for two purposes, one, so your child can register the signs of imminent doom spelled out on your face and make a hasty retreat, and two, washing your person over with such a strong dose of apoplectic rage that any energy you may have had to cause bodily harm is instanly lost into the comos. It is at that point that my "patience" has taken over. My jaw is working madly to produce the words that my mind hasn't been able to come up with allowing me to only croak a defeated "Why?"... At this point, from a semi-safe distance, the child, we'll call him Tyler, suddenly is able to produce near teenage sophistication and sass, folding his arms while exclaiming. "Don't talk to me! I'm having some hard of times". Indeed, we all had some hard of times at that particular moment.

Does anyone out there have a cheap old T-mobile phone that is sitting around that they might be willing to sell me? I am not buying anything nice or fancy until my children are a bit older - say, out of the house. I am serious about the buying a phone part though.

As the last post stated, we have all had our moments of illness this last week. Most of us are on the mend now except for the lingering cough and runny nose. We have been enjoying the warmer temperatures and break from the snow though. Maybe there is hope of spring right around the corner after all this winter.

On a darker note, one of my co-workers passed away suddenly this week. She was only in her 40's and was found by another one of my co-workers who was going to her home to pick her up for work. I was standing next to my boss, while he was on the phone with the guy who found her at the moment it happened. It was a sad traumatic experience for everyone in my office. I wish her family the best at this difficult time.

Tate is crying in the other room and since Deanne and the boys are out sledding in the slush, I suppose I had better be a responsible father. Take care all.

The "Meanest Parents at the Circus"

So... On Saturday about 2:00pm we arrived at the Jordan World Circus who was performing in Ogden at the Golden Spike Arena. We went with our good friends Amy and Aaron Hancock and Kids. We had been talking about going all week. Amy had recieved a coupon in the mail that said, "your whole family can see the amazing circus for only $16.00!" So, we thought, "Wow that is a terrific price. Let's go!" So I began to search through all of our mail and even go through the garbage to try to find this beloved coupon. I had no luck in finding it, so Amy said that her coupon said you could get this same coupon at any Walgreens. So, I packed up the kids and headed to our nearest Walgreens store. We walked through the doors and Tyler announced to the whole store, "We are going to the circus. Can you give us our tickets now?" The lady at the counter completely broke Tyler's little heart when she said they did not have the coupons and had not even heard of them. So, I called the Golden Spike Arena. The lady who answered couldn't tell me a whole lot more other than we might find these coupons at a Stop-n-Shop or we could arrive at the arena 3 hours early to get tickets but that they would be full price. It was the day of and I had still had no luck in locating a coupon. I started calling all the Walreen and Stop-n-Shop stores in the phone book only to find that they had each given away their last coupons the night before. So I called Amy to tell her of our bad luck. She said that she had just been talking to a neighbor who had seen some coupons for this very circus at the 7-Eleven up the street just last night. So I called and they had 10 left. So... we were good to go. So back to when we arrived 1 hour before the circus was to begin. We get there only to realize that our coupons were only for the kids to get in free but adults would have to pay full price at $16 each. Good thing we had the coupons however, because the kids would have been $10 each. So we begrudgingly paid our $30 and headed in. When we get inside, the kids are instantly so excited because there are pony rides, elephant rides, big blow up slides, and face painting. What more could a kid want? We get down into the arena only to find out you have to purchase more tickets to do these things. So we head to the ticket booth and are told that the tickets are $6 each. "OK we'll take 2." The lady then asks which ride we want it for. "What?" "It is $6 per ride." "$6 to ride 1 pony, or 1 elephant? How many time do they get to go down the blow up slide?" "They can go down 4 times." "Are you kidding?" How do you explain to your kids why every other kid there is having fun and his parents are too "cheap"? So we took our crying kids to their seats and told them the show would start in just a few minutes and that it would be awsome. So the show began, and it was definately entertaining and the kids really did seem to enjoy it, that is until they saw that every other kid was waving a glow in the dark Light Saver sword. So we say, "OK, we will check it out at half time. At half time, I leave to feed Tate and Dan takes the boys to check things out. I come back just before the show is to begin again to find that the boys did not have any coveted Light Savers but were happily sitting in their seats excited to see more elephant tricks. I looked at Dan, who looked at Tracen who said, "The Light Savers were $10 so we got this yummy bubble gum and Daddy said we would get some cotton candy when the show starts again." I still do not know what magical spell Dan put on our children, but I guess it proves that kids really can be happy with the simplest of things. The rest of the show really was entertaining for the kids. I however, came home from it with a terrible cold, fever, and a massive headache from the sinus pressure and loud music. My loving husband put me right to bed and even called substitutes for both of my resposibilities at church the next day. Yeah I was pretty pathetic. So now we all have very yucky coughs, stuffy noses, and sore throats. Our house is quarantined until further notice.
***So the moral of this story is: Do not be as uneducated about the circus as we were. IF you decide that the circus would be a life changing event for your children, DO NOT leave home without several hundred dollars in your pocket. Or.. at least ask Dan which magic spell book he used and the type of feather he has in his wand.
P.S. We also forgot our camera,(in true Dan Dee fashion) so there are no pictures of our kids doing... Oh wait, they didn't do anything to take pictures of. So...never mind.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!

I just wanted to write a little birthday shout to my wonderful mom. Janelle Waite Stratford. Born on a snowy January 28, 19(your welcome mom) and it has snowed on every birthday she can remember. I told her it must be God's special gift to her each year. My mom wears so many different hats and "looks" incredibly good in each one. My mom is a WONDERFUL DAUGHTER. She is a choice daughter of God. She has great spiritual strength that she is so willing to share with everyone around her. She takes her callings very seriously and always goes the "extra mile" to fulfill them. She is a very loving, caring and doting daughter to her earthly parents. She is always thinking of them and is always 5 steps ahead in knowing what they need and how she can help. She is such a good example of service. She is a GREAT WIFE. It has been so great to see them being able to so many fun things together especially since they became "empty nesters". The greatest thing I have been amazed with is how much they support each other and are so helpful to each other in caring for their parents. She is an INCREDIBLE MOTHER. She loves each of her children with an intensity that I never fully understood until I had children of my own. Growing up she was constantly helping us with EVERYTHING. She always seemed to know just the right way to help and was ALWAYS there to talk when we needed it. (Even when we didn't think we did). She is a GREAT EXAMPLE of love and unity. She is so wonderful to keep us all pulled together and taught us the great importance of always supporting each other in everything. She is a SUPERB NURSE. She has always had a very good "bedside manner". Her patients have always loved her. Currently she is working as a Registered Nurse at Island View Treatment Center. The kids there have many troubles that they are there to work through and mom is definitely a constant for them. She is very SELF LESS in her time that she devotes to them. Now she is full filling one her greatest callings of GRANDMA. GRANDMA BO BO to be accurate. She is definitely one of those "doting grandmas". Sometimes, we think, a little too much. She spoils them. She is always asking when she can see them. She makes herself available (at any cost) to be with them. Most important, her grand kids absolutely LOVE and ADORE her. Mom, you are AMAZING in all you are. THANK YOU for your true examples. I am so grateful for you in my life. I THANK YOU for my life. THANK YOU for sacrificing the 48 hours it took to get me here and for giving me everything you have in getting me where I am today. I LOVE YOU!
Love,
Deanne
P.S. I didn't have any pictures to honor my mom on our computer and our scanner is broken. But please visit my sister Melanie's blog for some great pictures. Go to May and Ty under my friends and family link. Thanks.

Our "Special" Sunday

So...Sundays are usually "special" days for us. Getting all of us up and ready for church and then be seated by 8:45am only to wrestle our way through the meeting with many potty trips and "Shhhhhhhhh you must use your quiet voice"is a bit on the tricky side, but somehow we usually accomplish our goal. Well, today was particularly "special". I think it really all started Friday night. So we finally were able to attend the temple. Of course we had a wonderful evening there thanks to Great grandma for keeping Tate and for our amazing babysitter, Amanda (whom our boys love). When we got home about 8:30p the boys were sound asleep in bed and Tate was ready for bed. Needless to say, Dan and I were in bed and asleep by 9:15pm!!! Hooray!! Because of this, Dan was wide awake Saturday morning at 4:30am. I was...not so wide awake and very happy to still be in bed. So Dan got up, worked out on the elliptical for about 30 minutes, lifted weights, and then went out to dig our car out of the snow where it had been stuck for about 3 or 4 days. All this was unknown to me until around 6:00am when Dan loudly came up the stairs and with very cold hands rudely awakened me to come help him dig out the car. I laid in bed for a few more minutes trying to decipher if his request was part of the wild dream I had been having involving Dan's cousin Scott(who had lived with us for a while and recently married a very wonderful woman). I dreamed that it was Scott's wedding day and we were all gathered in the backyard of some one's house. Scott and his bride came out from behind some trees as some Scottish wedding march music began to play. His bride of course was wearing a lovely white wedding gown, but Scott (in true fashion) was wearing a black suit coat with one of his weird "comment" T-shirts underneath and green plaid shorts that were way too short. They immediately climbed onto the trampoline with a sprinkler going underneath it and said their wedding vows. So...you can see why I'd be a bit confused trying to wake up after that dream. Anyway, I decided Dan's request was unfortunately real. So I threw on some snow boots and a coat and shuffled outside to find Dan digging vigorously in the headlights of his car. I so wished I had still been at Scott's wedding. We finally got the car out shortly after I realized that the emergency brake had been on throughout the whole ordeal. There was no point going back to bed after that, thus, the day began. Dan left about 8:30am, picked up my dad, and headed to Provo to pick up my grandpa (my Dad's Dad). They spent the day moving my grandparents into their new home at Peach Tree Assisted Living Center here in Clinton. I packed up the kids and by about 9:30am headed to the "other" Jacobs residence to help Christy re-upholster an amazing chair she inherited from her grandmother. We got quite a bit done. It was a very educational experience. May I never try that on my own. Anyway, I rushed back home around 4:30p to get food going for my family which was coming to our house around 6:00p for dinner and a little Dance Dance Revolution. In true Stratford/Wangsgard fashion, all were late(except my mom-who came to help get the food set up). We had much fun, but couldn't get anyone to leave until 11:30pm. J/K. So... then this morning (yes I am getting to the point of this) our alarm did not go off. And because of the crazy days and late night, we did not wake up. Around 8:15am I awoke out of yet another dead sleep and night of wacky dreams (no Scott was not in this one). Imagine my panic. I was supposed to be showered, beautified, have Tate fed, and all the rest of "the boys" out the door and seated at church by 8:45am. Why such a panic? Couldn't we just be late this one time? Not when I am supposed to be leading the opening hymn for the congregation! AHHHHHHHHHHH! Needless to say, I was ready in 15 minutes, fed Tate in 15 minutes (poor Tate), left Dan with the duties of getting all of them dressed in church attire, fed and to the church with the promise of me saving them a seat on the front row and with the threat of "Hurray, don't be too late". I thought I was definitely going to make it and be 5 minutes early. Nope. I entered the front of the chapel as the congregation was singing the opening hymn "Hark All Ye Nations" and someone else was leading them. I am so grateful to be in a ward where everyone else is on top of their callings. So, I sheepishly sat down, opened my hymn book and tried to sing. But, living up to my earlier threat, my amazing husband came trotting up to the front row with all our beautiful children. He sat down by me with Tate, with a very frazzled look on his face, as Tracen and Tyler continued their march to an entirely different bench also at the front of the chapel. They immediately began "hugging" each other loudly and telling Tracen's primary teacher a very loud story. We finally got things under control and had made it through the Sacrament, when Tate began crying (Tyler probably poked him in the eye) and then Tyler announced loudly that he needed to go potty. Dan promptly took Tate and Tyler out as I was going to need to lead the closing hymn shortly. Tracen reverently stayed with me. I went up to lead the hymn and left Tracen on the bench. I was so proud when I looked down to see him reverently sitting with a hymn book open on his lap. Then, middle of the hymn, he stood up and ran out the front doors of the chapel. After the closing prayer, I cleaned up our very messy bench as the people behind us were commenting on how "all those boys must keep you pretty busy" and went to meet Dan in the foyer to take the kids to Primary. I found my crazy boys on the couch and Tracen sobbing quietly to himself. Apparently he didn't get to the potty on time. So... Dan took Tracen home to change and I took Tyler to class. I was very happy when Tate slept through most of Sunday school, but unfortunately he did not wake up happy and I spent Relief Society walking the halls. When I went to get the boys from their Primary classes, and meet Dan, I was greeted with Tracen crying because he had smashed his fingers in the door and Tyler running away because he wanted a special treat from the librarians. As I am running after Tyler, carrying Tate in his car seat and making sure the crying Tracen keeps up, I am stopped by Tyler's teacher. He said, "so I have to tell you what Tyler said to the other teacher today." I am often greeted by Tyler's teachers this way. "So Tyler came up to his teacher and told her he had a secret. She bent down and Tyler whispered in her ear "Psst... I have a knife"". So.... that concludes our "special" Sunday today. Pray for us. We look forward (I guess) to sharing with you many more "special" days.

B-Day shout out to the Spanish Missionaries!

This is a picture of good ol' Mom and Dad somewhere in Spain. I post this picture and message as a Happy Birthday to both of them for this month. I don't know what age constitutes "ripe old", but I would say that they both might be nearing the "over-ripe" stage. That comment was meant as a joke. Along those lines, I remember a time when I was in the 6th grade and one of my friends was telling me that his 35 year old mother was "over the hill". My mom was well past 45 at the time and I sheepishly told him that if that were the case then my mom was on the downward slope of Mt. Everest. Once again, just a lame joke told by a kid trying to impress his adolescent buddies. While my comment wasn't very impressive in and of itself, what was impressive is that both of my parents looked younger than most of my, much-younger, friends' parents.

Mom, Dad, I love you both very much. I have so much to thank you for that a blog entry would never quite do. I do hope that you realize my gratitude for your example, and caring throughout the years.

Since today is Dad's birthday, I would like to post a poingnant memory I have of him. It may very well be one of my most cherished memories. When I was 11 years old or so, I recall my Dad pulling me aside. He had told me that he wanted to talk to me alone, and as kids that age are prone to do, I was scared that I had done something wrong and was in for it. He sat me down and in sweet awkwardness explained to me that he wanted me to hear that he loved me. I remember a hint of emotion not often shown by him as he told me that while he always knew his father loved him, he wasn't sure he could recall a time where he had told him so. His desire was that he would not have it be the same way for me. Something as simple as that "I love you" has had a profound impact on my life. Knowing the kind of rascal I was at that age makes the occasion even more miraculous! In seriousness, I am very greatful for that 5 minute expression of love given to me that day. I have also vowed, that if nothing else, my children will know of my love for them. Thank you Dad, I love you too, and have a very happy 66th birthday. Mom, I will leave your age out of this, but Happy birthday, and know that I love you. - Dan

Jumpin' January

Snow Mojo

We have had a great weekend with some fun events. Yesterday I took the two older boys up to a cabin in the Uintahs. As we have had so much snow lately, we were only able to drive within a mile of where it is and we had to hike in. Well I should say that I hiked in, the boys got to be hiked in by dad. I would say that in some places, the snow would have easily been up to my chin, but the majority of the area had at least 3+ feet of fresh snow.

We spent the majoity of the afternoon playing in the cabin, eating junk food, and snowmobiling to our hearts content. We had so much fun in fact that we didn't leave until around 8:30 pm. The conditions were just too perfect to not stick around as long as we did.

Of course Deanne was invited to come as well, but she opted to stay and go to lunch with several of her girlfriends from high-school. We missed her but both parties seemed to have a good day.

Pictures are worth a thousand words so they say, so I will let the pictures and videos speak the rest of this post for me.

WHAT AN AMAZING DAY!!

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!