Volume IX, issue v, June 2013

Peter, Peter Picky Eater

We knew we were in dietary trouble when Peter wouldn't eat any of the baby foods we tempted him with at six months old. While our other babies inhaled everything from squash to spicy thai food, Peter would only eat oatmeal and yogurt until he was about two. Since then, he has added a couple of select foods to his diet, but we are constantly thankful that cold cereals are fortified. At the end of May, we decided that we needed to expand Peter's poor palette, so we issued him a challenge to eat at least a little of everything the rest of us were eating for dinner. His new motto is "Worst first," which means that he'll try a bite of the foods he despises (hamburger, chicken, rice, all vegetables except for carrots) and save the thing he likes the best for last (fruit, pasta, tortillas, cheese, pizza). Even though it hasn't been pleasant for him or for us, he has choked and gagged his way through a few bites of most of our dinners this month.

When the rest of us were wolfing down some tilapia, Peter happily tried a few bites and told us he liked it. Suddenly, he laughed and said, "Hey! What if this was an actual fish? Like one that had been alive before and we were eating it? That would be so disgusting!" He just kept smiling and eating his fish while the rest of us quickly changed the subject.

One night in his evening prayers, Peter said very sincerely, "Thanks that I'm almost not a picky eater."

Charlie and the Word Factory

Charlie has been hunting and gathering words and phrases this month. His rhetorical repertoire is steadily growing and every word he says is beyond adorable. Some new additions this month are:  pone (phone), ceeal (cereal), Papa (Grandpa), Bub (Caleb,) Eeee (Marie), and Oh Maaaaan! (Oh man!). Some friends visited us with their sweet baby Zoey this month and unfortunately we learned that he can also say, "Bad!" and "Mine!" (Those are slightly less adorable than some of the other additions.) Of course he still loves some of his old standards:  Maaaam! (Mom), Maaam! (Dad), and Maaam! (Holden).

With the Biggers Away, the Littles Will Play

Holden and Ethan spent four days baking in a scout-filled oven at an Encampment. There were 10,000 boys there and lots and lots of port-a-potties. While they were there trying not to get cholera, Caleb and Eve got to move up a rung on the family totem pole. This sudden shift somehow made them more eager to please and help than I have ever seen them. They swept and scrubbed and served with the smiles of the newly hired. Eric even told them that when Holden and Ethan returned they'd need to be informed that they had been replaced as the oldest children.

The Game of Life

Caleb and Eve played outside with the three Littles for hours, puttering around in the backyard in a little gaggle of happiness. They moved armloads of sticks and piles of pinecones, buzzing about seriously until we made them come inside for dinner. Eric asked them what game they were playing and they said it was "Life."  They made houses out of twigs and branches and used pinecones as their currency.

Here's a little guest post from Eric about the game:
While at lunch, Caleb and Eve told me about the game they’d been playing in the backyard the day before. I came home that day and saw twigs and pine cones arranged in all different kinds of shapes all over the place and the middle four totally immersed in this game. They called the game “Life”, with no connection to the board game or to the soul-crushing, day-to-day anti-game at which I’m currently losing. They told me that each collection of sticks had a different function in their game. There was a restaurant, house, school, government, and a shop. They were excited to play the game again as soon as lunch was over. “Well, except without the government.” Caleb added. “Why won’t you play again with the government?” I asked. Eve chimed in, “Because last time they ended up with all the money.” Wow. If this is the game my kids play (with solidly independent parents), what are the conservative kids playing? Totalitarian tee-totaling. Fascism freeze tag. Divine right of rings toss.

Easy Bake Encampment

Holden and Ethan returned from their Scout Encampment looking like dusty crispitos. They both had impressive sunburns despite the fact that they had been slathering on sunblock every day and Ethan had also spent one of the nights puking both inside and outside his tent because of food poisoning. After hearing their reddish tales of sunburnt woe and pathos-filled puke stories, I asked them if they had had any fun at all. They perked right up and said enthusiastically, "Oh, yeah! It was GREAT!!" Oh, to be an adolescent boy. . .

Caleb's Arrow of Light

Caleb received his Arrow of Light this month from Boy Scouts. I'm not sure exactly what that means except that I was given the pin that his scout leaders really earned. A special guest (Brother Packer) came dressed like one of the Village People and painted war paint all over Caleb's handsome face. I was a little worried that Caleb might flinch in the spotlight, but he just grinned through the whole ordeal.


Ethan's Talk

Ethan can be a complete goof--he is always making me laugh with his facial contortions and quick witticisms. This month, though, we were able to bask in Ethan's serious side. On Fast Sunday, he voluntarily got up in front of the whole congregation to bear his testimony. He spoke of the new mulcher we recently purchased for the yard. He said that as he ran the machine through the weeds he realized that just as the old grass and weeds can be turned into nourishment for the yard, the Atonement is like a "celestial mulcher" that can turn our sins into something useful for our lives.

Last week, Ethan was supposed to give a talk in Sacrament Meeting. Unfortunately, Ethan wasn't aware that his name was on the program until a few minutes before the meeting started. Normally this would throw our introverted Ethan for a complete social loop, but he stayed calm. The Bishop told Ethan that he didn't have to speak, but he could bear his testimony if he'd like to. Ethan agreed. Honestly we were a little shocked. Our brave Ethan spoke about how he had noticed that the sides of his scriptures had a gold sheen to them when he held them in the light. He said that he hoped that he could look at other people that way--to try and see them as God does and see the "gold" in them. It was so sweet and sincere that several people commented about how much they appreciated it.