Let the Spoiling Begin.

Sometimes you just need to spoil your child more than they expect. Last night was the time for that. My mom's sweetheart got us tickets for Walking with Dinosaurs the arena spectacular. Unfortunately, my mom called in the afternoon to say that she was sick, did Neil have a friend he wanted to invite. So, Neil and I started thinking of who to invite, all of the parents that we know well enough to take their child out for the night. One of the friends had already been earlier in the week, another is afraid of dinosaurs, and the other wasn't home. So there was one wasted ticket. The family sitting next to us didn't seem to mind, apparently coats deserve their own seats. Anyway, we went out to my mom's to get the tickets, went to dinner at JB's downtown, and then headed over to Energy Solutions Arena. Neil was so excited we had to keep a very tight rein on him, he tried leaving the restaurant on his own, and we were nervous he wasn't going to have patience for the traffic lights to change before crossing the street, but we arrived safely. There were lots of "are we close to Walking with Dinosaurs" "I wish we could go nows" and "Is it time yets". The excitement was well rewarded. We got there before the crowds, and Neil and I decided to check out the souvenirs. He said he wanted a toy, but when I looked at all of the cool stuff, just begging to go home with my son, I couldn't stop there. He ended up with a T-shirt, a toy, a stuffed raptor, and a plastic Tyrannosaurus. Quite the load for a little man. Gary was a good enough sport to hold the majority of the booty in his lap throughout the program. During intermission it was time for cotton candy and soda. My poor hungry son who hardly ate any of his shrimp and fries devoured almost an entire bag of the spun sugary goodness.
The show was very cool. We were guided through each period by an actor playing a paleontologist. Starting out on Pangaea with Liliensternus and Plateosaurs during the Triassic. Then, Jurassic with Bracheosaurs, Stegosaurus, UtahRaptor, and Allosaurus. Ornithocherius. And then Torosuarus, Ankylosuarus, and T-Rex in the Cretaceous period. The ending conflict was between a Torosaur, Ankylosaur, and a mother T-Rex protecting her baby. The T-Rex roared loud enough to make roar loving little boys cover their ears. It was awesome. Neil asked if we could go back, and maybe we could have, if I wouldn't have spent so much on the extras. But, I truly had intended for it to be a once in a lifetime experience.
Thank you Mom and Chyrl.

Change

Gary likes to say "No one can keep doing the same thing over and over again and get a different result even if there was lots of faith and hope put into it." Webster says, among other things, change is to undergo transformation, transition, or substitution. And it's synonyms are: alter, vary, and modify. To make or become different.

I need to put forth the actions for change, not just the thoughts. No more looking at things and wishing they were different and being surprised by how they stay the same, because that's not working. It won't work for anybody. Change is necessary, but do I have the courage?

Dinosaur Day

I am SOOO excited. As a family gift, my mom's girlfriend Chyrl, got us tickets to THIS.
Do I need to say how excited Neil is? It should be a BLAST. So, we're taking my mom to dinner and then the four of us are going to the show. Should be FUN!!!


So, in honor of the events, I think I'm making it Dinosaur Day at our house. I wonder if I can make dino pancakes.......

How We Spent Neil's Christmas Vacation

I like to joke that Neil can take a holiday and give it an extra two weeks (as with Halloween). However, he also does this with his birthday and Christmas. And, since both are in December, that month is one big festival. And, no....I don't do anything to encourage it.






The festivities started on the 6th with a violin performance with his teacher and fellow Suzuki students at Macey's grocery store...hey, I work there. It was GREAT! And my little man was so grown up about it all. He originally didn't want to do it. I think the task of performing where I work was maybe a bit daunting. He knows people there. But, after a lot of preparation at home, some really good lessons, a fairly firm knowledge of "Jingle Bells", and numerous pep talks of how this was going to be just for fun, he was willing. He even said we could take ONE picture of him playing his violin. One turned into a few, and I got the warning looks that I'd better knock it off. Neil only played one song out of several. But he conducted himself so impressively afterward. He put his violin in rest position and stood very respectfully while the performance went on. I was truly impressed.




For his birthday he wanted a Wii, a Bolt cake, and some time to party with the cousins.


Howard liked the idea of the Bolt cake too













After the birthday some Christmas decorating. Tradition says we have to make a gingerbread house, this year we tried something a bit different.





On the 20th we went to a lollipops concert at Abravanel Hall "Here Comes Santa Claus" is the Utah Symphony's Christmas concert for families. They played Christmas music and even had a visit from Santa. Who informed us that there should be no nuts in the cookies on Christmas Eve, and his favorites are chocolate chip. After the concert we went to lunch at JBs where the little shark filled up on sea food then it was off to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building for another group performance. We walked in and Neil's eyes were huge, just taking in the place. He looked down from the mezzanine and said "I'll remember this forever". After a bit of time to take in the atmosphere it was time to play. Miss Melodies violins, some of her mom's, some of her sister's, and even some cellos. It sounded incredible. We took a very fast elevator to the top floor and looked at the city through all of those windows. And, I got the idea that next year this little outing should be planned for just a bit better with lunch at the Garden and maybe even a carriage ride downtown to top it all off. Gary did suggest I start saving if that's what I really want. Good idea.


After downtown we took Neil to his cousins for his first EVER sleep over, away from home. It sounds like there was very little sleeping. We met up with him again at Stacy's family Christmas party, where again the little night owl indulged in another late night. It was worth it to watch him play with Carter. Have I ever mentioned how Neil would make a great big brother?

Christmas Eve we went to see the movie "the Tale of Despereaux" nothing like the book, but still enjoyable. Neil said he liked it better. When I asked him why, he said he liked the part with the cat and that was not in the book. And, I have to admit that part was pretty good. The book was a bit sadder than the movie, too.

Christmas day was another opportunity for me to be amazed at how grown up Neil is. Gary worked and it was explained to Neil that we would not open presents until he was home. So, that morning Neil crawled into bed and asked when Dad would get home. I told him after lunch and we talked for a minute, then I said that Santa doesn't wrap his presents. His eyes were HUGE at the idea. I asked him if he would like to go see what was under the tree, and he was already on his way. After playing with what was there, scattering stocking contents from Hell to Breakfast, watching Jurassic Park and starting on Kung Fu Panda Dad got home. Neil was very patient the entire morning. And that patience would be tested further with a Merry Christmas telephone call from my mom. Once off the phone it was time to pick up where we left off and get the unwrapping finished. Convince Neil to get dressed and then go see "Marley and Me". We left in a wind storm and drove home in a blizzard. Stopped by to wish Diane a Merry Christmas and say hi to my horse. Then home. Merry Christmas call from Dad and Becky. Gary getting Neil ready for bed with Neil's protest "Mom's still downstairs". And the end of a great day. A day to recover and shovel snow and try to reclaim the house while still enjoying time with Neil.

Some sledding for father and son that Saturday while I worked. A New Year's Eve party with friends, another movie to watch ("Bedtime Stories") and I have to say the holiday was pretty well spent. Neil was excited to get to school and violin lessons. Now it's another long weekend. It never felt like there were that many when I was in school.

my favorite fanatic

according to Winston Churchill, "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject".

Sorry to Gary, but this pretty much sums him up. It's not just about one subject. God love him, it's pretty much anything bright and shiny that catches his eye. Fortunately for him, he can admire several bright and shiny things at the same time, with equal fervor. And, also I must give credit, that this is a trait I have noticed elsewhere in his family. In all things from religious views to politics, and in Gary's very special case, health concerns and hobbies. In some ways it is fascinating and fun to watch. Like a child with a special new toy on Christmas morning. But it is also frustrating for those on the outside. Like the friend that wants to play with said child, or anyone who wishes to see that special toy, and is met with an enthusiastic slap and whine. It elicits many responses, such as the sibling who suddenly smells burning onions when you walk into the room, futile attempts to cut the conversation short, bold attempts to change the subject (HA! HA! HA!), smiling and nodding politely (my favorite), or just flat-out walking away (that's NOT his favorite). But, to all of these responses, I have to say that if you're family, you 've known him (and yourselves) all your lives, so quit with the nasty looks and deal with it. If you're friends, you've invited him into your lives, so either uninvite yourselves or shut up and take him for what he is....a pretty nice guy. Or if you're me, love him and cherish his enthusiasm and accept him for all of the ways he has made my life better. And while we may all be busy thinking "there he goes again" stop and listen for the sake of listening and realize that somewhere in something (or even everything) he says, there is something we need to hear, and maybe even something that we can learn.
Nope Gary, I'm really not too excited about doing a juice fast in the new year. Just as much as I love you for who you are. Love me for who I am.

'Tis the Season for some Readin'

We've always read to Neil before bed. But, now with Kindergarten, we've started reading chapter books. We started out with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I picked that because he wanted something with a dragon. And he's seen the movie, and we could watch it again when the book was over. Next was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, again we could watch the movie when we were done with the book. Same thing with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Then we were done with that and I didn't want to go on to Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire, because it makes me cry and Neil gets really upset about that. So, the search was on for the next book. I was looking at Barnes and Noble and had the decision down to one of three books: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, A Wrinkle in Time, or The Tale of Despereaux. I went with Despereaux, because there will soon be a movie, and the lady at the bookstore said it was the most age appropiate for my 5 year old reader. I knew as soon as we opened it that it was the right choice. Neil was sooo excited and trying to read over my shoulder, spotting and shouting out words that he recognized. Stopping me mid-story to talk about what just happened. Those were some fun nights. And I know I am looking forward to reading it again. Definately looking forward to the day that he can read it himself. It took us maybe two weeks of sporadic reading to get it finished. We would stay up reading for an hour most nights. And we LOVED it! Search on for another book. Neil went to the bookstore with me on that quest, and we could not agree on ANYTHING. Tears were shed. He kept picking books that were the middle of a series. I wanted to start at the beginning of a series. So, better judgement won out and we chose How To Train Your Dragon (Heroic Misadventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III) by Cressida Cowell. It was the right choice. The rest of the series will be read. Again we made it through in under two weeks. Search on...again... Being close to Christmas, I had seasonal books in mind. So, he went with me to the bookstore, and right away we spotted Dinosaurs Night Before Christmas. Yea...that was a quick read, but it was fun and the illustrations are incredible. We also got The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I remember that one from my childhood, and wanted to share it with Neil. It took three nights. He had a nightmare about the Herdmans. Something about being chased by dinosaurs and Gladys Herdman not making it across the bridge to safety. The rest of his class survived. And now that the book is over, maybe he has changed his mind on the fate of Gladys. I'll need to remember to ask. So, last night was a book of Nursery Rhymes that he found on my dresser. Leaving tonight to start.... A Christmas Carol. Never having read it, I am crossing my fingers that it will be a hit. Previewed pages have looked promising......

Halloween season 2008

If anybody were to ask my son what his favorite holiday is, they would get a VERY emphatic "HALLOWEEN"!! To be honest, it's never been mine, but thanks to the miracle of parenting, I'm seeing it in a completely different light.

Neil starts planning the decorating and the partying in June/July. So this year I had to tell him early that we were probably not going to host a Halloween party for him. Maybe just have "the cousins" come over to go to the Pumpkin Walk at the Benson Grist Mill. He was okay with that, since it would still mean a gathering and time with "the Cousins". We have to say it that way, because he adores them all: Sophie, Xavier, Xanna, and Jessa, and "cousins" is MUCH easier to get out of the mouth. But, we had a pleasant, though be it, later than we planned get together. We had quite the full house (our house is small, so that's not saying too much). Emails started fairly early that day. "Would it be okay if we bring a couple more?" "SURE" "Be there around 6ish" "Okay" then one I did not see, but was told about "We're bringing two more" All I could say to that was, glad I got extra hot dogs. It turned out that Xavier has two friends Alex and Tony, who also enjoy Neil. And that's not a problem, because they are fun kids. So, around 7:30, when everybody arrived we headed over to the Pumpkin Walk for about an hour. Got in a dress rehearsal for the trick or treating to come the following Friday. Ran through a straw maze, a few times, and followed the spooky light, that turned out to be not really very spooky...at all. And viewed the pumpkins decorated by kids at the Kids Park (Neil's daycare). Then, it was home for some social time, dinner, and goodies. I had bought little pumpkins to decorate, but we ran out of time. The night was a BLAST!! And, honestly the more the merrier on a night like that!! So, Neil got that Halloween party afterall.

The following night the three of us got dressed up and went to Abravanel Hall for the annual Utah Symphony "Halloween Hi-Jinks". They joined up with the Utah Opera for some music from Act III of Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel". It was Incredible!!! I was a bit nervous about Neil when it came to the singing, but I think it made it that much more magical. He grabbed my hand as the lights when down and asked me in an excited whisper "Are you scared? I'm scared". It was the first concert that he sat absolutely completely still for, no wanting to go shortly after intermission, no squirming in his seat, just a boy completely rivetted by the story being played out for him. Wonderful.

The rest of the week brought Monday and Tuesday out of school, excitement to be going back to school on Wednesday, as well as a violin lesson that he was actually looking forward to and he enjoyed. Then on Friday "the BIG day" dressing up for the Kid's Park Halloween party, dressing down for the kindergarten Halloween party, and dressing back up for trick or treating with Dad (it was his turn this year). About an hour later, they were home, and watching Hocus Pocus and Casper with me. With Neil handing out the candy to the late coming trick or treaters. He's so good about taking only one piece while he's going door to door, that he's just as good at only giving one piece. So, we have tons of the stuff left over. Hiding somewhere in the house, so I don't eat the rest of it.

Then on Saturday it was the Halloween recital for violin. Another chance to wear a cape and vampire teeth! I got a picture of Neil before we left the house, and I remembered to take my camera to the recital hall, but when it was his turn to play, I couldn't take the picture. I got the camera out and looked through the window, but didn't take it. I'm telling myself it's because the chandelier was directly over his head. But, I could've had Gary take the picture, I don't know why I didn't. Nerves I guess. I think that was a night that I was more nervous than Neil was. Neil did great. No stage fright, right down the aisle and up on the stage for "Old McDonald arranged by Hall" Very well done.

Now, I just need to finish cleaning up the Halloween decorations, and find some way to either ration or get rid of the rest of Neil's trick or treat candy. He had a full scale sugar induced tantrum last night during violin practice. Tears, screaming, "I didn't have too much sugar" the works! A big hug, and a there's nothing wrong with you, you just ate more candy than usual talk and things were fine.