Damage Control

Fred's Morning Activities between 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM
1- throw a toy at Neville's head, be sure to draw blood
2- try to flood the bathroom AGAIN (succeeded last night)
3- poop in crib

Any other suggestions? :)

Fred by the Numbers

June 28
1- interrupted nap
1- fall from a window (above the garage)
1- landing on a driveway
1- daddy's blessing
2- ambulance rides (to Mckay Dee and then to Primaries)
2- trauma teams, ready and waiting in emergency rooms
5- doctors
6- EMT dudes
1- CT scan
9- Xrays
1-nurse to hold his head still
8- hours of exams
2- freaked out parents
???- freaked out loved ones, neighbors (THANKS for the help and prayers! We needed them ALL!)
3- brothers who got treated to Wendy's (thanks Hallidays!)
1- magic bag from Aunty Nana (full of treats)
1- trip to Provo with Aunty Kahi and Uncle Mike
1- giggle for Uncle Matt's visit to the ER
3- bruises (ribs, hip, bum)
2- scratches on the back
9-lives (or angels, assigned to keep him safe) 
1- miraculous safe baby

June 29-July 5
1- bump on the head from a flowerpot
1- fall down the stairs on his bum
2- hours of rough breathing (don't worry no turning blue)
1- scrape on the knee
1- spider bite
1- doctors visit
1- xray (yes again)
3- escapes out the front door
1-frazzled mom

love to all! hawaii, here we come! :)

Debts

I had an awesome talk with Hinu the other morning. Several times in the last couple of months, he has asked me to buy him things (like books) and then he will pay me back later. He does a great job of paying me back, but I was starting to worry that he was falling into the "credit trap" of buy now, pay later. He asked me again yesterday, to buy him a book on sale and he would pay me back. I started to explain to him about debt and then realized that he would need more from me than just a lecture. So, I explained to him that one of my greatest regrets in life was running up debt. When BYUman and I got engaged, I owed several thousand dollars in credit debt, and I was humbled and forever grateful that he was willing to love me and marry me in spite of the AWESOME wedding present I was giving him... debt. My debt days are not yet over, but it is one of the wishes of my heart... that I had never started with debt, and that I will be able to pay it off. My beautiful son listened to my story and before I was even done and getting to the "moral of it" part, he smiled at me, gave me a hug and said "I understand Mom". What a gift. I did make him a deal that if he would earn the money for the sale price of the book, I would make up the difference. But he already understood and accepted my words and so I felt OK to offer him that small gift in return.

I have seen him grow and mature in numerous ways this past year. When his Aunty Hanu was here, she taught him that he needed to start preparing to receive the priesthood. What a great lesson for me as a mother, and for my son who took her words to heart. She was such a gift during BYUman's illness... she gave my children the love and attention they were desperately missing. She told me later

"i was so impressed with hinu and how he stepped up and never complained and i LOVED just hanging out with him on saturday-he is so fun!" I totally agree.

The debts I will owe people are too many too count.... when I stop to count my blessings, I am truly overwhelmed. Especially with BYUman's illness, but that's a WHOLE other post. Love you all!

Fun

So I have been thinking a lot about how to protect my children. My favorite scripture is in Alma where it talks about Moroni building defenses... he digs a trench, builds earthworks, puts a fence above that, builds a tower and then puts people in the tower to warn the city. Dude is not messing around! I get that part, and I am slowly working at our defenses. But I wonder about those families that seem to be doing everything right, and yet their children go astray as they grow up. That idea terrifies me, as I am sure it does everybody else. I was listening to my sister Hanu talk about the "graduation party" that they threw for her husband Dave, who has just finished his Masters (Congrats Bro!!!), and it occurred to me that maybe one of the defenses is fun. We have been counseled to have FHE and activities and spend time with our families, but what if one of the keys is to HAVE FUN as a family? I'm guessing that it doesn't have to be expensive, but there should be a lot of laughter and goofiness and adventure and fun. And THEN if your kids resent the fact that you are strict, that resentment can be mitigated by the fun. I'm not very good at fun, I'm not creative like that, but I am sure I could learn right? Its not brain surgery... I can have fun. I'm sure I can! :) Right??? What do you think? Is that part of the formula for defending our families?

INIKI

So, Fred, who we have affectionately nicknamed Iniki (name of a hurricane that hit Hawaii when I was a girl) because of his ability to affect widespread Destruction has learned how to climb out of his crib. This has greatly interrupted his sleep pattern (and MINE as well). So we decided to rearrange his room so that he could no longer flop out of his bed onto his brother's bed. Not THIRTY SECONDS after we put him in his crib, this is what happened:

Harry is yelling from the other room "EPIC FAIL, MOM!!!" and laughing his head off! :) So in desperation, this is what we did....

 

Take that you little squirmer! :) It worked last night, we'll see how long it can hold up to the unstoppable force of BABY INIKI!!!! 

Love that kid! 

 

PS This is a repost... the first one seems to have disappeared! Sorry Jo! Thanks for all the comments too, I love them! :)

Protected

Fred has been a TOTAL adventure these last couple of weeks. On Sunday, he learned to climb out of his crib. On Monday he went to potty all by himself (true story)! On Sunday, we also had a near catastrophe. BYUman and I were sleeping downstairs (terrible parents!) and the boys were playing upstairs. Fred found the toilet bowl cleaner which had been left on a counter, and left open. Without being there to witness the event, it seems that he was pouring the pretty blue liquid on the bathroom floor, and then fell face first into it. His older brother, Ron, heard him crying and walked in to find his face covered in the cleaner. He quickly (without any direction) wiped it all Fred's face, carefully wiping it out of his mouth, and then gave him a drink of water. The cleaner is very caustic and could've done a lot of damage to Fred, but I know there were angels watching him. By the time Ron came to get us, I threw Fred in the shower and then we coaxed him in to taking a bottle and then called Poison Control. We told them what happened, and what Ron did, and the lady told us that Ron did everything right. Fred is totally fine. I am so grateful for Ron being able to listen to the Spirit, and for the angels that watch over my children every day.

Speedy :)

My cute Ron has the funniest sense of humor... we live on a somewhat busy road, and we often have cars speeding down our road. Not that he has EVER heard another adult in our family *byuman* yell at passing cars, but I came home one day and found this cute kid, and this HILARIOUS sign on our mailbox! :) Please note the "smileyface" in the corner of the sign and the "smileyface" of the kid standing NEXT to the sign! LOVE IT!

Truth in Church

Today during Sacrament meeting I had this conversation with my redhead!
Ron: Mom, I don't know what I would do without this little guy, I love him so much!

Amen Dude, Amen! :)

REMINDERS

I got set apart today for two callings.... Girls Camp Director (YIKES!) and nursery leader! BYUman set me apart for Girls Camp and Bro. Wood set me apart for nursery leader. And since I was privileged to receive two blessings today, I was reminded of a good many important things. I was reminded that I need to be on my knees, asking for guidance in teaching the girls. I was reminded that I should be patient, and let the girls know of my love for them.  I was reminded that the little ones are so close to our Heavenly Father and that their spirits are willing and ready to learn. I was reminded that I should use the time in nursery to bond with my little boy (BYUman joked that my new calling would increase my interaction with Fred by 25%! haha). And then I was reminded that the Lord knows the deepest wish of my heart and that one day, in his own time, I will be granted that wish. Thank goodness for reminders.

GENIUS!!!!

So, I found this FREE online job chart! It lets you set up jobs and set up your own rewards! And the BEST part is that it KEEPS TRACK OF POINTS!!!!  I DETEST keeping track of points! I love that the rewards are both non-monetary and then my kids get other options courtesy of Amazon (haha, I don't EVEN have to go to the store to get them a reward.... it comes to my FRONT DOOR!)

Ok, I will stop talking in capitals! :) We are starting this week. We have decided to allow them to play on the computer/wii for 1/2 hour on the weekends, without earning it. BUT if they want additional time, then they must earn that.

I hope this is not too early to let you know, since we haven't actually started, but it seems FAB!

Here is the link: http://www.myjobchart.com/


ENJOY!!!!!

GERMFEST 2011

Wooot woot!!! (What does that mean anyway?) We have been sick, here in the VanH pit of germs since CHRISTMAS EVE!!!! ugh! The current count of ailments stands as follows:
12 runaway nostrils
7 headaches (Figure that one out)
6 hacking coughs
5 puking tummies
5 ear infections (3 kids)
4 doctor visits
3 eye infections (2 peoples)
2 emergency room visits
1 strep throat
and a hernia operation in a pear tree (ok, it was really davis hospital)

Wish I was making this up people, REALLY wish I was making this up!