Farewell

Of course the point of going to California was not to go to the beach (although that was a nice perk), it was to see family, and bid farewell to Courtney before she spends the next 18 months in Argentina.

We had the rare opportunity to see many of John's family that we don't get to see enough. Bob and Vickie (along with their two kids Courtney and Jeff) are the proprietors of Hotel Tucker where we like to stay whenever we visit Southern California. Every time we see them, John and I have the same conversation that we don't see them enough and need to visit more often. They are in fact, geographically speaking, our closest family.

Soon-to-be Dr. Jeff, PhD and his lovely wife Melanie came all the way from Mississippi to see his little sister off. Interesting fact- Mississippi is one of only five states that John hasn't ever visited. We keep saying we need to change that before Jeff graduates and gets snatched up by some University somewhere as a creative writing professor and moves away.

John's little er, I mean shorter, and older sister, Corrine flew in from Texas.

We also got to spend some time with John's mom, and John's aunt Laurie, Uncle Jeff, and cousins Jake and Ellie. Ellie was my flower girl. She's all grown up now, but I haven't aged a day, right?

It was good to see Courtney before she left. She gave a fabulous talk in church which had more than a few of us a little teary eyed. The day before her big 35 minute talk she was telling me how hard it was to write that long of a talk and how she needed to come up with some more material. Coincidentally, only 2 days before, I was attending a Bones season premiere party at a friend's house and she recently had to give a talk in church, and was challenged by a friend to throw in 5 references or quotes of her favorite movie Galaxy Quest, to which she rose to the occasion and did, and threw in a few Star Wars quotes as well. And I think the entire speech given by the President in Independence day. (Yes, in a Sacrament Meeting talk) So, my big idea was that Courtney could do the same thing! (She was threatening to call me out of the audience to bear my testimony- I had to come up with something to help her fill up the time), so I challenged her to throw in 5 Harry Potter quotes, and I'd send her caramels in the MTC if she did.

She didn't.

However, I might, just might, send her some anyway, cause of the Holidays, and the spirit of Christmas or Thanksgiving or whatever, and her parents always heat the pool for us, and I try to be a nice person on occasion...

Have an amazing time in Argentina Courtney! We love you!

When I am Baptized...

Zach's baptism turned out great.

Small. Intimate.

A few family and friends.

Nick gave a talk on baptism, and John's mom gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. They were both short and sweet. Nick decided to use visual aids in illustrating how our sins are washed away. Since Maddie had long since gotten rid of her barbies, we found a Minnie Mouse figurine to which he dipped in mud, then cleaned off in water.

The mud had me a little panicky. The table was covered in beautiful white lace and I actually interrupted his talk to make him wipe his hands off before he got the lace dirty. (Oh yeah, I did)

I was told by a friend that her little boy (who is one of Zach's best friends) went home and told his brother that Minnie Mouse is Mormon because she got baptized too.

Madison played a bunch of primary songs while we waited for Zach to change after the baptism. Christopher wasn't on his best behavior. He was definitely testing boundaries. During Madison's piano playing he decided to sing, only most of the time he was singing completely different songs. He even busted out with ♪♫ We hold hands in parking lots ♫♪ A one-line little song I made up and sing whenever he decides he'd rather run away from me in parking lots. Needless to say, anyone within earshot of Christopher started giggling at this point. (Including the member of the bishopric.)

Oh, and the pictures turned out great despite me. (Thanks, Tricia!)

It was a good day, and I am so proud of Zach for choosing to be baptized.

International man of mystery

At church John has made quite a little reputation for himself. Ironically probably because he's never there. Always flying off to some exciting locale. So he must be some super spy saving the world, right?

I get to field questions about his whereabouts."Where's Brother Bourne this week?"

One week we were sitting in class when John was immediately called out. Apparently our three year old was AWOL from primary. "Where'd Brother Bauer run off to? Need to diffuse a bomb?" The teacher asked. "No, just a simple search and rescue," I said.

Brother Bauer?

Brother Bourne?

I still say Brother Bartowski.

I submit exhibit A-

That's my husband sitting in church.

Here's a close up of his tie. To the uninitiated it looks like a simple ugly tie. But to those in the know it has a coded message in it.

In binary. (the language of computers)

It says "I hate wearing ties."

Case closed.

Not so little any more

Christopher reached two major milestones in the last week. He sleeps in a big boy bed AND goes to primary now. It's hard to believe we have reached the stage where we are DONE with the nursery at church.

I know, I know, I can hear you out there- "REALLY? He's three and a half and he is just NOW getting out of the crib?!?"

But I have my reasons- and they're good ones-
1) There wasn't any one else to come along and bump him out of it.
2) He liked his crib. He never even tried to climb out of it, so he wasn't getting up at all hours of the night.
3) We were in need of another bed. My dad was building Nick a bed for his birthday and Christmas, and so we were waiting for that bed.

Christopher loves his bed -now. At first he was really excited for it during the day. He ran around the house naming all the beds. "Nick's bed. Sissy's bed. Brudder's bed. Initer's bed." We even managed to score some cheap Disney Cars bedding at Wal-mart on black Friday. (Which kills me because I have nice bedspreads that match and go in that room, but I knew he'd love it and it would make the transition easier. )

But that night it was a different story. He laid in bed and cried. Not the obnoxious fake crying he does during the day where when you tell him "No" he throws himself to the ground and proceeds to whine "I'm crying!" over, and over, and over. I should video tape it some day.

But he cried. And it was really sad and pathetic. For once it was like he was trying not to cry but couldn't help it. And I would get up and go in and comfort him and ended up staying in there til 1 in the morning until he finally fell asleep. So the next day when we were supposed to be to church by 8 am, and Zach had technicolor boogers and we weren't sure if he was sick and Christopher was still unconscious, I volunteered to stay home with the little boys. Christopher didn't wake up until 9:30. Which is completely unheard of. And that was supposed to be his first day of primary.

After a week he's doing better in his bed at night.

So that's how come yesterday was his first day of primary. I'm going to hold off judgment as to whether he's taking well to primary or not. When it was time to go to primary, he took off running down the halls of the church while I tried to chase him in heels. I asked someone to stop him, to which I was met with laughter. I finally caught up with him right outside nursery, and dragged him off to the primary room. I was able to leave him there without incident. I peeked in later, and one of the teachers had him on her lap. I heard later from the primary president that he did fine, he just really wanted to go sit up at the very front- the row where the kids sit as they wait to give their talks.

After church was another matter. Relief Society got out a little late, and during the closing prayer somebody's obnoxious kid was knocking on the door trying to get in. I was told by Madison that it was my obnoxious kid. He came in crying, and digging at my purse, (looking for my keys I think) and pleading "Go. Go. Go." (in between sobs)

Being a big boy can be so hard some days. And I haven't even started potty training. That's next on the agenda. But he's terrified of sitting on the toilet, and after Zach, the thought of potty training makes me feel all nauseous inside.

Frankly, I'm surprised I haven't done this before.

Let me paint a picture for you- It is a beautiful Sunday morning. The weather outside is gorgeous, but I am sitting inside thoroughly enjoying the Primary program that is being presented to us this day. We got to church on time, Nick saved us a seat (because he has to be there super early) and Christopher is behaving himself, for the most part anyway. I have to remind him to be quiet, and shush him a little bit, but at least I am sitting on a comfortable bench, listening to my two middle children sing their primary songs. The only thing that would have made it better is if John were in town, but I'll take what I can get. I have no other complaints.

And then, with 15 minutes to spare, I feel a little tickle in the back of my throat. I try to clear my throat, but that doesn't work. I can feel a cough coming on. And not just any cough- the loud, hacking, body bent over double kind. And I'm not even sick. I promise. I frantically grab a mint from my purse, thankfully I still had a couple Halls cough drops left over from my last cold 3 months ago, but it's too late. I can feel it building, and I know if I don't get out of there fast, I am going to hack all over the poor family with their little kids in front of us.

I was going to make a scene. And people were going to turn around and stare, and maybe give me dirty looks like I had the plague or something.

What I needed was to excuse myself quickly and discretely so I could hack up my lung in the hallway on the way to the drinking fountain.

Unfortunately Christopher saw me start to leave and he decided to accompany me, and the combination of his feet, the fact that I was wearing heels, and my complete lack of grace prevented my discrete departure. Much to the amusement of the people in the rows behind us, I fell flat on my face in the aisle.

I recovered as quickly as possible, leaving only a layer of skin off my knee and my dignity behind.

Naturally I couldn't go back in when everything was under control and a band aid was located, so Christopher and I went and hung out in the nursery and set up chairs and stuff.

After church a friend came up to me and said "I just have to give you a hug. You have been the bright spot in my day all day. Every time I think of you, I laugh."

Glad I could be of service. (I'm also really glad my dress didn't fly up- cause wow, nobody needs to see that)

My new job

I got a new calling (job) at church today. Wanna guess what it is?

Here's a hint-

I'm the mother of three boys.

I've actually been expecting this job for 4 1/2 years now.

Since Nick was 8. (that's another hint)

You guessed it! I'm a Cub Scout den leader!- Assistant Webelos Den Leader to be exact.

The only real surprise was that I am actually in between cub scouts of my own now. Zach still has a year. Well at least I will most likely be asked to work with cub scouts several times. (Or so the story goes)

I think it will be fun. I'm just the assistant, which I am always happy about, and I hear that the Webelos are the best group to get.

I met an Apostle.

I shook hands with Elder Richard G. Scott last night.

I sat in an audience of hundreds and listened to him speak to us. He was funny and personable and inspired and inspiring.

When it was over, he stood by the door and let anyone who wanted to, shake his hand. Because he wanted to shake our hands and look into our eyes.

I shook the hand of an Apostle of The Lord Jesus Christ.

How Awesome is that?

Beans, beans, the musical fruit

Our church had a Roadshow performance last night. All the youth from the different wards got together to put on 10 to 20 minute skits for the enjoyment of their families. Nick, being in Young Men's now, got to participate. He was so excited and proud to be a part of it. They did a really good job. It was really cute. Everyone worked really hard, and although I had nothing really to do with the whole thing, I was still proud of them all. Apparently we got third place. Which was a total rip-off, as I thought they should have got at least second, if not first. But that's just my biased opinion.

Anyway, after the last performance of the evening, they had an awards ceremony and then a little dance to celebrate the kids and all their hard work.

This morning Nick was telling me all about the dance.

Me- "So, did you dance with any girls?"

Nick-"No, not really, I danced to some of the songs, but it was just kind of everybody dancing."

Me- "Like The Electric Slide or something?"

Nick- "Yeah! Only I wasn't that good at it."

Me- "That's okay, as long as you had fun."

Nick- "They did have one slow dance at the very end though."

Me- "Oh?"

Nick- "I just stood there and talked to Chip though (his friend.) We talked about beans and what's the best kind to put in a burrito."

I forgot to ask what the verdict was.

bully magnet

I had originally posted this last night, but then after a half an hour took it down again, I wasn't sure dealing with it on my blog was the best way to go, but after talking to a couple friends and leaders, and I am a little calmer, I am re-posting it, because that's what I do- I write down bits and pieces of our lives, including the crap.

I might not get much sleep tonight. The more I think about it, the more upset I am becoming, (I'm still sick to my stomach, and really angry about it the next day) only I have no idea what to do. As I picked up my oldest from a combined Young Men's/Young Women's activity tonight, the details of an event unfolded before my astonished ears as I drove home.

Nick's leader brought to my attention the fact that there was an "incident" at church, that they dealt with, the other boys were talked to, and that's that. Only I don't think the leaders knew the whole story. (They, or at least one of them, does now)

First a little back story- a few weeks ago, during church, Nick was practically assaulted in the boy's room as some older boys tried to give him a swirly in the toilet. Somehow he got away. We heard his screaming from the other side of the church, and we assumed he was messing around, so we kinda jumped on him afterwards "What do you think you were doing in the bathroom? People could hear you screaming!"

Tonight it was pretty much the same group of boys that walked into the cultural hall and dragged Nick "kicking and screaming" out of there, down the hall and into the bathroom. It was only after several minutes of terror for him, (at one point one of the boys pulled a large knife on him) that he was finally rescued by his leaders. He even said that a couple of adults (that he didn't know) saw him, and did nothing. At one point he ran into a classroom with people in it, begged for help, and they did nothing.

I learned that all this took place after the activity was over. The leaders were busy cleaning up (it was a particularly messy activity) and were focused on their jobs so that they could get done and get home, and there were kids messing around, which can be pretty normal, and nobody would even guess that my kid was being terrorized at knife point in the little boys' room. That just doesn't happen. This is a church. Not a detention center.

Ultimately he did get away, with nothing really hurt but his pride. He didn't know the kid with the knife, and when he mentioned it later ("oh, by the way...") it was too late, (the kid was long gone, and Nick didn't know any names) and who the heck takes a knife like that to a church activity? (He said it was pretty big, several inches, and the kid pushed a button or something, and the knife popped out of the handle.)

Who are these kids and why are they even at a church activity on a Tuesday night, if all they are interested in is terrorizing boys several years younger than they are?

Even though Christ said to "turn the other cheek", is it that terrible that I told him to defend himself in any way he can, like bite off their fingers next time they hold their hands over his mouth to stop him from screaming?

What do I do? I mean really? The truth is, is that the kid is a bully magnet, and deals with stuff like this on a daily basis, but not at this level. Why is it that church and Young Men's activities have become so much more traumatic in recent weeks to my son (and me)?

What if that hoodlum with the knife had actually hurt my kid? I can't even think about it!

I got to give it to my kid though, he said, "I prayed to Heavenly Father for help, and then that's when my leaders found me, so I prayed again thanking Him for helping me."

John and I are discussing putting Nick in some kind of self defense Karate or Tae-Kwon-Do class, and calling the police. Hazing is illegal, (if that's what they want to call it) and so is aggrivated assault. I have the names of the boys involved, but I don't know which one is the knife wielder. Yet. I'll try and have Nick point them out in church.