See You at the Top

I'll Pass on the Cookies

One afternoon, Noah came pleading to his mom to bake some cookies. Cookies? Really? I have quite the reputation for cooking or baking( and it is not a good one at that) but the expression on Noah's face could not be denied. There was a period in my life when the food I prepared turned out to be edible. Over the years...I cannot explain what has happened to my patience for at least trying to cook. I could share one disaster after another, like the infamous 7 Up Salad that became the 7 Day Liquid in the fridge. Oh just maybe I could conjure up some cookie magic. We gathered the ingredients. I promised to follow the recipe exactly ( many times I try to modify or I minus an ingredient and make do without.)The cookies looked splendid on the cookie sheet! Success ! Yes success I thought. It wasn't long until the oven timer started beeping. The aroma in the kitchen gave us every indication that the cookies would be delicious. Naturally, we waited for the cookies to cool before diving in for a tasty treat. I took the spatula to lift them from the cookie sheet to the plate. What the heck happened? I was utterly shocked at the outcome. Though the top appeared to be perfect, the underside was burnt a charcoal black and they were rock hard. Noah could see the disappointment in my eyes and so he said, "I'll still eat them." He nearly broke a tooth. I do not know if Noah used them for frisbees or gave them to Da Vinci. I do know that I did not let Rick see them. He loves to share stories of my kind of gourmet cooking and I have given him plenty of material to work with...

Then at the party for Noah's animals, we decided again to make cookies. They didn't taste bad, but they sure did not look appealing. I have been going through some boxes and old photos. I came across a photo of Da Vinci and an accident he had had on the rug. "Big dogs make big poops was the caption!!" (I have a real issue with the potty training of a Great Dane...but that is another story.) As I glanced over the photo, something seemed awfully familiar. Playing catch up on the old blog put the mystery together. My cookies resembled Da Vinci's POOP!!! See for yourself. I was and am thoroughly disgusted. It would be a long time before I would try baking again and I thank my lucky stars I wasn't feeling generous in sharing with my neighbors.

What I learned from Noah: Noah has some wonderful ideas...baking cookies with his mom is not one of them.

What I learned from Da Vinci: Oh Poop!

I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Baths ???

My little boy is way into experiments. Just last week, he pulled out the vinegar, some water and some baking soda. He made his version of an explosion. It wasn't as scary as I had anticipated, still it was messy and I need to restock on vinegar. I love his desire to explore and create. He is a real problem solver. What I am not a fan of is the incredible leftover mess and the undoubtedly worst timing ever.

Noah and I ventured to see Grandma and Grandpa at the Marriott Hotel. Once again...swimming, movie, room service and the like. He started thinking he was something kind of special in the annoying sort of way. He pulled up the lounge chair, ordered a movie, and feasted like a king. Oh it was all in fun. My plan was to keep him up late so that he would sleep in and be less of a handful for Grandma while I went to the Temple with Grandpa.

The plan worked beautifully. He slept in and in and even in some more. What I didn't prepare for was how tired I would be that night and how not tired he would be. Noah and I slept in the Suite. (I still think it is so funny he won't sleep in the Murphy Bed.)

At 1:06 a.m. I awoke from a slumber to find my son in the kitchenette conducting an experiment with everything Grandpa and Grandma had in the fridge including Grandpa's Blueberries. He was determined to change the water to blue. Then there was the pounding and the mashing. That experiment ended abruptly.

The next morning, his water was blue. He carried that with him. I had him apologize to Grandpa for a breakfast wasted on Science.

It was time for us all to get ready for Church. Noah had been placed in the bath. I was packing and getting ready myself so I would step in to check on Noah. I saw that little bottle of mashed blueberries and the thought came, I hope he doesn't put that in his bath water. The thought passed. Grandpa and I visited about parenting and that you just love your children through the good and the bad, when I hear..."Mom, come here." I stepped in and there he was sitting in purple water!!!! I knew it, I should have taken the blueberries. He said it wasn't the blueberries and held up a bottle. It was special shampoo for silver hair to keep it shiny and white. I think Grandpa was about ready to swallow his words. I said, "Noah, you can't just take things and use them. You need to ask permission first. Why did you do that?" He could tell I was disappointed and so he responded with that look of duh mom, "I wanted a purple bath." Yes.. why else would you use half a bottle of only for silver shampoo unless you wanted a purple bath?

I asked him if he washed his hair and he said, "No way, who even uses that stuff?" " Grandpa does." "Why does Grandpa want purple hair?" Then Grandma chimed in, "You know, that is why they call him the Silver Fox." Noah laughed and mocked the name "Silver Fox." Noah had to apologize to Grandpa for purple bathwater AND for disrespecting the coolness of the Silver Fox.

What I learned from Noah: There are not cabinets high enough to save me from his experiments, the timing will most likely be bad, there are thrills to be had in blueberry water and purple baths and Grandpa has lots of patience.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

It was a sunny but very windy Saturday. The thought entered our mind, looks like a day for flying a kite.

Noah awoke with excitement. Today he was going to see his Grandma and Grandpa. After a winter Easter, the sunshine will feel good. Grandpa arrived and Noah had his fishing pole ready to thread. Not too far from home is a fish hatchery called "Grandpa's Pond." Noah and Grandpa selected a spot. What a moment for me to see Noah with his Grandfather fishing, something my Grandfather enjoyed doing with his Grandsons.

Unfortunately, the fish did not bite and Noah said, "I have been skunked." There will be other times at the fishing pond. Again, the thought, "Next adventure let us go pick out a kite for you and take them flying"

Not quite ready to end the day, there was a tailgating party for the REAL Soccer Team. It looked like fun...games, prizes, food, and a big bouncy house. Noah kicked off his shoes and climbed aboard.   He had the place to himself. He did somersaults, ran circles, and jumped continuously. He began saying, "Isn't this the greatest day ever" kind of thing.  It made me so happy to see him free and smiling with not a care in the world, or so it seemed.

I gave Grandpa my camera and asked if he would take a few photos while I fixed Noah a hamburger. Grandma went into wash her hands and the next thing I know, I hear "MMMOOOOOMMMMM !" I hear people run and a frantic "HOLD ON BABY." There, my little boy was trapped up in the air inside this big balloon bouncy house. A group of adults surrounded the balloon house. Some tried to calm him down and rescue him from being thrown against the fence or smashed between the balloon walls. It was difficult to see the entrance/exit to help him find his way out. Eventually, someone was able to reach up high enough to pull the balloon to a level where the rest of us could help. While setting the balloon down, a table by the pool was blown over and glass was broken. The sound effects added to the drama. Noah ran into my arms, his little body trembling.

"Mom, I could have been killed," he said. "I wonder if I will be on the news." I tried to diffuse the intensity of the moment with a joke, "Noah, I said 'Let's go FLY a kite, not let's go BE a kite," and laugh he did. Later while driving to the gas pump, Noah asked, "Do you think Heavenly Father was protecting me?" "Absolutely I do." In a moments time, I looked back upon the many instances, the multitude of tender mercies that I have witnessed and feel so grateful for...."THUMP THUMP THUMP...my, Noah what was THUMP THUMP THUMP that THUMP." While counting my blessings, I had run over a cement block that had entirely escaped my view. I was just going around this huge RV in the middle of the Smith's Grocery Store Parking Lot. I was aghast when I saw what I had taken my vehicle over (and thank heavens it was my vehicle and not Grandpas.)  I can officially say I took my boy four wheelin' now.

Noah and I were both laughing hysterically. It had been a crazy blustering, blundering, windy, doggone, skunked kind of day, AND WE had the good fortune of sharing it with Grandma and Grandpa.

What I learned from Noah: He will never set foot inside a bouncy house again and he is learning about his Heavenly Father even when I am not aware. If you don't have a kite, be a kite, if you don't get a bite, your skunked and if you have thumped you have two choices...laugh or go fly a kite.

And why are there no photos of Noah jumping in the bouncy house? Because Grandpa was quick on his feet to the rescue and Grandma, who saw through the bathroom window, called "That's my grandson in there, call 9-1-1."

What Happened to All the Windex?

I have noticed that my laundry piles are multicolored now that Noah is no longer in school uniforms. Forever, it seemed I washed whites and grays, grays and whites, and a lot more whites. Now there is a rainbow of colors and my sorting the laundry has become more challenging as well as the laundry cycles.

Noah is loving the fact that he can wear play clothes to school and also save the black soled shoes for Sundays. His tennis shoes are getting the most wear. They are sketchers with little lights that flash when he takes a step. I hope it is not a distraction in the classroom.  He insists that these shoes help him run extra fast.  Most often, they are strewn in the middle of the floor after school. I am constantly on Noah and Rick to put their things away. My laundry, an array of colors, my home, an array of clutter...Noah's clutter, my clutter, Da Vinci's clutter, and Rick's clutter.  It is enough to make me bonkers.

The other day, Noah asked where I had placed the Windex. I told him it was left in the Master Bathroom (Hint to Rick: It's okay to follow through and clean the bathrooms today) When he came down with the Windex in his hand, he said rather disgustingly..."What happened to all the Windex?" Wouldn't I like to know? It didn't appear that any one was using it at our home. Noah sighed, "This will have to do."  I was thinking, " Yea, my little boy is going to clean the TV, alas."  I kept busy working on a few of my own piles.

Noah asked me to shut my eyes. He had a grand surprise for me. I did as requested and there in the center of the family rooms was a roll's worth of paper towels. Two sheets were spread nicely on the carpet and each of his sketcher light up tennis shoes, had been placed strategically for show. Noah had worked hard on getting those shoes to sparkle...to radiate cleanliness. The Windex, now empty, was used as the magical polish to clean those shoes. I had never thought to use Windex to shine my shoes. It is an all purpose cleaner. The TV still thick with dust and smudges, would have to wait until another time. Though I hoped for a sparkling TV, the smile on Noah's face was enough to brighten any room. He was so proud of the time and effort he put into shining his shoes.

His shoes were clean and life was good for him now.

What I learned from Noah: Shiney Shoes equals happy boy. Windex equals shoe shines. Empty Windex bottle equals no housework :)

Guard Those West Wendover ASSETS

My husband, the defending Champ of the Utah Senior Open, extended an invitation for us to accompany him again. Another year, another golf tournament, another chance... I am proud of my husband and wanted to offer my support. I had a Tuesday Night Group Meeting and appointment and he had a Wednesday 9:00 a.m. Tee Time. How could we make this work? Rick and his pal, Lester decided to go the night before. It was too late for me to schedule a babysitter while I attended my evening committments and so Noah decided to ride with the guys...two gentlemen in Wendover?? Mmmm maybe Noah would be an ASSET. Gambling and late nights would be difficult with a youngin' around. Naturally, I would miss them and the pressure would be on me to awake before the dawn so that I might make it to Wendover before Rick's Tee Time.

The morning came all too soon. I was on my way heading West down a long stretch of road. As I pulled to the edge of town, I wondered about this little place of Wendover that sits on the border of Utah and Nevada. The Utah Open would be in the Nevada part. There wasn't much to this seemingly small town, but with Noah around, there is always something to do.

I arrived at the Rainbow, met up with Rick and Noah. I then delivered Rick to Toana Vista Golf Course and saw that it was the only green in this desert land. Noah and I had the day. Swimming would be the absolute top of the list. If we wanted an outdoor pool, we had to travel to Montego Bay. It wasn't far, but it wasn't convenient either and Noah was bothered by the elderly folk that didn't want to be splashed. He let me know that our next swim would be the indoor pool at the Rainbow.

That evening, there was a special dinner for the golfers and their companions. There would be a short program, a few honors and awards. Noah was in a room full of adults. That did not seem to bother him as he hangs with his adult parents all the time. Rick's pal Lester is an Attorney. Noah had established a relationship with him on the ride out the night before. (Commercial Break)Noah has also wanted to watch a few certain movies over and over again. I have let him know my reasons of not approving of his choices, most of it being because of the language. He was always asking, "Mom what's an a$$30!@ ? or what is a sh**head ?" I did not even like hearing him use those words in his innocence and so I started saying every time we heard a swear word, "Please don't ever say that, that is a bad word."

So we are sitting around the table with a group of golfers. Lester had a story he wanted to tell this group of guys. Lester says, "and I needed to help this guy protect his ASSETS." Noah immediately piped up, "Ah you said a bad word." The poor Attorney tried to explain what ASSETS were, but every time he used the word ASSETS, Noah would talk over him, "bad word, bad word that's a bad word."To watch Lester finagle his way out of that one was a sight to see. The more Lester tried to explain ASSETS, the deeper the hole he dug for himself. The whole table of men folk found Lester being called out by a kid... and though he didn't speak the bad word...it was hilarious.

So just what are West Wendover's ASSETS? Noah and I drove around the little town in search of them and this is what we discovered:
*Well, if you stay at the Rainbow, you do not need to put on sunscreen when you take a swim because the pool is indoors.The water is also unbelievably cold even though Noah thought it was refreshing.
*Noah was sure that this was the little town in which CARS the movie was filmed and if not CARS, then TREMORS (a movie about huge worms terrorizing a little town starring Kevin Bacon)
*I always look forward to the friendly wave of the giant cowboy that stands ready to greet any visitors

*There's one grocery store and that saves you the comparison shopping
*The Golf Course really adds a bit of color
*The Buffets, that is if you like food
*Huge open parking lots for riding on chariots
*Interesting fire hydrants

*Desert Views
*Junior and Senior High School in the same building
*Exercise TV if you can't make it to the exercise room because of an underage child
*Tinted windows (don't have to be bothered with protective eye wear)
*Huge Jaw Breakers in small gift shops. Noah wanted one of those ginormous Jaw Breakers real bad. I took one look at the price and then saw the size of it--there was no way Noah could get his mouth around that thing. "N-O spells No and I mean NO!" So what did my bright little boy do? He licked it. Yep, he licked it and voiced rather loud, "Now you have to buy it."

It is obvious the citizens of Wendover hope you will spend time and money in the Casinos gambling. There were big beautiful flat screen TV's, but the remotes didn't work. There were Mario games, but you had to pre pay at the front desk and then hope you would be refunded for the amount of time not used. There was no Wireless Internet, oh unless you had a credit card. I didn't!!! I searched the hotel room drawers--no postcards, no stationary, no room service menu, no visitor information which meant a a run to the gift shop and restaurants. Their greatest ASSET is mankind's weakness--GAMBLING!

What I learned from Noah: Some ASSETS can sound like bad words, but is usually something good.

Preserving Star Wars Characters

I came home from Hebgen with a tickle in my throat and a cough that was non stop. Sunday morning came and it wasn't any better. I was hoarse and the thought of trying to conduct singing time was not appealing. Fortunately, Sister Huppi was there for the rescue. I feel bad, because she is everyone's substitute, but that is the curse of being blessed with numerous talents and a willing heart. I am ever grateful for her.

(grandpa Hart goes Darth for the camera)

The cough medicine I took nearly knocked me flat. Noah was playing quietly on the floor with his Star Wars Characters. I nodded off into a Sunday sickness slumber. When I awoke, there were large zip loc bags everywhere and the Star Wars characters were no where in sight. Noah loves to do experiments. He had taken each character and placed the figure in a plastic bag, filled it with water, and placed them in the freezer. The freezer was full to the brim and the bags were frozen to the shelves of the freezer.

I have yet to figure out how to remove the characters without defrosting the whole freezer.That is something I will have to face when I return from Hebgen Lake. Besides, there are other ways to preserve Darth...Grandpa and Dad :)

(and just like Luke's Dad and my dad, Noah's Dad donned the dark mask :))

What I learned from Noah: It is not wise to go to sleep when curious minds experiment with preserving their love of Star Wars. Mmmm...Star Wars battles the Ice Age...

The Country Fest Blues

Summer is here and the activites of summer have commenced. One would think that I would have mounds of time to record the events. Not. Noah saved his money, and could hardly wait for the South Jordan Country Festival. Last year was so much fun.The first three weeks of June was all about rain, not just pitter, patter rain, but pouring rain.The day had arrived and we were not about to let a few dark clouds keep us from a couple of rides. The crowds at the fair were no where to be found. That meant for short lines...more like, no lines. It really wouldn't be that bad if we had had our jackets. I told Rick to take Noah on a few rides and I would run home and get the jackets and the rain gear. There was the kiddies train, the merry go round, the boats, and the fun house with bouncy toys. As I turned to leave, I couldn't help but wonder if we should have come yesterday. It was the only beautiful day we had had since school let out and our cute little busterooni was wearing yesterdays sunshine on his cheeks. (Because it was the only sun we'd seen in a while, I was not prepped with sunscreen.)  Today we would not have to worry about sunscreen.

I gathered enough rain gear to outlast any storm. I was huffing and puffing across the field with my arms full to the brim. I couldn't see Rick or Noah by the rides. I walked on over to the car/motorcycle display. I thought Rick would be ineterested in looking at the Anitque Cars. Noah turned around and my first thought was, "What happened to Noah's sunburned cheeks?"He was sporting a not so nice shade of BLUE.  Rick had used the first couple of tickets on the spinning rides and now all Noah wanted to do was go home. He was not feeling well at all. I wouldn't even say he was pale--this was a color I was not familiar with. I had him lie down on the blanket. I wasn't ready to leave. We still had tickets and booths to see. I wanted this to be a great day for Noah.

It wasn't long before Noah's breakfast resurfaced on the lawn. Funny how all one has to do is throw up and the color in your face returns. He wasn't feeling up for rides, but the booths where you pay for darts to pop a balloon and get a prize looked good to Noah. I was game, but Rick saw it as a further waste of money. Noah had a few rounds and his smile was back on his face.

The clouds grew dark and the wind began to blow. It would not be long before we would be in a downpour. We gave the rest of our tickets to one of the other families that decided to brave the weather. They were huddeled under one umbrella by a tree with hopes that the storm would blow over. No chance.

Though the Country Fest was not how we remembered it, we made new memories. I am sure we will be back next year, but maybe we will be a little more wise as to the rides we start with.


What I learned from Noah: If you don't want to stay long at the fair--go on the spinning rides first.

Old Age

Noah is always so concerned about whether or not I am getting old. He is always inquiring, "Mom, are you and my dad old?? Are you getting old?? Does that make you old??? Is this going to make you old?? Who is going to take care of me when you are old?"and always in such a somber tone of voice. I respond, "I am older than I was yesterday, I am older than you, and when I am old, you will be a man and able to take care of yourself. "The truth is, I am not thrilled about it either, so quickly I try to change the subject, but my mind stays fixated on the topic...why is he so worried about that now??? Do I look old to him???  Do I act old to him??? and so the questioning continues.

Then I remember a family night out to the movies and the attendant taking tickets, pats Noah on the head and says, "You are so lucky to have Grandparent's that will bring you to the movies."
Grandparents???  Really??? I'm thinking either my hearing has gone bad and I am old, or my hearing is good and I really am old.

Then I remember the time Rick picked up Noah from school. Noah came bounding down the line of cars with his friend Parker. Noah said, "See you tomorrow Parker!" Parker responds, "Hey is that your Grandpa in there?" Fortunately Noah was able to see the humor and laughed it off.

Noah was in the car with me and I could see from my rear view mirror, that he was deep in thought. A few minutes later and again in a somber voice, he says, "Mom, do you know what I really wish?" I think, "Here it goes--a game boy, a horse, a trip to Disneyland..."I say,"What do you wish, son?"and he said, "I just wish...well I wish dad could bend over."It was all I could do to contain my surprise and my laughter.   Rick is a wonderful father. He will throw baseball after baseball to Noah and he will take him golfing.  Rick has two hip replacements, sore knees, sore shoulders, sore everything--I'm sure Noah has seen how hard it is for Rick to bend over and collect the balls.

I am a Choirister in the Primary.We are talking about building Eternal Families. Sister Harris brings a picture of a "Grandma" to discuss how she is part of the family and can contribute in many ways. "What things does your Grandma do?"and there cute Camden says it direct and plain, "Grandma's have to color their hair." Well, I have been coloring my hair for a lottta years now--so does that put me in the "Old Category?"

So just when does one make that transition into "Old Agedom" (is it when you start making up your own words:) ) Is it when you iron shirts with windex instead of the spray starch? Is it when you cook the rolls with the saran wrap still covering them? Is it when the streaks in your hair are more silver than gold? Is it when you water your plants with a glass of milk instead of water? Is it when Noah's friend's parents, have parents younger than you? Is it when you qualify for the Senior Discount (or when someone asks you, will that be 2 seniors and 1 child?)  Is it when you lose more things than you find and some of those things are the rest of your sentences? Is it when the remote in your hand does not seem to "select" the item you are pushing on until it starts ringing and you realize, you are trying to use the phone to do the remote's job? Is it when you prefer Raisin Bran to Fruit Loops? Is it when  CNN becomes the new Prime Time TV show? Is it when you are tempted to cleanse your face with Downy Wrinkle Releaser instead of Sea Breeze? Is it when you do not recognize a single Name Brand of clothing, or any of the Popular Singing Groups? Is it when the students you taught, are now teachers?  Is it when you eat more Rolaids than M&M's? Is it when you start asking too many questions? If any of the previous are qualification for "Old Age," then I am definitely old.

For the sake of Noah and my own fears, I am going to color my hair and have blonde streaks put in and attribute the above to "Blondeom."

What I learned from Noah:  He does not want his parents to grow old or at least act their age.

Noah and the Flood and Don't Forget the Animals

I have always hoped that Noah would follow the pattern of Noah and the Ark verses the wicked King Noah, but I am not sure I knew what that would mean. Noah loves to take showers in the mornings prior to attending school, (although if he had his choice, he would still prefer to stay in bed.) Some days he will just stand up and lean against the glass and let the warm water flow over his "I'm just not ready to get up" body. I usually wash his hair and he insists on 2 or 3 washcloths to protect his eyes from the "tear free" soap. He'll toss one down and grab another. Then it is his job to finish up--neck to toe. I then leave to go get ready myself and pack his lunch.

Before leaving the bathroom, the washcloths had covered the drain and Noah thought standing in a puddle was rather fun. I pulled the washcloths to the side so the water could drain and then explained to him why he needed to be careful.

While brushing my teeth downstairs the thought came--"Go check on Noah." The thought may have even come again, but I knew Rick was in bed and if Noah needed anything, he could and would ask his father. So, I brushed it off. It wan't long before I heard a noise... a rush of some sort and I could not figure out what it was. I stepped out into the kitchen and water was pouring out of the light fixture. Immediately, I yelled "Noah!' but what was yelling going to do? The flood was here and I did not take steps to prevent it. Sure enough, by the time I got to the top of the stairs, there was innocent Noah sitting in his puddle of water.

What I learned from Noah: You can't leave him with cookies in his hand and not expect him to eat them, you need to take them away--remove them--be firm. I should have taken his wash cloths.

What I learned from Rick: It is not a good idea to soak up water on the carpet with a navy blue towel and a few other things.:)

So, we were out looking at homes and Rick decided to call one of his friends that happened to live in the area. Rick and Noah (dressed as a Pirate???) stopped at his door. The gentleman was more than happy to walk us through his home, no his lodge, no his mansion, no maybe his museum. I could not fully appreciate the mass of his home until he stood at his own majestic door. He looked the part of the needle in the haystack and believe me when I say, he is fit. He does everything extreme--helicopter skiing, big game hunting in Alaska...so it was unusual for me to picture him so small.

We stepped into the family room and I felt as if I had lost 20 pounds in comparison. There upon the whatever foot walls were mounted animals of the wild. I wish I had taken the time to count the variety of heads and asked the names of each. I could recognize a few deer, antelope, buffalo, rams, cougars...mind you, these are animals that he has killed and not just trophies he had purchased at Cabellas.

Then he took us to the lower level--Noah was in stuffed animal heaven. There before our eyes stood a full size Mountain Ram and full size Brown Bear. Noah wanted to pet them and climb on their backs, but I said emphatically "NO!" and not why it is not a good idea as I had done earlier with the flood. Noah does have a love for animals of all sorts and now we know where to gather the animals for the next flood, but what about the Ark? Easy, we stepped into the lower level garage and there was a nice sized boat to enjoy while on their elegant houseboat in Powell. We are covered:) The home was ornate and decorated in grand scale. Noah kept asking me if certain things were real gold. I think he was on a treasure hunt and I hope we did not leave with anything belonging to Rick's friend.

What I learned from Noah: Dress like a Pirate, have an adventure and discover a treasure like a pirate and if there is a flood--we have a Noah, some animals, and Jeff's houseboat in Powell.