here comes pshantvah

 Kids these days have no respect for you'd better watch out, you'd better not cry...words that used to inspire fear and compliance.  Christmas eve at the Raines home saw an even higher than usual degree of bickering and contention, probably because I was trying to force everyone to clean. 

But first this...

Along with Bethany in the Grinch hat, these pictures of Kyle (or so we suspect) and Sophie iconisize the Raines family 2012 Christmas season. I had mentioned before that I had these still packaged Santa costumes left over from Guangzhou, and I was ready for them to take life...well Kyle (or so we suspect) ran with that.  Throughout the month of December we had repeated visits from a character who called himself Pshantvah Klausen and claimed to be the Santa of the Oceanic. Sophie was quite taken by him, as you can see.

And back to Wednesday, December 19, in the evening we enjoyed Grant and William's Christmas presentation at the preschool.

 We celebrated the beginning of Christmas break at one of our favorite places, Pizza Pie Cafe.Then we drove down to the kids banjo, violin, guitar, and cello Christmas performances.  Their teacher, Jessica Knight, held the recital at The Barn in Mapleton, right up against the mountains.  We stepped out of the van and were immediately in awe at the myriad of bright stars we could count above the foothills--glowing white against the blue-black night sky.  The Barn was a wonderful venue-- cozy,comfortable, child friendly, and festive with the fire in the hearth. 

Thursday we were on to Christnas shopping. Bethany had her own agenda for me at Build-a-Bear Workshop.

Friday more shopping--this time Olivia was my partner. It was wonderful to spend time together. The kids were extremely helpful, giving me great ideas about what to get for their siblings.

Sunday morning and Christmas dress.

Sunday afternoon Grandma Martha came over to help us make crafts and decorate gingerbread men and houses. We were grateful to have a visit from Aunt Miriam, Uncle Bryan, and the cousins.

This was Christmas eve. We are blessed with generous neighbors. Christmastime brings a lot of yummy surprises to our door. Monday was last minute stops and blizzard conditions. Grandma Martha invited the little kids over and we got the house ready for Christmas day.  In the evening we all went to the dollar store together to pick out sibling exchange gifts...a great source of humor as hair extentions were in this year for the sisters and brothers.  

I hope you have a wonderful, Merry Christmas too.

first snow first lights

Friday November 18 Bethany and Olivia went to a sleep over. I intended to take everyone to Riverwoods to see the light celebration, but had to bring back the little ones, due to fighting over who got to wear which hat. Sam, Ben, and Kyle took Caitlin. Anyway, its fun for the kids to have separate outings. Everyone enjoys the new dynamic. 

They returned and we had Pier 49 for pizza night. I ordered Sam's favorites, pesto chicken and spinach Alfredo.  Later we looked outside and saw snow falling.  Grant was so excited, he ran out in his pajamas and bare feet.  Sam helped all the kids get on coats and boots for a late night snow ball fight.  I was nervous about driving Grandma Martha home in the new, slippery snow, and grateful to return home safely.  The biggest thing I don't like about winter is the possibility of limited mobility.  Grant wasn't worried about anything.

Saturday morning the kids went outside as soon as they could. Sam and Kyle took Grant and William sledding. I had to take Olivia shopping, which was agony for her. She couldn't wait to get back to sledding. Mary and Kyle started a snow man at the park, but decided to transplant it to our yard. By afternoon the snow was almost gone, but the kids intended to use up what they could.

Monday, November 21, the little kids went to Grandma Martha's house for the day.  I spent the time getting my Utah driver's license, the kind of thing I dread.  Not sure what hoops I'll have to jump through, what paperwork will be slightly off. As predicted there was one glitch.  I went to the wrong office. Testing was only done across town.  Just as well since I had forgotten my glasses. Tried again after lunch, passed the open book test, failed the eye exam--good thing I had my glasses, and the happiest thing, walked out with a picture I didn't detest.  I felt pretty euphoric about the whole thing.

In the afternoon Sam wanted to accompany Ben and me to downtown Provo for Ben's guitar lesson. He  found out that I sometimes get lured in to the Peruvian restaurant next to the guitar shop for papas fritas and the most delicious spicy green dipping sauce.  On the way we saw this rainbow over the Y.  I was limited by my cell phone camera and the fact that the light turned green right as I decided to go for the picture. Here's the best I could do.

Tuesday was the kids' last day of school for the week. Mary and Caitlin came home dressed in paper bags and construction paper feathers. I can remember so clearly my own oatmeal box Indian drums of childhood. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.

Caitlin and her new friend from school.

Tuesday evening, I surprised the kids with a trip to Pizza Pie Cafe to start off the weekend.  I loved this pumpkin pizza.  The place was packed. They were having a text special; three dollars off the regular buffet price.  Caitlin had a coupon for two free kids buffets for her October reading reward. 

After dinner Sam and Mary walked over to the mall to enjoy the lights and the gingerbread houses in all the shops.

Thanks for the pictures Sam.

candles

Olivia's birthday in the morning.

I came home from school and it was time for Back to School night.  Caitlin's kindergarten class.

Then we went to Pizza Pie Cafe.

All the kids.

Sophie's stealing.

Presents.

Candles.

I love you Olivia.

sausage, mushroom, monterrey

It's the weekend. Time for me to blog about pizza. Pizza so round...symbolic of wholeness, unity, celebration, inclusion, life.  Pizza- a relaxing, reuniting, togetherness ritual

Thanks to Pizza Pie Cafe Express for the text special.  I got two, two or three topping pizzas for five dollars each. Also picked up a cheese for Bethany and a pepperoni for Grant.

Here's the Canadian bacon and pineapple....that's for Mary.

 Friday evening I dropped Ben off at a friend's house down by the university, then drove over to PPC express.

I ordered, then sat down on the bench to wait...self-toasting by the big silver ovens, relaxing to the vibrations of the slow moving conveyor belts, breathing in the cheesy warmth.. the wonder of the so savorable pepperoni and the sugary-tang surprise of PPC's speciality, raspberry desert pizza..  The guy handed me my four hot boxes. I could smell the layers...the salty and sweet of one, the  milkiness of another...and on top, I was sure, was my favorite: the sausage, mushroom, and red onion.

Smells, so closely linked to memories, and sausage pizza, in particular, remind me of my high school summers at Sonny's Pizza.  I thought about pizza all the time then.  I thought about people in terms of pizza...tried to size them up by way of veggies or no, thick or thin, medium or large, whole or by the slice.

  I loved browsing in the paper goods closet. I guess I'm easily fascinated, because I'd find myself daydreaming about the large boxes of straws, napkins, Styrofoam cups. Loving the abundance, the preparedness, the suppliedness of it, I had a vision of myself running my own pizza place with my future family, in some other small coastal town, driving an old green pick-up...maybe like an '82.

Some place like Monterrey.  My senior year Mr. Biggle, one of my best teachers, took the physics and chemistry upperclassmen up to the physics museum in San Fransisco and the Monterrey Bay aquarium.  I'm grateful for that memory...though sometimes I forget to think about it.  So in Monterrey, there was a little pizza place, never knew the name, maybe that's the prototype of that particular fantasy.

Here's the sausage...spicey, mushrooms...earthy, generous in presence, and red onions...colorful and caramelized... pizza.

Last week was one of the quickest I can remember. Update on the exercise goal: followed up well with Sam, but had to give myself an okay to do some homemade yoga moves right before bed clause, because I just couldn't take the time to go out. I really wanted to make some progress in a few other areas of my life.

Like getting the house in order for one.  The kid consensus was: Monday was maybe the worst holiday on record.  All we did was clean.  I'm not really sure we had much to show for it at the end of the day, nothing picture worthy.

We ended MLK day with a small celebration, at least.  Ben talked me in to letting them use up our two gingerbread house kits .It wasn't like I'd been saving them for Valentine's...so I agreed... also hoping to gain back some bit of popularity.

This house wouldn't stand on it's own so we had to do a little engineering.  We're not perfectionists, as you can see.  It's all about snitching for most of us.

Ben is our artist.

Here's a midweek sunset that Sam photographed.

So Friday night, with Ben and Kyle off with friends, and Sam at a student leadership activity all night, and Bethany at a Irish Dance performance with Granddad and Judith, there was a new dynamic. Olivia grinned from ear to ear to learn that she was the oldest kid at scripture time.  Grandma Martha was over to share in our pizza night and catch up on some laundry. She introduced me to her favorite soap opera from Mexico, as no one had clout enough to stop the adults from choosing the programming, for a change. I happened upon the very episode where the priest learns he has an eighteen year old daughter.  Good thing it was in Spanish.

Saturday morning I was back to another unapologetic day of only cleaning.  First day of feeling like I'd made a difference.  Remember the pantry?  Looks better now.

I love the zen of empty shelves.

The laundry room is stabilizing. It almost makes me feel functional.

Made the kids help me till the little flower bed in front of the house, since the temperature was above freezing. Maybe I'll get the bulbs in the ground this week.  The basement is still a disaster.

Sarra per un altra volta.

pizza promotion

Last week a flier on my windshield was my opening in the universe.  It said cheap pizza.

So Friday night the girls and I set out on what wouldn't have been an adventure for a normal person with a basic understanding of  local streets, nor for anyone with average parking abilities. I don't fall in to those categories so when I finally found the destined place,with it's promotional search light and all, I had to have my nine year old help me back our monster of a van out of the did-someone-from-Beijing-design-this sized parking lot in defeat and park elsewhere. We marched back, lifting Caitlin over snow drifts, skirting sheets of black ice, shivering in the cold because, as I always say, parking as far away as possible extends your life expectancy, and what's more, someone was offering free stuff.

Friday night was the opening of the new Pizza Pie Cafe Express.  They sell five dollar pepperoni pizzas, and in honor of the Grand Opening, it was buy one get one free.  Two-fifty a pizza!  Plus free kettle corn. There's Caitlin with our Friday spoils.

And Friday was movie night,of course.  Did I mention that I love Jack Black?  The boys ordered Be Kind Rewind from net flicks  Sam entertained the little boys with the popcorn popper. He's a good brother.  They are all good big brothers and I am grateful for that.

Saturday I thought I'd make a difference in the pantry.

Still thinking...

But Sam and I did make some progress in the area of goal setting. We've decided, and here I am publicly announcing it, to set a goal to run/walk everyday for six months...with some allowance for repentance, of course. We will plan a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood to reward ourselves, and to celebrate the boys' love for all-things-acted- filmed-edited...so I'd better start running-earning- saving...

We've been here for many months now and for many months I've looked out and thought about running in the park in summer sunshine, or the crunchy crispness of fall, and here was the day I chose to get out....

 I have to embrace this aspect of January to help me over come my S.A.D.

So Saturday night I tentatively brought up the possibility of returning to Pizza Pie cafe Express for another night of pizza pick-up adventure.  Was met with cheers and off we went.  This time everyone joined me, since they all wanted their own kettle corn.  Free stuff is worth a trip across town.  The big kids all took a turn spinning a big wheel for prize coupons.  We walked away with our four pizzas for ten dollars and about forty dollars worth of pizza coupons as well.  I felt so resourceful!

If only pizza could be used as currency for all the necessities of life.

happy new year

Monday, December 26 I took the kids and some of their friends to Classic Skate. Sam requested Dancing Queen for me because I told him it was the quintessential roller skating song. There goes Ben.

Ben wouldn't stop to pose because they were playing Journey.

Tuesday Sam was my handy man.  He put together Caitlin's Tinkerbell Cafe.

It's been plastic cinnamon rolls and "What do you want to drink mom?" all week long.

I finally got around to cooking the turkey dinner I'd had planned for Christmas eve. Sam made some delicious mashed potatoes for us.

I asked Bethany to pose with the turkey but she said "No, that's disgusting. I hate turkey."  I guess it does look a little graphic.

Someone needed to pour his own cranberry juice.

I was grateful that Rob lugged the Bosch in his carry ons back from China.  So I went back to making cookies.  Chocolate chip on Tuesday, Snicker doodles Friday.

Back to snow and cold...

This was Wednesday.

Thursday we were excited to have a quick visit from the Sevys, our good friends from Beijing.

It was our first time to meet their adorable twins.

In the evening I took the kids and Grandma back to Pizza Pie Cafe.

Sam got a coupon for a free Cookie Monster dessert for being student of the day in December.

Now it's Friday evening..Happy New Year to you