Typical Nathan

I was called to repentance by my good friend Terina to actually use this blog to document my family's life and anything that comes to mind.
Today I'll give you an insight in Nathan's innate sense of humor, though he doesn't think himself a funny guy, you'll see why.
Last night after Don came home with his new toy (see previous post), the children gathered around him of course. Dad is sooooo cool. To avoid the crush of the awed crowd, he perched himself on the counter with Céleste at his side because and I quote: "I'm too short to look!" when she would push her brothers out of her way. So I'm making quesadillas (I am definitely experimenting with Mexican cuisine these days-"rice & beans, and beans & rice", it's economical, nutritious and filling) while they are enjoying becoming familiar with the gadget while dinner is getting warm. Once that's done everybody came around the table after much encouragement and eventually threats! It's was past 20h30 on a school night and I was hungry. When Don finally came down he complained of a bit of a backache and a "knife-stabbing" pain down his leg.
From the other side of the table quips Nathan: "Wwell it's because you were hunched over your phone for a long time, and if it's hurting like a knife stabbing in your leg, it won't hurt next time you hit yourself with a knife, because you already know how it feels!"
How can you not laugh at such logic! Even Don couldn't help it. This is the kind of humor Nathan displays quite regularly. I asked him if he meant to be funny. "Oh no, that's not funny to hurt!
"C'est pas rigolo" was his motto as a toddler because he took things so literally. He is starting to get word puns and make some of his own, however they are never as funny as when he is telling us like it is.
He is our very square peg in a very round family. It's black or white, the rules are the rules whether you are 2 or 92.
Nathan is the one who decided in Kindergarten that he would make the lunches the night before as to not be pressed for time in the morning to be on time for school. He agonizes when Joseph is behing schedule or when Thomas won't hurry to leave for school even though he (Nathan) doesn't have to leave at the same time for another hour. He is the one who will tell his brothers to do their homework before playing because that way they interrupt themselves to do it later.
I don't know what he wants to become, we keep thinking law enforcement, but I not so sure anymore, it is such a dangerous field. He has a wonderful sense of color and sells himself too short in his artistic abilities, he is so hard on himself.
His name means "gift of God", little did I know how true that would be. As any mother knows I don't have a favorite child, it's just that I find myself relying on him and appreciating his efforts to consciously make my life better and easier. He is very observant and attuned to how people feel. He helps me a lot. Thank you Nathan for choosing to be a part of our family to grow up in. Je t'aime. Maman

Changing Phones

Last night Don got himself a new cool new phone, because he is tired of people not hearing him on his old phone. He was up for an upgrade anyway, but ATT doesn't seem to care how to help their customers, so after several unfruitful attempts of dealing with their customer service, he jumped ship and went to TMobile where they had a phone that suits his fingers for typing.Yeah it's supposed to be a PHONE, but nowadays it's just not a simple job description anymore: try finding a device (I'm not calling them phones anymore!) that browses the internet, plays music & games, can be used as a GPS device, an email writer and occasionnally is used to place and receive calls, with a big enough keyboard for mensized fingers without being ridiculously large or all touch screen. It's a daunting task. If you like your carrier, your plan and the money you pay for the lot, your choices are extremely limited. The idiom "The grass is greener on the other side" comes to mind. So you put up with a failing phone, the staticquy conversation, the dropped calls and tiny keys for texting because your wife says "no" to the increased rates and the additional expenses to buy a PHONE. Ridiculous you may say. Well until the last straw: bad customer service. It's not worth the hassle of the wife. The wife, me, in this case got sick of not being able to talk to the husband and hearing the husband complain everyday. So here we are, I caved.

This is what Don got. Pretty slick. However since we changed service provider my trusty bare phone (mine is still a phone!) won't work anymore. Grr! So I let my thoughtful husband pick a new phone for me. He did really well. He picked a really nice metallic pink looking phone but if I don't want to spend extra on the beast for internet's service it's still only a phone with a camera. Just a very expensive phone!

So I'm going back to the store today and getting one just like his! Granted I'll now have to pay for what's called a data plan, at least I'll be able to play Sudoku and Pac-man on my phone... Pardon me, on my device! If I'm going down and hopping on the tech side of life I'm going down in style, not with just a phone!!!!!! Now we can send each other love emails and loves notes, and maybe even talk either on the devices or in person.

I have an Incredible husband!

No other comment is necessary. Take a rest from the previous post!

Confessions

So I have a confession to make. I'm a sucker when it comes to my kids. I'll bend over backward to do things for them. And so does their dad as good parents we want to give them all we can give them. Ask yourself if Heavenly Father doesn't want to do the same for us. He even mentions it in D&C 84:38. But I'm digressing.
Ok, so in mid-January (just before our trip to Legoland, that's for a later post) I was shopping at Target to get some supplies for Céleste's birthday party. You might ask: "isn't her birthday in November, not in January?"

Photo caption : This picture is of the actual day in November. And Nathan is present because despite what he says or does, he adores his sister. Always has since she was born. He loves little girls and is very protective of them (ask his aunts)

Well yes, technically. But a party doesn't have to be on the same month right? So I'll expand before moving on: her birthday basically falls a week before Thanksgiving or so, and here in the USA the day after Thanksgiving marks the official start of the Christmas/end of the year Holiday season. No biggie you might remark, except that planning a child's birthday party at that time of year is like trying a pin a tail on a donkey with a blindfold without being able feel for the donkey's rear end! In other words, nobody's available at the same time, because work parties, church parties, school parties, the list goes on of activities that everyone tries to cram in every possible weekend slot imaginable. So what would have been Céleste birthday party without her friends? You got it! It would not have been aparty as she wished it. So we celebrated her birthday at home on Nov. 17th with her family and then postponed the "with the friends" event for after the rush of the holidays, when no one has any other plans every weekend.

It was a success: her invited friends showed up, gave her presents, ate and drank at the big people table dressed up in Hello Kitty decorations, had fun dressing up, running up and down the stairs, making party bags and stringing glamourous bracelets, all the while with Don out of the house and away from the mayhem. Nathan was a wonderful assistant and helped me keep my sanity for the most part. The fun was over too soon and she cried when everyone had to leave with balloons & favors to plant. She again asked for a sister! Knowing Céleste I'm not surprised the question came up. I was actually wondering a few months back when she would ask it!. She doesn't want a baby sister mind you because babies cry too much. She has pre-requisites. So this finally brings me full circle to my topic of the day.
So we were at Target, a lady stopped dead in her tracks and exclaimed "how cute she was", etc. I usually don't let it go to my head because I do know the truth, our daughter is beautiful and witty and just plain adorable (most of the time). People notice her. What was more surprising was she handed me a business card and asked for my phone number so that the talent agency she worked for would call me to set up an interview. Yeah a talent agency as in modeling/acting agency. I was more than sceptical and thought "right!?". Well the agency "Tru Talent Management" did call. They have offices in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. They are very legitimate, I checked them out before going, besides Don was just as sceptical and I rely on him a lot for this sort of double checking, he keeps a cool head when I lose mine. So we went and they talked to Céleste. After a short script memorization and repetition, they asked her if she wanted to be in commercial or catalogs. She is a born performer & charmer as those who know her would attest. To make a long story short I ended up signing my daughter up. So now I pay for modeling & acting classes and bring her to auditions, etc. and maybe land a spot on a commercial/a catalog, etc. in many moons from now if she's lucky. That's where I say I'm a sucker for my kids. I didn't think twice to sign on the dotted line. Commit me! Oh well, in all that, is Céleste having a ball? Most certainly! She loves learning to be walk and pose like a model.
She loves watching herself on the TV in acting class where the teacher records them. So maybe she is not learning the piano or the violin or dancing yet, but she is having fun. The same day as the initial interview, Nathan was asked if he would want to be a model. He categorically refused: "NO, I don't want to be famous! People bug you when you're famous!" That's Nathan, he likes his peace and quiet and being home. He likes to know where his life is going and that's it's done with order and in following the rules!
Sorry about the über long post, but I now have to confess that I'm a crazy mom who'll swallow anything when her children are praised. Pathetic but true.

Pinewood Derby

We have 2 boys so far who've been involved with the Cub scouts. One of the "rites of passage" of a cub scout is the Pinewood Derby. Now Don and I both grew up outside of the US and had no clue what this hoopla was about the PD. In 2006 we lived in Mount Vernon, Illinois (there are something like 12 Mt Vernon in the whole country) when Thomas got to make his car. With only 3 boys in the pack, the bear leader opened the fun event to whoever wanted to participate in the ward. So every member of our family decided to make a car to race. They even got names, like, the Glamour Pink Panther, the Formula 1, the Flame, The Black widow, The Classique and the Sliver.
On D-day the races were good natured and everyone cheered: a friendly competition, all in all a pleasant experience. Retrospectively, we had just been introduced gently to a sub-culture of fanatics who take Pinewood Derby car building and racing very seriously. The past couple of years we've seen first hand how fierce the competition gets between dads (mostly) through their sons. The point of the exercise is for the 8 & 9 year old boys to turn a chunk of pine into an original vehicle weighing no more than exactly 5 ounces and then race it against friends for ribbons, pins and bragging rights. Most of the time, the dads will take over the creation and it becomes a "dog eat dog" race. When you stick to the rules and your son is the one doing the creating with minimal help from his parents as it should be, feelings get quite hurt and the spirit of being christlike and a good boy scout kind of get thrown out, and people you've never even met suddenly are there: from 4 or 5 boys you know 30 cars show up for competition! It's insane! Nathan had his race on Thursday evening. We showed up early for the weighing in. He kept being pushed out of the way and when he caught eye of the competition, he knew there would be no competition for him: his car looked great I thought, until I to saw what he was up against. The Boy Scout of America has an official pinewood derby car kit, but you can find plans, stickers, special parts, etc. online to make your car so cool and so fast. I never thought grown-ups could get this obsessed. Of course the boys want to show off "their" car, and test race it on the official track to see how it handles before the official race. And that's where it started going wrong. Nathan's car looks like he did it himself, and it was slower going to the end of the track. So with tears in his eyes he asked to go home and forget about the whole event he had looked forward to. I was torn and Don was understandably upset because we think it fairly unfair for one boy to follow the rules and work mostly on his own and for others to brag about a project they've had little to do with. That's where Don said he was fairly unamerican, because he is not out to "kill" the next guy, to be better and bigger than whoever. He always cheers for the underdog and does seek recognition. The man is so smart and talented, but he is so humble about it. We both come from cultures where being an overachiever is not really pushed that much in general, I certainly don't know how to deal with that attitude that they should always be told how great they are, etc. I almost feel like a failure because we don't have so many things to show for. If I don't think about it I'm ok, but on days like that Derby thing, I feel rotten for my kids. Our kids feel left out when come time for awards given at scouts particularly. Thomas missed his "Arrow of light" by little because I didn't really care to nag him about it. We have other priorities.




Anyway on our way out tro the parking lot we bumped into Nathan's bear leader: Jodi. We told her our reasons for leaving. And guess what? She was wonderful. She asked to see Nathan's car and appropriately admired it for his efforts and she took his picture as she was planning to for all her boys. She also told him that she had gone through the same scenario with her son Brayden who's Thomas' age as well as Thomas' friend. She was so empathetic that Nathan ended up leaving feeling reassured that he was good enough and that he didn't have to be ashamed of his little car named the Bolt. Thomas and him worked on it as a team and THAT is the point of the Pinewood derby. From a sad and tense beginning, the evening went on at home where we rallied around Nathan as a family to watch a movie and have a great time. I am thankful for a kind and attentive leader who made my little boy feel that he hadn't failed and that he was loved (and not just by his partial mom and dad). And you thought I was out to whine all night. Ha! I'm an optimist and I don't stay down long. Still I feel it deep for my children. I can't always spare them pain even if sometimes I can be the source of that pain too.

Quick update on our car

I didn't take a picture of the actual damage, but here is what it looks like after being partially dismantled by the repair guys. They said it should take a week. That's it! We'll see when they actually call us to pick it up.

I suppose our tax return will come in handy to cover the deductible. Don's always very prompt to get our taxes done. No procrastinating on that one. Every year I get hounded by him to get my translating business info together. I was good this year, I asked him to lay off until Janurary 15th, and I would have it ready for him if he let me be.

I tend to be resentful or pit myself against it, if I'm forced to do something.

I'm pretty sure I was one of the first in line in the pre-mortal life to vote "yes" to keeping our free agency! Tell me I can't do something, and I'll prove you wrong and tell me to do something and I just won't. I can think for myself and make my own decisions. I have trouble with blind obedience and controversial orders. I like to know the why of things. Even when I disagree, a "why" makes it so much easier to understand and obey if the case may be. I had a hard time with that sort of attitude when I was on my mission. One of my mission presidents like to issue "rules" and I passed for a rebel because I resented him so much for not giving reasons for apparently unnecessary restrictions. That's probably why my dear husband says I have a problem with authority.

After rereading what I wrote I have a feeling that this blog might serve for more personal introspection than I expected. Read at your own risk!!!

Random hygiene/health thoughts

I got my teeth checked and cleaned this morning. I love it when they are so smooth and I can feel the air between them in the front. Silly I know. I do take good care of my teeth. I smile a lot and gross teeth are a real turn off for me. Maman was always a stickler for good hygiene even if we didn't have much money and trendy clothes, we took care of our bodies inside and out. OUt of habit when we would say our prayers, we would thank Heavenly Father for our health, etc. everytime. Only today do I realize fully what a blessing health is. Maybe it's good genes, maybe it's good habits, but rarely do any of us get sick, whether in this family (Don, the kids and I) or my first family (my parents and siblings). I have learned to be tolerant of those who do not enjoy great health (mental or physical) and especially not to take this gift for granted anymore.
Who says aging is bad? I'd rather be old and wiser than young and foolish.

By the way what is it with boys and hygiene? Is it so bad to be clean and smell good? I have 3 little boys, one started to develop body odor a couple of years back. What's up with that? He was only 9.5 when he started. Do you think it would make a difference that I can't stand being close to him when he doesn't wash? Nope. He couldn't care less. Geesh, the deodorant we bought for him even expired. I didn't even know deodorants had an expiration date. Well apparently they lose their effectiveness after a couple of years! Not that I or his father would know since ours don't last that long. Add that to the recurrent jokes on bodily functions and you're served! I feel bad for anyone who has more boys than I have around in close succession. They are a bad influence on each other.
Teach by example is what I try to do here, but I'm not very successful, so I nag. I'm really good at that. I don't know if it's an effective teaching method, but it gets results everyonce in a while, at least with the children. Another way to get it done is to do it myself. They don't care too much for their mother to come in the bathroom and scrub them. Oh well, maybe they'll see my point one day hopefully before they are grown men and woman.
Yuck I hate dirty & smelly things. I don't like messes. But that's for another day.

PS: We have proof though that washing can be rewarding experience: Don caught Nathan singing a happy song in the shower.

The car saga continues

So Don made it home in one piece. Not our little car though. At our house we give names to our cars. The small ones get the nickname "titine" (yep, maybe you'll learn some French and other weird slang in this blog) and they become part of the family (we don't change them unless they have lived their life or usefulness). So anyway, it's in poor shape and leaking oil all over the place (if you've seen the very old movie Short Circuit #2, that's bad news!). Don took it to the shop today and ran the 6 miles home. The repair shop guy says with luck it'll be ready in a week. Yeah! We won't have to consider the alternative of a write-off and trying to pay for another vehicle later. That's a load off. Still the deductible is pretty high. Oh well, we needed to fix a couple of CV joints on it. They are now really gone and the steering is really wobbly, so there's no way around it anymore. Got to bite the bullet. As far injuries on the other party, seems that she didn't pursue the matter. I hope I won't be proven wrong though and that she would try to haunt us. Anyway, Don's OK we should keep our car. Pfew!
I didn't have a chance to take a picture, but the insurance sets up a site where everyday you can follow the progress on your car repair. That should be fun to watch.