New On The Spence Family--Conversations: Christmas Edition

J, dressed as Santa, asked me for some orange juice. "No, you already had orange juice at breakfast. You need to choose something else." So he said, "If you argue with me, I'll give you a lump of coal for Christmas!"

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New on The Spence Family--Christmas Sewing

And another post...Christmas 2009 too.

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I'll pick the lucky winner at 4:00 today. Come on. I know you want it.

A Last Minute Holiday Giveaway..on The Spence Family

I know, private blog, who's gonna enter a giveaway...

But, I figured I'd give it a try anyway.

A while ago, I was at Target, asking about putting a toy on hold, when I was told that "the ONLY toy that we can't possibly hold is a Zhu Zhu Pet." Who cares? I thought. Didn't even know what that was. But then I had to SEE what it was. I looked online and thought the pet hampsters looked really fun. Then I saw that a Zhu Zhu pet was the most wanted toy of the season, and pretty much impossible to come by unless you were willing to pay a pretty penny on amazon, ebay, or otherwise. Today, I see the prices are way down, with the manufacturers flooding the US with last minute Christmas shipments.

I tried to team up with friends and find these much desired fake pets, but finally had given up to just getting a pet rock. But after a tip, I happened to buy a few of these Zhu Zhu's at Toys R Us last week. Some for my friend Emily, one for my friend Jayne, one extra one, and one each for my boys (even though it is ME that wants one). Last night I learned that someone got one for each of my kids as a gift, and after telling someone else I had an extra and ship that one out today....

I have one left.

Instead of bothering with EBay (especially now that the prices will have dropped from the 70 dollar range), or calling friends to see who was looking for one, I decided it might be fun to just give him away. Num Nums is his name (the gray one). If you would like it, it's already wrapped up for Christmas! Just leave me a comment (either here or on The Spence Family) telling me your favorite Christmas tradition. Tomorrow I will pick a winner randomly (of the 3 or so comments I will get). If you live in the Provo area, I will drop it by if you like. Or if you live far away, I will ship it, but if you want 2 day shipping, well, you are gonna have to pay for that. :)

Ready, go.

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New on The Spence Family--Let it Snow

It's been snowy here for days. At first, it was great fun...the first big snow of the year is always magical. After clearing the snow around our yard several times with a shovel on my own for the most part, knowing there is a brand new snowblower in the garage (still with the plastic around it), I was feeling glum about the snow yesterday. Was that a run-on sentence if you ever saw one? Yes, yes it was. Anyway, I was shoveling the driveway yesterday morning, with a bad sinus headache (sinus infection won't you please go away??), my back was aching, and for some reason I was in a very grouchy mood. J and T were playing with a sled and some shovels in the snow, with J even helping to shovel for a minute. After a while of throwing the wet and heavy snow I thought, hmm... I don't really need to be clearing this. So I am not going to. We are going to go sledding instead. I told the kids that snow clean up was cancelled and we were going sledding...

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new on the spence family...decorations

Christmas decorations are kind of funny.

They go through fads and phases just like everything. When I was little I thought my grandmother's decorations were horrible. Embarassing. They always got shoved to the back of the boxes when I was helping and replaced by more "traditional" and "modern" decor. No aqua and teal felt ornaments for me. No weird little felt and plastic elves. Pretty much no felt at all. No shiny turqouise color balls or any sequins for sure.

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New on The Spence Family--Thanksgiving

Crafting, exploring, rock throwing, playing with cousin Skyler, playing games, eating and more eating.

That pretty much sums up

Thanksgiving in Wyoming

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New on The Spence Family--Home School

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New on The Spence Family--Sandbox

The kids have always wanted a sandbox.

So this week we decided to redo our water main in order for them to have a sandbox for the day.

(Or something like that.) And by we, I mean Roger and his way nice friends, not me. I just watched--but supervising seems to be just as tiring!

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New on The Spence Family--Toy Catalog

This morning I should have just said to Tyler, "Hey, in a while, let's drive all the way out to American Fork Target! And I won't bring a diaper bag, and you can poop, and then I'll buy some cheapo diapers and not buy anything else. Then we can go out to the car where the wipe box will be empty and I only have one kleenex left in the car to clean you up with. And since one kleenex is no where near enough stuff to clean up one of your dirty diapers, we'll just turn around and come home then. Come on, it'll be fun!"

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New on The Spence Family--His Plea

of course it's a new one on The Spence Family--I have given up this one, in case you haven't noticed.



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New On The Spence Family--True Bagels

A True Bagel is Boiled, Then Hearth Baked!
--Goldsteins Bagel Bakery, California

We have, somewhere, a photo of this statement painted on the wall of the stone oven of Goldsteins, in Arcadia, California. I remember my dad and sister Bronwen and I ate bagels there when I was young, delighted to find a bakery that baked true bagels. Not the grocery store cheaters. I used to love bagels. Now I don't bother much with them because a good bagel is hard to find around here. Brackman's was great, Einstein's to me is just ok. Now they are not so hard to find anymore...

I need to work on height but the flavor and texture was just right for a first timer. Thanks Artisan in Five!

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New on The Spence Family--Sleep

It's been a rough week or two for Tyler. He gave up the binkies to the trash can. One had worn out (snipped), and the other was getting white marks from age and was also wearing down (snip snip). I asked him if he wanted to throw them away, and he did. He walked right over to the trash can and dropped them in.

No problem.

Though I suspected he might not sleep as well without them at first, little did I know he wouldn't only not sleep well without them, he wouldn't nap at all. I bought him some (rip off!) little Toy Story toys to hold in his bed instead, but when the initial excitement had worn off (i..e., one nap later),

he didn't want those in his bed anymore.

Then his cold got worse.

Then the time changed (curse time changes!)...

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New on The Spence Family--Halloween

Halloween

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New on The Spence Family--Whoa Mamma

I am not sure how old I was when I began to notice them, but I clearly remember noticing that some of the moms who dropped kids off at school in the morning were, well, not put together. In other words they never bothered to get dressed, instead arriving in pajamas or bathrobes, hair a mess. Since Karen was always dressed, and before that, the nice moms that drove us in "carpool" (they just gave us rides, their was not much trade) were dressed too, I always thought those other moms must have just gotten out of bed right in time to drive the kids to school. Nice of them, yes, but they looked a little lazy to me (clearly I thought I knew a lot back then).

Well, now I am one of those scary looking moms in the morning.

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New on The Spence Family--Clean Up

When Jack came up to me and asked if he could clean up a little, I of course said yes, please. Then he made a list of things to clean up, tally marking all the way. The last item on his list cracked me up. Paper plagues me too, Jack! Me too!!

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New on the Spence Family--The Pumpkin Patch

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New on the Spence Family--My Baby Brother is a Killer

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New on The Spence Family--Canning Season

It's canning season again. Every spring/summer for jams and jellies. Every October for apple butter, and applesauce. And every September for peaches, pears, tomatoes, and often grape juice.

This is what I wish I and my kitchen looked like every September.


from Blueberries for Sal, Robert McClosky

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New on The Spence Family--The Birthday Proper

http://fourspences.blogspot.com/2009/09/birthday-proper.html

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New on The Spence Family--My Baby No More

Tyler, today you are three (this many fingers: III). Last night before bed you said you didn't want to be this many (III fingers). You wanted to stay this many (II fingers). I must say I agree somewhat--I love having you little. But you have grown so much from the tiny squirt on Jack's lap at the hospital (you were SO little!). Now are you a big boy who can do lots of things. Thanks for enjoying your birthday anyway. We enjoy you no matter how many fingers old you are.

We love you, Tyler boy.

Happy Birthday!

New on The Spence Family--Have you always wondered?

Have you always wondered whether tennis players grunt because it's instinct, or whether they do it just because everyone else does it too? Well, maybe I don't have that much to think about every day, but I have. Perhaps this question arose while I was a child watching my dad play various opponants, one of whom grunted very loudly. I won't name names. I thought it was all for show. I thought that 1980's teenage star made it more popular with her loud! grunts (Tara somebody? can't remember the name right now). I think I have to admit I was wrong.

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New on The Spence Family--Wildflowers

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New on The Spence Family--A Love for Books

As I was thumbing through my old photo album last night, I kept seeing photos where I remember something I was wearing (a nightgown, a swimsuit, a sweater, huaraches), or somebody who came to visit, or even an Easter egg hunt where I found an egg under a lifted piece of sod, or my 8th birthday party from which I still recall some of the gifts. For all of those occasions my mom was present, even in the photos, but all I remember are the things, the other people, the moments as they presented themselves to me. I remember that she did this or that, that she rode the tram up to the top of Snowbird before we hiked through Albion Basin the summer she died (my grandparents came too and drove her home), but I don't actually remember her in any of the times shown in the photos. Even the last photo I have of her before she died is of me showing off a new umbrella that was a gift from a friend at my birthday party--my mom is looking at me with a small smile in the corner of the photo. It feels a little selfish, that I seemed to take not much notice of her. I am sure that I did, at the time, but I am a little afraid I was too wrapped up in myself--probably like most children! It's definitely not something to feel guilty of, how you may or may not have been as a small child, but I do hope I gave her enough notice, enough smiles to feel appreciated. I wish I could go back, gather memories, and make sure she knew.


Julie Tate, reading at the kitchen table several months before she died

Then I thought of one thing that she gave to me. One thing I appreciated then, appreciated all growing up, appreciate now for myself, and now for my children. Books.

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New on the Spence Family--Tomato Basil Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, and Back in the Game

It's tomato season. You know. You wait all summer for the green tomato growths to ripen, and then september hits and all of a sudden all of your tomato plants are ripe all at once. I am always looking for things to do with tomatoes, despite the fact that the kids will eat them sliced with salt and pepper any time of the day. (Tyler says he doesn't want any food half the time, but that tomatoes always make him hungry.) But that gets a little old to me. Yet at the same time, I am not very willing to make something for myself for lunch that involves very much effort. Tyler wants a quesadilla almost every day, and that doesn't always appeal to me. And just how many pb and j's can you eat in a week? Our broiler is broken so I haven't been able to have any open face cheese and tomato sandwiches.

So the other day I came up with these.


and

Well, after we missed the last soccer game, Jack was happier than ever to be back in the game on Saturday. The coach even let him play an extra half an inning because of my screw up last week. Jack (#3 in blue) is seriously fun to watch with his happy skip-runs and arm swings around the field, following the ball when he's on offense--even with some effort to make contact with the ball (but not much in a scuffle), and his turns at defense with the goally, in which he has kicked the ball away from the goal a number of times.

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I haven't figured out how to follow a private blog yet. Maybe sometime...

New on the Spence Family--Is everyone as excited as I am?

I can't wait. It's like Merry Christmas in September.

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Hi guys. I am all done doing this other blog thing. It's a pain. It's not working out. I hear that you can follow private blogs in Google Reader now. I will find out more about it and post it here as the last post. Thanks!

New on The Spence Family--Mmm Mmm Good

The boys saw some of their favorite tv characters drink coconut milk right out of a coconut with a straw. They've been excited to try it ever since. At Sunflower Market yesterday coconuts were cheap, so. . .

"Can we do the coconut yet?" went the asking all day long.

Finally, after dinner Roger drilled a hole, drained the milk, and sawed the thing in half so it could hold milk for two.


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New on The Spence Family--Inadequate

There are moments that I feel good about my abilities as a mother. Like the other day when Tyler peed all over the bathroom floor,

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New on The Spence Family--What Dirt?, and another one...

Jack has come home from school every day pretty well covered in dirt. Dusty dirt that smears around when he wipes his sweaty face. I couldn't imagine what he was doing during recess to get so dirty. I was left to wonder because Jack is not the most informative of people. Last night we went to the school playground.

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Turquoise

Would someone please explain to me just what is wrong with turquoise jewelry? It seems like every sitcom makes fun of it. (Or is it just Will and Grace, on multiple occasions--but I swear I remember Seinfeld doing it too. That's every sitcom I ever watch). I like turquoise! I wear it all the time in little doses. I'm not like the woman on Will and Grace that they were mocking. She had on a turquoise brooch, rings, earrings; all at the same time. I wouldn't take it so far as the Easterners who come out West and suddenly are sporting turquoise studded jackets, jeans, bracelets, and purses. But I would probably wear a turquoise brooch if I had one. Why not?

New on The Spence Family--Butterflies

I know my mom must have been an integral part of these tasks, but I draw a blank. On the back of this photo, though, in her handwriting, it says "Monarch Mama."

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Sack it?

We survived the first day of school yesterday. It didn't phase J one bit, just me and T. He said they had a 2 hour and 5 year long recess--said it was like the teacher had left the school! (Hope it gets a little more promising!) He told me the tale of his first time in the lunchroom, how a sixth grader was nice enough to open his snack pack, and that other kids get to order their lunch and they could choose chocolate milk!! Please oh please can I order my lunch instead of bringing my lunchbox (brandnew, awesome starwars one, by the way)? I said I would think about it. It would be easier for me, but I did just buy a bunch of fun lunch stuff...

This morning, I had to wake J up and get him going. Breakfast, check. Bathroom, check. Dressed, check. Socks and shoes on, check. Hairbrushed, check. T accounted for, check. T poopy diaper, check. "Ok, we're on time! Let's go!"

"Mom, did you make me a lunch?"

Sigh... "No. Forgot." Finally: lunch, check. "Let's go."

What should I do? Pack a sack lunch? Or go cafeteria style? It always seemed glamorous to me too, but that's cause I was sackin' it. The grass is always greener. What about you? What lunch did you do?

New on the Spence Family--The First Day

It's the first day of school today. The first of many days where Jack will be missing from our house for hours at a time. Kindergarten was only 2 and a half hours. But this? This first grade business? This is going to be long! My little boy is not so little anymore. But, I know he will do well. I know he will try his best, make new friends, learn to love his new teacher.

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Giveaway

Well, I guess that was a flop for a drawing. I can hardly choose from 3 of you... so Kayla, Rachel, and Sandy...you all can have a bag. Only one gets the pink and green. That's all I have of that fabric. I will email you with your other choices. Thanks for being interested! I appreciate it.

New on the Spence Family--One Last Hoorah Before School

I can't believe school starts Wednesday. I can't believe Jack starts first grade. But for now, we enjoyed one last summer weekend up in Wyoming.

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New on The Spence Family--Childhood Revisited

While we were in Baker last month, I saw a woman at the wedding. She was wheelchair bound, being pushed through the maze of tables and chairs by her husband. When they wound by me and the chair Tyler was playing on, I leaned over to pick him up out of their way. I couldn't help but stare at her feet. They were my mother's feet. I looked away and smiled as they passed, then set Tyler back down. I've had no memories of my mother's looks. I once thought I recalled her hands, but that recollection went away as fast as it came. But there, in a woman passing, I saw her again. The similarity wasn't astonishing, one wheelchair bound woman with MS to another, their feet nearly purple and swollen. But it was a wake up call to me, that maybe, just maybe I have more memories of my childhood, and maybe my mother, tucked away in my mind. . .

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A Welcome to the New Blog Giveaway

I think Giveaways are fun, so you know, I thought I would do one as a welcome to my new blog. I am just finishing up another bag like the middle one pictured in my header (pink/green), a drawstring purse from Amy Butler. It doesn't have a home. I had originally intended to make a bunch of these in different fabrics (which I have done), and use them as gift bags when needed. But they have all been given away already, or promised to someone, except this one. I figure I don't need to save just one as a gift bag.

These bags turned out really cute, and are fun to take out shopping or whatever when you don't need a huge bagful of stuff--like when you leave your kids at home, or even if you have to wander through somewhere like Ikea and don't want to be weighted down with more than keys and a credit card.

So...who wants it?

Leave a comment (with your email address if I don't have it) if you are interested, and on Monday, August 16th, I will draw a name at random, and it is yours. If you already have one, you can still enter and give it away as a gift bag yourself.

A New Blog for an Old One

Hi all. After reading this scary story, (which I got from here), I just couldn't in good conscience keep my Spence Family blog public. So, with the sad knowledge that I will lose most of my few readers by doing so, I decided to make make fourspences.blogspot.com a private blog. I know, private blogs are not my favorite either. But, I would rather ask you to make one extra click of your mouse (if you are already logged into Google), or type in your account name and password just one more time, than have any innocent pictures of my sweet little boys on some creapy child-porn site. I am sure you understand. I realize the risk of somebody targeting my photos is minimal, and I never have posted any questionable bum-shots or anything, but if it is happening at all--to normal family-type bloggers--then it is worth protecting the kids from being exposed before it is too late.

So, I have created "M e g, and stuff" instead. From here, I will post a notice when I have a new post available on The Spence Family, and I will post non-familyish related posts here. The main complaint I have about private blogs is not being able to follow them in Google Reader, and therefore not knowing when there is a new post. So you end up trying to remember the website address, typing it in finally, and realizing that there still haven't been any new posts for a month. Then the next time, there are ten new posts you have missed! This method, via a feed from Meg and stuff (I know, lame name, but I gave up trying out available addresses), should take care of that problem. And, most of you are google account holders, so if you are already signed in, it should redirect you when you click on the link I will provide in each post here.

I apologize for any inconvenience (especially to those kind friends who have put me on their sidebars), and ask that you still keep reading or checking my blog. I love reconnecting and making new connections through blogging! Please keep in touch with me!

If I fail to send you an invitation for The Spence Family, please email me at meganspence@gmail.com and I will send you one. Thanks for understanding! (ok, all done with the exclamation marks.)

P.S. I will work on the side bar soon