Merry Christmas

It seems our children are so good that Santa never has a problem tracking us down. At their grandparents home in Utah on Christmas Eve, the girls were thrilled to set out cookies and milk for Santa, hoping it would push them even higher on the nice list... and they were not disappointed. Under the tree Christmas morning was everything for which they pleaded during their earlier visit with the big man...

Snow White and Belle with their sparkling horses, a collection of Littlest Pet Shop animals, and a skateboard. He also dropped off a bit of tradition, tickets for Mom, Emmry, and Grammy to Ballet West's The Nutcracker.

Yet after three weeks full of visits with family and old friends, parties, food, traditions, presents, and snow, we were all ready to head home to warmer weather. And as Ryan struggled to fit all our spoils into and on top of the car for the drive home, it would appear the kids were definitely on the nice list this year...

and it's a good thing, because our dog Chanel ate the cookies.

The Greatest Snow on Earth

When you live in "The Valley of the Sun", you don't see much snow. In fact, snowfall is so rare in the valley that there are only eight recorded instances since records began being kept in 1896, the most recent being 1990.

So what are a family of Phoenicians to do while they are in Utah...

Live it up!

Meeting the Prophet

Yesterday at my grandfather's funeral my kids were privileged to sit in the front of the chapel and look into the eyes of the prophet. Braden had the wonderful opportunity of shaking President Monson's hand.

Today the girls looked disappointingly up at the pulpit during our church meeting and asked,

"Where's follow the prophet?"

Pappy - Tried and True, Through and Through

Yesterday we had the privilege of gathering as a family to celebrate the life of my grandfather, Royden G. Derrick. As a former member of the presidency of the Seventy for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, my grandfather had close friendships with prominent members of the church, so we were fortunate to have in attendance at the funeral Elder Russel M. Nelson, Elder M. Russel Ballard, and President Thomas S. Monson. And while a funeral is never welcome, a gathering to celebrate the accomplishments of one's life is.

My father and uncles chose for the topics of their addresses a few of Pappy's quotes that demonstrate his great character:

"The key to happiness is doing what you should do when you should do it."

"Service is its own reward."

"The key to success is making up your mind where you are going; then working hard to get there."

We also had the wonderful opportunity to meet President Thomas S. Monson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, and hear him speak. Particularly memorable was what he asked the grandchildren and great-grandchildren to remember of their grandfather:

"Royden Derrick was tried and true, through and through."

My children will likely remember very little of Pappy - his wheel chair, his delight in seeing them, and his smile full of innocence and glee. At the end of his life, Pappy became as Christ admonishes all of us to be, as a child. He became truly perfect. And though they didn't really know him, they will inherit his legacy, his drive for success and happiness in life. They will always know he was tried and true, through and through.

Three's A Charm?

Dead bird number three dropped at my feet today. I did not sign up for this.

Halloween

Life is full of tough decisions. Like, what were we going to do with a big, beautiful pumpkin brought home from the store Halloween day? Scary jack-o-lantern or pretty princess?

These decisions are difficult as our home is one of extreme opposites. Either you love lip gloss, Sleeping Beauty, and dancing class in the living room, or you do not. You love video games, skateboarding, and trying to burp, or you do not.

While we support one another, we are two different teams that very rarely defect to the other's side.
So there was sure to be a face-off with the appearance of the pumpkin. It would be be two dainty tinkerbells and a darling black cat staring down the eyes of a menacing Death Eater who, if defeated, was prepared to threaten the peace of muggle and magic world alike.

Thankfully a team captain stepped in and the pumpkin became a truly hideous double-faced creature. On one side, a gory jack-o-lantern with gashes and wounds and terrible teeth. On the other, a beautiful princess with voluptuous lips and a tiara.

Two teams victorious! Could it be that easy?

Mom, which face will point outwards to greet the trick-or-treaters?

Tips for next year: 1)each team captain must provide their own pumpkin; 2) remember to brush teeth before the movie.

Adendum to Happily Ever After

I spent my morning outside today dreaming and humming to myself, enjoying a typical fairy tale day... only to be interrupted by the voices of my twins.

"Bird in the house! Bird in the house, mama!"

Could it be that it's hanging the wash? No, it is another ordinary bird. How unfortunate!

And now I have another dead bird. What's a girl to do?

Well, is this a modern-day fairy tale or not? Surely I need not wait around for Prince Charming. So I'll scooped up the bird in a dust pan and disposed of it myself. The Prince will have to find someone else to save...

OK, like me tonight at dinner time!

Happily Ever After?

My Dad often asks me if I feel like I'm living in a fairy tale... beautiful home, wonderful family, caring husband, great job...

Yes, a fairy tale...

In fact it must be my constant singing and waltzing about that attracts the birds. In the eleven months we have lived in our home we have had five birds in to visit. Unfortunately they are not the singing, helpful breed that go around making beds and doing dishes. They are the common, unfairy tale breed, that chirp about, run into windows, and poop on the floor (as if I haven't had enough of that).

Fortunately I have just the unfairy tale type dog to chase away such ordinary birds. She has successfully chased all the birds out, that is until today. Today, our bird was not quick enough. As I stood by appalled, Hadley cheered Chanel on.

Now I have a dead bird on my floor. What to do? There is no protocol for a dead bird in a fairy tale. Well it simply couldn't stay. It would have to go as it threatened my fairy tale existence. So I did what any fairy tale princess would do... I threw a plastic bag over it and a pink sequined hat for good measure. I am now waiting for my prince charming to come rescue me.

Arrow of Light

Tonight Braden received his cub scout "arrow of light" award, the highest award a boy can earn in cub scouts, and the only award that can be worn on the boy scout uniform. Is it obvious that I'm in charge of scouting?

As the person in charge I naturally hosted the event in my backyard. It was a bit exciting for us as it was our first official "event" in our backyard and with tiki torches aglow and the fire pit blazing, the mood was perfect for the ceremony. The official "arrow of light" ceremony was performed by a group of "Indians" with a lot of fire and fanfare.

While I'm sure every other parent was looking on with pride as their son handled the arrow, pulled back on the bow, received their award, and crossed the bridge from cubs to boy scouts, all I could think of was who decided that having a fire ceremony in their backyard in the middle of a dry desert sounded like a good idea?

We're proud of you! Congrats Braden!

Suckers

While soccer season is winding down elsewhere, it is just beginning in Arizona. The weather has cooled to the 80s and low 90s and is beautiful, which may make a few of you laugh!

Braden had his first soccer game on Saturday where they came up with a respectable tie in the last five seconds of the game. We cheered them on as we basked in the sunshine and played on the grass.

Later that day Braden found it interesting that the high in Utah was 53 degrees and it sent him searching for temperatures in other places we have family and friends. His comment, "Suckers!"

A Day to Celebrate

Today Braden came home with a 100% on his math test, Emme "clipped up" in her kindergarten class, and we found out Ryan passed his board exams. Today is truly a day to celebrate!

Small Crevices

What is it about small crevices that is so enticing to little kids? The smallest gap will tempt a child to drop a toy, paper, or DVD within its confines. When they tear down the walls in the loft of our old Shaker Heights home, someone will find a hoard of goods from the time we spent there. It then should not be surprising that a nose nostril would be so alluring to a three-year-old. Yet, you have to wonder, why? Why would you stick something up there?

Chloe came to us crying. There was something in her nose and she was not happy about it. Ryan got out his otoscope for a better view. Barely visible in the back of her nose he could just make out the shape of a yellow polly pocket shoe. Why do those things come with shoes anyway? They don't stay on their feet and are lost within moments of the package being opened. It's a wonder Chloe even found one in the first place.

After we tried all we could do, we called on the services of a pediatric ENT who was able to extract and return the shoe. On the drive home, a traumatized Chloe clutched her plastic baggie containing the small yellow shoe as if it were a prize from a gumball machine.

It was a lesson learned, and it seems that more often than not, lessons are learned the hard way. Chloe tells us she will not be sticking anything else up her nose. She has learned the painful consequences. Unfortunately, those consequences were not passed on to her twin and Hadley now has a dolphin nose up hers!

Happy Birthday Emme

When we first moved to Ohio one of our first outings was to the North Chagrin Reservation where the remnants of Squires Castle are. Though just a gate house for Squire's planned estate, after 120 years it appears to be a small castle. Emmry was not even one-years-old at the time but on that visit I planned her fourth birthday party, which was to be her last birthday in Ohio. What would be better for a little girl than having a princess party on the lawn in front of a castle? The girls would dress-up and we would play games, eat fancy food, and hunt for pixie sticks all with the castle in the foreground. Summer and early fall weather in Ohio is beautiful, so it would be perfect.

Unfortunately, while the weather in Ohio can be beautiful, it is also unpredictable. Mid-September, 2007 was windy and cold. It did not stop my princess party dream though. We had the party at the castle, though Emmry actually wanted a flower party. The kids dressed up, we played games and ate, but all with our jackets pulled up around us. The tissue paper flowers I painstakingly made for decorations tore and blew in the wind. The table cloths would not stay put and the watermelon shaped like daisies looked out of place as we huddled around the BBQ.

Thankfully weather in Arizona is a bit more predictable. This year with just a few months planning we threw a beach party. With eight of her friends dressed in suits and sun screen, we played games, ate, and swam in the warm Arizona sun.

As a family on the 15th we drove to Sedona where we played at Slide Rock, a natural water slide in Oak Creek Canyon, and snacked on its banks. Emmry even braved the cold water and slid down the chute with her dad. It really was perfect!

As we put Emmry to bed with her presents around her, I couldn't help but think that age four started out so unpredictably, despite three-years of planning, and at the end of that year we were in Arizona. Hopefully age six will be much more predictable... we'll just stay right where we're at.

Outsmarted

Why is it that when a toddler and adult go head to head, the toddler always finds a way to outsmart the adult?

The girls have recently figured out that all the "good stuff" in the pantry is on the top shelf. At eye level they see dried beans and milk, wheat, oats, rice and oil. The syrup would be perhaps the most tempting and I'm sure with a bit of ingenuity they could get the lid off, but by just craning the neck upwards there is a wealth of goodies to tempt any child: fruit by the foot, fruit snacks, granola bars, crackers, chips, pudding and candy, including a Costco size bag of M&Ms. So not surprising, it did not take them too long to figure out how to scale the shelves and pull down their preferred treat.

Climbing eight feet off the ground, reaching one handed into a box, and scaling back down was sure to take us back to the orthopod who already had plenty of questions for us. So I made a trip to my local Babies R Us and produced a child lock to Ryan. After nearly an hour of wrestling with the "easy to install" device, Ryan had the lock on the door and we were sure to avoid any more questions.

However, it took Hadley less than one day to figure out the secret to the lock. Hadley shared her new found knowledge with Chloe and the "good stuff" was accessible again.

That night, the girls exhausted from not napping fell asleep around 5:30 p.m. We flipped the lock upside down which restricted any downward movement of the handle. We've got them this time! We assumed they didn't understand the door could be opened by pushing up on the handle.

The next morning the girls were up at 5:00 a.m. I was not. When I pulled myself from bed at ten to six I found them sitting at the table with a box full of Oreos strewn over the table. Breakfast anyone?

Kindergarten

Kindergarten was made for little girls... the coloring, cutting, pasting, creating...

While volunteering in Emme's class the other day I was able to observe the children's' artwork. Emmry had drawn a picture of a flower on a bed of grass with a rainbow spanning across the sky. How bliss! I could have laid on that grass for hours, smelt the flower, and gazed in awe at the rainbow. Where is Mary Poppins when you need her?

Then I came across her friend's picture. This friend is a boy. His picture reminded me so much of Braden's kindergarten artwork. Not that their pictures were not wonderful in their own way... perhaps they will be great contemporary artists. Their pictures had the sporadic quality of a rushed hand and a mind full of the upcoming recess... of balls, sand, slides and swings. Perhaps just a little less attention to detail.

I could see from Emmry's picture that she loves kindergarten. She loves the coloring, cutting, pasting and creating. She loves learning to read and write in her journal. And though I am missing her, it is fun to see her in her element. She has truly found her calling in life... kindergarten student!

Happy Birthday Girls!

Sharing a birthday has got to be tough. As a twin you have to share everything already - a room, friends, toys, clothes... even underwear. It's always they, not she. It's always them, not her. It's all about sharing and compromising. But, I just know they're thinking, "Really? Do I really have to share my birthday too?"

Three is a fun birthday. It's the age they really begin to understand it. They talk about it for months after, they sing happy birthday at any moment, and they want to buy everything "for my birthday." So I wanted to make it special for them (I mean her and her). Our first compromise was the birthday dinner. Chloe loves peanut butter, Hadley does not. Hadley loves french fries, Chloe does not. Compromise: they both love snacks (imagine this in unison, "Snack, mama, snack)! Their birthday dinner consisted of cheese and crackers, deli turkey, olives, corn on the cob and melon. Braden deemed it the best dinner ever!

Our second compromise was the birthday cake. The girls have an obsession with princesses which has only deepened since our trip to Disneyland. (Whose idea was that anyway?) While they love them all, Hadley has developed a fondness for Snow White and Chloe for Belle. Voila! We made a Siamese princess!

The girls had a wonderful birthday, compromises and all. The best moment of night for me was easy. It wasn't our snack dinner, our swim party, the presents or the cake. The best moment was producing two beautiful new princess dolls - one Belle, one Snow White - and then seeing two empty-handed-girls look on as their mom ripped the legs off and jammed them into a cake. They went into a hysterical fit! I really wish I had that picture to share.

In all, it was a wonderful 3rd birthday and we're looking forward to year three. Their vocabulary is improving and they can be caught jabbering away to each other. My favorite things they say? "Chloe, so cute!" "That really hurt!" "I love my mama." And when you ask them how old they are, "One, three, two."

Though I hear the older they get the easier it will be, I am thankful today they are just three. They still don't know any better. Sharing things like birthdays... and underwear... is still great fun!

Fleeting Moments

What memories do you have of your great-grandparents? Mine are pretty patchy. I remember a few things here and a few things there. I remember visiting my great-grandmother Gankee and her siblings at their small home in Salt Lake. Right as you entered their home you climbed a few steps and were in their kitchen. In the second drawer down they always had cookies. They had a wheel chair out back that we liked to ride on. I also remember visiting with great-grandparents at Mommy Allo and Pappy's home (my grandparents). They sat in a rocking chair. That's it.

Mommy Allo and Pappy are now in their mid-90s. I took my children over to visit while we were in Utah a month ago. What do they remember? They remember Pappy in a wheel chair. They remember him asking them questions and saying what beautiful children they are. But they are constantly talking about Mommy Allo. "Mommy Allo paint my nails," they say. "Go to Mommy Allo's house."

It's interesting the memories we hold on to. The moments are so fleeting, but the memories can last forever. My girls will always remember their great-grandmother Mommy Allo and how she painted their nails!

Finding Magic

It has been a dream of mine to take my kids to Disneyland. The rides, the magic, the memories. I wanted that for my kids. I wanted them to ride blindly through Space Mountain and get dizzy on the tea pots. I wanted them to watch the shows and dance in the parades. I wanted them to eat expensive ice cream and drink overpriced lemonade. I wanted them to pick out and buy their very own souvenirs. I wanted the magic of Disneyland for them.

It was a dream fulfilled from the first moment to the last. Upon our arrival at the hotel there were three boxes waiting for us. Inside were princess dresses, stuffed Minnie and Daisy duck dolls, tiaras and wands. The dresses were immediately put on, and once they were on it was very difficult getting them off. Hadley, dressed as Snow White, and Chloe, dressed as Belle, refused each morning to take them off to go to the park. Once there, they loved the Dumbo ride and spent a good part of our early entrance at the Pooh ride. FYI, there's no one in line for Pooh at 8:00 a.m. You can ride it over and over and over again. You don't even have to get off as your children chant in unison "'gin, 'gin"(sigh).

Braden was the most reluctant of the kids. He equates Disney with everything girl and princess, because it pretty much is at our house. When he entered the parks, he came with a little chip on his shoulder and Disney definitely had something to prove. Poor Crush the sea turtle from Finding Nemo felt it, as Braden gave him a bit of a hard time. Their conversation went something like this:

Crush: So, what's your name.

Braden: Braden

Crush: Where ya from?

Braden: (long pause)... I don't think you'd know it.

Crush: That's why I'm asking. So, let's try it again. Where ya from?

Braden: (long pause)... Up on the surface.

Crush: Where abouts up on the surface?

Braden: On the land.

In the end Disney won Braden over. He and Emme kept Ryan nauseous for the entire four days. Braden loved the Tower of Terror while Emmry's favorite was the Matterhorn. Ryan's favorite may likely have been the park bench, and my favorite? I loved the shows (When did I become a boring adult?).

On the last day we let the kids pick out their souvenir. They had had four days now to look in every shop and contemplate just the right trinket. In the end, it was pretty easy. Braden chose a double-sided light saber; Emmry, a Minnie Mouse Polly Pocket; Hadley, a bucket of princesses; and Chloe, the cat in a princess purse she fell in love with at the Pooh ride.

The dream vacation was truly magical for me and I was not disappointed. But it was really more than the magic of the park, Mickey and the princesses, Small World, and Sleeping Beauty's castle. For me, it was what the vacation represented. It represented the end of our journey through school, our finally making it, and the opportunities that are ahead of us. That is what made this dream truly magical!

Puppy Dog Eyes

We have been in Utah for exactly one month and we can definitely taste the bitter sweet as we pack up to leave. The kids are excited. Tonight we'll be in St. George staying with our friends, the Nelsons, and tomorrow we'll be in Anaheim. But we're all sad to say goodbye to friends, family, and the fun we've had here in Utah. We have that sort of expression on our faces. The longing you see in a dog's face when something they can't have is dangled right in front of them.

Staying in a house with up to six adults, eight kids, and two dogs has been quite a party and definitely one of the highlights. Braden was adopted for the better part of the month by his Aunt Launi and her four boys. They hiked to Timpanogos Cave, visited the Kennecott Copper Mine, camped in Logan Canyon, and played Wii daily at the break of dawn. We have enjoyed the "cool" Utah weather and just sitting on the grass in Liberty Park.

Visiting the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House was a memorable experience. The kids had the unique opportunity to walk through the temple before its dedication. With four kids it was not exactly the reverent, spiritual experience for which I had hoped. But it definitely was memorable. When else will you see a two-year-old jump on the step of the alter?

With thoughts of returning home to Scottsdale in our heads, Braden and I took to the golf course for two days of lessons. Braden has developed quite the swing! When Ryan got into town it was fun for us to spend a little time with Braden on the golf course. If paring the ninth hole doesn't keep you coming back, that will.

Of all of us, I think Chanel may be the saddest to leave. She has developed quite a fondness for our parents and my parents' dog, Daisy. She has not only found a warm spot in their hears, but in their beds also. She goes on daily walks and wrestles with Daisy. Not sure we could compete with that, with the good of the dog in mind, I proposed she stay in Utah and we could come for visits. But the kids couldn't be fooled and quickly vetoed the idea. So we'll all leave - packed tightly in our van - with our puppy dog eyes focused on Utah, our family, and our friends, just out of reach.

Are You Kidding Me?

"Are you kidding me?," is a phrase I've found that I'm often repeating lately. It's amazing to me the kind of trouble a toddler can cause in the literal blink of an eye.

Week three in Utah has been spent sewing Emmry's summer project. At the beginning of the summer Emme decided it would be fun to make a dress. Having only sewed from a pattern on one other occasion, I decided my extended trip to Utah with my mom at hand might be the perfect place for this project. At week three, I was definitely feeling the pressure of our looming departure date as I struggled through my "Easy to Sew" dress. (Isn't there an "Easiest to Sew" category?)

Like any perfect, wonderful children, mine seem to find trouble when they are left to themselves for too long. Don't believe me? Read back a bit. I was working on the hem (which means I'm almost done, hallelujah!) when Braden came running into the sewing room with our dog cradled in his arms dripping blood. Blood! Blood matted all in the dogs hair, in my mom's new carpet, and most likely on a twin. After a quick sponge bath it was clear the source of the blood was a cut on the dog's ear. Hadley was quickly produced holding a pair of scissors which also explained Chanel's interesting new haircut.

As I tried to curtail the bleeding in the bathroom I registered a familiar sound coming from the other room. With the threat of the dog's life currently on hold I dropped Nell to the ground and rounded the corner to find Chloe pushing the pedal on the sewing machine where I had left Emme's nearly complete dress.

Are you kidding me?

No one tells you it will be this hard, but as with all things, it is completely worth it. After stopping the bleeding, cleaning up the blood, and unstitching the dress I peeked in on my kids in bed. They really are perfect and wonderful, aren't they?

Family Reunion

I have so many wonderful memories of family vacations from when I was young, most from our trips to California to visit Tami and Papa Del. We loved water skiing in their backyard in Discovery Bay, camping in the Sierra's at their cabin, and taking day trips into San Fransisco.

I enjoy trying to recreate these memories for my kids.

If I could take them up to the Sierra's to
drink hot cocoa by fire in the morning, sleep under the stars at night, play in the river, drink soda from the underground water fridge, swing in the tire swing, and cook over the fire, I would.

So in the spirit of camping, the Derrick family "camped out' for a four day reunion at the Homestead in Midway, Utah. We golfed, swam, cruised down the Alpine Slide, competed in tennis tournaments, and tried our hand at fishing (note: the husbands were off golfing for this last one). Braden surprised the park rangers by actually catching one. The kids shared secret cousin presents and Chloe, who caught the flu, shared that as well.

So while there was no camping under the stars or cooking over an open fire, there was family... and that is what memories are all about.

Bonding

Ryan and I feel the hardest part about living away from family is that our children have limited opportunities to bond with grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. It was then out of sheer selflessness that we decided to leave them for a week in Utah with my parents to strengthen those bonds while we played in Alaska with Ryan's family.

What can I say... it was amazing. We hiked, rafted, shopped, and toured on land. We read, hot tubbed,

watched movies, dined out, and went to shows on board... things we never have a chance to do at home. It was a very relaxing week...

Well, it was for us. For my mom on the other hand, it was a bit more work. She was not doing any reading. She was not shopping, or hiking, watching whales port side, or sleeping in either. She was taking kids to the parade (one covered in throw up), the swim pool (two naked hiding in lockers), and the zoo (bless her). She was keeping the kids busy so they wouldn't miss us. She must have done a great job of it too because she said the only reference the kids made to us was the babies' daily naked salute to our picture on the wall while riding dog-back.

Yes, my parents have a dog and they were dog-sitting Chanel as well, which worked out nicely for the twins... they each had a dog to torment. They rode them, walked them, and played house with them. Poor Daisy! Chanel is used to being locked in closets, dragged around by the collar, pushed in strollers, and carried around. Daisy was a novice but was quite the sport! Fortunately she has the advantage of size that Chanel does not have and could not be lifted. My mom said the girls loved going on walks with the dogs, and just like the dogs, would always stop to check out the port-a-potty.

Ryan and I are happy to be back and grateful for the time the kids were able to spend with family. After a week, I think the grandparents and grandchildren must have truly bonded. "No, me Hadley," is now a part of Hadley's everyday language (even yelling it out in sacrament meeting to my dad at the pulpit) and the twins gave my mom their own affectionate nickname by contorting grammy into "dum-dum." I know she appreciates it after taking care of them for a week and we're working our hardest to make it stick!