21st Century Tattling

Boy times have changed since I was a kid. When I had a grievous tattle to tell -and believe me, I always did- I had to dramatically leave the scene of the offense, track down a parent, gain that weary parent's ear and then try to explain the affront with the most positive slant for me and the most traitorous for my sibling. The anticipation of whether or not said parent would deem my tale worthy of further investigation was the stuff a splendid childhood was made of. 

So when Kennedy bypassed all of the drama by instead swiping my phone to gather incriminating evidence in a self-righteous silence, and then casually handed me my phone back with the instructions to "see for myself", I knew for sure that times, they are a changing.   

 First I discovered a picture of Kohen eating a good choice food, an apple. I wouldn't be in a dither about that in any scenario I can think of so I eventually concluded that she wanted me to see that he was outside with just his socks on + eating an apple right before dinner. Surely this would illicit a parental response, right?!

Kennedy then moved on to catch Aly, likewise apple-handed, but she was going to use scissors to cut the apple, and that could go bad quickly... but still nothing much out of the ordinary...

... Until I flipped to this picture. Which is two training wheels that appear to have been covered in what? oil??? No........ paint!

 Having finally gotten my full attention I quickly swiped to the next picture and Kennedy announced with barely contained excitement, "Aly used the training wheels to paint the outside walls!"

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. When I saw that last one, there were only a few choice ones that came to mind.

Kennedy's Night Out With The Rents

After waiting patiently for her siblings to go, it was finally Kennedy's turn. She wanted to be surprised, but Nathan and I knew exactly what we wanted to do with Kennedy so it was easy.

 Indian food! Mom and Dad's very favorite food in Taiwan (ahh, the irony) is often brought home on weekend nights as take out. But it's only for Nathan and I once the kids are down. Kennedy has had lot's of tastes over the years but was so excited to be in on the big kids dinner.
I actually have a Pavlovian response when I see that food, mmmm.....

 Kennedy has a serious love and devotion for anything sweet. This mango slush hit the spot, she was giddy. There was so much that she had her fill and then some.

For our activity we went for foot rubs. Normally Nathan and I enjoy some light conversation before lapsing into a relaxed silence. Not tonight! Kennedy seized the opportunity to chat us up and hardly stopped to breathe. It was so cute, actually. Though about 45 min in, Nathan and I started making eyes at each other like, "Wow!" Her ability to make the most of her mom and dad time superseded the relaxing effect of foot rubs. It was a good trade though, and I know pretty soon I'll be wishing I didn't have to pull info out of her. (And that's 95 up there, for those who recognize the dexterous genius at my feet :)
We rounded out the night by letting Kennedy pick out a doughnut at Mr. Doughnut. She took the picking out process very seriously.
Highlight:
Spending time with one of our children who can actually have a thoughtful conversation and realizing that though she is small and looks young for her age, she is maturing and growing before our very eyes. We loved hanging out with Kennedy!

Kohen's Turn, Bowling!

Is it a sign that we are good parents or mean parents that each of our kids were dying to have sodas on their dates? After Kohen got the sprite he probably could have been satisfied to go home. Though I suppose I get excited about soda in a bottle too. Yum!

We decided to go bowling and it was actually super fun. We focused on really cheering each other on (in spite of the bowling alley filled with non-emotive Asians) and each of us got some strikes and spares so it was easy enough to do.

Most of the pictures of Kohen bowling looked like he had just been tazed, but he's only been once or twice before so that is to be expected. By the end he was looking more in control. Great progress!

                                        

Please note the spare sign in the back ground. Booyah!

                                        

My Bowling Boys

Before we left we played a few rounds of air hockey. I love the picture of Kohen laughing after just scoring against his dad. No greater joy, apparently.

We finished the night by taking Kohen to Outback for the first time. At this point in his life I would say food is Kohen's love language so he was in heaven. He was totally happy to share some appetizers with his mom and dad.

Highlight:

During dinner we were talking with Kohen about some of the struggles he's had recently, especially with controlling his mouth when frustrated. A few minutes later Nathan casually asked Kohen if he had a daughter, what would he tell her or what advice would he give her to help her do better. He thought about it for a minute and then said, "I would tell her to be kind, and to stay calm and to, HEEEY! Your using the Force on me!"

What a great night. 

Alyssa's Date Night

The aftermath of our crazy last month or so has left us feeling a bit out of sorts. Our kids recognized when Nathan or I were single-parenting and took full advantage. So we knew that spring break would be a great time to reign everyone in. We decided to start by taking the older three on a date night with mom and dad. 

 

Alyssa got to go first. We did not intend to be all matchy-matchy but when we went to take a picture we were pretty proud when we realized our accidental coordination. 

We took Aly to the newly opened, first in the world, Barbie Cafe. By all accounts, the decorations were  impressive. Everything was pink, sparkly, and foofy. 

                              

But alas, despite the fabulous decor, the food left everything something to be desired. I ordered a salmon salad which arrived looking dubious, with limp, slimy "smoked salmon" and a salad that, I kid you not, tasted like an ash tray. Frankly, I don't know how they even did that. We sent it back because it was inedible. 

Later when Nathan was paying the bill the guy checking him out said, "It was really bad wasn't it?" Nathan said, yes, it truly was. The guy said, "I am quitting so I can be honest." 

It was that bad.

 Probably the coolest idea in the place is this Barbie box where you can sit in the chair in the box and take pictures. She's so stinkin cute, I'd save up all of my penny's to buy a little doll like her.

Get in there!

Cutest Memory:

As we were driving along Nathan made a request for me to turn on a music app called Songza that we adore because the one Eng. radio station here is laughable. So he says to me, "Hey, wanna Songza me?" From the back seat Aly pipes up in her high-pitched little voice with, "Sure!" then breaks in to  song, with "I am a Chiiild of God...." It was the best "Songza" we've ever had.

For her activity Alyssa requested a ride on the merry-go-round over by the giant Ferris wheel. It cost $1.50 and she was happy as a lark. Ah, if only our children were always so easy to please as a 6 yr old!
It was great to get to spend time with our middle child, when you get this one alone she is about as funny and sweet as can be. Love her!

Cub Scouts for Kohen

Kohen has been really excited to be able to join the scouting program this year in the Cub Scouts. The program is run through the school and a parent has to attend all activities, but the trade off seems to be that siblings are welcome to come and participate in whatever they may be doing. It has become a fun Saturday morning activity for our family.

Kohen followed in the footsteps of many Wilcox and Jensen men before him in carefully and methodically preparing his first pinewood derby car with his dad. He could hardly wait for the big day to arrive.

His preparations and patience paid off. He placed first in his Den and third in his Pack. (A proud mother might selfishly note that the 1st & 2nd place winners both had cars ordered ready made and bought from online,  read: don't really count).

 Recently I took Kohen and Alyssa for a tour at a local tv station with the scouts. I had to wait and chuckle with Nathan later that the name of the station is TVBS. Who trusts a news outlet that admits it's TV is BS?!
Above you can see the kids checking out the set to a popular game show.

They also got to check out the sound stage for a talk show. It's so cool to see it in from that perspective.

 Here these two are sitting in the hot seat from the show. The inner Barbara Walters in me wanted to ask, "What is the biggest thing you've bwoken and kept hidden from your mom?"

 Here we watched their news anchor shooting live tv. It was fun to see her on a nearby monitor streaming in the news. And funny to watch her preen when she wasn't on camera.

Last we made a stop to see where all of the real action happens. This is where all of the different feeds come in and where it is decided what will go out. 

It was a fascinating behind the scenes trip at TVBS.

***(Incidentally, this trip marked a first for our fam. With Nathan out of town I was stuck without help. There was NO WAY I was wrestling all 5 kids through the station during nap time, lest we end up on the 5 o'clock news as the crazy waiguoren. So Kennedy babysat Ander and Scarlett as they slept during naps. My neighbor was home and on call for Kenna at the time, but she was excited to babysit and totally saved the day.)

Here is Kohen getting some more belt loops at an awards ceremony. Way to go Kohen!

Who are we kidding, I wrote this whole post so I could point out how good looking my men are in uniform.

A Really Bad Average

The last 30 days have not been my favorite, because in that last 30 days Nathan and I have been apart for 24 of those day. And of the sparse 6 remaining days, 3 of those days Nathan left to teach early morning seminary and had late dinner meetings, leaving us with a total of 3 days together in the last 30. That is not a good average... It has been a long month...
But as always, we survive.
Tonight I got to thinking though, exactly how did we survive?
Our neighbors on the lane have become like family and during months like these, if my sanity stays intact it is only because of the service and friendship that they give so constantly and freely.
After a particularly long week with Nathan gone, Brandie thoughtfully dropped off my favorite take-out meal to me before she and her husband went out on a date. Later as I was in the thick of it finishing dinner for the kids but also trying to get them all bathed, my other neighbor Carrie popped in to bring us some specialty bread she'd found and then helped me clean up the kitchen and bathe the kids before she went home. These small acts of service have been my life line.

 (Me and Carrie)

This last weekend Nathan was gone again, or rather, it wasn't one of the lucky 3 days he was home ;) and I had made it home later than I would've liked with the groceries to make dinner. I got everything ready to go -two different pots on the stove top- and the flame wouldn't start. No gas. I couldn't believe it, we just had the tanks replaced a few months ago! It's Saturday night and no one would be delivering more until Monday.
I called down to Brandie to have her come check out the gas tanks with me and see if both were empty or if we could switch to the the back up one. They were of course, both empty. I was maybe starting to panic a little about not having gas to cook with or warm water to clean, until Brandie had Jeremiah come up.
Before I know it he has the propane tank from our BBQ hooked up to the line going into the kitchen. Who even knew you could do that? Better yet, who even knows how to do that?!

It was a small thing but such a relief! There are just so many things they have done to lend a hand: brought up their scooter so we could jump Nathan's car, took all 5 kids and fed them lunch so I could just shower in peace one day, man-handled Ander at church for me, grab essentials from the grocery store for me, the list goes on and on.

(Brandie and Jeremiah)

Living close to these two families has taught me so much about a principle that I now know wholeheartedly to be true: If you want to have love for someone, simply serve them.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve these friends and also receive their acts of service. I know this last month would have been beyond unbearable without the service that was given so freely to us.

Asia Women's Conf. 2013

Asia Women's Conference is the most amazing spiritual resource I have as an expat. I look forward to it every year. However due to our insane schedules as of late, I was so torn about whether or not to go. But dang, I am so glad that I did.
We were really excited to have Sister Julie B. Beck with us this year, among others.
I could write all about it and show you gobs of pictures but my dear friend Nicole who currently lives in HK, already wrote an awesome post, explaining some of the drama that comes with being a committee member as we both were again this year. She was in charge of the food this year and... well, you'll just have to click here and read more about it.
What you won't see on her blog is the story of when Brandie and I were at the hotel Nathan had booked for us using his Marriott points, we jumped in a taxi to head to the church, only to discover it was basically across the street. The taxi driver was not as amused as we were, haha! There was literally an overpass and elevated walkways connecting the church to the Marriott. That was a treat.
I took away lot's of gems from the weekend but one of my favorites was some advice one of the speakers shared that had been given to her as wedding advice:
Make your needs known or they can never be met. 
So simple but surprisingly unintuitive!
I came away with lot's of thoughts and ideas that inspired me to do better across the whole spectrum of my life. And that is really what Women's Conference is all about.

Scarlett at 18 months

 

Here is Scarlett at one of her first photo shoots. We had really burned out doing modeling over the last 3 + yrs and we are now much pickier about when and who we will do it for. So these were especially fun to see of mei mei.

I took these pictures in short succession one day and was amazed at the spectrum of emotions and faces she could display in about 12 seconds.

 Scarlett loves the pink silky blankets like her siblings before her, but specifically, she loves the soft tags. She has very specific self soothing techniques, as you can see.

But that's fine because it translates into more snuggles for us!

When Scarlett was playing in this box I thought, "Cute! I'll take a quick picture!" But the flash on my phone alerted her each time and she would make the strangest "cheese" face right at the last second.




 I had 22 pictures in varying degrees of this... I was having a pretty good laugh, and she just thought she was doing what she was supposed to.

I eventually turned the flash off and found the smile I had been looking for.

Kennedy likes to make a 'special bed' for Scarlett some nights, where she goes in before hand and spreads out all of her blankets just right, then lays her sister in bed and tucks her in using about five layers. Scarlett must love the ritual because she stays put, which she doesn't do under any other circumstances.

 I put these cute Chinese silk shoes on Scarlett for church one day and admired them in my mind each time I saw her scamper around in them. Later on after we got home,  I discovered Scarlett had dumped her shoes in the toilet. Apparently she did not think they were as adorable as I did! (For the record, I rinsed them off, set them under a fan and put them on her the next week!)

At 18 months old Scarlett is not speaking. Yet she manages to communicate plenty. She is the loudest little girl I have ever known. She actually knows quite a few words (Dad, more, drink, please, Aly, stop, sorry, bye, buhboo, peek a boo, uh oh) but she hoards them and refuses to use them when you ask her to. She will dole them out sparingly and only on her own terms. Let me put it this way, if she brings me the animal crackers and squawks at me to give her some, if I suggest for her to say More, or Please, or Eat, she often will be so stubborn that she would rather go without the crackers than use a word to ask for one. Not sure yet how to mold this trait into a positive quality...

Last but not least, my little mei mei has turned 18 months and gone to nursery. Someone make it stop! Time is stealing away my sweet baby...

Kennedy's Choice

Recently Kennedy had a really tough decision to make. 

She still struggles to make close and lasting friends at school. It had been more than a year since she had been invited to a birthday party so when she read the invitation from a friend she was jumping up and down, so excited!... Until she read that it was on a Sunday. She totally crumpled up in tears, and my heart was in shreds just seeing her. We stick to family stuff on Sundays, and have always declined to attend birthday parties on that day. Generally, it's a family day and the day we go to church, a day of rest.

Nathan and I spent several days discussing and praying and thinking with Kennedy about whether or not she should go. As we watched her agonize over what she should do, we were sorely tempted to just send her on her way and tell her to have a great time. But we knew it was important that Kennedy make the choice, and more importantly, be comfortable with whatever choice she made. 

I was so proud of her honesty with her feelings and her courage to do what she knew was the right choice for her (because let's face it, there are a lot worse ways to spend a Sunday other than celebrating your friends Birthday!). But she believed that the principle of keeping the Sabbath day holy was important.

In the end she decided she wouldn't go, but was still heartbroken to be left out of the fun. So Nathan came up with the idea for an outdoor movie night where she could be proactive about making friends. The offer sealed the deal, Kenna was suddenly inspired and excited. 

It was so fun to watch her make her list of who she would invite, and sweet too, as she explained to me that two of the girls she didn't really know but had noticed that they didn't have many friends either. Who is this child? And how was I so blessed to have her?!

Seven out of eight girls were able to come and thanks to our unusual but wonderfully mild winter, it was actually one of the first days where it hit 70*. It was truly a perfect night for an outdoor movie . 

Mirror Mirror was the movie of the night and a giant hit. An impromptu dance party ensued when the credits rolled, the perfect finale.
I am so proud that Kennedy chose to keep the Sabbath day holy. I'm grateful that she used faith in making a decision that was difficult. I am humbled that she recognizes that she kept her promise regarding Sunday, and she was not penalized for it. The chance to make friends and have fun might not have happened how she first expected it, but turned out even better than she had hoped.
Of all the "parenting" and interactions that go on between us and our children, the clear successes seem somewhat non-existent elusive. I was grateful Kennedy threw us a bone on this one. Love that girl.