Calvin Reed Beck

 

I was blessed to have this man, Calvin Reed Beck for a grandpa.  He passed away today, but will live long in our hearts and memories.  (I'll have to find a better picture later).

 

Some of the things I love about my Grandpa-

 

He loves to tell stories.  He is most famous for his personal stories.  He lived an adventurous life and loved telling others about it.  He would tell us about his days working with horses, his Dad the barber, his pets, his relatives and my personal favorite, his days in Korea and his friend Ho Nam.  He told his stories with great detail and passion.

 

He could grow and amazing garden.  Not just any old garden either, his garden was full of character (just like him).  He loved to graft things and was so proud of his grafted trees, a pear on an apple or a tree that grew 10 varieties of fruit.  He grafter a potato and tomato.  He loved to garden and he loved to share what he grew.

 

He loved making games.  At our annual Christmas party he always had a game created for us to play.  it usually involved elaborate rules and steps, but it was one of a kind and always fun to see what he came up with.  We would often win handmade prizes.  Some of which were great conversation starters and others that were cherished pieces of art or woodworking.

 

He was always learning new things.  He taught himself about gardens, about styles of art.  He always had something he had discovered to tell us.

 

He had the craziest facial hair of any man I have ever met.  He would have long chops one month, clean shaven the next, then a goatee, followed by a full on beard. 

 

He worked hard.  He used to live on church recreational property and by pure man power he created cabins, trails, playgrounds and countless other additions.  He worked hard in his garden, he worked hard when he built his home, he worked hard to make us gifts.  He paid attention to detail and created beautiful things.

 

He was a worrier.  I don't know if he always was but he was my whole life.  He was a rough, tough man that worried about germs and safety.  Sometimes we laughed about this little quirk, but deep down it was just part of Grandpa.

 

He had a sense of humor.  I am thinking of his pieces of wood that he found pictures in. 

 

I don't remember if he complimented us much when we were little but as we got older I remember him always telling us we were beautiful and our families were so nice.  I think he enjoyed so much seeing his Grandchildren grow up happy.

 

He could cook great dutch-oven food.  Probably the best out there.

 

He was a good man.  He loved the Lord and family.  I look forward to the day that we meet again.  I look forward to hearing him tell my prosperity stories and who knows maybe he will even make up a game for us to play together. 

 

I love you Grandpa!

Laughter....(and some other random stuff)

Titus likes apples.  The other day he walked around with it in his mouth because he wanted his apple...but wanted to play too.  It made me laugh. 

 

Lately my patience has been a little thin so the laughing moments have been very important.  We laughed a lot this weekend though so I think that helped and I am back on track!!!

 

On a totally different note (can you sense that this post is going to be very random- sorry), the kids went to see their favorite dentist last week.  I took a few pics.

 

Spencer was reading The Boxcar Children in the waiting room. I can not even tell you how happy I am that both he and Garret are loving reading these days.  They fly threw these chapter books, they read before bed, they read if they are bored.  I am a huge reader and firm believer that reading is so important. I just love that they are loving it!

 Adele LOVES going to the dentist.  Seriously she asks when she can go.  She loves everything about it.  So no surprise that she was cavity free (they all were) and an easy patient.

 Titus wasn't so sure about the chair.  (he is going through a phase).  At least he has a cute sad face.

 Usually when we just stop by the dental office they get to look at the toys but not pick anything out.  When they get a cleaning they get to dig through the box.  Deciding is hard though.

 Titus is right at home in other parts of the office.  He thinks he is ready to work up front with Kim.  Or as Adele refers to her "My Kim".

 There is a wall that all the office kids have been measured on for years.  We measured everyone when we first moved here and they have all grown so much.

 Once they had nice fresh teeth we took them home and let them eat the cute suckers that Karis gave them (thanks Karis).  Good thing there Dad is a dentist!

 Enough about their trip to the dentist.  Let's talk about trouble boy.  I want there to be a nice long record so I can give him a hard time when he is older.  This weeks list includes-

Sneaking into the shower with clothes on and pouring soap all over himself. 

 Climbing onto the counter, getting a knife and sticking it into the fish bowl (both Titus and fish are alright, I almost had a heart attack).

Pulling all of Adele's clothes out of the closet.

You get the point. 

Our house seemed extra whiney and chaotic this week.  Sometimes I am so good at laughing about it all and helping bring it down a notch.  This week....not so much.

So it was perfect timing for our long awaited comedy date.  I bought Tyler tickets to Brian Regan for Christmas and we went Saturday.  We met up with friends from Colorado before and shared dinner with them.  it was so fun seeing friends and just talking without any kids there. 

Then we went to our comedy adventure.  We laughed a lot.  Tyler more than me (but that is to be expected).  It was a long day but such a good one.

 Meanwhile the kids were with my parents.  They celebrated my Dad's birthday with him.  I told him to make a goofy face for my cake picture.

 The kids spent the day playing outside and then stayed up late.  They loved having a day with Grandma and Grandpa.

 It was a great weekend and I was reminded that laughing is so much better than letting things get to me.  I plan to do lots of it this coming week.

Green-Day

The kids were persistent and set traps nearly every night the week leading up to St. Patricks day.  One night they had this elaborate trap, using string and they had to stay awake and pull it when the leprechaun reached for the coins they had set out.  Tyler and I went in that night about a half hour after they were in bed and they were both asleep holding onto the rope. 

 

 

 That night they woke up with nothing but diapers in their trap and their room was covered in underwear.  Spencer even had a pair on his head.  They thought it was so funny and became even more determined to catch him.

 On a different night they set out a bowl of honey covered by Lucky Charms.  Their plan was that when he went to eat the Lucky Charms he would get stuck in the honey.  It didn't work and when they woke up the room was all tied up.

 They had fun trying to figure out a way to catch him...maybe next year.  On Sunday they were all very careful to have green on at all times.  Even to church. 

 I snapped a quick one of each of them. 

It was a fun day spent together.

Talent Show

Last night our church put on a talent show.  Our kids practiced "When all the cows were sleeping" (it's a nursery rhyme).  Tyler wrote a couple more verses to make it longer.  It was so adorable.

 

They needed costumes so I got them each overalls and hats.  I wouldn't have been able to let myself splurge like that....but I know they will get well worn and passed down.  Garret could hardly contain himself when he found out what I got (he would love to run off and be a farmer).

 

I thought they looked pretty cute so I took a few pictures before we left for the church.

 

At the church they did awesome.  I loved every second of it.  I didn't take any real pictures there I made a video, and I can't get it to play on the blog.  I guess you will have to either come over and watch it or trust me that they were good!

Parenting Adventures Part 264332

 I think I could write endless posts on all the adventures in parenting we have.  It seems like if it is not one thing it's another.  This weekend it was the ER (he is doing great by the way).  Today Titus gets the prize for shaking things up the most. 

After nap he was in his crib for a little while (just talking) while I was on a call.  I finally went in (don't worry I am not normally so neglectful).  He decided to punish me for my neglect by taking off his clothes and poopy diaper and decorating his crib in it.  It was gross....enough said.

(Photo from when we visited our friends- isn't he the cutest thing).

 In other more exciting parenting updates- I love when it is sunny out.  I love getting outside with the kids.  They are just so happy outside.  Especially after long months inside.  Saturday was nice so the kids had a special dinner outside (don't worry they don't usually eat like that- I am really showing off my parenting skills today).

 The holidays are so fun with kids.  Even silly ones like St. Patricks day.  My kids love setting traps.  I never really thought much of it, but last year Garret's kindergarten class really got into it and it ended up happening at home too.  So every night for about a week leading up to St. Patrick's day there are traps set.  They have never caught a leprechaun but they have caught some other fun and funny things!

Adele thought if she put a blanket up then the Leprechaun would get stuck in it.

 Spencer set up his favorite laundry basket trap. 

 Adele loves having her picture taken.  She is such a ham.  Speaking of Adele today she told me that I am mean.  Usually she is just obsessed with me and the fact that we are "the girls".  Not today, it was so sad.  She stomped out of the room and as she left I said "I love you" she said "I love you too Mom" in a very upset voice.  It looks like I am going to have more parenting adventures ahead.  Luckily within minutes we were back on good terms and she said that she won't ever say mean things to me again (sounds good to me).  Oh, how I love them all!

Spencer goes for a ride in an ambulance

Last night was an adventurous one for us...it went like this....

We went to bed, pretty early (lame I know).  We were startled awake by Spencer.  It felt like the middle of the night but wasn't really too late.  10:30 (yesterdays time).  He was gasping for hour and couldn't tell us what was going on or if anything hurt.  We tried getting him to take deep breaths and calm down.  He couldn't, he just continued to gasp for air.  We decided to take him to the hospital.  At this point he seemed about to pass out.  Tyler rushed him to the car.  Then he started vomiting, while gasping for hour. 

Tyler was worried about taking him in the car by himself and something happening.  We didn't have a babysitter here yet (we were not thinking clearly, if we were we would have asked the friend that has been staying in our guest house to come over- as it was we forgot all about him).  Since I couldn't leave the other kids and we didn't want Spencer in the backseat alone we called an ambulance.  They got here about the same time as the babysitter.  But they had taken over at this point. 

They gave him oxygen and got him breathing into a nebulizer and then off we went to the hospital.  The medicine was kicking in and by the time we got the hospital his breathing problem had calmed to just episodes of gasping with breaks of easier breathing in between.  At the hospital they did an x-ray and gave him another kind of medicine.  Within a couple of hours he was much better.  We came home with a significantly better (tired) boy.  He has medicine to take for the next couple of days and a nebulizer if it starts up again. 

This morning he seemed like his old self.  He had a few minor episodes in the night but not much.  He was awake telling the other kids about his adventure.  Adele said "maybe I will stop breathing sometime and get to ride in an ambulance and get stickers".   Oh how, I hope not.  There are far better ways to get stickers!

I am so glad he is feeling better, it is no fun watching one of my babies scared and hurting.  I am grateful for friends who hurried over to sit with our kids.  I am grateful that I am able to keep a fairly leveled head during emergencies.  There were things we would have done different in hindsight (things I might be kicking myself for when the bill comes).   But those things will just help us be more prepared if something else ever happens.  This morning I am just glad he is better.

Now Spencer can say that he has ridden in an ambulance (me too, since I was with him)!!!

"This is the Best weekend ever"

To quote my kids "this was the best weekend ever" (it was a great weekend, however, we have lots of best weekends ever- which I think it's awesome).

 

We headed to good old Shelton Friday afternoon.  Kicked off our awesome weekend by me leaving the kids to movies with Grandma and Tyler while I went out with a friend.  They loved staying up watching movies, I loved having spend hours gabbing with a friend (Thanks Jamie).

 

Saturday everyone was up too early (I was tired).  They spent the morning playing with old fisher price toys ( the same ones I used to play with).

 

 We sat back and watched them play. When they are playing nicely it really is fun to just watch!  It is kind of like deja vu watching them play like Leah and I used to.

 Then we got ready and went to another friends house.  The kids all played nicely and we got in more friend time (see why it was such a great weekend, lots of friends and family).

Then back to Grandma and Grandpa's for a bonfire.  It started raining and we were not thrilled but the kids were because we just let them stay out and keep work/playing.  We were outside for hours work/playing.  We burned branches, roasted marshmallows, they played pretend in clubhouse, played with Ranger (uncle Dan's dog).

 Finally I begged them to come in and get cleaned up.  Another night spent, playing with cousin Ridge, and watching movies.  Tyler and Dan went to a movie. 

Then Sunday morning more games.

 and playing and books.

 My Mom found a hair thing that had been mine as a kid, that is made from something my Great Grandma Erchanbrach made.  She put it in Adele's hair and she loved it.  She was convinced she was now the most beautiful girl in the world (We think she always is- but don't tell her, it could go straight to her head). 

 We went to church in Olympia.  It was so fun and refreshing.  We walked in and were greeted by familiar faces and so many friends.  We only lived there a short time but the friends we made there are all kindred spirits and friends I hope to have forever.  It always makes me so happy to find that people I love so much are doing well.  There was a new baby, new babies on the way, friends who seemed so happy...it was just great.

 After church we spent a couple hours with some of the friends.  The kids were all just so happy to be together.  I keep trying to get them all to move up by us.  I think it would be SO perfect.  We could all be neighbors and our kids could grow up together and I wouldn't have to worry so much about my kids making nice friends.  And I would have friends to stay up to late talking to and we could all be there for each other (see I'm pleading my case again).

 It was lovely getting together and watching all the kids play together.

 And meeting baby Oliver was worth the drive.  Titus was so excited about him we were a little worried he might hurt the little guy.  I wish I had taped his reaction to him.  When Oliver cried he would say "no, no, no baby".  But most of the time he was just trying to touch him and grab hold of him. 

We hurried back to my parents house for more food (St. Patrick's food this time).  Dan and Heather were there!  And the most memorable moment of the weekend occurred.  (I hope I don't get in trouble for sharing this story).  We were all sitting at the table and Ridge (who is just barely 3) was outside with his dog.  We are all watching him play, commenting on how cute he was playing.  Then we start laughing because he decides to go to bathroom.  Like a good country boy he just whips his pants down.  Then it got pretty funny.  He starts chasing the dog around trying to pee on him.  We were all laughing so hard.  He had no idea we were all watching him.  He is laughing while doing it.  We didn't laugh when he came in because it's probably not a habit they want him to continue but it was hilarious this once!!!

We didn't stay long because we had to drive home.  So we made one last stop to say hi to my Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle then made our way back north.  There was a car accident so it took extra time but we eventually got our completely worn out family back home.

Exhausted and happy...it was a great weekend with family and friends.