Annual Kid Party

Well, I threw caution to the wind and again allowed the boys to host their annual Christmas party last week. 15 children 8 and under--sheer insanity. But I'm already recovering a bit and am considering the possibility of hosting again next year. That's progress.

We did have a great time:

the mini kids (and Sam) eating pizza. . .

Baylie and Ben all dressed up in winter gear for the winter relay

Typical expression of the night. . .

Some intense gingerbread concentration from Lexie

Olivia's magnificent creation:

The entire village

Some tips for throwing a rocking kid Christmas party:
1. Buy everything on clearance this year and put it in a box for next year. So much fun to open it up and know you spent $10 at the end of last year instead of $80 this year.
2. Assemble the houses in advance. The kids only want to decorate, not assemble.
3. If you spend time making a game (i.e. Bingo) laminate it and save it for next year. It was great to pull it out of the folder all ready to go.
4. End the night with a Christmas cartoon. That way, whenever you're done with the insanity, you can start the movie until parents come.
5. Wait an entire year until you host your next kid party. . .that way you'll only remember the fun!

Two sweet little men

One of the major highlights of our Thanksgiving weekend was visiting San Francisco to be in attendance at the blessing of our three-week-old nephew, Finn. Jeremy and Liz were such gracious hosts in their beautiful new condo. Todd was rather smitten with the little guy (as were we all). He held him for quite a while. If Todd didn't think I was looking he would play with his little fingers and whisper sweetly to Finn, though he was a bit shy if he knew he was being observed. Aren't they adorable:

When Jeremy and Liz's Christmas card showed up in the mail last week, both boys were eager to see Finn's pictures. Todd keeps going up to the fridge and narrating what he thinks Finn may be saying or thinking. I'm glad they got to meet him when he was so tiny, because I know they will love him forever!

Thankful

I figured since it's almost Christmas, I should put up some photos from Thanksgiving. We had such a nice long weekend in Royal Oaks with Ryan's family. The weather was beautiful, the company was fabulous, and the food was delicious and plentiful. Here are a few favorite pics:

Steph and her boys in old town Monterey. We haven't ever spent much time walking around there, but we took the chance to this time and it was absolutely gorgeous.

Todd and Ben check out the leopard shark at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This was a very fun trip to the aquarium. For the first time, they were more interested in the actual fish displays than they were in the kid play zone (though they did have a great time there as well). Sharks are high are their list of cool animals. We also enjoyed the seahorse exhibit--they are amazing!

Ben in an old tree stump next to the custom house in old town Monterey

At the Monterey Maritime Museum

Love this picture of silly Ben. At the airport as we were flying out. We uncharacteristically had almost two hours to just wait. Usually we're screeching in and hoping to make the plane. Perhaps we're turning over a new leaf in our old age.

We showed up at about 3:00 in the afternoon to dinner mostly cooked on the outdoor barbecue. Delicious, delicious. Thanks, Glenn and Kathy!
Ryan's mom has an amazing skill at avoiding the camera. She has honed it into an artform, so I just had to share one of the few pictures I got with her in it. Look at that delicious-looking tri-tip. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

Todd in front of the sweet harpoon gun at the maritime museum. Deadly looking, it was.

Ego Boost

Todd has "math minute" occasionally in class, with a page of simple one digit addition and subtraction. He is supposed to do as many as he can in one minute, and we keep track of his progress.

Today, I was trying to motivate him, so I copied the page and told him I'd do it with him. I didn't know math could be so satisfying to the soul. 74 problems in 60 seconds. It brought back delightful memories of racing David Hegsted in math class years ago.

I'm going to add that to my list of things I did well today. 3rd grade math speedsheets. Top that.

Do you ever?

• Do you ever feel like life is caving in on you, for no particular reason but just generally?
• Have you ever broken down and cried hysterically, for no apparant reason, not just once in a week but twice?
• Do you ever look at other women and wonder what it is they are doing right to be so pulled together and on top of things (and thus what you are doing wrong?)
• Do you ever live in that awkward coexisting reality where you love being a mother but feel smothered by the responsibilities of mothering?
• Have you ever misplaced your keys and been on the verge of tears because your family is waiting in the car and your keys are lost and you haven't sat down even once in the day and you don't know if you can do one more thing, let alone remember where several small pieces of metal have lost themselves?
• Have you ever looked at your life and understood just how amazingly blessed you are, but you still feel ovewhelmed at the things you need to do?

Obviously, I have never felt that way. But if I ever had, this quote from one of my favorite authors (Shannon Hale) that I read on her blog (http://oinks.squeetus.com/) would have brought a little tear to my eye and made me feel just a bit better:

How do I do it all, people often ask. Let me tell you how: today I had my first dental x-rays in probably seven years. About half the meat I buy I end up throwing out because it goes bad before I get a chance to cook it. (Freeze it, you say? Then I'll never defrost it and throw it out after it gets freezer burn.) No one can do it all! I say, we all are capable of doing, say, three things well: I'm one heck of a mother and wife, and I write books. The end.

Pratt & Whitney Broke my Ear

My ear has finally stopped ringing from the Tunderbird's sneaky, scare the audience while looking another direction, fly-by. It is truly amazing how frightening a very loud, ground shaking noise, such as an F-16 can be. (Pratt & Whitney makes the F-16 jet engine by the way.) Here are a few pictures of us getting up close and personal with the Air Force this past weekend.

Inside the "flying wharehouse" C-5 Galaxy

Nose of the C-5 Galaxy

Todd and me with an F-15 Eagle

Thunderbirds showing off!

Thunderbirds in formation.

Todd checking out a Predator.

Afternoon At Red Rock

Ben, always with the ladies

Todd and good buddy Sam

The picture doesn't do justice to how high he had climbed

Ben the conquering hero

Since we had school off today in honor of Veteran's Day, we decided to take a drive to Red Rock National Conservation area. We called some friends and turned it into a little group outing. It was exactly what I needed to calm my savage inner beast.

I have been feeling a bit of city claustrophobia lately. It could be that we've actually been in the state of Nevada for 2 straight months now (probably a record since we've lived here) without a trip. It could be that we've been focused on schooling so much that we've neglected other areas of our life. It could be that we live in the middle of a city and it occasionally wears on the psyche. Whatever it was, today was the perfect antidote.

The boys were so happy to climb and climb and climb. I think Todd particularly could have stayed for about five more hours and happily explored those rocks. Ben could have as well, but I don't think I could have handled worrying about him falling for much longer (and I have a very high tolerance for his exploring).

As we were wandering around, I couldn't help but think about a recent address given by Elder David A. Bednar entitled Things As They Really Are . If you haven't read it our heard it, put it on your priority list. He talks specifically about how our bodies are an amazing gift from our Heavenly Father. Then he explains that Satan tries to distract us with all forms of media to minimize the importance of our bodies, to live in a world that isn't real (virtual reality), and to distance ourselves from those things that are real. I thought about what he said not in reference to media, but in relation to my own life. As a mother, I think that I sometimes pour so much of myself into the tasks of caring for my children, my husband, my home, church, meals, laundry, cleaning, schooling, nurturing. . . .and on, and on, and on. And while all these things are good things, sometimes these are the very things that distract me personally from things as they really are. Being outside, close to Heavenly Father's creations, away from the bustle of the city, helped me to refocus my perspective a bit more.

Happy Halloween, Mateys!

Shiver me timbers. It was a pirate Halloween for the McMillan crew this year. We had a fun Freedom Academy Halloween party with friends on Thursday and then trunk or treated tonight at our church building. Hope the evening was fun for your family as well.

Bobcat in the House

It took a few months, but we were finally in town and actually at a pack meeting (no baseball game) so Todd could get his Bobcat badge. I just love this picture of Todd pinning his Bobcat pin on my shirt. He is growing up and finding his place in this crazy world. It feels a bit surreal at times to think about the journey of motherhood and how much it ebbs and flows.

The other day a younger mom asked me a question about how I had gotten my children to sleep well when they were young. I thought about it for a minute and realized that those details of Todd's babyhood are getting a bit fuzzy around the edges. At the time it felt like my life would forever revolve around sleep, food, and baby scheduling. And now suddenly we're in a different chapter. While I sometimes mourn those past days, I try to just look at how exciting these days ahead are with my boys exploring the world around and becoming the men they will be. What a joy this plan of happiness is that was created for us. The journey is such a blessing.

BYU vs. UNLV

A few weeks ago we went to the BYU vs. UNLV game, thanks to our great friends John and Chelsea. It was quite the blow-out, so not an exciting game in that respect, but fun all the same. It brought back great memories of being a college kid at BYU. It's fun that Ryan and I were married for part of our college lives, so we share some great memories of being there together. Those were some good times.

Doesn't this sight just get you excited for some football?

In the stands, all decked out like super fans

Loved these shirts. Their loyalty was rather undecided.

A Dream Come True

Yes that's right, folks. I have lived here in Las Vegas for over three years and yet one of my life's greatest dreams has gone unfulfilled. Until today, that is. And today, I got to visit the pig farm for the first time. Yes, that same pig farm of Dirty Jobs fame. And not just a drive-by whiff of nastiness, mind you. A real live bona fide tour.

For those of you uncultured folk who know nothing of our local swine, let me briefly tell you about the operation. RC farms has been here in North Las Vegas since the early 1960's, recycling food waste from the strip and feeding it to our piggly friends. They are required by some wacky governmental agency to cook the food waste because it contains meat. On warmer days here in Vegas (and there are a few of them) the smell is so strong you can taste it. Today on our tour the description "edible vomit" was tossed around. . .Then they dump this thoroughly sanitized cooked concoction into the most disgusting truck on the entire planet to take the food waste to the pigs. I guess that the food must be sanitized from e-coli and such, but the everyday, run of the mill germs it will later encounter aren't really a problem (I asked on the tour just to be sure).

Despite the sarcastic nature of my last paragraph, I have to admit the tour was delightful. We were shown around the farm by the step daughter of the operation's head honcho, Bob Combs. She was very good with our children. We got to see the brand new state-of-the-art boiler, the food waste conveyer belt, the nasty truck, and the animals. She got a 2-day-old pig out for the kids to pet and see. One little girl was so smitten she cuddled right in for a hug. Then we got to see the older pigs, goats, sheep, cows, chickens, and roosters. Our tour concluded with a visit to the pond, home of numerous ducks, fish, turtles, frogs, and tadpoles. Really a lovely little oasis in the middle of the desert. We asked if we could come back later this week for tadole catching and were graciously granted a yes. So, tadpole catching soon to come. . .

Ireland loved that baby pig!Todd's friend Olivia wasn't too sure of those pigs

Desert Rats

A little background. My children are obsessed with sleeping in dark, cave-like dwellings at night. I read a great book about sleep Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby several years ago. It talks about controlling light in your kids rooms to help them develop great sleep patterns. I'm afraid I have created little monsters. Additionally, we have been reaching 100 nearly every day, even at the bitter end of September, so our blinds and curtains are still. . . . .closed about 90% of the time.

Anyway, this morning at 6:00 a.m. it was delightfully cool outside (by this I mean slightly under 70), so I threw open the curtains and opened the windows wide. By 7:00 a.m. when the boys woke up, it had dropped to 74 degrees inside the house, a temperature this interior has not seen since April.

Ben was the first to wake up. He came wandering into my bedroom with his animals blankie wrapped turban-style around his head, covering his eyes as well. "Mommy. It's so bright. . .why is it so bright?" I pulled the corner of the blanket up and he rapidly blinked his little cave-darkened eyes as if I were shining a flashlight directly at him. "So bright, Mommy."

Todd entered the scene about ten minutes later, with his arms pulled inside his pajamas, "It's freezing in here. Why are the windows open?" (Recall that at this point it is a sub-zero 74 degrees).

Tonight as I was getting everyone bathed up, I again threw the windows wide open. Todd finished his bath and came in, again limbless inside his jammies, "Mom. You grew up in Montana. You know what cold is like. We don't. We can't handle this. It's freezing."

Poor babies. They are seriously desert rats.

Freedom Academy

This year we're homeschooling Todd again, using a new curriculum called K-12 through Nevada Virtual Academy. I love how it keeps me organized and on track. They have a fantastic history curriculum, so at least that much is keeping Todd happy.

Additionally, a few moms and I got together last year for some co-op lessons with our kids. You may remember a few of the posts. We had 5 kids and 4 moms and it was great.

Well, this spring, we put the word out to a few friends that we'd like to expand that a bit. We started Freedom Academy last Tuesday with 49 kids and 27 moms--I guess the idea was contagious! We meet two days a week with the kids split into 6 age groups. They learn a variety of things taught by moms who are passionate about their topic.

Benny has his own age group and he loves it! Yesterday was apple day and he came home with his own handmade caramel apple, an apple print painting he made, and a lot of enthusiasm for the letter A and the sounds it makes. So far he's also learned about Bumblebees, cows, music, the human heart, and other fun stuff. This is Ben waiting on his first day to be picked up by one of my friends:

Todd's is taking theater, cooking, art, and gardening. He is very excited that we're learning stage combat techniques. Todd's class has 18 kids for half the time and is split into smaller groups of 9 half the time. They all have lunch and recess together both days. It is so fun to watch them at the park and see their social groupings. Their ages in this group range from 7 to 13, so it's a very eclectic group. Fun to work with.

You can check out the happenings at freedomacademy09.blogspot.com or click on the link in my sidebar.

Did we go?

I can't quite remember if we actually went to the beach, of if I just found these awesome-looking vacation pictures on my computer. . .
It seems like years ago. But I'm finally posting about our excellent week in San Diego. Thanks to Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Glenn--we had a great time. Uncle Brandon, Aunt Lucy, Filipe, and Sam were great company. Uncle Kalen popped in and out during our week in between his service mission duties. It was a fantastic week. Too short and too quickly over, but great.

On the boardwalk at week's end

The whole gang (minus Kalen)

Those boys would not cooperate

Happy Beach family

I love the purpose in Todd's stride in this photo. He was ready for the next wave.

Shovel sledding--good sport

It was cold, but Todd kept getting Ryan out in the waves

Cute Filipe

Sam is such a fun kid.

Artistic shot of Mom and Ben (photographic proof I was there--thanks, Ryan)

Playing at the beach is hard work!

Shell gathering in the early morning

Look at his paddle skills!

Oh man! This coal-roasted pork roast was amazing!

We're sorry Lucy and I lacked faith, Glenn.

Look at that beautiful Grandma with her little boys

eh?

Oh yeah.

Note he is in the air. Ben loved jumping the waves.

The grand sand castle. Grandpa was sore the next day.

Notice Brandon and Ryan did not contribute their man power to the effort.

San Diego Temple
Wahoo's Fish Taco--yummo! Check out the scruff on that Bishop. What a hottie!

We had a great week. Ben kept us grounded and reminded us we were on vacation. That boy just loves to operate on his own sweet time. He has short legs anyway, but in addition, he just walks slow. It was good to take things at his pace and remember we don't always have to be in a rush. Can't wait to go back. I already need another vacation. Anyone want to join us next year?