Don't worryWillard, someday you might not mind so much.

Cousin Joy! Toria Smith & Hannah Ford

I love it when Heber falls asleep in his highchair. He starts nodding back and forth until he finally lands in something. Today the twins skipped their afternoon nap. Instead we had one bloody nose, two naked toddlers, one poopy diaper...without the diaper. Today I put clean sheets on their beds and bought them new blankets...they love to break these things in early. This weekend Adam and I are celebrating 13 years of marriage.

It's hard to resist posting this shot of Parley. He is so innocent and unaware of how much he will probably resent this picture when he is a teenager. At least he's reading a pretty advanced book for his age.
Shaleen

Self portrait as I sit at the computer and let the kids ramble around the house.

I've been more creative and excited about Christmas this year. I've already found the stockings, put lights on the house and allowed the singing Santa to be plugged in. I might even get Christmas cards done. I found a Jazz christmas album that I love...it is festive, yet relaxing (target).

Adam and I stayed up till 10 pm putting up a new bunk bed for the girls. I am so glad that we have an Ikea in Utah. Rachel sang "zip a dee doo dah" for Alpine Elementary Idol and she's in the 2nd round. She's got a lot of spunk. Hannah is wearing really worn out pants to school everyday and she cannot find new ones that are comfortable. Holes and stains only seem to give her clothes a more lived in look. I'm hoping she grows out of this phase soon. Sariah has developed a better eye for what matches and is presentable and its fun to see her picking out clothes to wear. Willard told me the other day that he made a new friend at school...her name is violet. I asked if she was his 'girlfriend". He looked at me funny and said...of course she's a girl. Her name is "violet". Ah, he is still so sweet and innocent. Speaking of not so innocent. The twins and the dog are like a threesome that follow eachother into mischief. There is no lock too high that cannot be reached with a tall stool.

These are the thoughts of the day...Shaleen

The First Day of December in Alpine, Utah























Rachel Ford gets dressed for the day!

I recently published this on the "tales from the crib" blog. It is a blog written by group of women who at one point lived in NYC and most of us have since moved away.

Is there still magic at Disneyland?

I suppose there is a different kind of magic for different ages and personalities. We spent 3 days in February at Disneyland/California Adventure, with great weather and low crowds and had what I would call a magical/succesful experience.

I remember Disneyland as a place of awe and giddy excitement. I went several times as I was growing up. I wondered if we had waited too long to take our children (it has always seemed like more than I could handle). We recently took our children to Disneyland for their first time. Our oldest is 10, then 8, 6, 4, and twins under 2. Before we left I heard my 8 year old daughter say that she would rather go to grandma's house. I thought maybe they were too old for Disneyland and since we have never talked about it and nurtured excitement for what they could experience, it would not be magical.

My 4 year old boy, W, sat next to me on the "Tower of Terror". His eyes were wide and as we got off the ride and walked outside he looked to the left and to the right and thoughtfully asked me " Mom, are we back on our world?" Oh, Thank You Disney (California Adventure) for a precious memory. He insists that "Tower of Terror" is his favorite ride, but he wouldn't go on it more than once. There was his magic.

My 8 year old girl, H, loves to sing and act. We visited the Disney Animation, Sorcerer's Workshop (in California Adventure)...mostly to let the twins run around in an uncrowded area. They have many computers you can do fun things on. H got to tape her voice singing and talking as Ariel and then listen to herself as part of the movie...that was so cool! It is a magical thing to actually be in a movie. Thank you Disney!

Another really neat experience happened at the Jedi Training Academy in Tommorowland, in Disneyland. Several times a day A Jedi Master Arrives on stage and picks out several younglings to become Padawans and train them as Jedi's. Well, W, really wanted to do this and waited in the designated area for the show to start. All my children were waiting with him. When they started picking kids--so few, from so many. My oldest daughter, S, picked up her little brother as high as she could until he was seen and got picked. (I found this moment quite magical ). W got to fight the real Darth Vader (way cool) and Darth Maul and several storm troopers. Thank you Disney...and yes, W's souvenir from Disneyland is his Certificate from Jedi Training Academy and a Light saber.

Well, Disneyland has changed over the years and I'm happy to say that it was still magical for me (25 years later). My favorite ride has always been Space Mountain... It still is. Except now you rock with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. One of my childrens favorite quotes from Disneyland has become "No matter what planet you are from, get ready to ROCK... in 5...4...3...2...1 AAAHHH" Thank you Disney for making this ride Rock for me and my children.

Because of Stroller passes, DH and I both got to ride everything. The twins were terrified, yet fascinated by the characters that were walking around Disneyland. I also really liked the Aladin show at the Hollywood Pictures Backlot.

6 year old daughter, R, took the Pirate Oath while we were going through New Orleans Square "I swear to run from any fight I cannot win and win any fight I cannot run from". R also wondered why Cruella De Ville asked me "Are all these from the same litter" when we went to take our picture next to her. The ride R picked first, when it came her turn, was the Haunted Mansion. We had told her that a ghost would try and sit next to her so the ghost could come out of the ride with her and leave the Haunted Mansion. She really wanted to see if ghosts were real (there was a hint of possibility). I think R is at the age of unbelieving. Not quite the 4 year old who really thinks its possible that we could be on another world. But not quite the 8 and 10 year old who are excited to be a part of the whole experience and make it good for others.

I can say that it's never too late to go to Disneyland. But the experience is different for children of all ages (as they say). I haven't asked my 8 year old if she would still rather go to Grandma's house than Disneyland. I wonder what she would answer? I'm glad we finally did it. We will go again...soon.

Tales From the CribThe maker of Top Ramen died this week. An entrepeneur from China, he ate his product everyday and lived into his 90's. My children and I paid tribute to him and remembered him fondly today while we read his obituary in the Economist magazine. Our favorite is chicken flavored, as was his. Top
Ramen is one of the few foods that my children can make by themselves and all like. I am grateful to this humble man who failed at several business before perfecting Top Ramen...He spent a year in a room in his home working on the perfect recipe. Truly this is a product that reaches across nations and has touched the lives of many. When I was growing up I was not allowed to eat Top Ramen at home (it was on my Mom's list of foods that are not healthy enough to eat). So whenever I went to my friends' homes this was always my first choice. Well, I hope we can all remember Top Ramen man this week and remember with fondness the first time we ate our noodles a little too early and burned our mouths and learned to always add an ice cube.

 
Heber and Parley both (almost) looking in the same direction...worth a mention. 

shaleen ford

shaleen ford

Christmas Day is almost over. The children enjoyed themselves. My husband feels a little housebound, but otherwise happy. I feel that after christmas let-down, mixed with anticipation because tomorrow is my birthday. I have arranged to have a family dance at a cool studio with mirrors and a wood floor. I'm looking forward to this. I love to dance. This is my gift to myself. It isn't every year that a woman celebrates the 8th anniversary of her 29th birthday. Happy Birthday to me.

shaleen ford

2006 Adam ran for the Utah State Senate. Adam lost (6 year old daughter Rachel commiserated “Dad you came in second, I’m proud of you”), but did better than any Democrat in Utah county in the last decade.

Shaleen does what she does…only with more grace and wisdom. She makes it all happen on the homefront. She can be heard to tell her DH (dear husband) as he leaves for work in the morning. Climb ladders! Bring bacon!

Willard wants to go to work so he can climb ladders too.

Moab July 2006

Willard (4) overheard some adults talking in the halls at church about what they were going to do with some chickens that they won at the Alpine Fair.
One adult says to the other “do we need a rooster?” The other adult replied “ you need a rooster if you want to have babies.” Willard tried to clear up the matter “We have babies and we don’t have a rooster.”

Rachel is becoming more like me (Shaleen) everyday. She is the child that my Mom threatened me with when I was younger and making my mom’s life crazy.

“Shaleen, someday you will have a child just like you…you just wait.” When Rachel is at her most devious 6 year old self, I find that I can’t hold in the laughter because I’m seeing me.

Several months ago she cut her hair quite drastically. She then walked through the house very nonchalantly and with a look of satisfaction on her face. I confronted her and said “Rachel, you cut your hair.”

She looked at me with disbelief and said: “How did you know?” As I came to find out, after each cut she had carefully flushed all of the evidence down the toilet. If there was no evidence then there was no proof and no one would know. I remember having similar thoughts as a child…and a similar haircut.

Rachel brings us all much JOY!

Hannah (8) recently got engaged in acting class while performing a scene from Tom Sawyer, unfortunately this wasn’t Tom’s first engagement so she broke it off (even after sharing her gum with him).

Hannah’s career path at the moment involves something to do with spying. The CIA is jealous of her spy gadget collection.

Hannah was baptized by her Dad in the river just above Aspen Grove and Sundance in June…brrr.

Hannah and Sariah were in the school play "Treasure Island" at Alpine Elementary

Sariah is recently 10 and got her ears pierced (it was either that or get a dog).

Sariah seems to respond to music and wants to have small pieces of plastic in her ears so she can hear the music all the time. Kids these days!

Heber and Parley were born June 28, 2005 in American Fork, Utah.

Heber and Parley (18 months), are unique individual boys.

Heber (firstborn) wants to laugh with the world and be a part of the joke. Parley... is more reserved and watches everything carefully. Heber recently broke his leg and is on his second cast. The boys don’t look alike.

The children enjoy their Dad best when he reads to them at night (chronicles of Narnia and the Enders series) and when he dances with them in the kitchen.

Monument Valley, Utah 2006

Highlights of this year include: Adam and Shaleen going on a 10 day cruise in the Caribbean,

BYU beating U of U in the “closing prayer” pass, and, … nothing else is coming to mind.

God Bless You….Everyone!