Ringing out the old

Here we stand, almost at the very edge of 2008, and how quickly it has passed. In some of my resolutions so determinedly made last January I made great strides, and in some not at all. In a few things the landscape looks about the same as always, and in some so different. But this year has been very good to me. Here are a few of the things that I consider the great blessings of 2008.

• My husband and children. Always they top the list. It is my highest honor and blessing to be mother and wife to this crew of amazing people.
  
• Emma's entry into the academy. I honestly thought I'd homeschool forever! Despite my initial reticence, it has turned out to be one of the best decisions we've made, and she is doing better than I would have dared to dream.
• Our fabulous Christmas at the cabin in Idaho, and our other wonderful trips to Zion National Park and Kodachrome State Park.
• Paying off two car loans in entirety.
• Having a really good group of friends here in Fairview, people that we care about and have fun with.
• Despite the economy, Blaine's company is doing terrific business right now and his job is as secure as it can be.
• Getting out of diapers completely and totally.
• My strength training program—it rocks given that I work out at home with only eight-pound hand weights.
  
• Finding Eat Stop Eat, which has changed my perspective, my motivation, and my hope.

Yes, I'm another year older. Yes, I have a few regrets, but more things I pat my own back over. It's been a lovely year, and I go into 2009 with my arms wide and a smile on my face.

Tomorrow when I flip the calendar page, I'll probably also take down all the beautiful Christmas cards we received. So here is a blurry photo of the calendar and card door, before I have to make it bare again. Happy 2009, everyone!



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Now playing: Syntax - Pride
via FoxyTunes

It's really the little things

The kids are playing some game involving a blanket, lying down, fake sleeping, and I'm not sure what else. It's Kyrie's turn to fake sleep, and Macklin thinks it's his turn to wake her up. All of that was in the background while I was trying to catch up on friends/family blogs, and I didn't even notice until I heard his little, "Tocka wocka woo. Tocka wocka woo." K sounds are still Ts for him, so that's the current version of cock a doodle doo, and it makes me smile like crazy.

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Now playing: Inspiral Carpets - This Is How It Feels
via FoxyTunes

"Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home."

(quote by Matsuo Basho)

We're home! We slept in our own cuddly little beds last night. We had the best cabin Christmas. Click on any photo below to go to the photo stream and see many, many more.

Tuesday 23 December: We drove through a couple of snow storms on the way up, but even so it wasn't bad driving. There was snow on the roads, but our 4WD totally handled it. Sometimes we had to drive slowly, sometimes we could almost travel 65MPH, and we made it from Salt Lake City (where most of my family lives) to the cabin in one long day. We unloaded the car and trailer and then crash-landed into beds, exhausted.

Wednesday 24 December: Woke up to a few inches of new snow. We did our minimal Christmas decorating—put up the small tree, a few ornaments, and the one string of lights, put the presents under the tree. And then the kids went out into the wonderland of snow, which they did every day. We decorated a gingerbread house, which we ate that evening (Christmas Eve!) while we watched a Christmas movie.





So many presents...

...we even had to stuff them around the back of the tree :)



(this one is after all the kids were in bed and all the presents were out)

Thursday 25 December: Woke up to a few inches of new snow, and it snowed all day. Christmas morning was wonderful, everyone was thrilled with their presents, which is always a relief for the parents. They played happily for an hour or two, and then bundled up and went out into the snow again.












Friday 26 December: More new snow that continued all day, more playing with toys, more enjoying the cabin.









Saturday 27 December: We'd gotten at least six more inches of snow, so we all went out for a last romp. Then it was indoors to pack, clean up, and make Christmas cookies. :)







Sunday 28 December: The first morning we didn't wake to a layer of new snow, which was great since we'd plowed out the evening before in preparation for getting the car and trailer back out of the driveway. We left early and started the journey home. Near the cabin it was snowing lightly, but within an hour and a half as we approached Coeur D'Alene, where Blaine's grandparents live, it was slushy rainy snow. The further south we went, the warmer it got and the rainier it was. If someone were telling me this as a story, I'd think, that makes for easier traveling. But it didn't. It was slushy and way more slippery than just the snow was, and we went slower. By afternoon it was clear we wouldn't make it home. So we decided to stay in a motel. This is a pretty rare thing for the kiddles, and they were excited. We got a "suite" (which is two queens and a pull-out bed in the sofa *eyeroll*) and watched a DVD before sleeping hard. This was the one and only time during the trip we had internet access, and Emma was so excited to check her final grades for the semester. She got all A+ again, all seven classes and both extra-curriculars. SO PROUD OF HER.




Monday 29 December: Breakfast, driving, picking up everything from Salt Lake we'd accidentally left on our way through, visiting family, and then, home. We had to shovel out our walks and driveway before we could even pull in and unload. It was a lot of happy, weary Ls that finally flopped into bed yesterday evening. :)

So glad we went, despite all the work it was to pack everything up there and back, and the long, long drives.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

The L family has crazily chosen to pack up the tree and everything else and drive 850 miles to have a cabin Christmas in northern Idaho. I hope you have a very happy holiday!





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Now playing: Mannheim Steamroller - It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
via FoxyTunes

Newly discovered Christmas song of the year

Jesu, Son Most Sweet and Dear

Blaine was in a special, by-invitation choir for a Christmas performance last Sunday. They practiced for about six weeks beforehand, and I went to listen to the final practice. I blubbered like a baby during this song. The soloist—a good friend of mine, fellow homeschooler—her voice is so much prettier than this soloist's, and so well suited to the song.  It was such unalloyed beauty I couldn't stop weeping. When I heard it again at the program I cried again, a little less uncontrollably that time. And now that I've just purchased the song from iTunes I suppose the time for crying is past, and the time for enjoying has arrived. I like the harp in this recording even better than the piano accompaniment Blaine's choir had.

It's lovely. Give it a 30-second listen, if you're so inclined.

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Now playing: Soli Deo Gloria Cantorum, Almeda Berkey, Director - Jesu, Son Most Sweet and Dear
via FoxyTunes

That's my boy.

Macklin's snuggling on my lap because he jumped off the kitchen counter (snitching chocolate, a different story altogether) and it was so high/so far it hurt his feet when he landed. So he's on my lap, the tears still not dry on his cheeks. I just gathered everyone to work on math, and Libby's in the school room playing with three little horses she got as a Christmas present from someone. Macklin takes time out of his busy sniffling/snuggling schedule to say, "Yibby, it's maf time, not horsey time!"

That's right, son. You tell her. *eyeroll*

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Now playing: Mannheim Steamroller - Coventry Carol
via FoxyTunes

All I had to do was ask an entomologist

Have you ever wondered what the point of mosquitoes is? I have—more times than I've been bitten.

Now I know. Copied and pasted from a comment in "Ask Marilyn":

Timothy Schowalter at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, writes:

Marilyn: I believe that your answer to the question about eradicating mosquitoes needs some elaboration. (November 9, 2008) Mosquitoes, like many insects, have a bad reputation because they often conflict with human goals, but their role in natural ecosystems is more complicated than most people appreciate. Not all mosquito species feed on blood, and relatively few species feed on people. Many are specialized for feeding on reptiles, birds, or other animals and do not seek humans. Non-human-feeding mosquitoes are important regulators of their host populations. Of course, human-feeding mosquitoes may be important in the regulation of human populations, but that is a source of conflict.

A few mosquito species feed on multiple vertebrate groups. It is these species that vector West Nile Virus and other diseases among groups. Some mosquito species are specialized predators of other mosquitoes and do not feed on blood at all. Although you are correct that there are relatively few predators that specialize on mosquitoes (other than the predaceous mosquito species), they are an extremely important component in the diet of small fish, birds, bats, and other vertebrates, as well as other invertebrates that, themselves, are important food resources for many animals.

Eradicating mosquitoes would severely reduce the food available to the next nutritional levels in natural food webs and ultimately would reduce many vertebrate populations, including commercial freshwater fisheries. Mosquito larvae are ecologically-important bacterial feeders in aquatic food webs. Reducing their numbers could lead to greater stagnation of aquatic habitats. You are correct that other insect species might increase in numbers and might even fulfill some of the mosquito's ecological functions if mosquitoes were eliminated. However, not all potential replacements are able to live in the nutrient-poor habitats occupied by mosquitoes (such as tree holes, pitcher plants, bromeliads, and stagnant ponds), and many do not feed on bacteria, increased abundance of which could cause other problems in the absence of mosquito grazing.

Furthermore, most of the species that could potentially replace mosquitoes are other types of midges, and many are nuisances themselves, such as the black flies and no-see-ums. We cannot foresee all the consequences of species disappearance, but given the known ecological importance of mosquitoes, their disappearance probably would not be as benign as you suggest.

As for interactions with humans, many mosquito problems are the result of human activity. Humans have transported several species, such as the yellow fever mosquito and malaria mosquito from Africa and the Asian tiger mosquito, to new habitats where they are freed from their natural predators. Specialized predators in the new habitat often are not adapted to recognize invasive species as prey, so it may take some time before natural controls become effective.

Many mosquito species breed prolifically in rain-filled pots, old tires, and other debris. Because most adult mosquitoes do not fly far from aquatic habitats, we could reduce mosquito populations greatly in the vicinity of humans simply by eliminating these human-associated habitats. In other words, sanitation alone would prevent much human-mosquito interaction and would be less expensive, more effective, and more ecologically-responsible than attempted eradication. Sanitation would permit more restricted use of pesticides in targeted habitats.

Incidentally, one of the best contemporary methods for reducing mosquito populations is adding to stagnant ponds and lakes a specialized form of Bacillus thuringiensis that targets mosquitoes, with little, if any, effect on resident aquatic organisms. One of our pest management challenges is the rate at which mosquito (and other insect) populations are becoming genetically resistant to insecticides as a result of frequent exposure. The growing popularity of automatic misting systems that maintain relatively constant exposure to the insecticidal mist in gardens, patios, etc. is likely to increase the development of insecticide resistance, making control even more difficult.

Marilyn responds:

Thank you. Readers, Dr. Schowalter is a professor and head of the Department of Entomology at the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center.

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Now playing: U2 - The Fly
via FoxyTunes

Twilight Movie

Dragged B to see the Twilight movie again Saturday night. We saw it opening night together, and then I took Emma and Christian the next day to see it. So it was his second time, my third.

I really like it. The screenplay has made the plot cohesive, plus the plot doesn't just appear suddenly 2/3 of the way into the movie. Bella isn't nearly so whiny. Most of the changes were for the better, IMO. Favorite change: the Bella-meets-the-Cullens scene. Oh my gosh it's charming and I wish it had been that way in the book! *hearts Esme* The soundtrack rocks. And Charlie is pitch-perfect throughout. My only complaint is there aren't enough Cullens in the movie. Emmett! Emmett! Emmett!

I think I like the movie better than the book.

And that's really saying something.

I think I've never seen a full-price, first-run movie three times before. The only other possibility, if I have, was Rattle and Hum.

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Now playing: Paramore - Decode from the Twilight soundtrack
via FoxyTunes

:) Good news/Bad news :(

Good: after 10.5 years being vegan/mostly vegan, I finally know how to make a FABULOUS creamy dessert! (Did Dream Whip + Jello Instant Pudding [cookies and cream flavor], then poured it over a from-scratch chocolate cookie crust and froze it. No, seriously, it was awesome.)

Bad: I know how to make a fabulous creamy dessert. I'll have to be careful not to make this, like, weekly. Because goodbye, self control! Hello, ice cream maniac!

Here's a little sad ending to Kyrie's birthday yesterday: she came up at 11:45 having thrown up in bed. Needed a bath and clean pajamas. Luckily the washing machine was empty! Just the one time so far, no repeats. And Mack threw up this morning, just once. *hopes it stops*

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Now playing: The Raconteurs - Steady, As She Goes (Acoustic Version)
via FoxyTunes

Fam Spam

Autumn Fun

Dressing up Macklin when the cold-weather clothes finally came out



Raking the leaves.
To put them on Kyrie.





Halloween costumes


Birthday Boys
Jackson
3 November, 9 years old




Macklin
9 November, 3 years old





Thanksgiving
~or~ what the kids did while I was cooking
(they took pictures of each other)




(I asked Emma to do Macklin's hair. *eyeroll*)

And here's about half our food, the other half being on the table but not photographed.


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Now playing: Kurt Bestor - A Mother's Christmas Lullaby
via FoxyTunes