New Celing Fan!

Our old one was dreadful. It was that brassy shiny color with funny bumpy lights that were amber in color. Now, I know, after watching Trading Spaces in my younger years, my years of cable TV, that designers hate hate hate ceiling fans. And while they are not the most attractive thing, they do serve their purpose and serve it well. They move air all around in a pleasing and heating or cooling type of way. So rather than get rid of it, I replaced it with one with an understated nickle finish.

Nate got home in the middle of the installation and promptly asked it I had shut off the power. I have no words to express my response. I was actually holding wires as he said this. This is my second ceiling fan, and they aren't too bad after the first one. My arms were a little sore for a few days, but the still functioned. Last time, I couldn't muster the strength to blow my own nose, either I am in better shape than I was then, or I was just faster this time. I think I only need to replace four more light fixtures in this house, then on to the next project.

A Camping We Will Go-Sort Of

Each summer we have good intentions of taking the kids camping. We brainstorm a little, then go over the schedule, and abandon the idea.

So last summer, we decided to set up the tent in the back yard. It's pretty big, and there are a lot of tall weeds (thanks Lehi soil), and a lot of pesky trees (quaking aspens), and sometimes we don't mow the grass for quite a long time. So the experience can be very wilderness like.

The tent is foolishly large. I snatched it from my parents a few years ago. It has three rooms and a covered porch. The instructions on how to put it up seem to be missing a few key steps, so Nate and I have to pretend that we have degrees in engineering for a few hours. And then once it is up, it's sort of stable, unless there is a big gust of wind.


But the kids think it is fabulous and don't seem to care about sound construction. They pull out the air mattresses, sleeping bags, camp chairs, and flashlights, and have a bunch of fun. Bella packed a suitcase full of dolls, bouncy balls, and games to take with her. Jack filled all the pockets in the tent with treasures he needed. And Sophie played during daylight hours, not realizing there is a sleeping in the tent option. She and I camp inside the house. We are holdouts till next year. The kids watch movies outside on the laptop, and giggle into the wee hours with their flashlights. It's all great fun! One day, we will hopefully make it out camping into the great wide world, but until then, the back yard is a great substitute. You can't beat the very close indoor plumbing and stocked fridge.

Hard Work=Monkey

For the past two summers, we have been doing a chore system that involves the kids earning buttons for the chores they do. The buttons can be turned in for various rewards. They have daily chores they must do that are worth two buttons per day, then there are extra jobs worth various amounts of buttons they can choose to do. The rewards vary from three to fifty buttons. Over the past year when I was shopping, I picked up all sorts of rewards for the prize drawer, getting good deals on all sorts of things. At the beginning of the summer Bella saw this monkey and went nuts. She loves Littlest Pet Shop, and she loves monkeys-see the other one in the back ground.

She was overwhelmed at first with the idea of earning fifty buttons. She would turn in buttons for smaller rewards and such at the beginning of the summer, but she kept really wanting the monkey. A few weeks ago, she determined that she would go for it. She did a lot of extra jobs, worked really hard, and persevered.


The monkey has been her constant companion ever since. She can't seem to come up with a name though, I suggested Blossom, to which she grinned, but said "Oh Mom!" in a slightly patronizing way. So suggestions welcome, especially ones from other people who are less lame.