Max-a-roo

Is FIVE! When did that happen? I know I'm a little slow getting to this post- the story of my life- but I couldn't procrastinate this day away. I'll fill you in on the day Max was born five years ago.
We lived in Saskatoon. It was freezing cold, the coldest day that we'd had (-40). Ya, that cold. I don't even have to type the F or the C after it, because it's the same degree of insanity. I woke up on the Saturday morning and knew that I was in quasi-labor. Mom told me to go walk around, so we went out into the freezingness to walk the mall. Someone had stolen our extension cord. Jerky Saskatoonians. So, needless to say, our car wouldn't start. Until a less jerky saskatoonian jumped our battery. Much walking and a lot of nerves later, we went into the hospital at 9 pm when my contractions were about 5 minutes apart. Labored all night and had sweet little Maxen James at 10:20 am December 4, 2005. (Dustin asked me how I remembered the time, and I told him it would be hard to forget a moment like that.)
Here are just a few things I love about Max:
He's so loving.
Max loves to create an imagine.
He has the tenderest heart of any little guy.
He says "Je t'aime, Mommy/ Daddy" out of the blue.
He's so stinkin smart, but says, "It's okay, Mommy. I'll help you get it right." Usually when I'm helping him make something of his own design.
Max is a loyal friend, and tries to include everyone.
He is the class clown, even at home.
He loves volkswagens and will sit forever looking at them with his dad.
Max loves to play with Sam, and even helps him put his jammies on.
He tells Elle how sweet she is about a zillion times a day.
He's a little trooper when it comes to things he doesn't like.
Max hates meat, and you can get him to eat just about anything else if you tell him there is no meat in it.
Max loves to wear hats, especially the ones Grandpa Wilde gives him.
He loves riding around with Grandpa Wilde and asks when we can visit constantly.
He loves it when I read to him, and can say "constantinople" from hop on pop.
Max loves Inspector gadget.
He laughs out loud- super loud- when he thinks something is funny.

Max is my sweet little dude, Sammy's idol, Elle's protector, and Dustin's clone. We love you Max, and can't wait for all you have to teach us with your loving heart!

Merry Christmas

Dustin has been a student for a very long time. (I have been his wife for most of it.) This usually means that we never see each other, except for holidays and weekends. Well, we see each other, but not for the long enough time that you might get sick of one another. Pure wedded bliss. Anyway, these holidays are, for the most part spent with our families. I consider our family to be very lucky to be able to drive for a while and spend the time of year meant for peace on earth, and love, with those that mean so much to us. I have very tender feelings in my heart for Christmases past, the traditions, and the overall feeling of the holiday. I found this poem the other day and it paints such beautiful imagery, and this is what I picture our home to be one day. Especially during the holiday.

A Prayer For A Little Home

God send us a little home,
To come back to, when we roam.

Low walls and fluted tiles,
Wide windows, a view for miles.

Red firelight and deep chairs,
Small white beds upstairs-

Great talk in little nooks,
Dim colors, rows of books.

One picture on each wall,
Not many things at all.

God send us a little ground,
Tall trees stand round.

Homely flowers in brown sod,
Overhead, thy stars, O God.

God bless thee, when winds blow,
Our home, and all we know.

-Florence Bone

With that, I'll add some imagery of my own that old Florence didn't have. This may warm my heart just a little bit more.






Do you have any traditions, or memories that evoke that sense of family in your heart at this time of year?

fondant update

Well, it worked! My fondant worked! I was so amazed. I only had to cook it once, beat it once and it balled so nicely. The fondant dipped really easily too.
Paulette came over last week, as mentioned, to dip our chocolates. It was so fun!!! Paulette made delicious ganache (truffle filling), and yummy-secret family recipe- caramel for turtles. She really is so wonderful. We dipped the olympian creams that I made as well.
Yesterday, my friends Lauren and Erin came over and helped me dip some orange flavored and peppermint flavored fondant. They really did a great job and I was so grateful they were so willing to help get all that done and out of my fridge!!! I hope they'll come over and pick them up soon...(nudge nudge you guys.)
Without further ado, here are some pictures of the most fun we've had since last week!
Next post, Max's 5th Birthday Party! Hang on to your hats!

mid-production


my little "helper"


dark chocolate covered ganache, milk chocolate covered olympian cream, cocoa covered cinnamon-chocolate ganache, milk chocolate mold (Paulette's) with fondant, red foil turtle. DELICIOUS! Thanks Paulette!

Another Rite of Passage

I'm 26. Soon to be 27. I'm an adult, I think.

I have three kids. Two of which are very excited for Christmas.

At Christmastime, adults make the season magical for their kids.

I've made pillowcases. Stockings. Advent Calendars. Cookies.

Now...now is the time to step it up, and make chocolates. My friend Paulette is so amazing. She's coming over tomorrow to make truffles and turtles with me. (or for me, we'll see) With that in mind, I'm going to try to make some fondant today and totally surprise her. I hope they work so she'll still be my friend.

I vaguely remember making fondant with my mom every year. By vaguely, I remember the cream, sugar, and syrup. However, I don't remember the really important details that go along with it. Do you guys have any tips? Please let me know! I'm making olympian cream and I really hope they don't go to sugar.

I'll let you know how they turn out.

Has this ever happened to you?

I wish I had a video camera to record last night's supper escapade. Instead, I will (figuratively) draw it out for you.
Dustin, having come home late from school, was frantically trying to get things ready to go for his hunting/school trip. (In no way related, he just combined them for an extra good time.) The boys are desperately trying to get his attention. They know something's up, and about to change. Elle is being cute and quiet- as usual.

My crock pot is cooking away- trusty old crock pot- making mind blowing beef barley stew. Nugget potatoes and the last of our garden carrots. Yum!

Flash to me. Wandering around in a daze, not wanting to admit that Dustin is ACTUALLY leaving. I'm ACTUALLY going to be on my own totally for the next while with a crazy two year old, a "having behavioural problems on the school bus" (but aside from that, very kind) four year old, and the miraculous little newborn. Trying to help Dustin get things together, check the stew, wondering 'Why is the barley not cooking faster?', and keeping the boys from killing each other as they clamour for Dustin's attention.

Dustin barely scrapes out the door, freeing himself from my death grip. My last words to him, 'Don't die. I'm serious. I can't do this alone.' Cheery, huh? No romantic good-byes reminiscent of newlyweddom, only a plead not to leave me to raise three kids alone.

Cue: my pregnant friend, for whom the rest of the stew was destined. I forgot she can't handle meat this pregnancy so my good deed was most likely moot. She's so sweet, bringing her own container for the stew. She gets out the door as fast as she can, my yelling, but best intentioned, two year old hanging on my leg.

Finally, it's time to eat. I had set the boys' stew on the table before Dustin had left so it would be cool enough to eat. I put Elle down in her carseat so I can help Sammy eat. She cries. I tell myself she'll stop. Max cries- screaming and wailing. "I don't want to be the man of the house!" I think this is motivated by the expectation to eat a meat stew, and given Max is a bit of a vegetarian, I can see the problem. I snap- "You HAVE to be the man of the house! Dad's gone and it's your job!" I realize I'm speaking to a four year old, who just doesn't want to eat stew. Time for prayer. I offer a hasty thanks and a 'please bless'. Sam refuses to say amen. I can handle that. Sam refuses to eat. Max refuses to eat. I give up, picking up a crying Elle, and delve into my just-out-of the crock-pot-stew. Potatoes are raw. Carrots are raw. Barley is cooked- barely. At this point, I'm starting to get a little frustrated. and by a little, I mean steam is shooting from my ears. I finish my stew while Sam is in and out of his chair, and under the table. Up he comes. I give Sam some cut up potato on his spoon, and he stands on his chair, turns his back to me, and dances. All out shake his booty and shoulders dancing. I almost started to cry. Why won't my kids just eat their supper? Why do I even try? Why does Sam have to get out of his seat and crawl under the table? Why does he dance? Why does Max hate meat? Why does he cry on the bus? How do I know if he's telling me the truth about his irritable bus driver? Why did Dustin have to leave? Why did I agree to this?

Why am I so alone?

Sam looks at me, "you're my best friend, mommy". Dance dance dance. Max finishes his stew without meat, and wants grapes.

I start to laugh. I had given all I could, what else could I do? I call my nauseated pregnant friend, and warn her about the stew. I put Elle in the bath and rub her with yummy lotion, laughing and smiling at me the whole time. I call Dustin and tell him he owes me an afternoon out on the town. I play Candyland with the boys. I let Max win. I forget about the bus driver, I don't mind the stew, and I'm happy that Max doesn't like meat. Maybe he'll live to be a hundred years old.

Jammies, prayers, scriptures. Lights out. This is when I read this conference talk by Jeffery R. Holland, and apostle who has given amazing talks on the atonement and Christ's love for us. This was what I expect. I get something totally different. I get exactly what I need. I feel happy because I remember telling Max about listening to the prophets as their voice is the same as the Lord's. I know that my Saviour remembers me, and I'm not alone.

I learned a couple of things at supper last night:
1. My kids don't care about eating. Why should I?
2. When I've given life all I have, I need to learn to laugh.

On a totally different note, here are some pictures of the rough family history book I've been working on getting published. This is the soft cover. Let me know if you like the type color on the front. I only have until Monday to change it. I wanted it to look as close to the original book as they could get. I can't wait until Santa brings us a Rebel and our pictures will be legit. =)

"dey rapin er'rybody out here"

A funny video my friend showed me the night before my gallbladder removal. I had this song stuck in my head for like, a week. I guess the guys that did this video take clips from real news casts from across the country and "re-mix" them to some killer beats. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Irreverence

I don't usually post anything too "in your face" on this blog. However, something has really dug itself under my skin, and it has been on my mind all week.

When did it become socially acceptable to be openly irreverent and blasphemous?

Glee. I have tried and tried to get into this show, because we have heard so many funny things are on it. I like observational humor, and apparently this has LOADS of it. Each episode I find mildly amusing, but never openly hilarious. Last week was neither. Last week- I'm sure many of you know the episode I'm talking about- openly made fun of the one person that made it possible to be here. I could NOT believe the blatant lack of respect for Christianity, the disrespect for our Redeemer, and the casual mention of God being like a genie (granting wishes) when one prays to Him. I watched part of the show at home and turned it off. The next day my wonderful friend had us all over to watch it on her PVR. Of course I went, because I thought 'Friends! Socialization! The show won't be that bad, I was probably over-reacting last night. It will be fun.'
Fun it was because of the sweet girls that were there and the conversation, and delicious treats. At the same point on the recorded version, I left the room again because I felt sick. I'm so grateful for a beautiful friend, and her inclusion of everyone. I'm in no way saying that I think anything less of her. I just felt really awful when I left because I had done something I knew was wrong- again. The point is, why would I have told myself I was over-reacting, and then believed it? I'm not perfect, that's for sure. Beyond that, though, I think it has become commonplace to poke fun at deity and those of us that believe it.
I read something in the Infinite Atonement by Tad R. Callister that summed up what I have been thinking:
"Satan has been successful in diverting much of the... world's attention from the one doctrine that can save us, the Atonement of jesus Christ...Like a skilled magician, Satan's every move is to divert our attention and dilute our focus from the primary object at hand, namely Christ's atoning sacrifice...His diversionary tactics have been, and will be, of such global proportions that John tragically exclaimed, 'Satan...deceiveth the whole world'. (Revelation 1:29)"

Certain television shows may be critically acclaimed, but by whose standards? Has Satan set the bar at a level of television that is good, for all of us? For me, I will stick to watching what I think is good, by the standards my Savior has exemplified.

I believe in a kind and loving God. I believe in the atonement as the central act of humanity. I believe in the power of prayer as an action of faith.

*POST EDIT- I would like to point out that for those of you who are self proclaimed "Gleeks", or those who casually watch and enjoy this show: I didn't mean to pick on your favorite show, I used it only as an example of what I have experienced lately. Please don't take this to mean anything more than my own feelings of awe and wonderment.

Abcess makes the Heart grow fonder...

I spent a week away from Dustin in southern Alberta, mending from my lack of gall bladder. Every night we would talk on the phone and I would ask about his patient(s) he had seen that day. At the beginning of the week, he had a guy come in with a messed up mouth. Everything wrong you could think of, this poor sap had. On top of it all, under the crowns Dustin had done, this man's teeth had become infected due to a nasty condition he has. I (incorrectly) assumed these were abcesses and I told Dustin how I missed him and abcess makes the heart grow fonder. While I thought the statement was hilarious, I guess the word 'abcess' is quite serious to a dentist-in-training.

Now that I'm home back to my beloved, and my wonderful computer, I can update you all on some of our summer happ'n'ns. Photographically, of course. We all know my words are a little jumbly-ish.



Our personal photographer, Max snapped this for us on our way up to Waterton. Six years almost to the day we were married here on the hottest day in history.


Max and Herbie


Max's soccer team. Most of the kids on the team were in our ward. Thanks to Karin and Bishop Tucker for coaching!


The baby shower my friend, Lauren threw for me. This was the "bag of flour" made pretty to look like a princess cake. I went into labor the next day. Thanks, L!


Max's first day of school with his best friend.



Sam with a turtle found at our campsite in BC.


Max and friend at head smashed in buffalo jump.



At the top of Bear's hump. Elle at about 3 weeks- tricky business.


Max and Sam overlooking the town for 2 seconds before they were off chasing the squirrels.


Elle's Blessing day. Thanks Grama Wilde for the beautiful dress.

Midnight ramblings at ten pm

I have not had a caffeinated beverage in like, forever. Tonight I thought it would be a good idea to have a pepsi (I know. what???) at 9:00. I have a newborn that will most likely keep me up most of the night. Thank you, pepsi for taking away the few precious moments of rest I may have had in between her wakings. And, thank you brain for telling me: 'you should have a pepsi, you used to LOVE pepsi'
I did love pepsi before I relied so heavily on sleep. I'm going to be a real peach tomorrow. Wanna hang out?

I FEEL LIKE I'M TAKING CRAZY PILLS!

After Sam was born I had a small bout of what I like to call "clinical insanity". I saw a sock on the ground and curled up in a ball, crying my brains out....for like a week. It was weird because I like to think I'm on the even keel with my moods. I know that things can get pretty messed up after one has a baby, therefore I can see the pattern now. Today was an almost-curl-up-on-the-floor-in-a-ball-and cry-for-a-week-day. I realized that no matter how diligent I am with laundry, sweeping the floor, picking up toys, making supper etc etc etc , I WILL NEVER BE CAUGHT UP. The house will not look like I want it. My back WILL be so sore that I can't pull up my socks. I will not be rested enough to not slur my words and carry on an intelligible conversation. (I think I made that word up, but I'm unsure of its origins)
This may all be a side effect of my lame-o gall bladder that formed its own stones to ensure an inevitable demise. Dumb organ that self destructs. Who needs ya? Not me! So, to those who have had gall stones due to pregnancy (or having the worst luck on the planet), I now understand the sheer terror of eating something you know you shouldn't. I didn't know something other than childbirth and falling down a ravine with sharp pokey rocks could be so excruciating. I will try not to eat anything fatty, and, barring that I will keep my allotted precious narcotics by my side. With that said,I will only dwell on the positive for the rest of the post: at least maybe not eating fats will help me lose my magical 20 pounds.

Happy Things.

We have had a BUSY two weeks. Adding a third kid to an already very energetic family of four is an adventure. Luckily, though, we've had a lot of help from our parents. Grandma and Grandpa Wilde were here for a whole week, playing with the boys and enjoying little Elle. Needless to say, we were enjoying them too! Grandma and Grandpa Wilson came up next, taking the boys to the Mega LONG capital ex parade- what troopers! Are we so lucky, or what?

After everyone left, Dust and Max decided we needed a picnic table just for kids. So they made one...it took til 10 pm, but they made it and ate supper at it. Max was a big helper and held the wood for dad. Sadly, I didn't get any pictures because I had a fussy newborn inside coupled with a cranky 2 year old. Can you pick up what I'm layin down? ADJUSTMENTS!

We've had a couple of little photo shoots so here are some sweet little pictures. I'll put up some more after we get home from Dustin's family reunion next week.







POST EDIT: Here is a happy thing for Dustin. He found this totally rad van in Edmonton and is fervently trying to get the "go-ahead" to buy it. OUr blog wouldn't be the volkswagenfamily if I didn't post a pic of a VW every now and then {click to see the whole bus- you won't be disappointed. =)}

She...

Introducing our little sweetheart- Elle Wilson. She was born at 3:50 am July 10, weighing in at 8 pounds 1 ounce and 22 inches long. She is slightly bald and very sweet. Her appetite is voracious but she is very patient with her older brothers. (Who absolutely adore her). Max loves holding her and playing peek-a-boo, and Sam calls her "Eouw" (with a short E sound). Grandma and Grandpa Wilde are here with us, helping us like crazy and making the boys feel really special.

Her name is a little miracle in itself because Dustin and I can never agree on any names. In french her name means "she", which is fitting as we're blessed with a sweet little girl!

We're excited to share these photos with all of you and hope you're all well. We apologize if we can't call and tell you in person, things are a bit hectic still.