Finals - a.k.a "Survival Mode"

Usually, at this time of year, Cameron hibernates in his cave of studying. His brain is so busy trying to compute the law. He immerses every moment into his boring law books; he may as well be a bear off in hibernation while the world continues to live and survive. Honestly, his schedule is wake up around 8:00, study until 3 or 4 in the morning. Sometimes, I think he only fits one meal in there.

What do I do while he disappears? Just about everything. I really think there is some sort of switch in me that says, oh I better overload myself with projects and activities while the bear is away. So these are a few of the activities I have taken on this year.

1. Christmas cards for Mom, Sarah, and Me.
2. All the Christmas shopping and birthday shopping (Done!).
3. Decorate the entire house, inside and out.
4. Make homemade gifts for family and friends.
5. Complete my blog and blog book.
6. Plan annual cookie exchange party.
7. Plan Callie's birthday party and make invitations.
8. Try to take care of the kids' needs.
9. Create Christmas moments for the kids to enjoy the full meaning of Christmas.
10. Keep the house clean and organized.

I have to say, without Cameron's help, the last one gets a little ignored. I really can only do so much.

As I listened to President Uchtdorf's talk last night, I realized there are a lot of distractions during Christmas. I am certainly guilty of finding some of those.

To all our friends and family who read our blog, I wish you joy in remembering the greatest gift to all of man. Our Savior Jesus Christ's birth should remind us of our Heavenly Father's love for all of us. He loves us so much that He gave us His Only Begotten Son in the hope that this gift would enable us all to return home to Him some day. May that be in our hearts this season.

Love,
the LaDukes

Puddlegums and Indians

In Callie's preschool, her teacher is really good about using the current holiday to teach about numbers and letters, etc. So for November, they learned all about Pilgrims and Indians. They had a Pow Wow day where they made costumes and played some Native American games. Then they had a Thanksgiving day where they dressed as Pilgrims and brought food to share. With all this excitement Callie is constantly asking me about what new project she can do for Thanksgiving. She would say, "Mom, puddlegums, and Indians, and turkeys, and scarecrows are all for Thanksgiving, right?" I was a little confused by the word "puddlegums" and would correct her with "Pilgrims." She was insistent that I was "wrong." Then finally one day to prove my error she went and got her book, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. In there, she showed me a picture of a character that looked a little like a Pilgrim with a Pilgrim hat and clothing, but a sort of scarecrow face and duck looking feet. I had to turn to Cameron to find out what she was talking about. It turns out that Cameron had just been reading to Callie about Puddlegum right around the same time that she was learning about Pilgrims in school. Well, we are now both clear on the difference. At least, I think she is. We did make turkeys out of pinecones, but no Puddlegums.

Thanksgiving has fast become my second favorite holiday. Not only do I love the weather cooling off and the comfort food we eat, I love to reflect on all that I have to be grateful for. I really have so many blessings it is impossible to count. Conveniently, on Thanksgiving we spend time with our families and that seems to be one of my top things I am thankful for. This particular Thanksgiving, Cameron's parents got home from their mission to India. All 29 LaDukes, Powers, Frosts, and Gillards all loaded up and drove to the Phoenix airport to greet them. As we stood their with our signs and smiles waiting for them to reach us, sweet Bella ran up to Grandma and gave her a huge welcoming hug. I was all tears after that. Did I get any photos of Grandma and Grandpa? No, not really. What was I thinking?

The next day was Thanksgiving. I lost my camera most of that day and only got a few pictures of Avery wearing Bella's hat, which she wore the whole trip. We had a great feast at the Powers home followed by the children singing a new primary song about families. Then we played a game that I had organized. I thought it was really fun. But maybe I make too much of a big deal out of things. Aaron had his new wife Ann there with their 5 combined children. Everything seemed to go so smoothly. Ann and Aaron's kids hit it off great. The only part of Thanksgiving that I did not like was having to leave so soon. Cameron had to get back to Tucson to start his studying for finals. Thanks for such a great time LaDuke family. We are officially in survival mode.

Primary update...

Callie is my little smarty pants. The speaking parts were handed out for the annual primary program. Callie's part this year was, "When I came to earth, my spirit joined with my body." This seemed so much shorter than last years. "As a child of God, I know Jesus created the earth, as part of Heavenly Fathers plan." Which she memorized when she was 3 years old. Well, she had her new part memorized that day in the car ride home from church. The next week the children had their 1st practice for the program. Callie was the only child out of the entire 150 children primary, who got up to the microphone and did her part from memory. Then two weeks later when they did their program in church she seemed so confident. She said her part clearly and completely all by her self. I was so moved I had to wipe away a little tear of joy. The rest of the program she squirmed and laughed and sang, while we made faces at her. It was such a great show.

Halloween 2009

Callie and Ella at Ward Trunk-or-Treat

Another LaDuke Halloween adventure. Yes, we still went to too many parties, and yes we still have way too much candy, but it was sooooo much fun. I love the dress up fun of Halloween. I don't really like the scary stuff, but I do like the neighborly charm of giving candy to kids and walking door to door, or car to car. I love ward Halloween parties. With the cheesy games and prizes. Most of all I really love watching my girls get excited about dressing in a special costume. This year Callie wanted to be Tinkerbell. Since I have a secret disdain for all costumes with a portrait of the character plastered on them, I found a fairy costume and wings and bought the Tinkerbell shoes without her face on them. Even though Callie's costume was purple and green, we still did a Tinkerbell hair do, and called it good. We had another fairy costume that Avery could wear so we were all set for two fairies. I love that in Arizona you can have perfect weather on Halloween night. Honestly we did no need sleeves or tights because it was that warm. We went to our wards "trunk or treat" and had a great time. Callie thought that dad needed to be Peter Pan and mom Wendy to match the two Tinkerbells. I did not think people would recognize my character if I just wore a blue night gown. Which I could not find anyway. So I decided to be Captain Hook. I bought a $5 pirate kit and called it good. I bought Cameron a green Shirt which I cut to look like Pan's and made him a felt hat. There were no tights to be had, so poor Cameron had to wear his trade mark cargoes. I think he was secretly disappointed. Callie also had a ballet Halloween party where she was Belle and Avery was Cinderella. Then there was her preschool party. As a family we went to the annual Law School Bar Association party. This party is always fun with lots of kid activities. Callie enjoyed having her friends Eliza, and Katelyn there. Elia was smart and bold enough to say to, "Callie your costume is not modest." I had to laugh, I guess that was my fault. Callie did not care she really doesn't know the meaning of the word yet. Halloween night was the best. I took the girls out in our neighborhood and there were tons of trick-or-treaters and people sitting out and passing out candy. Callie would walk to the doors and on cue say, "Trick or treat." Avery straggled behind and would finish the meeting with her tiny voice and interpretation of "Thank you, Happy Halloween." Which sounded more like, "dank jew, happy ha-wo-ween." She is so tiny it was adorable. After it was too dark and we had too much candy to carry we went home to join Dad. The weather was so perfect that we sat out in our driveway put on some music, and passed out more candy while the fairies took turns dancing with dad.

"I'm funny."

Avery had turned into a little comedian. I really don't find all of her jokes funny, but she sure does. She seems to think if she does something naughty it is OK because she is just kidding. For example she might run out to the street, or hide from me in the store. Then when I grab her or scold her she laughs and says, "I'm funny." Oh, so not the jokes you want from a 21month old. We are trying to not laugh at naughty things and emphasize the silly things that are funny. Oh, I do hope this is a phase. Though she does make me laugh.

1st Joke

Oh, so funny. Avery loves to make us laugh. Today I was saying that another member of our family was a little stinky because they kept tooting. Well, Avery who loves to make us laugh started saying, "No, mommy's stinky." It was so funny it just made me laugh, which made her say it more. Later that day she came up to me again with a look that said, "I am going to be funny." Then pointedly she stated, "Mama's stinky," followed by the laugh only a little one year old can make. She is so funny, but I fear this saying may continue and come out and embarrass me at the wrong moment. Hopefully, by letting everyone in on the joke, I can avoid some embarrassment later.

"My kid is advanced"

Avery playing the face game while eating spaghetti.




A rare still moment...

Trampoline hair...

Preschool Fire Station Tour...

More trampoline hair...

Fairy costume...

When Callie was born, she was the last of four LaDuke cousins who were born the same year. All of these '04 cousins were also the firstborns in their respective families. It was a lot of fun to have sisters-in-law to compare notes with, especially since you seem to notice the tiniest details about your first child. I was also one of those who read all the magazines and books about development and was constantly consulting to see at which developmental stage Callie stood. It seemed like all of our children were right on target or just a little advanced in different areas. It kind of became a running joke between all of the parents. We would say, "Well, my kid is advanced," or "(she/he) is definitely advanced." I guess it is not that I don't notice these things as much with Avery; I think I just don't talk about it as much. But, I am a parent and I think I deserve to brag. I think in doing so just a little, not in a comparative way, I may be able to point out some of my children's talents and help them to develop them to become even greater. More importantly, I may be able to guide them through some of the things that are more difficult for them by giving them some confidence. This is just my own theory, but I think it is a good one.

So here we go.

Avery: As I have mentioned before, Avery is always on the GO. I have noticed that she is not just physically moving, climbing, dancing, or exploring, she is also constantly mentally computing. She takes a second to absorb information and then moves on. She has not shown the same concentration as Callie, but I believe she is just as bright. At 19 months she started to do wooden shape puzzles. I think she must have picked this up at church because it was not something I worked on with her. Avery is also physically talented with great stores of energy. She does forward rolls and climbs like a champ. Avery has a busy mind and has a hard time with the static sameness of being at home or sitting in the car too long. Sometimes if the car is stopped at a light she will yell, "Go, Go!" She likes to have something to do. Verbally, she is "advanced," too. At her 18 month Dr.'s appointment, I came prepared with a list of words she says frequently. My list was a little over 75 words. The Doctor said usually the most at this stage is 20. It was not just words, she would also say small sentences like: "I want Dada," "Where is Callie?," "Ready or not, here I come," and "Here you go." Now, at almost 20 months, she says well over 100 words and adds new ones daily. She is also very friendly, greeting strangers over and over until they say "Hi" back. Lately, I have noticed that she is very sweet to other kids her size. I have seen her offer to share things with them or try to tickle other kids. She does not like it when I leave her with baby sitters, nursery, or the gym. But she quickly bucks up once I peel her off and leave. It really breaks my heart, so I always check to see how she is doing and she is always happy. She is funny in Nursery. She loves Brother Brown. He seems to be the only adult leader she will go to willingly. This last Sunday, when I was dropping her off, she screamed and clung to my leg as I peeled her off. Then Brother Brown walked in. She looked at him, smiled, and put her arms up for him to pick her up. I left and she was not screaming. How funny she would choose him over the sweet women in there. She really likes her Daddy, so it makes sense.

Avery quotes:

"Hug, Huggie." A sweet request that simply means "I will pretend to hug you if you pick me up and carry me around."

"No, No...No, No!" Something she says as she does something she is not supposed to do, like turn off the TV when Callie is watching. She will even walk to the "time out chair" after committing this crime.

"Baby." Something she says about other kids her age.

"Hi, baby." Something she says to any adult in hearing range.

Callie:

Now that Callie is in school, I love to have her come home and tell me all about the things she learned and did. I am always impressed with how well she can explain the things she did and why they did them. Her teacher sends her home with lots of cute projects they worked on. Callie will have colored the pictures perfectly, in the lines with different colors in different places, and she will have followed the directions as well. All of her papers have a "WOW" stamped on them. I thought the teacher just did that to everyone's papers, but apparently it is only for the extra neat and correct papers the children have done. I have asked her teacher how she is doing in school. Her teacher has nothing but praise, and she always adds, "She is more than ready for Kindergarten." This feels a little like a report card for me, but I know that is not true. Callie is that way because that is who she is. She has a great ability to focus on a task and complete it . On her third birthday, she could sit for hours and draw her letters. Now she can sit and draw, color, play with dolls, or dress up for a long time. She has a wonderful imagination and great talent for drawing. One day I watched her teach her friend how to illustrate a book about Ariel complete with good drawings of Ursula. Callie would draw it and then hand the friend a colored pencil and have her draw it the same. She is a great little ballerina she is often the leader in class and likes to come home and try new "twirls" that are very close to a good pirouette. Callie has an amazing memory and can recall things from years past. She also can repeat anything she saw once on TV. Lucky for us we do not get any channels but PBS World, PBS Kids, and PBS HD. All of our other channels are in Spanish. She does sometimes try to watch the Spanish cartoons, and say "Mom, I can understand Spanish." Then she will hear a word like, "no" or "banana" and say, "See mom they said 'no'," or "'banana'." Just yesterday she learned how to count to 100 (in English!). Though she is smart she really always wants to just have fun. Her favorite games are playing tickle, chase, or hide and seek with Dad and Avery. Callie is also a very sweet sister. She will help Avery put her shoes on, play with a toy, or include her in her games of hide and seek. I love to see them interact peacefully. It really brings me joy.

Callie's funny Primary moments:

Sister Funk read a story using an English accent to get the children's attention. Callie raised her hand and said, "My imaginary older sister is from England."

While practicing for the Primary program the leader was cutting off a person's tie piece by piece. Callie thought it was really his tie, not one given to him for the activity, and she started to cry.

Isn't that precious . . . .

Death of Sir Roger

Sometime in the 80's, my parents hosted a "How to Host a Murder" dinner party. Later in the 90's, I "borrowed" the kit from my mother planning to one day host the party myself. So it is now 2009 and I finally staged the murder mystery night with some of our best friends from the ward. Our guests arrived in full costume, and Tony, who is usually the most demure of the bunch, was in full character the whole game. He was a crack-up with his English accent and snobery. My character was the secretary and I really had a hard time getting into her character. Her main objective in life was to get the Equal Rights Ammendment passed. So much that people actually thought I had murdered Sir Roger for the "cause." It was so silly I just laughed the whole night. Cameron was the lawyer/golfer, Prosper Alan Bates, or "Pro" Bates. Since the setting was a 1930's English manor, we dressed him in a British wig and black judge-looking gown with golfing attire underneath. There is now no need to fear, the murderer of Sir Roger is now safe in the hands of the Scotland Yard authorities.

So now that I have used the kit I am willing to pass it on. After 20 something years all the pieces are still in the kit. All you would need is a working tape deck and you would be all set. Let me know . . . .

The Money Fairy

Callie has recently mentioned to me that there is a "Money Fairy." She has explained to me that when people need money the Money Fairy comes and puts money under your pillow. Why not? There is the Tooth Fairy and, in our house, the Binky Fairy. I guess this version of sprite is for adults. I wouldn't mind a few visits myself.

On another note we may have discovered a Money Fairy talent in our own home. Upon inspecting Avery's mouth she has been known to produce a nickle, and, just today, we found an acid worn dime in her dirty diaper. I think if she works on it she could be a generous contributor in the fairy world.

Some Summer Highlights

Brandi Fenton Park Splash Pad Before Cameron started school.

Trip to Reno and Tahoe

Trip to Pinetop for the 4th of July with all of the cousins.

Janae's baby shower in May. She had her baby the very next day. Perfect timing.

Callie's Ballet

Trip to California and Disney Land

I guess it is a little odd that I am posting all of these at once. I never even finished the April post(all pictures and no words.) We did do some very fun things this summer that need to be reported. I did not have an internet connection in Phoenix to keep my posts updated. So I will combine the fun we had in May, June, July and August into one post, or I may never catch up.