I know, I am shamefully overdue for a post.  I've been exclusive with facebook for a while.  Maybe you should get an account?! :) hint, hint, Suzanne!  Maybe I will give a summary of what I've been doing for the last 3 years... like having a fourth child.  But for now, this post is about something that's on my mind.  I've been wanting to possibly do something rather extreme, for me anyway.  I have been thinking about how, in our society, we have been gradually getting more & more wasteful!  We get rid of something that we don't like anymore, or is starting to wear in the knees, a little hole here or we're tired of it.  It's not convenient for us, it's not perfect, we're tired of it, don't like the style anymore.  We buy the packages that are large, but are individually packaged in an of themselves because it's more convenient than taking a few moments to buy bulk, then put it into a reusable container for lunches.  It's so wasteful!  What about "a stitch in time saves 9", or "Use it up, wear it out, make do or do without."?  People used to sew holes in their socks or patch their pants.  Now, the mentality is, "I need a new_____."

"What if I don't buy anything for a whole year?" I thought...and I have been thinking of it ever since.

At dinner on Sunday night, I asked the boys what they learned about in Primary (Sunday school for children). I didn't get much of a response from any of them after two attempts, I proceeded to tell them about what I taught in my Sunday School class. It was about Joseph Smith (the first president of our church). I asked, "Can anyone tell me who Joseph Smith is?" Gabe (2) pipes up, "ME!" After we all laugh a hearty laugh, Micah blurts out, "I know! He was a good guy that wanted to know what safed means!" (I think he meant "saved".)

Living with Gabe

I know, a new post has been shamefully overdue. Hopefully, today's post will entertain enough to get me back into the habit!

Yesterday, I heard some clanking around in the kitchen while the rest of us were upstairs. I coax Gabe to come upstairs. After a while goes by, we all come back downstairs from playing when I see that my spoon rest dish is shattered in pieces, all over the floor. (Which, he has to climb up the bar chairs and lean over the bar to get to this in the first place!) When I start to clean it up and Gabe stands next to me, throws his arms out in front of him and says "Oh, no!" In dramatic shock. He knows he did it! "Oh no is right, Gabe! This is a no-no. Don't mess with Mommy's things." Then I notice my tool turn-about is nearly empty. I look around and don't see my kitchen tools anywhere, no spatulas or bamboo spoons, nothing. So I look in the drawers thinking that maybe he was trying to be helpful and "put them away" for me. Hmm, nope. Not in the drawers. Another hour goes by & it's time for the boys to do their chores. Micah vacuums the stairs with the mini vacuum (-he loves it!) and Caleb takes out the box of recycling. As I lift the box down from the bar (Strategically placed on the bar so that Gabe can't put toys or important things in it) into Caleb's arms, I notice my favorite whisk. Oh no. I start pulling things like my can opener, another whisk, pie server, etc. out left and right. But the box was FULL of milk jugs, flattened boxes, cans, etc. For whatever reason I turned, and Caleb took the box out. So I slip on my flip-flops and run out to stop him, I turn the corner just to see everything being dumped into the big green container. Oh well. I hope I got everything out! Within minutes I had everybody get their shoes on and we got in the car for my dentist appointment. I kept thinking at different moments, I need to go check to make sure I got everything. So, this morning, I run out to the curb, trying to beat the recycling truck. I lean into the large green bin and dig. I start pulling everything out and onto the sidewalk. Gabe followed me out. He tries to hand me a milk jug and in his sweet voice says, "Milk-y, milk-y?" "Yes, thank you, Gabe. Just put it down." And I pull out more.

Ta-da! There is a measuring spoon. I search for more and find another measuring spoon. I dig deeper, tipping the tall bin down so I can reach farther. I see a huge cockroach scurrying around. Yikes! I keep going, determined that I am not going to have to replace any of my kitchen tools if I don't have to. I can't quite reach the bottom, so I grab something long to swish things around. Occasionally, I look at Gabe to make sure he stays put and chastising him for putting my things in the recycling box. I knew there was one more measuring spoon I hadn't found yet.

Daftly maneuvering to avoid the cockroach, I swished more cans around with my make-shift reacher. Just before I was about to call my search thorough enough, I see him, out of the corner of my eye, pick up one of the two found measuring spoons and throw it, where it ricocheted off the street and into the gutter!

I quickly tossed everything back into the bin and picked up the little naughty one and headed back into the house.

Thank goodness I remembered that my husband recently bought a reaching "nab-grabber" as Micah (4yrs) calls it. I was able to retrieve the measuring spoon out of the gutter. Whew.

Then Gabe tells me he wants "milk-y, milk-y, millllk." (his word now for anything to drink). I get him a sippy cup of diluted Gatorade since he doesn't want to eat anything lately. He drinks a little, then he goes over to shoe rack, sits down, kicks out his feet and says, "shhhh, shh?" So I put on his shoes because he wanted to outside. Then I think, I need to get the boys outside before it gets too hot to play. I go upstairs, telling Gabe I'm going to get Micah & Caleb & I'll be right back.

I come back and there is a puddle...sticky...with muddy shoe prints tracked all over the floor. "Milk-y!" Gabe says as he points to the mess. He had shaken nearly his entire drink out all over my shoes, his shoes and all over floor and the bottom of the carpeted stairs.

Oh...and now I hear the recycling truck outside.

Red, White, & Blue.

On Sunday, July 5th, I dressed the boys in red, white, & blue Polos. It looked really sharp when they were all together.
I love our great country of freedom & plenty. We are so blessed in this land of opportunity & freedom! I am deeply grateful to those who have protected these freedoms throughout the years.

George Lucas Exhibit

Space Center Houston (not to be confused with Johnson Space Center or NASA) is the closest thing we have to a local theme park-but it's indoors! It is the boys favorite place to go. The current special attraction (they rotate new attractions every 6-8 weeks or so) is a George Lucas exhibit. It is quite amazing (spacecenter.org)! We have a membership & went there on the 4th of July. Daddy can hardly wait to go back. We've been having record heat with a heat advisory, so being outdoors is not a good place to be right now. For those of you that don't know what a "heat advisory" means (I didn't!) the weather man said "stay in an air conditioned area from noon-6pm and if you must be outside, drink plenty of water & avoid caffeine." Really, I think it should be from 10am to 5. For the past 3 weeks, it's been pretty much too hot to go to the park & play- even at 9am!
Here the boys are pictured with the REAL C-3p0 and R2D2!

Timeline-The Jacklin 5 take a trip

We left on Tues. June 2, at noon. I was trying to keep one last surprise, since my Dad's (Rex) surprise party was impossible to keep a surprise. I wanted to see the look on his face when he saw that it wasn't just me & the baby...it was ALL of us waiting at the airport! When he saw us, a huge grin flashed across his face! Mom was delighted too. I can't remember a recent time where I'd seen her happier. The missionaries had vacated the basement for a week so we could stay there. They had bunk beds & the boys thought that was the coolest -so they took turns with the top bunk. The first night was filled with showing us the extensive garden & flowers. The boys spent probably an hour in Grammie's garden, esp. jumping off the couple of bales of hay. The next day, (Wed.) we had the grandparents to ourselves. We went to good old Fred Meyer to buy a few things, took a tour of downtown Renton & the changes at the Boeing campus where my Dad worked (Mechanical Engineer) for 37 yrs! In the afternoon, we got our suits & headed for Lake Washington at Jean Coulon Park. It was a great to have the kids play where I played as a kid too! We had supper out on the deck at home, overlooking the view, or should I say overgrown trees obscuring the view of Mt. Ranier?! Ahh, good to be home though.
Thursday, my aunt Doris & my dear brother John came in from LA. Doris came in @ 11am, so we dropped my boys off to play at a park & window shop in Renton while Rex & I picked up Doris. Then we all met up again & went to visit the grounds at the Seattle Temple (in Bellevue). Doris & her family had lived in Bellevue long ago when her husband was an Eddie Bauer executive. So Dad drove around for a long time trying to find her old house. We encouraged him to give up.;) Then we returned home. It was roasting in the house. My parents have no air conditioner in their house & have never needed one. It was a hot day, but this was strange! Come to find out, the heat was left on all day!! After dinner, my dad picked up Aunt Luann (Calvin's wife). We had fun visiting, then it was time to pick up (bro.) John C. My husband & I went alone. We picked up a treat & movie & headed back home -laughing the whole way!
Friday -time to pick up Uncle Cal & later Aunt Annette (her husband, John A., poor thing was sick in the hotel the whole trip! But at least he got uninterrupted rest). Our family, my parents, John C., & my aunts & uncle, all went to our favorite place to eat for lunch. Then everyone split up in groups. Our family & John C. had planned to go up to Everett to visit Tom (my bro-2nd to the youngest) & Amy's family for playtime & BBQ. Their boys are similar ages to ours & I couldn't wait for the day Colt & Caleb could finally actually play together. But a miscommunication took Caleb with Grammie & we had to go without him. It was a really great visit, however. Then Saturday was busy with getting prepared for the party.
Sunday (Aunt Doris left in the morning) we went to Everett (WA) & filled the chapel to capacity! (6 uncles, 2 grandpas, 1 great uncle +1 proud papa all got to participate in the blessing) All these Candlands & extended family came for the blessing of Tom & Amy's baby, Heidi. Afterward, we went to Ellen's house to eat. The kids loved playing in her playset & trampoline. Micah had fun getting acquainted with twin cousins, Macy & Avery. Afterward, we separated again, Many went to my oldest nephew, Adam's seminary graduation & school commencement ceremony. John C., & my family went to see Dan's new house. Dan was sure a cute host, so happy. We came back to my parents house to find my parents & his siblings still chatting away! Night owls! We stayed up with them till about 11 then said our final goodbyes. What fun!
Monday morning, Uncle Cal & Aunt Luann returned home. Aunt Annette & her husband (John A.) were up for some sight seeing. My family tagged along. We took the ferry to Vashon Island. We ate lunch there & returned in just in time to see them off at the airport. We returned home, where John C. & mom returned from their outing, just in time to say our goodbyes to him.:( Then we headed back up to Carnation, WA to have dinner & Family Home Evening with Dave & Marcy's family. They upheld our tradition of singing the storm trooper song as one of the FHE songs and had homemade ice cream for dessert!
Tuesday morning we spent getting ready to leave & went out for an early lunch, then headed out to the airport. We arrived in Houston about 12:45 am CST. Thank goodness for a day off on Wed. to try & recoup!

More Micahisms

Micahisms from Saturday and today:
"Mommy! Mommy! Look I found some money! Now I have enough money to go to MiNonalds! This one (points to the penny in his hand) is enough to go to Space Center and this two (points to 2 nickels) is enough for TWO MiNonalds, 1 for me & one for Caleb!
(At the dinner table) "Mommaay! My food is turning into poo poo!" he stated matter-of factly.
(About 3 weeks ago I made a brief explanation on how the digestive system works. I guess he caught on!)