Memories of My Mother

My mom passed away 6 years ago at the age of 64, on April 7, 2002. She'd just finished watching General Conference when she began to fail. She died on her own mother's 96th birthday (though Grandma Haley had died 9 years earlier).

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Today would have been my mother's 71st birthday. I thought it would be fitting to write a tribute to the woman who brought me into this world and raised me.

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She was born Hazel Jane Haley on 29 Sept 1937 in Kingsburg, California. She was the youngest of 5 children. Her family had come to California 8 years earlier from Oklahoma to work as itinerant laborers.

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Named for her Aunt Hazel, her mother's little sister, Mom went by her middle name, Jane. (Callie Jayne was named for her grandma.)

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This is Mom at her wedding reception. My dad, Myron, missed it because his boss at the gas station wouldn't give him time off!

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They married on 18 Aug 1953. Mom was 15 years old and Dad was 18. They eloped to Reno, Nevada--with both sets of parents in the backseat! They were married by a bishop in Reno, but Mom had to lie about her age. It came back to haunt her when I was about 10 years old. After seeing an old Dick Van Dyke show where Laura Petrie found out she wasn't legally married because she lied about her age, I told our neighbors my parents weren't really married!

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This is Mom and me in April 1955. She was 17 and I was 7 months old. (Okay, so I was bald!)

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Mom knew she wanted 5 children, but it wasn't easy. After my birth she had 3 miscarriages and a full-term, stillborn son named Gerald Lynn, for Dad's oldest brother Lynn who'd died at age 21 from a heart defect. They never knew why Gerald died just hours before his birth. Dad said he was perfect in form, with golden hair.

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While expecting her next child, Mom worried about losing another baby. Then she dreamed some men came into the room and put a baby boy in her arms. "His name is LeRoy Thomas," they said. She knew then she would have a healthy son, and never worried again.

By Easter 1961 (this photo)--when Dad was 26 and Mom was 23-- our family was made up of me, Mary Jane (age 6), LeRoy Thomas (age 2), and Karla Fern (11 months). Jefferey Alan was on the way in November 1961. In May 1963 our family of 5 children was completed when our youngest brother, Darryl William, was born.

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Aaah, the advent of colored film! The picture below was taken 1 June 1968 on the day our family was sealed in the Oakland, CA temple. In back: Mom (age 30), Dad (age 33), and me (age 13). In front: Darryl (age 5), LeRoy (age 9), Karla (age 8), and Jeff (age 6).

To Mom, nothing was more important than family. I'm grateful that she passed that legacy on to us, her children. Despite distances between us, the 5 of us remain close, and I know that pleases Mom greatly.

She didn't discriminate between families, either. She made sure we attended every family gathering, whether it was for her own relatives or Dad's, even when Dad was on the road as a Greyhound bus driver.

I tried to skip a couple of family reunions when I was a kid, begging to stay with friends. Mom would have none of it. My friends ended up joining us and we'd have a great time playing with my many cousins.

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Mom loved being a grandma and often babysat her grandchildren. This is her in March 1984 at age 46 with her second grandchild/first granddaughter Genevieve.

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After her first stroke at age 59, Mom suffered poor health, but we feel she hung on as long as possible so she could enjoy her grandchildren.

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We wish she could be here now to enjoy her 8 great-grandchildren (so far), but I have no doubt Mom knew them before we did and gave them a sweet send-off from heaven when they came to occupy their new little bodies.

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After Mom died, we siblings waited until the 5 of us could all be together before we went to view her body. Emotions were high and we couldn't speak as we looked down upon her. Then our baby brother Darryl (tall, husky, tough guy) let out a sob. We looked at the horrified expression on his face--and then we all burst into hysterical laughter mixed with free-flowing tears. We all felt Mom in the room, beaming happily down at us, knowing we would be all right because we had each other.

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Happy birthday, Mom. We love you!

Don't Close the Book Until the Song Is Over

What a great week Callie had! It seems each day reveals another answer to prayer. She is stronger and is holding her head up--"bobbly" like a newborn, Dana wrote. She chews and swallows in speech therapy, and yesterday she was allowed to chew and swallow some ice. On an earlier try, she had quite a reaction to a cold lemon-flavored swab! (See pic below.)

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In physical therapy she tried to roll over and push herself up. She enjoyed a visit from a therapy pooch on Thursday. Yesterday she found her nose with her left hand and even tried to pick a booger out! What parent wouldn't thrill to see that in these circumstances! When her daddy Jeff was tickling her ribs this morning, she rolled over to get away and even attempted a chuckle.

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Perhaps most exciting of all, on Thursday Callie started trying to open her eyes! As Jeff described it, she had "wide open slits." Although she hasn't opened them completely yet, it's a hopeful indication that she is regaining control of her eye muscles.
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What a difficult concept patience is for us as human beings, especially in the midst of our trials. During the initial days of a crisis, we are buoyed up by the Spirit and surrounded by family and friends. This loving support carries us through fear and uncertainty as we come to terms with our situation.
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But days pass and our loved ones must return to their lives. The Spirit steps back a little, allowing us to experience the trial of our faith as we face the day-to-day hardships.

I believe this is the most difficult period of any trial. It is also the most valuable, as we are called upon to exercise the godly trait of patience.

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Patience is NOT one of my virtues! Like everyone else, I feel I cannot wait for Callie to open her eyes, to speak, to walk, to dance! I want to know NOW how Callie's story will end. It's hard to accept that only God can know the end from the beginning.

Yet our Father has a purpose for every moment, whether our trial goes on for months, years, even a lifetime. Only by turning our hearts and wills over to Him can we glimpse His eternal purposes.

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My friend Jill had an experience at church last Sunday many can relate to. When Jill closed the hymn book after the opening hymn, the chorister continued on to the verses printed at the bottom of the page. Everyone scrambled to reopen their books and find the words so rarely sung.

Then their speaker talked of the need to listen to the Spirit, since we cannot know all of God's ways. He concluded with: "Don't close the book until the song is over."
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I love that thought! What blessings might we miss along the way if we focus only on reaching the end of our trials? What opportunities for growth might we overlook?

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As Jill points out, it's often in the darkest depth of our trial that the most meaningful changes occur in our hearts.

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I have an idea I call "The Parable of the Tapestry." To me, my life looks like the back of a tapestry: dangling threads, ugly knots, unrecognizable shapes, twisted strands, mismatched colors.

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After this life, I imagine looking with the Lord upon this jumbled mass. "What was this mess all about?" I'll ask. Then, with a gentle arm about me, in His infinitely loving manner He'll lead me to the front of the tapestry.

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"Here," He will answer, "is the lovely picture we made of your life. Your trials and mistakes are on the back, where they no longer matter. All we see now is the beauty of a soul who increased in faith and learned to love."

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My niece Ashley asked whether there's really such a thing as a tragedy. A good question. From our earthly perspective, many things seem tragic. Yet no loss is permanent, no pain is eternal, if we lay our burdens at the feet of our Savior and walk in His paths.

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Maybe the real tragedy is turning away from the Lord, swallowed up in emptiness and bitterness. How thankful I am that Father in Heaven has prepared a better way for us!

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Sweet Callie, what a great blessing you are to us who love you!

Flowers in God's Garden

Today Callie Jayne is 20 months old. How thankful we are that she is here with us to mark this sweet milestone! Today she spent some time with her brothers and sisters, whom Callie was very excited to see, according to Dana's blog. When they left her hospital room, Callie waved her arms wildly as if saying good-bye!

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This picture taken today shows how far Callie has come, this miracle baby of ours. We continue to pray for her recovery, and invite you to join with us still. In particular our prayers are focusing on the healing of her brain stem at this time. How wonderful it will be when she can open her eyes again!

Between soccer practices and games, Scouting events, church meetings, school and club activities, and other motherly ferrying duties, I spend a lot of time driving around our community. During the past two weeks I've had plenty of time while driving to ponder Callie's accident and the ripples it has sent out into the world. So many of us have been touched in so many ways.

We've been strengthened by Jeff and Dana's faith as they faced every parent's worst nightmare with trust in Heavenly Father. As my sister-in-law Lori said, "Their love for their child and God will bring them peace, no matter what."

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We've pulled our own little ones closer with a prayer of gratitude that they are safely tucked into their own beds each night.
We have learned patience, seen our prayers answered, and felt Callie's strong, sweet spirit reach out to those around her, even from afar.

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I have learned something more, something I needed to understand about the relationship of our Heavenly Father with His children here on earth.

Callie is the youngest of her parents' 13 children. She is the last of my parents' 35 grandchildren. There are some folks who'd say no one needs that many kids. Yet is Callie any less precious to her parents, her siblings, her grandparents, her aunts and uncles and cousins, simply because we've been blessed with an abundance of children?

These past few weeks I've noticed millions of little yellow flowers blanketing the fields and meadows of our mountain communities. Everywhere I look, these tiny flowers are brightening the view. I took these pictures one day while running errands just before dusk, filming meadows from Show Low to Pinetop, over a distance of more than 10 miles. (For a better view of the flowers, click on the pictures.)

No matter how many fields of these flowers I pass, I love to see them. Not once have I thought, "I wish this field had no flowers. There are just too many!" Every meadow is more beautiful because they are there.

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That made me think of how precious each of our children are to us, regardless of how many we have. I treasure each of my nieces and nephews as I do my own children. Each one brightens the landscape of my life!

These thoughts, in turn, made me understand how God sees us, the flowers in His garden. I often struggle with feelings of insignificance, but I begin to grasp how precious each of us is in His sight. He lovingly tends to us, just as a gardener tends his flowers, just as Callie's parents and doctors are tending her. Sometimes painful pruning or difficult treatments are necessary to our growth, but we are none of us beneath his notice.
Did you see the rainbow breaking through the clouds in the picture above? This symbol of our Heavenly Father's love reminds us that after the trial of our faith He will always bless us with something beautiful and worthwhile.

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For Callie and her family, I hope the clouds part each day to let a rainbow of miracles shine down on our sweet girl, until the day she is able to return home to her family.

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And I wish rainbows for each of you in the midst of your trials, as well. May God bless you all!

Mommy and Daddy's Good Day

I was thinking about Dana while getting ready for bed tonight, and no more than 5 minutes later she called me! There was a note of joy in her voice that made me think, "She has her baby in her arms." Sure enough, she was holding Callie as we spoke!
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These pictures were taken today while Callie was held for the first time in 11 days by her mommy Dana and her daddy Jeff.
Callie was taken off the ventilator 2 days ago and is breathing on her own again, with a little assist from an oxygen and helium mask. The doctors also removed about 40 staples from her surgery scars and the sensors from her brain.
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Dana says it's debatable whether Callie is still comatose. There is definitely a difference between when Callie is aware and when she is asleep.

An opthalmologist confirmed that Callie still has her vision, though it will take 6 months to know how good it will be. However, the damage around the optical area of her brain stem may be why she hasn't opened her eyes and her eyes aren't dilating.
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The MRI from 2 days ago is promising. The fluid in her brain looks good and the bruised area is improved. And the area damaged by the stroke is now totally clear!

Callie began receiving music therapy and physical therapy today. Dana said the music therapy was exciting. They put Callie's tiny hands on 2 little drums and told her to push down on them, and she did!
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After the music therapy was over, Callie made two audible responses to her daddy, which was a joyful noise to her parents' ears. The prayers and fasts in her behalf have brought about great blessings. God's hand in her healing is evident.
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Those of us who are so far from Callie during this ordeal can't wait to have her back here in our mountain home! When we said good-bye, I asked Dana to give Callie a kiss for me. It was precious to hear her give our sweet girl a little smack from her Aunt Mary.
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Please visit Dana's blog at the link under "My Blog List" at left to hear her firsthand account of what has transpired recently. It's Dana's first blog since the accident, and you will feel their spirit of quiet peace and joy. Also visit Ashley's blog for her report from her parents today. Thanks again to everyone who has shared their prayers and faith!

An Unexpected Setback

Just when things were looking great, there has been an unexpected setback for Callie Jayne. When I arrived at church this morning I met Dana's sister Jona in the foyer. She told me Callie was back on life support and not doing very well. Thinking of my tiny niece fighting for her life again made it difficult to go into sacrament meeting and participate in the Primary presentation, especially when I was surrounded by little children singing about the gospel in their beautiful angelic voices.

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After church I called and spoke to both Jeff and Dana. Callie had a lovely day yesterday and a peaceful evening, off life support and breathing on her own. All of her vital signs were great. At bedtime her doctor turned her onto her tummy to prevent pneumonia from fluid gathering in her lungs. They positioned her just right so she could breathe easily.

All was quiet when a new doctor came into the room. At this point there is some confusion about what happened and why, but it ended with Callie back on the ventilator and having another CT scan (which showed no changes for the worse). Unfortunately, after the scan Callie suffered a seizure, and then a second seizure a couple of hours later. Now she is on anti-seizure medication and hooked up to an EEG to determine why she had the seizures. She is still responsive, but at a lower rate than before.

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Now we wait to see what the result will be on little Callie Jayne's recovery. Please continue to pray for her--and her doctors! And for those who fasted in Callie's behalf today, we thank you so much. Perhaps this situation is the reason Jeff and Dana chose today to hold the fast. Regardless of this setback, we know Heavenly Father remains very much in control and Callie's life rests in His loving hands. We wouldn't have it any other way.

Heard It Through the Grapevine

Today was a crazy one. Between the 2-hour Primary program practice this morning, the 2 hours at the soccer field this afternoon, the 2 1/2-hour church barbecue this evening, and the 7 loads of laundry needing to be sorted and sprayed tonight, I never did contact anyone for an update today.
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Yet I still got one in an unexpected manner. We already knew from Dana's email yesterday that the doctors felt it was safe to finally remove Callie Jayne's C-collar, which will allow her the greater freedom of movement that she seems to want. That same day, Callie's oldest brother, Justin, told Sarah the doctors are now sure Callie will live. That was all happy news.
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Then I got a phone call from my friend Wyndie while I was watching Dylan's soccer game today. It seems that while Wyndie was at WalMart she ran into Dana's sister Jona (that's small-town life: you can't go to WalMart without meeting a dozen people you know, so you can never just run in and out quickly). AND it just so happened that Jona was dancing through the store because she'd just received a text message from Dana, letting her know they took Callie off the respirator today. She is breathing 100% on her own!

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She had not awakened yet, but I believe that only gives her brain more time to heal. There's no rush, as long as we still see those little miracles happening as she progresses!
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Just a reminder that tomorrow (today? I guess it's Sunday now) will be the special fast for Callie's continuing recovery. Please join us if you wish. We love and appreciate you all!

Speaking of Miracles

I don't have an update on Callie Jayne today. Most of her brothers and sisters traveled to Phoenix to visit their baby sister today, and for the younger ones it will be their first time to see her since the accident. I don't want to intrude on this special family reunion. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to gather new information.

Callie did make the front page of our local little newspaper, the White Mountain Independent (it's only published twice a week). If you'd like to read the article online, just click here:

http://www.wmicentral.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20117832&BRD=2264&PAG=461&dept_id=505965&rfi=6

I thought that I'd share the tale of another miracle that occured in our family 5 years ago. This one stars my nephew Joshua, the 3rd of 10 children belonging to my sister Karla and her husband Brian.

That's Josh at left with his cousin Katie (daughter of my brother LeRoy and his wife Lori). It was taken on June 21, 2003 at the wedding of Josh's older brother Jeremy. Josh was 17 at the time.

Four days after the wedding, Josh was in an accident wherein the motocycle he was riding flipped over and he landed on his head beneath the motorcycle.

When Karla arrived at the hospital, she was told by the neurosurgeon in no uncertain terms that Josh would not survive the night, and if by some miracle he did, he'd be brain-dead.

Being a family that believes in faith and prayer, we ignored his dire predictions and began sending out requests for friends and family to pray with us. We also held a fast to ask the Lord's healing hand to be upon Josh.

There was little change over the next 2 weeks while Josh lay in a coma. Karla was thrilled when just one of Josh's eyes dilated, feeling it was an answer to prayer. Meanwhile, the doctors still discouraged any hope.
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We traveled to Mesa to visit Josh on day 18 of his coma, July 13. When we arrived at the hospital I noticed his eyes were open. Karla assured me he sometimes opened his eyes but wasn't aware.

After a few minutes it became obvious to me that Josh's eyes were following us and he knew us. Karla quickly came to the same conclusion, and there was much rejoicing in that little hospital room! What a blessing it was that we happened to arrive on the day Josh woke from his coma!
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These pictures are proof that doctors cannot predict the will of God. At top is Josh with his mom, Karla. Next is my family enjoying being with Josh, and at right he's sitting up for his first time. Below, he is with his brother Jeremy and brand new sister-in-law Cami, who cut short their southern California honeymoon to be with their brother in his time of need. In the last hospital picture, his other siblings--Genevieve, Elyssa, Celesta, Brianna, Mariah, Julien, and Gabriella-- rushed to visit their newly awakened brother! (The youngest, Addison, wasn't born yet.)

Josh was unable to speak for several days due to his tracheal tube, but he could mouth words (his first request was a Dr. Pepper!) and even write sentences right away. He couldn't remember the accident, but his memories were otherwise intact.
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After receiving therapy and returning home, Josh had some problems with balance and short-term memory, and a tracheotomy scar the ladies find quite attractive, but was otherwise completely recovered.

Today Josh is a tall, handsome young man of 22 who works, lives on his own, has a girlfriend, and faces all the challenges of young adulthood with an amazing attitude. We love him a lot and we're so glad our Heavenly Father saw fit to allow him to remain with us. Clearly his mission in this life was not complete yet.

Here is Josh with his Uncle LeRoy at the annual family Christmas party last December, 4 years after his accident. Josh's story is just one of many miracles we have experienced in our family over the years. These blessings remind us that with enough faith, all things are possible.

Little Miracle Girl

Here it is, the last decent picture of Callie Jayne in my photo files. This was last Thanksgiving, and Callie is with big brother Jamison and his wife Monica.

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My last update was at 8:00 this morning, but Callie's big sister Ashley has more current and complete specifics on her blog (click on her link, below left). Feel free to check it out!

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The good news: there's been absolutely no regression, which pleases her doctors to no end. Since last night they've been seeing whole-body movement, including attempts to move her head around.

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She even pushed Mommy Dana's face with her little foot. Some movements look like she's trying to raise herself from the bed. Callie is down to just one medication, and they removed her large feeding tube to replace it with a small one.

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As you'll see on Ashley's blog, there are still many concerns to address before we can breathe a full sigh of relief, but we feel the Lord's hand is on our little miracle girl and He will bring her through this, just as He is blessing each of us through this experience.

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One final note: Ashley has opened an account for contributions from those who would like to help Jeff and Dana with the growing medical bills. On her blog she has placed a "donation button," and if you leave an email address on her blog she will send you the information you'll need for it. However, keep in mind that all we're really asking for are your continued prayers in Callie's behalf. The powerful influence of your faith is a great support to Callie and her family, which they testify to every day. Thanks for your love and support!

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PS I just received a call from Dana. She asked me to tell everyone that there will be a special fast on Sunday (September 14) for Callie's continued progress toward full health. She would like to invite the participation of all who wish to fast with us and ask the Lord to continue to lay His healing hand upon our miracle girl.

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She also wants to reiterate their appreciation for Callie's life and healing and progress, which she and Jeff know have been quickened by the thousands of prayers sent heavenward in Callie's behalf by all those who have prayed with us. Thank you!

Callie Jayne's Good Day

Callie Jayne had a good day. It started with her kicking her blankets off during the night, a very Callie thing to do, and with the pressure on her brain dropping steadily from "21" at bedtime to "2" at 5am. (At "22" there is cause for concern.) While I spoke to Dana at 6am, the monitor dropped to "0" pressure!

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These pictures were taken today at 6am. Callie's face is slightly swollen, making her look like her 4-year-old sister Brinley.

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The nurses put the cute little ponytail in her hair. Such a sweet angel! Everyone who has visited speaks of the peace they felt surrounding Callie.

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I just finished speaking to Callie's dad, my brother Jeff. Callie had an MRI today, which found nothing new to worry about. In fact, the nurse said Callie was "kicking and punching" all the way into the MRI tube. She was very active all day long, reaching toward places where she was touched and revealing her headstrong little personality in every movement. She is hearing and responding, clearly in the slow process of waking.

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One of several exciting moments was when a nurse told Callie to wiggle her toes. When she didn't respond, Dana remembered their little game of "Where's your mouth? Where's your nose..." Dana then said, "Callie, where are your toes?" and Callie immediately and deliberately moved her toes!

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I didn't know this, but in reading my niece Ashley's blog tonight I learned that, based on the amount of damage, the doctor is certain the tire rolled all the way over Callie's head. She lost a tremendous amount of blood and it's a miracle she even survived until the paramedics arrived at her house. While Dana sat holding her in her lap and waiting, Callie was making gurgling sounds and Dana thought she had taken her last breath. Then suddenly she began to breathe on her own again, which Jeff believes is the time Callie made her decision to return and finish the life she'd barely started in this world.

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We know Callie has a long, tough road ahead of her, and her recovery is still not a sure thing, but we are so grateful for the intervention of a loving Father who brings about miracles through our faith. Thanks for YOUR faith!

More Callie Jayne

I found a couple more cute pics of Callie Jayne. The one at left was taken on the 4th of July 2007. Callie was 5 months old and Sarah was 17. Sarah loves that baby!

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The next photo shows Callie with her big sister Amber (also age 17) while we watched the big family football game after Thanksgiving dinner, when Callie was 10 months old.

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I spoke with Dana at 2pm today, and the news is promising.
At around 2am Callie seemed to become aware of her pain and she was given morphine, but soon after that her respiration began to improve dramatically. By this afternoon she was doing more than 50% of her breathing on her own.

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A new CT Scan today showed no damage on the left side of Callie's brain, where they removed the blood clot. There is an area of damage on the right side, but doctors said it looked as they expected and no worse. Callie has been moving quite a bit. The movements on her right side are better than those on the left, but she is moving BOTH sides, which is a good sign. Even the surgeon felt her movement today was promising. After watching her, he told Jeff and Dana, "This baby is waking up!"

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While we talked, the surgeon was inserting a sensor into Callie's brain to monitor the pressure in her skull, so we know she is not out of the woods yet. The doctor still believes she will not recover 100%, but so far the news we have is gladsome tidings!

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Just a note: another sister-in-law, Lori--married to my brother LeRoy--has another sweet photo of Callie and some info on her blog, if you want to check it out. Do NOT use the link at left below because it keeps switching to some strange blog that is NOT Lori's. Instead, paste this address into your browser: http://adoubleshotofespresso.blogspot.com/

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Dana asked me to convey to everyone how their family is feeling your love and prayers and concern crossing the distance between. She said it is lifting them up as Aaron and Hur lifted the arms of Moses when his strength was gone, and it surrounds Callie Jayne with a peaceful, happy feeling.

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As difficult as this time is, it has been an amazing opportunity for increasing faith in our Heavenly Father and His plans for His children. The steadfastness of Dana and Jeff--my little brother!--is inspiring to all of us. It's a reminder that God is in His Heaven, and we must simply be still and know that He is God.

Our Callie Jayne

My youngest niece, Callie Jayne, was accidentally run over by a family friend who was backing out of the driveway at her home this morning. With severe head trauma, 19-month-old Callie was air-evaced with her mom, Dana, to Phoenix Childrens Hospital. Her dad, my brother Jeff, was trucking in Colorado when he received the call, but his company had him flown to Phoenix. The longest flight in the world, he said.

Since her arrival in Phoenix, Callie has had a CT scan--which found 4 skull fractures and a blood clot on her brain--and she has undergone surgery to successfully remove the blood clot.

As of tonight the bleeding in her brain has stopped, her body is strong, and she seems stable. Dana has seen signs she feels are hopeful, such as Callie squeezing her hand. While the doctors believe Callie will not fully recover, we believe that is in the Lord's hands, and we have witnessed His miracles before.
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I went in search of a recent photo of Callie, only to find that in each one her face was either turned from the camera or hidden behind someone else's head. These two pictures were my only clear shots of her. The top one with Sarah was taken at our family Christmas party when Callie was 11 months old. She was not feeling very well, hence the red cheeks.
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At right she is with her dad Jeff at her big brother Justin's wedding in September 2007. She was about 7 months old. It's a lesson to me of the importance of keeping my camera handy and making sure no one is missed in chronicling our family time together.

For a more recent picture of Callie, please visit the blog of her big sister Ashley (see the link at left below).

Callie is a strong-willed little girl who will fight through this if it is the Lord's will. Dana said that during the flight off the mountain she felt strongly that Callie was being shown all the options and would be allowed to choose whether to return to her family or return to her Heavenly Home.

Please join Callie Jayne's parents, 12 older siblings, and extended family and friends in faith and prayer as we face this difficult time. We thank each of you for your love and support. We love you all so much!

Demise of the Triassic Triops

You may recall those ads at the back of comic books offering a chance to raise your very own sea monkeys. The ad showed adorable cartoon critters with big eyes, alien-like antennae, and long, curly tails scampering around a cute little aquarium. I think the largest one even had a cartoon crown.

If your mom was like mine, no amount of pleading and promising could change the answer from, "No!" followed by, "Because I said so!"

Well, I said yes to my youngest. Our first attempt met with disaster when the hatchlings were barely past the microscopic phase. Someone--who shall remain nameless--threw a ball into the kitchen and knocked the aquarium over. We were a sad scene, using slips of paper to scoop up tiny, wriggling white dots while Dylan sobbed hysterically. They didn't live much past that, and it was hard to imagine them reaching the promised 2-inch length.
Our second try was successful, as witnessed by these photos. The triops (their real name) are hard to film since they live in murky water and do cavort as advertised. We hatched 10 little critters, who were rather cute in their early weeks. Triops have a lifespan of 20-90 days, if they aren't eaten by their siblings, and our largest three survived 2 months with us. Sarah named them Bigito, Medito, and Smalito.

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At the 2-inch size quoted in the ad, they weren't so cute anymore. In fact, the kids found them downright creepy. Still, they were fascinating, using thousands of tiny appendages to sweep food into their mouths while swimming upside-down. Triops means "3-Eyes." The 3rd eye is located behind the front two. Their bodies feature a gray top-shell and an orangish underside.

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Our threesome passed away this week, and so we say a fond farewell to our triassic pets. And the next time Dylan asks, the answer will be, "No! Because I said so!"

Harvest

Let me be clear--I am no gardener! I have tried and tried, but I have a black thumb, black like The Reaper. It brings death to all green things.
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Luckily, we have many generous neighbors with beautiful gardens. We thank them for sharing their fresh produce with us, including zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes, corn, green beans, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, lettuce, and broccoli.

Today my boys, Jacob and Dylan, and Dylan's friend Eric, did some shucking and snapping. Eric had never shucked corn before, but he thought it was fun, even if he was a little freaked out by the worms inside. Straight-from-the-garden corn is very different from what you buy at the store! Next we introduced him to the art of snapping beans, and he and Dylan got through a bag of green beans in record time!

The end product is seen above, drying out before being bagged and frozen, alongside a loaf of zucchini bread. Jacob has a gift for baking, and we had a surplus of squash, so he baked 6 loaves of zucchini bread (some of which went to neighbors) and a dozen zucchini muffins. Here he is washing up the bakeware after his baking spree.

As for Dylan and Eric, they were rewarded with a slice of warm zucchini bread and then they turned their attention to more important things, like kicking each others' booties in Super Smash Brothers Brawl. At left are Dylan, Eric, and another neighborhood friend, Kenyan. If only they focused on their homework with such intensity!

Today was yet another soccer Saturday. The boys battled the same team they played several weeks ago. That game ended in a 4-4 tie, and today's game ended in a 3-3 tie. They are our greatest rivals!

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After today's game, this year's soccer pictures were handed out, so I thought I'd share. At right is our Dylan, age 11. Below is a behind-the-scenes shot I took on picture day. And below that is the official team photo of White Chaos. (Again, the kids named the team--go figure!) A great looking group of boys!