Three princesses and a toad

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:21:00.000-07:00

For mothers day, my kids...

1. Nearly got in the fist fight during sacrament meeting at church and almost spilled the sacrament tray. It wasn't the little kids either.
2. Cried and stormed out of the room more than once.
3. Lost their church shoes.
4. Tattled
5. Fought with each other.
6. Ate all the chocolate they gave me.
7. Then promptly threw their trash from that chocolate on the ground.
8. Left a crayon on my seat in the car which melted in the 90 degree heat and left a yummy black pool of goo on my seat.

Aaah, another day in the life. Good thing I love those kids.

Random fun stuff

2011-02-09T21:06:00.000-08:00

We played kick the can for FHE activity this week. It was so stinking fun.

Cyrus bought me 26 cadbury cream eggs. The kids and I ate them all. Gross.

I love Facebook. I have vowed to stop letting it usurp this blog but it has been so fun to catch up with so much of my family. Two of my cousins are heroes and I never would have known but for facebook. One cousin is a medic in the army and he saved an afghan family who had acid thrown on them. The other is an inner city principal who has started a program to make sure kids in his school aren't hungry over the weekends and he has made huge strides in academics in his school. He was a national principal of the year. Plus also, my family is hilarious. Living in Texas has been a really lonely endeavor for me, but every day someone in my family makes me laugh on Facebook.

Sam rides his bike with no training wheels. He learned in about November. He loves it and we ride all over town.

My friend came over to make bread the other day and we yakked the entire day away. It was fun.

The other week at church I spied a deacon checking Carolyn out when he walked by. I almost put my foot out to trip him.

The end.

Jr high

2011-02-09T20:51:00.000-08:00

So, I took Carolyn to Jr high for the first time last night. Really it was an elective information night but for me it was a shock to my system. Crazy things about last night:

1. There are almost as many children in seventh and eighth Grade at this school as there were people in my entire town growing up.
2. The kids who do sports have to go to school at 6:30 in the morning then school doesn't get out until about 3:45. That is a long day!!!!
3. I am way too young to have a kid in Jr high
4. Texas has an early graduation plan. If Carolyn does it she will go to college in 5 years.
5. Carolyn was literally the prettiest girl I saw at that school. Cyrus thinks we should home school.
6. Half way through the night, Carolyn ditched me to go hang out with her friends but then ten minutes later she was worriedly hunting for me. At least she still kinda likes me.

My girl is growing up. I love it and I love to watch her grow into a beautiful, confident girl but a big part of me wants to push pause because all of a sudden the days of listening to her pretend are being taken over by days of neighborhood boys showing up at the door to see if she wants to play football with them. I prefer the former but am warming up to the realities of the latter.

So, ready or not Jr. High here we come.

2011-02-03T16:00:00.001-08:00

I already wrote this one facebook but just in case you still read this blog..... ok there probably isn't anyone who still reads this blog so this is more for my memory but...

We live by this neighborhood full of mansions. I mean literally. The houses are like 10,000 sq feet and a new one is going up. We drove by and Katie says. "Mom, are they building Hogwarts or something?"

Ha ha ha ha ha ha...

Here is an example of the houses in the neighborhood. The new one has a lot of turrets and towers though.

This is me when I try to cook dinner

2011-02-03T15:58:00.001-08:00

2011-01-23T18:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend, Sam and Cyrus went skiing in Colorado while the girls and I had a fun all-girl weekend here. Sam had a blast skiing and Cyrus let him eat so much junk food that he puked. It was boy heaven.

The girls all got their hair cut (pictures to come) and we went to see Tangled and ate out for dinner. We also hit the mall... they had so much fun!

Cyrus and Sam are back and we are happy to be together again!

New Years

2011-01-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

One of my New Years resolutions was to keep up with this blog better...

FAIL.

I will improve starting today.

The kids and I got sick for the first two weeks of 2011. They were thrilled to be home from school. Probably the biggest difference between TX and OR is my children's reaction to school. There they cried the last day of school. Here they beg me to home school them after every vacation. Alas.

We are still Harry Potter crazy around here. And still happy with daddy working for himself. We've still been playing and reading like crazy. And we've taken up Wii. Man that thing is fun.

Cyrus gave me back my camera finally. He "borrowed" it for about a year when we opened the first practice.

Here are some pictures... the pup is our dog Lucy. She is the best dog in the world. The kids are on the beach in Destin FL.

My boy

2010-05-26T13:27:00.000-07:00

This morning my boy and his stuffed dog were sleeping in my bed. I asked my little man why he was in my bed... his reply, "Skittles was scared."

I'm glad I made the stuffed dog feel better.

2010-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

So I decided to make a mass post... because I keep not posting...

In no particular order.

Hannah is running for student council and thinks maybe she can make it so they do more art projects and get some recess at her school--really she'll get to be in charge of the school service projects and spirit week but she dreams big. I love her go-get-em attitude!!!

The kids have spent the entire year practicing filling in bubbles and preparing to take the big end of the year tests. They finally finished the tests at the end of April and all of a sudden every kid has five big posters and projects due on the same day. It seems the teacher are trying to fill all the real learning experiences into the last month of school since the test is soooooo important here in Texas!!!

The four biggest kids are doing swim team. That means 3 hours a day for mama at the pool. It is long and hot and there is no park nearby. Aaaah the joys of motherhood!!

I miss Oregon less and less everyday but it still pulls at my heartstrings. If only we could make a living there.

Cyrus bought another practice in a town called Humble. It is the direct opposite of the downtown practice. Where the downtown practice is mostly high end professionals, Humble is a working class town. He'll be doing 3 days downtown and 2 in Humble. It is exciting!! Maybe we'll have those loans paid off sooner than we thought!

We took the kids to Disney World... all I can say is it certainly isn't Disneyland. It was fun but we probably won't go back. When we need our Disney fix we'll stick with the LAND...

On the way to Disney World we went to the most beautiful beach on the panhandle of Florida--Destin was the name of the town. It was AMAZING... too fun and beautiful for words.

Sam turned four and is so fired up about reading I can't believe it. He nags me all day to do his spelling words.

Katie is so smart but school here stinks for her. If she doesn't have a better time next year, she is going to come home to school with mama.

Carolyn is playing the flute this fall and Hannah is going to start with the violin. All three girls are going to keep up with their piano. I may start with Sam on the piano this fall--just at home with me. He'll start regular lessons in 1st grade, I think.

We found a beautiful and fabulous house on a cute private lane with 2.2 acres and then someone else bought it.

The fruit here is nasty. We're going to have to grow our own.

Cyrus bought a dog. We had to get one that was hypoallergenic because of his asthma so no rescue pup for us. His hygienist is going to house train it for us. Now we just have to move to a house that allows dogs.

At swim team they were doing this little thing where they had each of the 6 and under swimmers run and jump in the pool when their name was called. All the other kids who couldn't swim just opted to not jump in, but Sam just ran and jumped like he knew what he was doing. The coach pulled him out and Sam says to me, "Mom, I sinked." I told Cyrus that level of fearlessness was dangerous. That kid has got to learn to swim.

Taxes

2010-03-03T12:20:00.001-08:00

Last night Cyrus did our taxes.

Today I saw this picture.

Good times.

Why my children's school stinks...

2010-02-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

So there has been one over-riding thing that I can't stand about Texas. It is my children's school. It is everything that was/is bad about education today.

Here are my problems:

1. They use a bull horn to communicate with the children. Obviously their method of discipline of shouting children down isn't working very well.

2. Communication is terrible. They are so busy using the bull horn they can't answer email or phone messages.

3. Positive discipline is unheard of... instead of the arm on the shoulder and a admonition to try it again the right way if a child is caught riding their bike or running on campus, they use the old, "GET OFF YER BIKE!!!!"

4. They go on one field trip in five years of school.

5. They use television excessively in the classroom.

6. A kid called Carolyn the B-word on the bus and the response of the teacher was "that is normal for this age." Normal, maybe, something that should go uncorrected, NAY.

7. They are allowed one 10-minute period outside a day. They don't go out if it rains, is slightly cold, there is any dampness on the grass, or a kid talks out of turn.

8. Tests are ***IT*** at this school. They teach to the test, practice for the tests, stress kids out about the tests, tie everyone's worth to the tests.

I could go on and on. This chaps my hide every day.

Here in Texas they salute and pledge allegiance to the Texas flag every day. We, being the blasphemous Texans we are, changed the pledge...

The real Texas pledge:

Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee Texas. One state, under God, one and indivisible.

(funny story: the kids that lead that pledge all say "I pledge allegiance to THE Texas" instead of "thee Texas." We thought that was the right words and that the state of Texas was run by morons. We now know the right words but still aren't convinced on the Moron part)

Our new pledge:

Honor the Kohrville. I pledge allegiance to THE Kohrville. One school, in Texas with no recess.

We say it whenever we pass the school. It makes us feel better.

So does saying, "Boys and girls, it is entirely too LOUD in here" with a heavy southern drawl. It makes us laugh.

Also, we eat a lot of ice cream.

2010-01-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, my sister in law took all my parents photos and scanned them into the computer, organized them and sent them to us on discs. There are so many gems. Like this one where Cyrus and I look like we are 12.

And this one that shows that my kids didn't get their fashion sense from strangers...

On this day my mom must have cursed me with the "I hope you have children just like you" because I have seen this exact mess in my own kitchen countless times!!! Sometimes I even make that same mess the only trouble is, now I have to clean it up!!

Then and now...

2009-12-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

I have been a very lazy blogger... but I will work on it.. maybe... I hope.. possibly...

Part of the problem is I never take in pictures. The other part of the problem is life has been such a whirlwind with C's new job and calling and the kids new school and most of all with adjusting to living here.

So here are a few brief Q and A's

Question: Why don't you blog anymore?

Answer: I am very lazy and also Facebook is much easier. Alas it is also much less interesting to read.

Question: How is Texas?

Answer: It is growing on me. There isn't nearly as much to do right outside my front door as there was in California and Oregon but someday I will find things that interest me here. The weather sucks but you don't live somewhere for weather right? The kids are not having the best time in school but we are learning a lot and getting closer as a family.

Question: How is Cyrus' job?

Answer: Things are going as well as we had hoped. He is happy in handling things with honesty and doing work that he feels is best for the patients. He is working a lot (after hours) with making sure the business end is going right... all in all it seems like we made a good choice and we should continue to improve day by day. We are never sad that we went back to school. Cyrus loves being a dentist and finds happiness in his job every day.

Question: How often does the garbage man come in Texas?

Answer: They pick the garbage up TWICE A WEEK here. We usually only have two or three bags of trash and a container of recycling when they come. I love it!!

Question: What are the kids doing for fun down there?

Answer: The school day is very long here 8:15-3:15 every day with either one or no recesses (more often than not no recess). They come home with about a half hours worth of homework every day too!! But on the bright side they ride their bikes and skates all over the neighborhood and are making plans with their friends for a fort in our backyard. They were building a fort in the neighborhood "green space" but there are some shady characters hanging around here and one trying to lure kids into his car so we are hanging tight around home. Carolyn, Hannah and Katie are all doing piano and they LOVE LOVE LOVE their piano teacher. They call her Candice the second which is the world's greatest compliment since Candice the first was the world's best piano teacher!!

Question: Why in the world did you put that picture of Sam up?

Answer: My boy who so happily dug his entire fist into his cake and ate spaghetti using his entire body and laid in mud puddles daily now despises getting dirty. He had a minute fleck of chocolate on his finger that required soap and water tonight at bedtime. Granted, maybe it was a stall tactic but he won't finger paint or eat with his hands or anything anymore.

And so it is. Life is so full of change. And I am not good at change. But I'll get there.

This is very funny to me...

2009-12-12T20:40:00.001-08:00

Phew I feel better now...

2009-10-30T11:01:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, I made a big batch of chocolate cookies with cream cheese frosting in the middle of them. Then I commenced eating half the batch. Now I feel better. Also, my inherent optimism overcame the dark cloud that had followed me from the border of my beloved Oregon.

Things I discovered that helped me feel better (besides cookies):

1. A clean, unpacked house is a fabulous thing and makes life lots easier!!
2. If I walk my children to school and avoid all the road raging parents, we are all happier and it only takes about ten extra minutes!!
3. One of the things I love about public school is it forces my children to work within situations that aren't always ideal... this school isn't ideal and particularly, Carolyn's teacher is nothing short of a battle ax, but she is going to meet battle axes many times in her life and learning to do ones best in the face of that variety of person, is a skill that will serve her well.
4. So, my kids are doing math that they did two years ago in Oregon. At least they get a 100% on everything! Luckily my kids are nerds and like to create more work for themselves in the form of homemade worksheets. They are at least pushing themselves. And quite honestly, that internal drive is most important in the long run, I think.
5. It is lovely to be near the temple.
6. It is fun to be near the city.
7. There are AMAZING homes for sale here.... it will be great to buy one!!
7. There are approximately a bazillion members of the church here. We have a home and a big family willing to wrap their arms around us. That alone makes me feel better.

2009-10-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

So, Texas is hard. Oregon wasn't hard a day I lived there (except the days I had to hold up the drywall). My children were happy and thriving in school. We all had friends and life was easy. But easy doesn't teach us much does it?

Texas is hard.

The school is huge, the teachers are grouchy (seriously ornery cusses), the traffic is everywhere, the kids are rude and mean to my babies and recess is one ten minute break a day.

I have some adjusting to do. When I feel better, I'll post a real post!!

On the upside, Cyrus is the proud owner of this:

Not the actual building but the dental practice there-in. He likes it so far and thinks his staff is great. Working for himself suits Cyrus.

On the other upside, I have the cutest and sweetest kids EVER. Here's part of em. Grace won't cooperate with pictures anymore. She's a ninny who doesn't stop running!

The first day of school

2009-09-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

My kids schools have big and fun stuff planned again this year... Carolyn will be going canoeing and learning to shoot a bow and arrow as well as restoring a wetland with the help of a local environmental group. She will also be hatching salmon eggs and releasing them into the river and studying elk in the local state parks. Also she will dissect owl pellets.

Hannah will be going to Ft Clatsop and learning about Lewis and Clark, studying coastal birds and tide pools as well as tides. She will learn about native Americans and visit some of the places where the local tribes once lived. She will help plant and care for native plants in the garden that will be transferred to the wetlands.

Katie will be learning to read and write even better and will get to go on a field trip to the river and to see the sea lions. She also gets to walk to and from school (right across the street) all by herself. The crossing guard already knows her name!!

Magic????

2009-08-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

So, I have been reading Harry Potter again just for fun. I think Katie may be a wizard trying to be appear as a Muggle... her clothing choices certainly fit the description!

I'm on a diet

2009-07-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Things are not pretty here at the Javadi abode...

Cyrus is in Texas.

I am on a diet.

Neither of those things bode well for me. Cyrus is my friend and my entertainment as well as my sanity. Food is also my friend and entertainment and sanity. I love that stuff (Cyrus and food I mean).

But, Cyrus' job here was awful for him and the muffin top on the top of my jeans was awful for me so now I am off to a brave new world of managing five kiddos solo, watching John Stewart solo AND passing up peanut butter cookies and not pulling out the kitchenaid every time I am bored.

My resolve is set. I am not only going to do it all kids wise, I am going to be thin in the process... now if Pioneer Woman will stop posting things like this...

Now where is that kitchenaid.......

What we've been doing...

2009-07-25T14:05:00.001-07:00

I never blog. Partly because of facebook, partly because we have been BUSY BUSY BUSY doing all the stuff we couldn't do when we were fixing this old house!!

We hiked out to the bar and there was this huge pile of the prettiest rocks you've ever seen!! As Sam would say, "It was wowser!" And beautiful!!! The beach was beautiful and full of treasures. Just the kind of place our kiddos LOVE.

Grace particularly loves the beach. Sand is her favorite.

She takes after Hannah...and Sam...and Katie...and Carolyn...

There was a little house built in the sand. All the kids got in it at once but Sam stuck his head in the way and we couldn't get a picture of everyone. That boy loves to have his picture taken!!!

Dad said not to get wet since we were headed to a parade right after the beach. Grace is not a good listener.

We also hiked out to the two lighthouses that are on the bar. It was beautiful!!! Plus it was a jolly good time!

One thing about Astoria (besides that it is cold and rains a lot) is that almost everywhere you go, there is a fabulous view. This is what it looked like from the trail!! FABULOUS.

Lighthouse #1=easy hike. Cyrus wears the baby carrier.

The kids climbed all over the lighthouse. And up any tree they could find. That's just what they do.

Sometimes when we hike Sam just sits on the path or sometimes he decides to hop like a frog. He always adds dimension to our activities. Grace just runs!!!!

Lighthouse #2=much harder hike. I wear the baby backpack.

2009-07-25T13:34:00.000-07:00

So today was a day I have been dreading/anticipating for months. I took Cyrus to the airport to fly to his new job in Texas. Last night he gave each of the kids a father's blessing and we all cried. Now he is off.

But I am staying here with the kids.

See, people in our new little town don't rent unless they live in trailers. That wasn't for us, so we tried to buy a house... but there is the problem with getting a home loan--our credit is fixed but banks don't loan to people who are changing states and bosses and don't have solid income verification (pay stubs) anymore--good for the long term economy, bad for us. So by the time we can get approved for a loan, find a house, make an offer and close, it will be October or so. So the kids and I will be hanging here in Astoria a few more months. I love this place, but would rather say good bye to it than to Cyrus.

So that is that part we have been dreading. But I am so happy for Cyrus. His job here was so hard for him. Leaving that job was like a weight lifted off him. I am excited to see how it all comes out!!!

Tonight at dinner

2009-06-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight we were all sitting around the dinner table when all of a sudden Sam started pointing at everyone..."you naughty, you naughty, you naughty, you naughty, you naughty, you naughty" then pointing to himself, "I'm the boss."

How we laughed. Maybe a little too true since we all played a rousing game of duck duck goose before bed at his behest. What a boy.

Updates...

2009-06-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

Well, Brett Bailey asked for an update so here it is...

1. Our credit is fixed. Hooray and hallelujah!!! The lawyer we hired called Chase on a few things they did that were slightly ILLEGAL and miraculously they cleaned up our credit report.

2. We are moving to Lumberton, TEXAS to partner with Craig Worsley. Cyrus is so excited to work with someone with values. We are fairly sure Craig doesn't threaten to spank his front desk help.

3. We finished the house and it is on the market. Unfortunately, last month there were over 1000 houses for sale in the county and only 30 sold. We had a family fast today and we are keeping the faith that it will sell.

So that is that. We will head to Texas on July 24 and leave the house for sale. We will probably be apartment dwellers for a while but that's ok. We'll live.

Also, today our washing machine smoked. Tomorrow I am going to the Laundromat.

Oh and Sam cried for his entire swim lesson and Grace spent the entire time trying to jump in.

Sand Castles

2009-06-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the sand castle festival in Cannon Beach. We had a blast. The only difficulty was the 4 mile walk up and down the beach to look at the sand castles. But in the end, everyone was able to relax and play.

More Sand ...

2009-06-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Cute bunch of folks!

FHE

2009-06-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight for FHE we went to the beach and played. It was so fun to watch the kids explore the sand and play in the FREEZING water. I think ORegon has the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen. And they are clean and they don't stink like the California beaches did. Boy this place is a hidden little piece of heaven.

2009-06-05T21:48:00.000-07:00

"What good is a gun if you don't use it to shoot your friend in the leg when he's going to buy an old house?"--Monk

Cyrus and I laughed and laughed. Good line. Only someone who has bought an old house can truly appreciate that line. Give him a few months and he'll love the house so much, he'll never want to leave :).

Happy Birthday Grace

2009-06-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Last night

2009-05-22T17:58:00.000-07:00

My girls and I went to see the BYU Orchestra play in this theater...It always amazes me that I can live in a place and not know there is something that beautiful within a mile of my house. It was beautiful, the music was amazing and it was an all around great experience. Then we brought two fabulous violinists home with us. Couldn't have been better. What a blessing.

The finished product

2009-05-15T20:33:00.001-07:00

I am a buffoon and cannot figure out how to label all these pictures so you can just figure out what is what. A few thing...the moulding doesn't look as beautiful in the pictures as it does in real life--it is cedar and just fabulous!! I don't have a good picture of the kitchen and the camera is dead but it looks awesome!!

2009-05-12T20:49:00.000-07:00

The other night Cyrus and I had the best date. We went to the beach and had a bon fire and watched the sun set. It was so wonderful after the stressful month we had had, rushing to finish the house and find a job. We burned up all our leftover wood from all our projects. It was fabulous and almost felt like the weight of the world was off our shoulders for one fabulous night.

Oregon trip

2009-05-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

This is where Carolyn & Cyrus slept on her field trip. They had so much fun and learned a lot. Hooray for hands on education.

Awesome-ness

2009-04-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have very low standards for my children's schools. I really believe in public education and feel that any gaps should be made up by the parents. My only stipulation is that my children are safe. So I was pleasantly surprised and even thrilled with my children's educational experience here. Their teachers are committed and hard working. They have amazing leveling with Carolyn doing pre-Algebra (in 4th grade) because she was ready for it and Hannah in an advanced reading and writing program that has expanded her writing to wonderful levels.

To top that off, they do amazing things. Hannah's class just wrote messages in bottles and sent them out to sea and have already gotten responses from Ocean Park where some of them washed up during a storm. She has done a radio show with her teacher (who does a weekly show) twice. Next month she is going to Haystack Rock which is a protected marine garden where they will have intertidal stations, bird viewing stations and aquaria stations.

Carolyn has been to Lewis and Clark's post (Fort Clatsop) that they wintered in here in Oregon. She has been bird watching in the forest and this week will go to the mouth of the Columbia and learn about coastal birds. Next month she is going to central oregon to hike and camp for three days. They will sleep in TeePees and learn about Native Americans.

Could there be anything more awesome?

Way better than the roller skating rink that was my outing in grade school.

The Javadi Tale of Woe...

2009-04-23T14:26:00.000-07:00

This is a duplicate of my original post. Cyrus didn't like me using boss-man's name so I fixed her up a little...

Let me tell you a story. Two stories really. It all started when we bought this house. Before we bought it, we did some research and were assured we could get a loan to do some major FIXING that was necessary to get it livable (the water that came out of the sink in the kitchen was odd colored, the cabinets all water damaged and moldy etc). In fact, we were approved for a loan. But when we came here, the credit market froze up and they told us the loan was not available any longer.

So we used our credit card to remodel the kitchen so we could feed our kids. Then we missed a bill that came late because we forgot to tell Chase our new address so since we paid one day late, they raised our interest rate to 29%. So we did a balance transfer to 0% even though in a few short months it would be paid off. Unfortunately, I accidentally did the balance transfer twice...so we closed our account with Chase and asked them to send us check after the card was paid off. They sent us our check and we thought the case was closed.

Jump ahead nine months. Cyrus is really unhappy with his job. His boss is very difficult and Cyrus has a hard time just letting it roll off his back.

Then Cyrus reads about a practice in Idaho. It is successful, priced right and in a beautiful place. We are curious and he goes out there. The Idaho doctor is perfect--and even willing to work within the six months of notice in Cyrus' contract. We decide to just see if we can get financing.

That week, Cyrus has a lunch with his boss where his boss asks if they can make sure the assistants are cleaning up the lab better. Cyrus tells the assistants that boss-man wants them to clean up better than kind of jokingly says, "Lookin' great in here!" when they make the lab look like no one ever used it. Then another staff asked what the meeting was about and Cyrus told her. Unfortunately, the boss didn't want Cyrus to tell anyone that he wanted the lab clean, he just wanted him to say, "clean it up." So, he confronted Cyrus about the whole thing. Cyrus said he didn't know it was confidential and apologized. Then, boss-man asked if Cyrus was looking for a new job. Cyrus was honest but assured boss-man we would give proper notice. This all happened on Monday. By Thursday, boss-man called Cyrus into his office and strongly implied that if he didn't quit, he would be fired, so Cyrus quit.

That same day, Cyrus gets a call from the lender that we have been denied credit for the practice because of his bad credit score. We are both shocked. When we bought the house my score was 820 and his was 780. The minimum for a dental loan was 640. It turns out Chase (remember we payed them twice and they sent us a check) says we owed them $60.00 that was 90 days late. They never sent us a paper bill or a letter or anything. Just email that went to junk mail. We got a big check and never got a bill and this little bill cost us a dental practice.

So now, Cyrus will be out of a job and is unable to get a loan. We are rushing to finish this house project and find work. It has been a tough month.

Luckily we have been very blessed too...we fixed this house up with cash and paid off any that we put on the credit cards so we have a lot of wiggle room in our price which is a good thing in this economy. We bought a fabulous house with an amazing view so that is good, too. Cyrus has a good skill and is a great dentist--two people have approached me in Costco and one at the hardware store and said Cyrus was the best and nicest dentist they had ever been to (and those were just patients who knew who I was). I feel sad to leave this old house but as my dad says, there will be more houses.

So, we'll keep you posted on where we go and what we do...Texas is looking good right now. I'm gearing up for my NEXT ADVENTURE!!!

Cutie-Two-Shoes

2009-03-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

We are placing these children up for sale to the Gypsies. If you are a gypsy, please notify us.

Hahaha, don't even think about it! We love 'em too much!

:)

What I love...

2009-03-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

1. Watching my children pretend. Today they are playing something with the neighbors...one kid has a rope tied around his middle. One kid has a broken leg (I can tell since she is hobbling around with a stick holding him up) and two of them are wrapped in homemade shawls. They are running and laughing and digging in the mud.

2. My Church. It brings me peace, it brings me joy.

3. Cyrus. He is funny, hardworking, and good. I like him.

4, This old house. (Not only is it cool, it is famous--I saw it on Kindergarten Cop just this week).

5. Good books.

Updates...

2009-03-08T19:59:00.001-07:00

Sam quit sucking his thumb...who knew a two-year-old could be so strong willed? He saw his birthday gift (a Thomas Train tent) in the basement and REALLY wanted it so I told him if he stopped sucking his thumb, we'd let him have it. He did it!!! He occasionally will put his thumb in his mouth when he is asleep or almost asleep just out of habit but when he is aware of what he is doing, he doesn't suck. What a man!!

He also has been saying the funniest things...today he said, "Mom, you my best fwend." So cute

Carolyn finished basketball. She did great and most of all she had fun. She really liked having her dad coach her.

Katie just had a little rough patch...she wasn't getting enough sleep, I think. With Carolyn's games an family home evening and silliness at night she wasn't going to bed early enough. She is doing better this week. THANK GOODNESS. That girl is something else when she is grouchy.

Hannah is great. She is doing art, art, art and writing books, books, books. She is very imaginative and fun.

This picture of Grace was one of the activities Hannah engaged in during Carolyn's games. Wooly Willie on the iPhone...very funny.

My baby...

2009-02-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

Isn't she cute?!!!! Just looking at her makes me smile. She is the jolliest sweetest baby EVER. What a girl.

Funk...

2009-01-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

I have been in a bit of a funk of late. I couldn't figure it out until this morning...you see Cyrus and I watched this edited version of Schindler's List the other night. It is a movie that I have consciously avoided. You see, Cyrus' Grandparents are Jewish and while it is horrifying enough to imagine Hitler doing those awful things to anyone, imagining him doing it to people you love is horrible. Cyrus' other Grandfather is Iranian. Yesterday I saw (once again) a young woman with dark eyes and beautiful hair like my Hannah on the news. She had acid burns for trying to go to school in Afghanistan.

These two events effected me, not only because, but for the grace of God, those beautiful young women Hitler's men treated like meat and that beautiful Afghan daughter just trying to learn, could have my daughters but also because they demonstrate the horrors mankind is capable of. It bothers me because I live in a country where a man like Mike Huckabee can make snide and dismissive comments about my faith and not be called out for bigotry but instead be given his own show on FoxNews. It scares me because our politics have become a festival of back biting and degrading each other. It is smallness and pettiness that erodes our sensibilities and makes us hate for no other reason than to hate and makes it impossible for us to disagree without disliking. It is the fact that our current political environment could let horrors go unchecked for political gain.

So this morning, I found myself reading my usual news but still in my funk. Then I saw something that made me smile...a BIG smile. I saw something that gave me moment to pause and a bit of (pardon the cliche) hope. I have been impressed with President Obama so far this week. He was not my choice but I have found him smart and articulate. Today I was watching the news about him being sworn in again and listening to the to-do that he didn't use a Bible and that he didn't allow cameras etc. But I saw something that gave me great hope...I saw Joe Biden make a little off-handed joke about his memory not being as good as judge Roberts so he would need to read his remarks. Obama reached out and with a look of tremendous consternation, put his hand on the Vice President's back. Now, I am a believer that everyone needs to be able to laugh at themselves and I found Mr. Biden's joke completely unoffensive. But the look on Obama's face said a lot about the man. The look wasn't one of "this going to hurt me politically" but instead a look of, "don't say something that will hurt someone else, there is no reason." It was a look that said this is a man that has respect for his office and respect for people in spite of their differences (he had voted against confirming Judge Roberts but still he didn't want to mock him). It was a look of a man who truly wanted Washington to be different--who knows differences will be real but wants them to be political not personal. And mostly I saw a man who cared about a fellow human being. A man who would be aware enough of what was happening around him that he would NOT let evil go unchecked for partisan gain and popularity.

Gwoss Daddy!!

2009-01-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

One of Cyrus' favorite jokes is to burp really loud then blame it on one of the girls. "BUUUURRRRPPPPP, Gross Carolyn!!!" Then the girls always reply, "Gross Daddy." It is at least a daily joke. The other day, Sam and I were enjoying a nice quiet lunch with just the two of us when he let a loud ol' burp rip. He promptly said, "Gwoss Mom." Like father like son.

The trouble with a big house

2009-01-01T23:19:00.001-08:00

Now, let me preface this by saying, my house is only big compared to our former abodes. A three bedroom almost 2 bathroom 2000 square foot house is not a mansion. But after the shoebox we lived in during dental school and cave BYU calls Wymount before that, it feels like a mansion. Also, it has high ceilings that fool you.

So, back to the topic at hand. The trouble with this big house is I may never take my Christmas tree down. Usually I am so sick of scooting around it and cleaning under it and having Sam knock it down that I am itching to take it down Christmas afternoon. But not this year. It's New Years day late late at night and I still have the old tree up. Taking it down was on my to-do list but hey, its not in anyone's way so why bother. And Cyrus doesn't give a crap--he is forever mellow. Plus it's pretty in an "all the ornaments at the bottom, kind of skee-wampus from kids playing with it" sort of way. Here's a picture (taken with photobooth so its a little silly):

If it is still up on Valentines day, I may an intervention.

2:44 am

2008-12-26T10:10:00.000-08:00

The time my children woke up Christmas morning.

We told them to go back to bed.

5:30 am

The time we finally let them wake up.

The neighbor kids slept until 9:00. Maybe we should trade kids.

It's raining snow!!!!!!!!!

2008-12-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

My kids are seeing snow falling from the sky for the first time in about four years. Sam has never seen it. Katie doesn't remember. "It's raining snow!!" was Katie's adequate description of what she saw.

2008-12-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

So, an old friend's wife started a website and I am so impressed with it!!! It shows you how to do cute do's on you gals...like this one

and this one

and this

and much much more!!!!

this is the place: http://cutegirlshairstyles.blogspot.com

Hannah's baptism

2008-12-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

Hannah's baptism day was such a sweet and good day. Grandma and Grandpa came out from Idaho. It was such a special day to watch my little lady make her first steps toward returning to live with our Father in Heaven. Words can never express how special baptism days are...

Driving

2008-12-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

Driving can be very hazardous here in Oregon...I will be driving along, minding my own business when I catch a glimpse of some of the most breath-taking things I have ever seen. Then I almost drive off the road trying to get a better look. Whenever I have time, I pull over and take a picture. These shots all are within a half hour of our house. The pictures were all taken with my phone so just imagine how much more beautiful they are in real life!!!

Family picture

2008-12-01T10:18:00.000-08:00

So we took our family picture yesterday. We had fun but Sammy and Grace weren't both looking in any of the shots...oh well. We just used a tri-pod and the timer so there wasn't even a photographer to try to get their attention. This is the one we picked. Does anyone have a preference? Which is better color or BW? I like them both.

Halloween

2008-11-30T17:19:00.000-08:00

So we celebrated Halloween around here, I just didn't blog about it!!! Here are some pics...it was beautiful here. Not warm but certainly not cold...jacket weather. It rained 10 inches in October but it wasn't bad. So far, so good weather wise...

Grace was a lioness and Hannah and Katie were clowns. Carolyn was a witch and Sam was a fireman. Sam did his own make-up.

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This is the four biggest kiddos on the porch...those are the pumpkins we carved--they are green because we had such a cool summer here that they never ripened. The scarecrow in the background won "Best scarecrow" at the ward party. Of course it was the only scarecrow.

2008-11-14T23:24:00.001-08:00

Random observations from an overworked mom...

1. I hate the word "fair."
2. Wood floors are the best things ever made. Between potty training Sam and Grace spitting up constantly, I am glad every day to just wipe up the mess.
3. Even potty trained boys are messy...Sam sits on the potty and sprays his pee all over the floor.
4. Remodeling an old house is usually rewarding and fun but sometimes it gets tiring and overwhelming.
5. I am a closet feminist and I didn't even know it. A few weeks ago I wanted to deck Cyrus' boss when he called the assistants, "his girls" at a business dinner and I found myself irritated this morning when I heard a teacher tell a girl not to throw like one, I felt like yelling, "what the heck is wrong with being a GIRL!!"
6. Weren't Barack Obama and John McCain an awful lot like the two guys on the Mac vs PC commercials?

More election musings

2008-11-06T22:16:00.000-08:00

When I was a missionary, my mission president told us that he thought that every person that became President of the United States was fore-ordained to that calling. He thought that God had a special place in his heart for the United States and that it was truly a blessed place to live and those who lead it are truly guided by the hand of God. And he was a Canadian. Now that is not doctrine but it makes sense to me.

Because of this, Cyrus and I always vote and do our research and read and read and read before we make any decisions but then after the election, we support whomever wins. We disagree with decisions but we never talk badly about the president as a human being. So starting next year, Obama's our man. I think he is smart and a good leader as well as a good man. I hope he will corral the national debt (one of my big concerns with him) and pray that we will find peace and good will in our country.

And mostly, I hope Katie will find someone her own age to be in love with. I mean seriously, that kid is like Pepe le Pew with the hearts popping out of her eyes when she sees Barack (I really should call him President-elect Obama but since he is nearly a part of the family, what with Kate's wedding plans and all, we call him by his first name, plus there is also the kin-ship with another fella with a middle eastern name Cyrus').

Just a little aside, Cyrus and I re-finished the floors in this old house of ours. They look great but I don't have my computer so no pictures for a couple of days...sorry.

Tagged about Cyrus

2008-11-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Five things Cyrus loves...

1. Me and the kids
2. Books and Movies
3. Disneyland
4. His Prius
5. Bill O'Reilly

Five things on his to-do list

1. Mud the rest of the drywall on the bathroom walls
2. Paint the upstairs bedrooms
3. Lay the wood floor in the attic bedroom
4. Hang bead board in the bathroom
5. Paint the stairs and downstairs rooms and kitchen...the man has a huge to-do list

Five Favorite Snacks (Cyrus doesn't really snack at all...he likes a meal)

1. Trifle
2. Hot Tamales
3. Caffienne-free Pepsi
4. Stroganoff
5. Fajitas

Five Things You Might Not Know About Cyrus

1. Cyrus' grandpa was born in Iran--he is a Persian. His other Grandparents are Jewish. That is how he got his name Cyrus is the Persian king who freed the Jews in the Old Testament. Berger (Cyrus' middle name) is his Jewish Grandfather's surname and then of course Javadi is his Iranian Grandfather's surname.
2. Cyrus never went to the same elementary school two years in a row. He moved somewhere around 20 times in the first 18 years of his life.
3. Cyrus can learn to do anything by watching You-tube videos. He does a ton of stuff on our house from learning just by reading about it on the internet and watching some vidoes. Cyrus is learning to play the guitar by reading about it on the internet.
4. Cyrus went to UVSC after high school but withdrew when he kept sleeping in so late he missed class and was going to flunk.
5. Cyrus didn't graduate from Seminary then he felt so bad about it on his mission that he got special permission, finished the class he missed by getting up extra early and doing the home study program and got his diploma.

Five Places Cyrus has Lived (since he married me):

1. Rigby, Idaho
2. Provo and Spanish Fork, Utah
3. Moline, Illinois
4. San Francisco, California
5. Astoria, Oregon

He lived in about a hundred other places before he married me. Did I mention he moved a lot ;).

Five quirks about Cyrus:

1. Cyrus loves to go to the movies but I hate to go. He loves it so much he goes by himself very often.
2. Cyrus doesn't let much frazzle him. He handles things in a smooth even manner. Except the girls, all of them talking at once always frazzles him every time.
3. Cyrus loves new socks but he never throws away the old ones so he has more socks than any human being could ever possibly need.
4. Cyrus is sometimes like Michael on the office and he also looks like him. That embarrasses me.
5. Cyrus is the anal retentive chef. Google it. Its from Saturday Night Live. The guy is a chef who can't actually cook because he keeps trying to make all his ingredients exactly the same size then he sees a spot on the stove that needs to be cleaned then he decided to mop the floor, etc etc. I ask Cyrus to make the lunches in the morning and I come in and see no lunches but the dishwasher un-loaded, the counters wiped off and Cyrus in the laundry room doing a batch of towels.

I tag Kara Ikner

Katie loves Barack

2008-11-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was watching the debate on Cyrus' obscenely large TV. Katie came in and asked who the guys on TV were. Before I even answered her question, she walked over to the TV and said,"I like that guy.". She was pointing at Obama and gazing at him like a love-sick teenager. I told her that those were the men running for President. She looked again at her new squeeze and said, "I think it would be nice to have a brown President."

I didn't vote with Katie's heart. I voted for McCain but I agree, it will be nice to have a brown president. I just hope he does a good job.

Sam loves Grace

2008-10-29T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sammy loves Grace with all his heart. Unfortunately, he scares the crap out of her.

As soon as he sees her, he lays on her or puts toys on her or puts a blanket on her face. "Wacie's cwyin" (Sam for "Gracie's crying") is one of the most common things he says to me. He'll run into the kitchen and say it with all the intensity a two year old can muster, "Wacie's cwyin." He will continue to say this louder and louder until I come with him to check on her. If it takes me ten seconds to follow him, he will have said, "WACIE'S CWYIN'" at least ten times. I will then go to the other room and find her hog tied with pencils up her nose. Just kidding, its not that serious but I will find her with all the couch pillow around her in some kind of elaborate fort or with socks stuck on her hands or blocks stacked all around her so that when she tries to roll over she lands her poor little noggin right on a hard corner.

Sam means well. He really does love Grace. She just has to get used to how he show his love...

Dentistry With A View

2008-10-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

I was just getting ready to numb a patient for a tooth extraction (#19 for those who are interested in the details). When I looked out my operatory window and spied this scene. I grabbed my little camera and snapped a couple of photos. Most days I get to see some pretty cool stuff like this since the office is right on the river. Honestly, if the windows opened to the office and I had a fishing pole, I could cast my line into the river without effort.

Cereal Time

2008-10-15T17:47:00.000-07:00

Everytime I see Sam do this it makes me laugh. It brings me back to when I was a kid and used to do the same thing. I love that the bowl is as big as his gargantuan head. He's got his two big hands firmly grasping the bowl so he can balance it perfectly. I only wish I could have captured him spilling the contents all over his chest.

Daddy is Mean

2008-10-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Look what daddy did to Hannah's cake! She didn't think he was funny. But, luckily, dad had some regular candles and Hannah got to lick the icing off the prank candle. Silly dad!

Monster Truck

2008-10-13T22:33:00.001-07:00

The local fairgrounds had a monster truck rally this past weekend. I tried to convince Annie to go with me, but she graciously declined (I think because she was afraid she might like it and she didn't want to find out how redneck she really is!). So, the next night while she was "paling" around with Bill Ay....err (oops)...I mean Lainie, I rounded up the ninos and took them down to the rally. They all had a grand time and thought the monster trucks were cool. Sam has been talking about it ever since. Here are some pictures:

My children take pictures

2008-10-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

My children love to take pictures with my phone...every time I plug it in, I get little gems like these...

Yep, this is really what their room looked like...you should have heard the fit they had about cleaning it up. Four kids throwing a fit in unison is quite a sight to behold. Almost as amazing as this mess!!!

When I was a kid...

2008-10-05T23:06:00.001-07:00

When I was a kid, my Grandpa fell down the stairs of his basement and bruised his bum. Not just a little bruise, one whole butt cheek was black and blue. I know this because my Grandmother took a picture of it and put it in her photo album. I remember staring with equal parts horror and fascination.

I tell you this because I fell down my front porch steps today. I slipped on the slippery wet wood and down I went. My bum hurts a lot. Unfortunately, no one here seems to care...let me tell you about what my day went like today.

Get up, feed everyone.
Help Cyrus hold up a piece of drywall
Run downstairs and put in a batch of laundry.
Back upstairs to put tape on a few seams
Downstairs to fold the laundry just taken out
Upstairs to hold more drywall
Down the hall to feed Grace
Downstairs to see why Sam is crying
Feed everyone lunch
Hold more drywall
Downstairs to do the dishes
Upstairs to hold more drywall (this involves standing on a ladder and holding really heavy of drywall over my head while Cyrus screws them in then drops a screw then needs to find a different size screw then needs to switch the battery on the screw driver then when my arm almost falls off, I yell at Cyrus to please hurry up!!! then he finally gets the piece up and starts to measure for the next one while I head downstairs)
Downstairs to finish the dishes
Upstairs to hold more drywall (we have 16 very steep stairs!!! By this time, my bum is not only throbbing from my big fall, but also burning from all the up and down)
Downstairs to sweep and vacuum the floors
Upstairs to help hang insulation
Downstairs to check if a light is working
Upstairs to hold wires while Cyrus does some wiring
Downstairs to do another load of wash (I am getting hopelessly behind my three load a day minimum)
Upstairs to tape more seams
Downstairs to nurse Grace
Upstairs to bring Cyrus a drink
Downstairs to make my family dinner
Upstairs to help Cyrus clean the rubble that is left from all the dry-walling
Downstairs to get the kids ready for bed.

With all the up and down you would think I was using a stair-master.

And so it goes every Saturday but this one was worse...my bottom was so sore from falling and still I had to go up and down stairs, up and down ladders all day. What a silly day.

Fortunately for me, my grandma isn't here to put a picture in the family album!!! But here is an almost as humiliating photo of me helping Cyrus hang the drywall.

Things over-heard at the Javadi House

2008-10-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

We have been having a lot of fun with friends here at the Javadi house. We had a family move in just after us with five of the nicest children you could ever imagine. Our kids play every day. Mostly they play Pilgrims and Indians with a little sci fi twist....here are a few things overheard in our crazy house...

Carolyn:
"Hannah, you can't touch that it has a magical force field around it!!"

Hannah (walking around with legs stuck inside her shirt):
"Look, I'm a midget troll."

Katie (after coming home with a HUGE hole in her tights)
"I just saw a string and I pulled it. I think that is why I was cold at recess."

Mama:
"Sam don't put soy sauce in the toilet." (Not once, not twice, THREE times Sam has taken the soy sauce out of the cupboard, locked the bathroom door and dumped at least a half a bottle in the toilet...what GIVES, he never gets the Teriyaki sauce or the Worcestershire sauce, always he gets the soy sauce.)

Sam:
"PRETTY!!!!!" (This is one of Sam's favorite words. Today he used it to describe how the bathroom and his naked little body looked after he smeared them both with an entire thing of toothpaste while I was helping Cyrus hang a piece of drywall.)

Katie (after the fire department came to their school to discuss fire safety and gave each of the kids fire hats):

"Our school was full of firemans. They were us!!!!"

Now a few silly things I have seen:

Sam following his lawn mowing dad around the yard wearing a Cinderella dress and casting spells with a Harry Potter wand.

Neighbor kids wearing huge indian head-dress and shooting the other children with a stick.

10 kids (mine and my sweet neighbor's) screaming their heads off while a dog jumped all around them. (While this one looked a VERY funny it made me a little mad since the dog's owner didn't do anything to control his mutt who scared the crud out of the whole crew and made all the babies cry, plus he also licked Grace--the dog not the owner).

A herd of little children sliding down the side of the hill on their bums (the sliding was cute...the grass stains in the aftermath, not so much!)

Kick ball with Sam. He would kick the ball and then run a bit then pick the ball up and head off to do something else. Good thing we had several balls. After a while he just wandered around picking up more balls and lining them up to "count" them...one, two, fee, fee, sebin, nine, ten.

More Katie

2008-09-30T17:13:00.001-07:00

I took a closer look at these pics of Katie I took today and found MORE cute ones so here are a few more...

K-K-K-Katie beautiful Katie

2008-09-30T14:17:00.001-07:00

This picture, I took by mistake but I thought it was soo cute...

Kindergarten has been fabulous for Katie...she had a rough summer with lots of changes and getting back to a consistent routine and stimulating her bright little mind have been wonderful for her. She is happier and easier in every way than she was just six weeks ago!!! I had worried about sending her off to Kindergarten but now I wonder if maybe I should have opted for the all-day variety (just kidding...it is just too long for me be away from my baby. We gotta ease mom into this school business!!)

The River

2008-09-28T19:51:00.001-07:00

Tonight Cyrus took the girls on a walk along the river and took some pictures of the bridge and the water. This place is fabulously beautiful. The other morning I was on a walk on the river front (which is about a two minute walk from our house) and the fog was just burning off. It was so remarkable and I felt so thankful for this beautiful place we call home...the tops of this hills were just peeking out of the fog and the water was rolling gently, the sea lions were barking (they always are) and the boats were just coming out. It was beautiful. I truly love this place.

something you never see.,...

2008-09-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

A picture of Cyrus and I together...this was on Lainie's blog and I stole it!!!!! Thanks Lainie for a fun trip to your place and for taking this photo...

Quiet...

2008-09-18T15:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was trying to be nice and babysat one of Hannah's friends after school despite her mom first telling me it would only be until 3:30 then telling me at the last second her dad would pick up at 5:00. When the dad didn't show up until 6:10 and I missed Katie's Kindergarten back to school night, I was officially mad. So today we are having a friend vacation..no extra kids at our house and boy is it quiet and my house is clean...maybe we should have these more often.

Idiot...

2008-09-14T20:47:00.000-07:00

Please disregard the post below this one. Cyrus hijacked my blog temporarily...I have been thinking about going private and not inviting him.

Dear Peckerwoods...

2008-09-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

That's right, Peckerwoods! Keeping this G-rated. But, all you Peckerwoods who have gone and made your blogs private without so much as a "Oh, by the way, we don't want you to look at our cool family." (Annie made me edit what I really want to say here--chickens!!!!) How about you look in the closet and find that box labeled "decency" or "friendliness" and pull out your head and send me an email so I can get on your "A-list" of friends to see your blogs. I'm shocked and appalled at the unmitigated gall of some of you!

Anyway, love all of you still the same. I'll be waiting for those emails! :)

Cyrus

Our backyard

2008-09-14T17:09:00.001-07:00

Under Construction

2008-09-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of what my house looks like. This is what the work men left behind. We had a good framer and a wonderful and honest plumber, three flaky painters (ok one was good but the lady he worked for was as flaky as they come) and a dishonest electrician.

Now the rest is up to us. We will finish the drywall, put a cute tile back splash on the tub hang beadboard on the cabinet that the tub is in and on the front of the window seat, paint and hang trim, put up new doors in the whole upstairs, and lay new wood floors in the girls attic bedroom. Then some guy is coming to fix up the wood floors. Next we move onto the laundry room...and the mud room...and the kitchen back splash...and the fence...and the retaining wall in the backyard...I am afraid my house my have that pile of rubble till the day I die...................

Mountain Goats

2008-09-14T16:28:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to the Regatta here in town...they had jump houses and slides and miniature golf and a climbing wall and it was ALL FREE!!! And of course there were fireworks (those are fairly common here--at least two big shows in our first two months). My girls, of course loved climbing the rock and made it nearly to the top (hence the mountain goat title). I of course got one foot off the ground. It was fun though

One of the coolest things about living on the coast is there is TONS to do on the weekend during the summer...the downside is there are tons of people clogging up the roads every weekend...ok sometimes you have to wait for two minutes to turn left...so the roads really aren't clogged but everyone here complains so I thought I would join the chorus for a minute. It is wonderful here. I don't think we have liked a place we have lived this well since we left Rigby.

fun with the iPhone

2008-09-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures last night with my phone. They are kind of grainy so I gave them an antique look when I messed with them. I think they are fun!!!

My five kids....

2008-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Getting a picture of all five is difficult...I thought this one turned out fun.

Idaho

2008-09-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

We had such fun visiting all our family in Idaho. We saw my Grammie from New Hampshire (who Carolyn is named after) and our cousins and had a ton of fun. My 82 year old Grammie is sure amazing...I wish we'd gotten more pictures with her...she rode rides at bear world and played soccer with the kids in the back yard. She has lots of life and is enjoying it!!!

We had a retirement/birthday party for my dad and brother and Katie.

We wanted to bless Grace but our Bishops had difficulty getting each other on the phone to approve it so Cyrus just gave her a nice father's blessing at my parents house and we had a fun dinner with lots of family.

My parents neighbor let the kids ride her horse and they played in the field next to my parent's house--just like I did when I was a kid.

We raced on the front lawn and caught up with some old friends.

It really was nice...a little difficult with a newborn, of course but a welcome break from all the WORK on our old house.

Here are a bunch of pictures in no particular order...

Paint

2008-09-11T21:27:00.000-07:00

When I told Katie that I was going to paint the house red she said, "People are going to think we are crazy." She might be right but I really like this house red. The color looks a little brighter in the pictures than it actually is, but not much!!! It is cloudy so much here, I think a bright house is fun!!! Folks may think I am crazy but I still have California plates, so I have an excuse!!!

Before:

After:

Still to come...Cyrus and I are in the middle of finishing the bathroom (we've been dry-walling and tiling) and the bedroom (we are dry-walling and laying new wood floors in the attic room for the girls. Cyrus is almost done with the kitchen (we need to get a microwave and put knobs on a few drawers and add the moulding) and the guy is coming to refinish the floors as soon as we can drum up 3,000 smackers!!!! Fixing an old house is lots of work, that's for sure

One of those days

2008-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Today Sam drew all over a dresser with sharpie and broke a window...Hannah threw a fit about practicing the piano...Katie listened me exact 0 times...Carolyn hated the food for dinner and decided she is too big to clean up toys...not too big to play with them but too big to clean them...oh yes, and I went outside to see my children throwing rocks into the road in some kind of contest. I think I may be needing my sign....

Gracie is Three Months!!!!

2008-09-07T22:08:00.001-07:00

Our New Town

2008-08-31T16:09:00.001-07:00

This is the view from the highest point in our town. We see a good portion of this every night!! Some time I will be a diligent blogger again and post more pics of our view and our home etc.

Utah

2008-08-04T22:19:00.000-07:00

We went on a whirlwind trip to Idaho and Utah at the end of July. Cyrus and his dad and brother and brother-in-law went on the annual Javadude trip--this year was white water rafting down the Columbia river. He had fun. The kids and I stayed with my mom and dad. The girls swam so much in my parents pool they about wore it out and I am sure they made their cousin Derek feel like the coolest guy in the world because they screamed like he was a movie star every time he came over. Unfortunately, I used my phone to take all the pictures of the fun week in Idaho and I took them up-side-down and can't figure out how to fix them.

After Javadude, I met Cyrus in Utah and we spent a weekend trying to do everything that we possibly could in a matter of three days. We stayed with our dear old friends the Rowes...it was SO FUN!!! We first met the Rowes when I was pregnant with Carolyn and have never been more thankful than we were that they let us crash at their place AND eat their food AND drag them all over temple square with us. Temple square was as wonderful as I remembered...we went to the church history museum and saw so many cool things, like President Hinckley's suit he wore when he dedicated many of the temples, the sketch he made outlining how the mini-temple would work, favorite books of his, etc. etc. Also, there was a first edition Book of Mormon on display and one of Gladys Knights grammies. It was amazing. They had a new kids exhibit that was a nice break for the kids. By the end of the day, Cyrus wanted to sell the kids to the gypsies so he could enjoy the more adult portions of the museum.

On Monday Cyrus took the kids to hike the Y. Sam is a little afraid of heights so he was pretty tentative about getting near the fence for a picture. Katie was too tired and stayed home asleep with the more rational of her two parents (Mom).

After the hike, we went to Seven Peaks. This involved me putting on a bathing suit a mere seven weeks after giving birth. It was so fun playing with the kids and just enjoying ourselves. Luckily the pictures are all up-side-down.

Monday night we had Family Home Evening with Grandma Javadi (except for Carolyn who had a sleepover with her best friend from Kindergarten...Mackinzee which she is of course still talking about) It was so fun!!! The kids played with Uncle Matt's two youngest kids and Petra and Mikes babies. It was really nice. Sam of course found dirt to play in...classic Sam...a whole bunch of toys and he sits in a pile of dirt, making a mess!!!

Grace with her cousin Tayler...

All the kids with Grandmother Javadi

Tuesday we got Grammie from the airport and headed back north to Idaho. There were so many things we missed doing in Utah...like Ensign peak, this is the place, BYU bookstore, BYU creamery and of course the Baileys..we kept having to tell the kids "next time."

Memories

2008-07-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

This is a fun little thing I saw on Candice's blog. This is how you do it!

1. Go into the comments and post your favorite memory you have of us (the Javadi's)

2. Go to your blog and make a memories post so I can comment about some memories of you too!!!

Our new (old) place

2008-06-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

So I thought I would add a few pictures of our humble abode... These are our stairs...they are really steep and the wood is too damaged to re-finish but my friend who works in construction suggested that we paint it just darker than the trim and put a runner up the middle--so thats what we are going to do!!!
This is the kitchen. It doesn't actually have any cupboad space. That is a bit discouraging.
This is the bathroom. It is really cute. Cyrus put in a new toilet.
This is my bedroom. It has a nice walk-in closet.
This is the front door. I think it is cute.

This is the outside from the west. I love how the house is painted the same color as Grace's diapers.
Despite my love of the color and my desire to hold on to lead-based paint, we are painting the house. It will be red where it is currently yellow or gray, and it will be white where it is currently green.

When we get stuff done, I will publish before and after pics so you can see what we have done!!!

Moving

2008-06-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

So Cyrus did it...no, not running for President...he graduated from dental school and passed the boards so next week he will officially be able to drill people's teeth. We are now Oregonians.

Our move was the worst in history. First, I had to bid farewell to my best friend and jogging buddy Lainie. I cried. Then we had dinner and loaded up the car and headed north...When we finally got to Sacramento, some idiot shot a cop on the freeway and they wouldn't let us through. We had to sleep in our car in a gas station parking lot. I cried again. There was a perfectly good hotel across the street but they wouldn't let us go there so we spent the night in the car with our five little ones and my parents slept in the moving truck. We didn't get enough sleep. They still hadn't opened the road in the morning so we backtracked and went around...we trucked along for a good amount of time until a truck carrying cardboard spilled its load all over the freeway so we parked on the freeway again. We finally arrived at our house at 7:30 of day 2--the kids were still wearing the clothes they wore to graduation. Luckily we moved into the nicest ward in the universe and there were like ten people here to unload the truck. Un-luckily, not only was the house old (which I knew) and needing a lot of work (which I also knew) but it was FILTHY!!!! I mean disgusting. Like the toilets probably hadn't been cleaned in recent memory. The floors made the kids feet dirtier than camping does, it smelled bad and made me sneeze. I cried again. I didn't want my baby anywhere in that house.

Alas, after a few days of hard work and scrubbingm the house is livable and I am so excited to work on it. Cyrus is hard at work trying to fix things up and I am making plans, plans, plans...if you go to bluenightmoon.blogspot.com you can see the project we are attempting. It is fun and stressful to fix up an old house...but this house really is fabulous. The ceilings are 10 ft high and the rooms are beautifully large. The wood floors are beautiful and the woodwork thoughout is fabulous.

A few quirks about the house:

1. In 120 years, no one put in a phone jack. There was telephone interface but no jacks so Cyrus learned to add them.

2. The wood planks go all the way across the rooms. Some of the boards are probably 20 feet long. It is amazing.

3. The rooms are enormous. The kids are all in one room while we finish the girls room upstairs. So there are three beds, a crib, four dressers, an tremendous number of toys, and a few random storage shelves in one room and there is PLENTY of room to play and run around. I can't beleive how big the room is.

4. The back yard is a huge hill. The neighbors back yard slid down the hill into our yard some time in the 70s. The kids love to climb the hill and pick wild flowers and explore. VERY FUN.

5. We live right across the street from the Kindergarten cop school and down the road and around the corner from the goonies house.

6. In the morning you can watch the sun rise over the water through our east windows and the sun set over the ocean through our west windows. It is fabulous.

It has been so fun to make plans for the house and work on it. Here is the blog address where the house pics are... I will post before and after pictures once we actually get stuff done.

bluenightmoon.blogspot.com

On to other things now...

2008-06-24T14:23:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all of your support!!

http://www.news3online.com/index.php?code=797nM43gw419SW89jbVx

Click on the link above to watch the brief news report!

Better change the name of the website to "Four princesses and a toad"

2008-06-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Looking very scholarly . . .

Her reaction upon finding out that the Red Sox lost their game on her birthday.

"What you talking about Willis..."

10 little piggies . . .

Meet Grace

2008-05-31T12:40:00.000-07:00

Grace Marjorie Javadi was born on Tuesday May 27th. She is beautiful and perfect...More to come soon!!!!

In honor of Mother's Day

2008-05-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

One of the funnest things about being a mom is the crazy, funny things my kids do and say...Carolyn puts the iPod in her ears and sings away, totally off tune...Hannah has an obsession with anything wild...just today we were in mid-conversation and she wandered off to catch a grasshopper. Guess talking to me was a little less than stimulating. I love listening to and watching Katie pretend for literally hours. She sings and talks and does entire plays with her little people or dolls that provide me with daily entertainment. And, of course, Sam never gives me a dull moment (even at this moment, he keeps coming up to me and trying to cut my sweater with scissors then laughing his head off when I say no, no). So, this morning, the morning after the BIG DAY, I was thinking of funny things I have heard my children (and other children who are visiting my house) say over the years. These were my favorites.

When Hannah was little she hated to get buckled. We tried to explain and discuss it with her telling her we wanted her to be safe, etc. etc. Still every time we got in the car it was a wrestling match with Hannah that usually involved a few kicks to the face. Finally one day, Cyrus just said he was going to drive with her unbuckled. Hannah looked at him in total disbelief and said, "NO! Mama thinks me special."

Carolyn was almost two and she had a little buddy named Enoch who had lots of play guns. Cyrus and I looked over and saw her, huddled up with Enoch toting some play gun shooting it out the screen door. We asked her, "Hey Carolyn, what are you doing?" She replied, "Oh, I'm just shooting that boy chocolate." We looked out to see one of our black (or chocolate, to a two year old) neighbors little kids.

Zane, our buddy from church, was over at our place for our weekly date, and I had a Mac laptop. Zane, it turns out has a special place in his heart for Macs. After a whole night of fiddling with it and turning it on and off, he ventured to ask Cyrus how much a Mac laptop would set him back. Cyrus explained that they are about $900. Zane looked real concerned for a minute and then asked, "Do you think Santa has $900?" Oh how we laughed. His Mom was in the know though, she told us Santa did not have $900. Good to know.

The absolute funniest thing ever said by one of our children, is not for tender eyes. When Sam was born, I was changing his pants in the hospital and Katie leaned over and said to me, "Mommy, the baby has a finger on his vagina."

That is why being a mom is not for the faint of heart. The faint of heart would die from laughter on some days and that other stuff on other days.

Hot Hot Hot

2008-04-28T08:31:00.000-07:00

It has warmed right up here in California...we put Mt. Tiki Soki (a sprinkler that explodes water sporadically) under the tramp and had a blast cooling off.

Katie wore goggles to keep water out of her eyes...and to add some comic relief.

Sam thought he needed socks and shoes on. That kid has his Dad's sense of style.

Mom was the only one that didn't brave the tramp. I thought maybe the jumping would have a bad effect on the HUGE stomach I have developed of late. It didn't seem to have too much effect on Cyrus' huge stomach though ;)

Song for a Fifth Child

2008-04-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Malinda's blog and thought it so sweet and appropriate as I am having baby #5 and I think the poem contains a description of the state of my house...

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth
empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
hang out the washing and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,
for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Today was such a tough day with Sam but tomorrow I will try harder to remember that babies don't keep (even babies who hit you in the head with brooms--on purpose!!)

Sam Opens Some Presents . . .

2008-04-22T22:32:00.001-07:00

Ok...if you're not the parents, you might not think this is video of Sam opening gifts on his birthday is adorable; but, I thought I'd post this for relatives who weren't able to see their grandson/nephew/etc. get excited on his birthday. Enjoy!

Dancing Queen . . .

2008-04-22T17:36:00.001-07:00

As a father, I have a lot of work to do. Annie thinks it's ok and cute . . .

Sweet sisters

2008-04-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

My girls are the sweetest sisters in the world!!! They were so excited that it was Sam's birthday...they wrapped up all the presents and squealed with delight at the thought of him opening them. It was so cute to see so many little hands, wanting to just rip open those presents but instead just patiently letting their pokey little brother do it....it reminded me of Alyse yelling, "Open it HARD Katie" when Katie was struggling with a birthday present.

When we gave Sam his cake and he tried to blow out the candles, it was so fun to see three little girl cheeks full of air but not blowing!!!

Once Sam got the candles (or "hots" as he called them) blown out he stuck his fingers in and sampled some icing. YUMMY!!!

At the end of the day, Kate cried and said, "I don't get to have a birthday this week." What a sweety.

Happy Birthday Sam...Number 2!!!

2008-04-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today was Sam's birthday! Mom woke dad up at 7am, and dad went straight to the kitchen and made 60 cupcakes to bring to church for Sam's nursery friends. Unfortunately, some rogue ants got to the cupcakes while everyone was in sacrament meeting....don't tell brother Salarpi! After church, we came home and had a nice party for Sam. Here is a birthday photo of Sam. More later...

Magic Fingers...

2008-04-20T19:47:00.000-07:00

Annie just asked me what I'm doing on the computer. Instead of posting cute pictures of my boy's birthday, I've been doing random web exercises like this typing test. How fast can you type?

71 words

Speedtest

So much for being worth millions...

2008-04-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

I found this link on a friends blog. It was kinda fun to do. I said I have a nutritious diet, no disease, yada, yada, yada. Give it a try!

Cyrus' cadaver:

$5375.00

Annie's cadaver:

$5425.00

Train Town

2008-04-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Train Town in Petaluma. They had so much fun...unfortunately, being the tightwads we are, we didn't want to spend $200.00 on junky rides so we only let each kid go on 2 rides and then the train and petting zoo.

Carolyn and Hannah LOVE ferris wheels...

Daddy and Katie on the ferris wheel...

Sammy loved the merry-go-round and especially loved waving to all his sisters every time around.

This is Katie sad because she only got to go on two rides. At times like this we wish we were at Disneyland.

Sam liked the mud puddle the best...

This is everyone (except photographer Dad) having a blast on the train. At times like THIS we feel a little like we are at Disneyland.

Primary Easter Egg Hunt

2008-04-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

The Primary had an Easter Egg hunt. Unfortunately, they separated all the ages so we only got pictures of the two little ones...we really need four parents for all these kids!!! The kids had a lot of fun but were a little disappointed to find stickers and pencils in the eggs. They love candy.

Random Pictures

2008-04-06T15:13:00.000-07:00

Sam's favorite ball

Hannah in her cute coat with a cute smile

A neighborhood meeting. I think it is serious.

These are my girls in their matching v-day shirts...aren't they cute?

Time Out

2008-04-06T15:06:00.001-07:00

Guess who spends the most time in "time-out" at our house?

It makes me laugh every time I see him sitting there looking so innocent after pelting one of his sisters repeatedly with blocks or cars or whatever.

Our girls have a different consequence. If they are having a really bad day, we have them write sentences, like, "I will remember to be reverent and not make others have to change seats during stake conference." We have them write the sentences like 5 or 10 times. They hate it!!! You would think we trying to kill them when we tell them they have sentences. One of our friends said his kids act like they have been stuck in the eye with a red hot poker when they have to write sentences. The best part is it is highly effective. They not only don't want to do it (or whatever reason--they write 1000 books a week but 5 sentences is death) AND they work on their handwriting, since they have to be neat.

Aren't we the meanest parents in the world?

Procrastinator. . .

2008-04-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

Who me? Not unless Bishop Bailey intended for me to reply to his Nov. 4, 2007 "tag" any sooner. But, I have good cause! Someone as complicated and deep as myself needs time to sift through all the details to find the six most amazing things about oneself.

1. Public Restrooms. They disgust me. When I was a small boy (younger and THINNER) grandma told me that public potties were gross. She even taught me how to build a "nest" with toilet paper so that my extremely clean hind-end would not touch the tainted porcelain of the public latrine. To this day, I still struggle with public restrooms. In fact, I go to great effort to locate "acceptable" bathrooms. For example, at the dental school, there are a total of 8 floors with restrooms. I've assigned a security clearance for each bathroom. And, within each bathroom, I've identified a stall or urinal that is "ok" for me to use. And, because I'm sure you're interested, you should know that I will under no circumstances use the restroom on the clinic floor (Floor C). If my bladder was going to explode or if my intestines were bleeding, I would wait for the elevator. My favorite bathroom is located on the 4th floor. It seems to get the least use and is usually the cleanest. However, if someone is occupying the adjacent stall when I enter the restroom, I will go to a different restroom--I just can't stand hearing other people's noises during a bowel movement.

2. Fans. Love 'em. One of my favorite things in the world is to go to sleep with a fan in the room. There is no better way to sleep than in a nice dark room with a fan on "High Speed" to drown out everything else. It is especially useful if you have a two year old that is a poor sleeper. Unfortunately, Annie hates fans. Every night when we go to bed, I turn the fan on "High." Then, reflexively, she walks over and turns the fan down to "Lo." I feign a surprised look, and then I walk over and turn it over to "Medium." She sighs and makes some comment about how "slow" I am, and that she "hates" the fan. Sometimes, if she's in particular mood, she'll tell me that the fan makes it so she won't be able to hear if some kidnappers break into the house and try to steal the kids. Sadly for her, this little bit of psychology doesn't affect me.

3. Shaved Legs. I was at the gym this week, and I noticed that all of the guys that were in shape had hairless legs. I looked down at my legs and was reminded of my half man, half werewolf appearance. The endorphins (or something) must've been flowing, because I decided it was time to trim the foliage. After the workout, I came home and jumped in the shower. An hour later, Annie was knocking on the locked door wondering if I was alive. I emerged to show her my shaved leg (not legs). It had taken me over 45 minutes and 2 razors to shave my right leg from ankle to waist. But, I still needed to shave the other leg. Later that night, I improved on my method. I got out the hair trimmers and pre-trimmed the left leg. This time I was able to shave my entire leg in 15 minutes. It's been 4 days now. And, the endorphins are gone. Now I have two very shiny, white legs. My legs are cold all the time. When I wear pants, my legs stick to the fabric nonstop. And, every time I get the goosebumps, it feels like I'm rubbing my legs against cacti.

4. Wedding Day. On my wedding day, while I was sitting on the bench just outside the chapel in the Idaho Falls Temple, I got a terrible case of cold feet. I started thinking of how insane I was to be getting married. I wondered what my father-in-law would do if I chickened out! Then, Annie walked through the chapel doors. She looked amazing and beautiful! After that, it was easy.

5. Odd Jobs. Here is a list of all the jobs I've had since I was 12: paperboy, bagger at a grocery store, lifeguard, plumber, painter, building framer, milk stocker at a grocery store, stock broker, tax accountant, MTC teacher, MTC computer support, Website creator, shipping and receiving at a hardware store, Taco Time, waiter at a comedy club, drafter, women's coat salesman.

My favorite was lifeguard. My least favorite was milk stocker at a grocery store. I don't think I need to explain why.

6. Socks. I love new socks. I prefer Hanes with the gray toes and heels. Nothing better than when I open up a brand new package of socks on Christmas and my birthday. In fact, my in-laws have caught on to my love for socks and buy me socks for every occasion. However, it was not always so that I loved socks. Between the ages of 11 and 14 I didn't like to wear socks at all. I'd wear sneakers every day, summer or winter, without socks. After a few months, a pair of shoes would smell so foul that friends and family wouldn't let me into their homes. In fact, for most of 7th grade, my feet stunk so badly that during PE the entire gym would smell like my feet. Some people don't mind their own smell, but other people can't stand it. I couldn't figure out why my feet smelled so badly. Strangers would actually buy me sprays to put on my shoes and feet. Eventually, I started wearing socks again. Now, I have friends again. Thank goodness for socks!

I tag Kendall, Matt Nielsen, Chris Drew, and Eric Blair.

Easter

2008-03-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

We celebrate Easter (the bunny variety) on Saturday so yesterday the Easter bunny came to our house and hid eggs then we went to the Easter egg hunt here in our neighborhood. It was very fun!!!

The Easter Bunny came to the egg hunt on a fire truck. Sam loved the fire truck but I don't know how he felt about the bunny. The girls had so much fun searching for eggs and helping their baby brother search for eggs. The egg hunt is one thing I will certainly miss about here.

Another thing I will miss is the weather...notice, Hannah is wearing her swimsuit to color eggs, in mid-MARCH. That is because they were playing in the water outside when I called them in to color the eggs.

Sam looks like a bit of a mad scientist in the pics of egg decorating. He really got into it. He got really mad and threw his eggs when he ran out. They looked pretty cracked and broken too :).

(
We try to keep Sunday focused on family and the Savior. This year was less than perfect, but I tell ya, the longer I am alive, the more less than perfect I am finding out I am, so I won't worry too much. Next year will be better!!!

The kids looked so cute in their Easter clothes. They are such sweet hearts!!

The night before Easter, I put curlers in the girls' hair--it was so fuzzy when they woke up in the morning!!! Ha Ha. They felt like the belles of the ball with their pretty dresses and curly hair though.

P.S. Sorry about the fuzzy nature of some of these pictures. Someone touched the lens of my camera and I didn't notice till the weekend was almost over.

Hannah

2008-03-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hannah decided to play with photo booth.