Weekend Trip to St. George

Alisa was in charge of an American Sign Language Interpreter Workshop down in St. George last weekend. We decided to go along and make it a little family vacation. We had a fun time swimming, playing at the park, and even making time for a little mini-golf. Most of all we enjoyed the warm weather.

Winner of the Brian Regan Art Contest!

Brian Regan is my favorite comedian.

Alisa and I have seen him perform three times, and for our Anniversary in a couple of weeks, we are going to catch his show again. Several weeks ago I found an Art Contest on his website. The only rule is your submission has to incorporate something from Brian Regan's comedy.

My favorite bit that Regan does involves Art. (I added the clip on my http://www.bardenpembleton.blogspot.com/ blog) Part of that bit involves him trying to disguise the fact that he doesn't really know anything about art. Those around him ask specific questions about certain artists, and his answers reveal his lack of knowledge.

So I chose to submit a piece, and although I am not an artist, my little sketch was selected as a winner. Before I get too excited, I would guess they accept all submissions as winners, but it is still fun to see it up on his website.

I have attached my submission below, but if you want to check it out with a blue ribbon attached you can go to: http://www.brianregan.com/. Then click "News." The first item is Art Contest Winners. My entry is the top left entry "Taylor E." Enjoy.

Ready for Spring?

We knew there was trouble when we heard the water running, we just didn't know we would find them in swimsuits playing on the bathroom floor. I think they are ready for the weather to be warmer so they can play outside. We are ready for them to play outside too!

Highlights of the clip?

1. Cassidy playing with her swimsuit on backwards.
2. Mckay slipping on the water and falling down.

General Conference Memories

What a pleasure it is to hear from the leaders of our Church. I was reminded this past weekend of how much I needed General Conference while I was serving my mission. I recall several times on my mission where I would think, "You know, I am really enjoying teaching others about the gospel, but it would sure be nice to have someone teach me for a change." Being able to enjoy General Conference was always a nice charge to my mission batteries. Strangely enough I remember being the most homesick during Conference. I was usually busy enough on major holidays, and never really had time to feel homesick, but as I would sit in a chapel to listen to conference, I would begin to imagine my family sitting together at home listening to the instruction of our leaders.

Now that I have two small children of my own, sitting around watching General Conference with them, is well, how should I put this......difficult! It was still a pleasure to sit and listen to our church leaders, however, instead of being in a quiet chapel on an island in the Pacific, I was instead listening to our leaders while helping to dress Barbies and playing with Play Doh. Although if I had to chose, I would chose to play with Barbies, than be alone in a chapel. Missions are fun, but Children are much more fun.

This Conference also made me realized how blessed I am to live in such close proximity to our General Authorities. In fact, it dawned on me that I have met all the members of our current First Presidency. I have met President Monson twice (both times at funerals), I met Elder Eyring as my wife and I were waiting in the Temple to be sealed, and I met President Uchtdorf while sitting just two seats away from him at a Utah Jazz game.

As always, Conference was a pleasure, but I am definitely going to need to read all of the talks in next months Ensign. I may have missed some important teachings while making sure Barbie was dressed modestly.

Brushing Teeth

This is what happens when you send the kids to brush their teeth all by themselves.

We need to take them to the dentist. As you can guess, we aren't very good at getting their teeth brushed properly.

Disney on Ice........again.

Well, Disney on Ice rolled into town again, and once again I was a sucker for the disounted pre-sale offer. At least this time I had our camera. Cassidy continues to remember details about all of the previous Ice Shows we have attended, and is quite good at giving you the highlights of each show. Mckay tried to hide at my feet when Captain Hook got close to us, but luckily Peter Pan came to the rescue.

Bouncin Off the Walls

Isn't she Adorable?

They both slept very well that night!

Would you believe he beat me 3 straight?

Cold House

I don't think that I would have made a very good pioneer. The other morning we woke up to a rather chilly 60 degrees in our home and knew that something was wrong. So naturally we did all of the things that people who know nothing about a furnace do. First, we went and flicked the switch on and off on the side of the furnace, and then when that didn't work we called someone.

I've got a good friend named Steve who is much more handy than I when it comes to fixing things, and he was able to instruct me over the phone how to check certain elements of the furnace. I was able to complete a test and diagnose that we were having trouble with our lighter/igniter. (is igniter even a word?) This was great education, but our house was still cold, and I was not in a position to know where our igniter was located, or how to replace it. Again Steve came to the rescue. He just happened to have a gentleman in his neighborhood who repaired all the furnace units at the State Penitentiary. I gave him a call.

He came right over and had our igniting part replaced in less than 15 minutes. The house quickly warmed and the crisis was averted. How nice it is to live in a time where furnaces keep our homes nice and warm. It is also nice to have friends who are willing to help when we clearly don't have any idea what we are doing.

Updated Family Photos

Playing with Barbies

You'd never guess he just got caught with his

hand in the cookie jar.

Picture Day at Preschool

Picture Day at Preschool!

I'm a Big Kid Now???

Ok. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I mean, it is still plenty early, however, Mckay has recently decided that going on the "potty" isn't all that bad. We have made the jump to Pull Ups during the day, and so far things are going quite well.


Why all the excitement you ask? Well, Cassidy was only a couple of months shy of turning 4 by the time she decided diapers weren't her thing anymore. Mckay turned 2 last November. We are doing our best not to get our hopes up. Maybe this is just a phase, but it doesn't mean we aren't trying to be "over the top" with our praise each time he uses "the potty." Kids are certainly unique in their development.

The Case of the Missing Garbage Can

CHAPTER ONE

Thursday started like any other day, except it started 15 minutes later than normal as I overslept. This normally would not have been an issue, but Thursday is Garbage Pickup Day, and the garbage truck arrives in our circle before 8 am. After quickly getting dressed I rushed out to move our green garbage can to the curb, but alas...it was too late. The large garbage truck had completed its work in our circle and moved onto the next side street.

CHAPTER TWO

Chapter Two continues as I realize there is no way I want to try and collect another week's worth of garbage into our already full green trash receptacle. I then decide to make my move. I begin running with the garbage can behind me, the can rolling on its two large wheels. I made the turn out of the circle and see that the truck has only completed one side of the street. I decide to place my garbage can next to a neighbors yet-to-be-emptied can. The plan seemed flawless. Leave the can here and pick it up later.

CHAPTER THREE

Three chapters for a simple story about how you lost your garbage can? Yes.

The plan seemed to go smoothly until it was time to retrieve our garbage can. The problem? It was missing. I know what you are thinking, Who steals a garbage can? I don't know. We knocked on the door of the home our garbage can had taken up residence at in our time of need, but they were not home. Calls to other neighbors also revealed no eye witnesses. Our garbage can must have felt all alone as they day turned to night and we could not find it.

CHAPTER FOUR

Your kidding right? Just get to the end of your story.

Don't worry, there is a happy ending to this story. Alisa bravely ventured into the cold in search again for our missing garbage can. (We did contemplate making posters to place on telephone polls, yet underground fiber optic cables have really eliminated this option. There are no telephone polls anymore.)

Finally, Alisa was successful in finding the lost can. A family down the street had accidentally placed their recycling bin out instead of their trash bin. At the end of the day they simply grabbed an available garbage can and took it into the warmth of their garage. Alisa knocked on the door and asked if they by any chance had a second garbage can? They looked, they did, they gladly returned the can.

EPILOGUE

The can was quickly returned to the safety of our garage,...and then promptly filled with a day's worth of Mckay's diapers. Ahh, it's good to be home.

Hi Ho Cherry-O

The Game: Hi Ho Cherry-O

The Competition: Cassidy

The Outcome: Not surprising

Cassidy and I have recently been playing quite a bit of Hi Ho Cherry-O. For those of you who may be unaware of this game, I will attempt to explain. There is a dial in the center of the board. On your turn, you spin the dial and depending on where it lands, you are able to remove cherries from your bucket and place them in your tree. The game is won when your tree is full of cherries. There are however, several spaces that require you to remove cherries from your tree and place them back in your bucket.

As Cassidy and I have been playing there are occasions when it can be difficult to determine where the spinning dial has ultimately come to rest and therefore we determine that if it is on the line that you can have a re-spin. Cassidy has caught on quickly.

Anytime Cassidy spins the dial and it ends up on a space that requires her to remove cherries from her tree, she quickly states, "Oh, it is on the line," and spins again. I don't think I will ever be able to defeat Cassidy and her ability to dominate at Hi Ho Cherry-O. It has however lead me to think about when we are in situations that we are not comfortable with.

I am not advocating bending the rules to win, but I do think there are times in life when we find ourselves in a situation we are not comfortable being in. It is in these times that we must recognize that we are on the line and chose to take another turn.

PEZ for Breakfast

It doesn't happen often, but there are several times a year when Alisa's work requires her to be somewhere at the crack of dawn. This gives me the opportunity to be the one to get the kids up, dressed, fed, and out the door to preschool. This morning was one of these opportunities.

Cassidy's hair was in need of some work, but as she boldly told me, "Dad, don't brush my hair. I will do it and make it look beautiful." She did it alright, and I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. My goal was to have the kids out the door at 8:15, but as 8:15 rolled around and no one had shoes or jackets on yet, I knew it was time to improvise on breakfast.

"Lets make a deal," I announced. "Anyone who can hurry and get their shoes and a jacket on can have a treat for breakfast." They cheered, rushed to finish getting dressed, and then I caved and gave my children PEZ candy for breakfast. I know, I am such a good parent. I am sure Alisa would not have approved, but at least they made it to school on time.

SHOES

It seems my children's growing feet are ready for new shoes faster than I need a new haircut. Currently Mckay's shoe of choice is a tan pair of Crocs. These shoes go everywhere with him, including church. At great expense his parents have purchased him nice Sunday shoes, as well as comfortable tennis shoes, but even in the winter weather, his Crocs are the favorite. Like his sister, Mckay likes to put his shoes on all by himself. And like his sister, they usually end up on the wrong foot. This continues to amaze me.

I am not one for mathematics or statistics, however even in my limited mathematics understanding, I know that when my son or daughter picks up a shoe, there are only two possibilities-Right Foot, or Left Foot. This would lead me to believe that each time one of my children picks up a shoe they have a 50-50 percent chance of getting it right. Averaged over weeks and months, they should be getting it right about half of the time, yet they are not.

I don't think my children are merely less intelligent than the average child, but in speaking with other parents with young children, this is a statistical epidemic that has plagued the lives of young children everywhere. If Las Vegas had a game where gamblers had to place bets on whether the child would get the left shoe on the left foot, I think the House would always win.


I have drawn some conclusions with my own children, only to have them proved wrong. One for example: Mckay gets it wrong because he always picks up a shoe and places it on his right foot first. He must, therefore, always pick up the left shoe first? Wrong. I have even placed both shoes in front of him with the appropriate shoe in front of each foot. He will reach down and pick up the right shoe and place it on his left foot.


His sister is no different. I have even gone so far to purchase shoes for her where the top strap attaches opposite the arch of her foot. I would then remind her. "When your feet are together, the strap goes on the outside edge, and not the inside edge." Result? No change. My ultimate conclusion-It doesn't matter the type of shoe, or the age of the child, putting shoes on the correct foot will always defy statistical probability. I guess I will live with it.