These two poems were recently discovered in our house. Mel Mother Dearest--Ben Bolton My Mom is like a spring day. Beautiful and sunny. My room is like a war-torn country. Screwed up, Two cultures attacking. Two brothers. Mom arrives stat. Two brothers. One apart from the other. Mom is like a peace treaty Solving a war. My Mom is like a maid, Cleaning our messes and more. She is my Mom. She loves me. Sometimes I don't know why. She is my mother, And nothing less. Braden--by Mikaela Bolton Braden likes games. Where is Braden? All day he plays. Discovering how to play. Everybody loves Braden. Nobody thinks Braden is not nice.
Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Two Bolton Poems
Myrna/Barbara
Barbara, could you send me a few things the kids are doing? We are trying to get a family newsletter together and need some things. David is the only one who doesn't have his stuff in. I am nagging but he is not doing. I know that he is incredibly busy right now and he may not even have read the emails. All we need is a couple of paragraphs. If you want to participate, put in some stuff about you and we will send you a copy. If not, I understand. Why would you want a bunch of stuff from my kids. But if you would. . .Myrna
Friday, 24 Jun 2005 13:12:57
Myrna, I am so sorry, I have not checked my mail for a while. I have been so busy that I don't seem to have time to do anything. I told Leonard the other night that I am a "bad weather" friend. If I had read the mail earlier I would have let you know that I didn't have anything anyway. Everything seems pretty mundane or just flat uninteresting with my life. No one seems to want anything to do with me, except for free babysitting, or if I'm paying for camping trips, then they are right there.
By the way, I feel that since I am watching the kids three nights a week, have them overnight on Friday night and watch them all day Saturday, so that the parents can both work, those working parents should pay me. I have been doing it forever anyway, for nothing, and I would take the kids without any compensation permanently if I could.
This last year has been a rough one. I feel better but. . .
Let me know what you think about the "paying me" thing. Bree told me that David thought it was incredibly unnatural, that Grandmothers in his culture just do that (babysit grandchildren) for nothing. All of them.
Write me, I will get better about reading my email.
Love Barbara
6/27/05
Barbara, I don't know what to tell you. My curcumstances are different from yours. I do not work full time, as you do.
I do not charge for babysitting my grandchildren. I consider having them in my life payment in full. They are my treasure: the gift I received to compensate me for growing old. I know grandmothers who do charge a babysitting fee (mostly to pay for groceries used by the kids and for other supplies also used by the kids) and I also know grandmothers who do not charge. I guess it is up to the family.
AnnMarie and I go through this every fall. She wants to pay and I refuse to let her. From time to time she does something nice for us, like taking Leonard and I out to dinner or taking us somewhere with the family. I tell her that I enjoy having kids around, they keep me young.
I don't think your own kids ever give you the respect that you think you have earned. I think that is something that your grandchildren give you. I had kids because I enjoy the wonderful joy of being a mother of young children. I enjoyed being a mother of old children. I just liked and like being a mother. I didn't, and don't, expect much back. My children who are now getting older, some turning 40 and 42, are now are beginning, from outward appearances, to honor me and respect me. Mostly my kids are busy with their own lives and have little time for anyone else. What little time they do have they spend with their own families. I think that is the way it is supposed to be. I may think differently when I am a senile 90, if I live so long, but I now think that they should concentrate on their own families.
I think about my dad and I guess I treat him the same way. He has called and left me two messages, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Neither time was I home. I will call him today and talk for awhile but he doesn't know that I am waiting until I know his "coffee buddies" have gone home. (He and a group of old guy friends go for a walk every morning and then stop by his house for coffee and a chat.) He is 86 and if I don't start visiting him more it will be too late and I will have another regret to add to the list I keep in my head.
Sorry that I have been no help to you with your problem. I just don't know what to tell you. I do know that the problem with some of my kids is caused by me because I have spoiled them. But then, if I were to do it all again, I would probably still spoil them. I always considered my kids my blessings. (Of course, there were, and are, times. . .) The problem with children is that by the time you have figured out what you are doing wrong, they have grown up.
My grandmother used to tell me to do better than she had. That way, she said, each generation would be better than the last. I am counting on my kids being better than me and my grandkids being perfect.
I also know that the whole time Erin was here it was "my grandma" this and "my grandma" that. I was almost jealous of the great time you have together. She told me that when she was with you next time she was going to ask you to "make panacakes and eggs." Donovin also loves you dearly. You must be doing something right to earn that love and respect.
Monday, June 6, 2005
Gonna Be A Bear
Myrna wrote: What did he mean, some days? But I need that nap! Myrna
Thursday, June 2, 2005
Recipe of the Month--June
Queijadas
Submitted by: Scotty Carreiro
"Super easy to make, and these won't last long. Try substituting almond or lemon extract for the vanilla. Or top them with flaked coconut or fresh fruit before baking or top with fruit after baking!"
INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). 2.In a blender, combine eggs, sugar and butter. Blend until smooth. Pour in flour and milk, a little at a time, blending until smooth again. Stir in vanilla.3.Pour into muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Bake in preheated oven 45 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot or cold with vanilla pudding and fruit, fresh or canned. Peaches, strawberries, raspberries or pineapple are excellent.
Joke of the Month
Melanie won the joke of the month for June with the following:
Four women were driving across the country. Each one was from a different state: Idaho, Nebraska, Florida and New York.
Shortly after the trip began, the woman from Idaho started pulling potatoes from her bag and throwing them out of the window.
"What the heck are you doing?" demanded the Nebraskan.
"We have so many of these darn things in Idaho, I am just sick of looking at them!"
A moment later, the gal from Nebraska began pulling ears of corn from her bag and tossing them from the window.
"What are you doing that for?" asked the gal from Florida.
"We have so many of these things in Nebraska, I'm just sick of looking at them!"
Inspired, the gal from Florida opened the car door and pushed the New Yorker out.
The Butcher, The Baker, and the Mammograph Taker in June
Well, Hello from the Eric Trauntvein family.
What to say about Eric, he is his normal crabby self. He has been seeing a dermatologist for his hands and they have decided that it is psoriasis after all. This has been a little discouraging for him, knowing that he has it for life. He says that he’s feeling a little like Job.
I was so busy in April with my big FDA inspection for work that I really didn’t write much. I swore that I was going to better this month, but once again the month seemed to get away from me and I’m here at the last minute trying to get mine article done. Life has been as crazy as always. My washing machine died, Jason had strep and of course we had the end of the school year with all that that entails. Consequently I feel like I am going to lose my mind. I don’t currently have a calling in our ward, but I have been doing a lot of substituting in primary, so I am still busy there.
Jason has done very well in his schoolwork. He just finished 3rd grade and is reading on a 6th grade level. He was the third in his class to pass off his multiplication math facts, this from the boy who at the beginning of the year cried because he “hated” math. Jason has also been busy being daddy’s helper in the yard. We are still working on the landscaping and Jason is always willing to help. He and David also love to dig in the dig pile that’s just on the other side of the fence. Of course if they are there then AJ thinks that he should be also.
David has also done very well in school He’s reading very well and has an incredible memory for interesting little tidbits about sharks, insects and a few other things that have caught his fancy. He has loved his teacher Mrs. Waterfall and school. She had a special link with him. It has made a big difference for him this year. David is such a loving big brother to AJ. Aj has wanted to start sleeping on the floor in Dave’s room so that he can be close to him. I think that he is looking forward to being baptized and also to being able to start cub scouts.
Maddie graduated from Starbright kindergarten. She had an assessment with a kindergarten teacher at the public school who had told us that she would assess her so that we would know where she was at. However when she tested her she sailed through it so easily that she took her right to the principle and recommended that she be put into 1st grade. She’ll be in an advanced reading group as well. She loves to read and is very excited to be going on to 1st. Maddie is very helpful when she WANTS to be but she also has a stubborn streak. My dad is always telling me that Maddie looks just like her Trauntvein aunts. Especially Kirsten. I would have to say that she also has their temperament. She is definitely a feisty one.
AJ is a very busy boy. He thinks that he should do everything for himself that is except use the toilet. His attitude toward that is “I did that” I am hoping to convince him that by using that toilet instead of diapers he would be more independent. We’ll see, it may still be a while till my last is potty trained. AJ thinks that he should be able to everything that his older brothers do, which includes going to neighbors a couple of blocks away and not having to be directly supervised every minute at the Children’s Museum or dinosaur museum. That doesn’t really work for me though. He took off through a group of adults’ legs at the museum and by the time that I got through I couldn’t find him. It took me 20 minutes to find him because there were 3000 people in the museum that day. When we found him all he said to me was “I’s lost”. The kid needs a leash.
As you can see, two careers, four kids, two schools, cub scouts, homework, housework, yard work and church has kept us running Some days I would like to sit down for just a couple of minutes. Fat chance. Should you mange to track us down; we would love to chat with you.
Amy (801) 367-0825
(801) 714-6541 work
Eric (801) 722-9950
The Fabulous Four in June
Erin is sad she missed Whitney's call (while Whitney was in Utah), so we will call Kirsten and let them talk. Erin has made a friend down here with one of the office
employee’s daughter at my work. They exchanged phone numbers and must talk everyday. She said she was going to use the car to go pick her up. I think this last birthday Erin turned fifteen instead of five. Oh well.
Donovin had a great birthday. The family went to a playground and he had lots of fun. There was the usual bithday party with Mom, Dad, Erin and Grandma Barbara. He had
so much fun. (When Gramps and Grammy called he was excited just talking about the great day he had had and the presents he got.)
The family went camping and had an exciting event. A brush fire flared up and threatened the campground where they were staying. Firefighters came through with bullhorns and shouted at everyone to get out. It was nap time so everyone had to wake up and hurry to the car. Bree had a kid under each arm. The fire had jumped the freeway and was headed right for the campground. Luckily, nothing burned up and the camp was all right so that it could be loaded later that night.
I get your emails but I only have time to read them and not write them. I am trying to do
better because for someone whose profession is communications it should be expected.
I love you and will talk to you soon.
David
The Great Waites in June
May was fast and furious, as is the rest of life, so I'm told.
Whitney finished up her preschool year and is officially enjoying her first summer break. Emma is enjoying having someone to play with and fight with all day, every day. They are now both enrolled in swimming lessons (yes, there is a direct correlation).
We enjoyed a quick trip to Utah, where, unfortunately, we only got to see a little of the Trauntvein (former and present--by marriage, not death) family, but enjoyed every minute of it. Jared's Grandpa Jensen got remarried over Memorial Day weekend, hence the quick trip.
We also got to decorate graves on Sunday and on our way out Monday. It was a first for our little ones, and you will all be proud to know they followed in their mother's footsteps (no, they didn't find any of "nature's raisins," they were simply very wonderfully helpful in cleaning up the grave site in Scofield; I'm pretty sure there was more dirt on them than was left of the graves). It was a wonderful short trip and the girls and myself (Kirsten) can't wait for our extended stay in August.
The newest and most exciting news is that we will get to see lots of family this month. Todd and Amy will be stopping by on their way to Utah (we are so glad we're not in Texas anymore), Jared's parents are coming the last week in June, and we will get to finally go to Melanie's for a week in July. We are so excited to see friendly faces even if it means giving up all out-of-the-house activities for the next two weeks to "Clean Sweep" the house.
The only other exciting news is that the girls and I got to see our first air show. It was pretty amazing! Since we live across the freeway from the Air Force Academy (a couple miles), we had pretty good seats for the graduation ceremony show (our neighbors even saw Vice President Cheney's motorcade). The jets flew right over our houses, and even more awesome, not more than 500 feet above our heads. Unfortunately, as is my luck, the only shot I got before my camera ran out of batteries was of the jets heading toward us from the Air Force Stadium, still pretty neat, though. Emma and Whitney loved it, even if they had to cover their ears.
Everything else is the same as usual. We look forward to seeing all you Utahans in August.
Love, The Waites
Oh! Hi! Oh! in June
A quick note. We are doing Michael's ordination at the church in Lake Shore at 12:00 p.m. (noon) on June 12th. Everyone is invited to come. We are then going to Brent and Lorna's for lunch. If you are coming to lunch, then please bring a salad with you. The address for the church is: 5916 S 3200 W, Spanish Fork, UT 84660
Then, June 19th (Father's Day), Dad and I are pulling our trailers up Ponderosa to stay a couple of nights. I have a flight back to Ohio at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, so we are only going to stay until sometime Tuesday. Anyone who wants to join in the fun is welcome. We are going to be eating dinner on the 19th at around 6:30 p.m. We don't know what the meal is going to be yet. I think that depends on who can make it.
Please RSVP to both events
Michael had a great birthday. Now he is 12 years old. He can tell you all about it when
we see you in Utah.
The Buzz’n Joneses in June
Dear Family,
We hope everyone is doing well. Congratulations to Megan on her baptism and Michael and Benjamin on their ordinations. (Also a late congratulations to Braden on his becoming a Teacher. Look at that a family full of teachers.)
Here in the land of Nephi, the weather has the weathermen changing their forecasts at least two times a week. Fortunately, we have had some good weather every now and then. We went from using the furnace one week to the air conditioner the next. Right now, it is trying to decide whether or not to go back to winter or move on to summer. For the bee's sake and our garden's sake, we are hoping for the latter.
We have caught the gardening bug around here. We have planted our garden, 18 strawberry plants, raspberry starts, a peach tree, a nectarine tree, and a pear tree. So far everything is making forward progress except for the raspberries. Jim keeps telling me that the raspberries are dead, but I keep telling him not to give up on them. In reality, I know they are dead but I can't break it to him.
Mary has been enjoying the good weather. She wants to spend every minute outside. In the mornings she will grab her hat and stand at the door hoping to go outside. She is so much like her Dad. Mary is also getting bolder about walking. She will no longer walk holding onto her Dad's or Mom's hands, instead she has to use her walker. Today, when she thought I wasn't looking, I caught her stand up and take ten steps. Then she noticed I was watching so she stopped and clapped which caused her to lose her balance. She is a funny girl.
Jim has been very busy with the bees. He is done making nucs and is almost done supering them. Yesterday, he hired a young man from Fairview to help him. Jim knows the family well and puts bees on their land. He is enjoying the help. Jim's life has gotten a lot busier with his new calling. He was just made the Elder's Quorum President. He is a trooper and never complains about all the meetings he is having to attend. He was surprised, but never complained. He was made the President on Mother's Day and since then we have had a Presidency party and we are planning an Elder's Quorum party. (I always knew it would take the Lord's intervention to get him to go to so many parties.)
As for me, I am the new Bear's Leader in our ward. Talk about the blind leading the blind. We hope that the little scouts make it through this okay.
Our major news in the family is that we have a new addition. It is a $20 electric piano found at a garage sell. It really works. Jim has been playing it with Mary. Mary loves it. We have included a picture of our little Lorie Line.
We love you all. See you next month.
The Tres Nephites
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)