A Smidgeon of This and That

Tomorrow is Easter. Which is weird, because on the blog, we just had St. Patrick's Day. I conclude that the two holidays are too close together, or I have not been blogging. Or perhaps a little of both.

Around here, we have been cracking eggs like crazy. But much more has happened in between, so I will try to get some of it down on here. Not everything has pictures, but that is okay. (I'm trying to convince myself here that I am not a bad person because I don't take pictures of every small detail. Like when three children lost teeth is a very short space of time. It would have been nice to get some pictures of that. Especially since I pulled out Robyn's tooth with pliers. Ah....good times.)

Okay, well we may as well start there. Because I pulled out Robyn's tooth with pliers, she was feeling very brave and deserving and she wrote this letter to the tooth fairy:

(The outside of the letter said- TOOTH FARIY EYES ONLY!!)
Dear Tooth fairy,

     I worked really hard to get that tooth out! We tried almost everything. The day I deskovered it was when June lost her Canine. We tried the Grippers, (we is: Mom & dad) just wiggleing it and tugging on it. So it bled alot! And it was a canine and I'm not even NINE yet so please give me more then $1 "okay"

Thank you,

Robyn

P.S. WRIGHT BACK!!!

And "sorry" My dad couldent find the tooth pillow :( But anayaws old school works too.!

'Old school' is leaving it under your pillow and the tooth fairy had no problems finding it. She even was nice enough to leave her $1.50. I personally think that a well written letter goes a long way.


Like this letter for instance, written by June:

Dear Dad,

     I have come to understand that Pearl gets into countless thing. Many of which are mine. I have a plot to cease Pearl and Daisy's frequent break-ins to my room with a lock; a lock that cannot be opened with a clip, rather a key. I would like a lock because it will keep them from ruining anything of mine (or anything of Mom's that's in the closet.)

     Some things Pearl has recently gotten into are:
1. A bag of candy I got from Hannah's party, which I thought was safe buried under things on my desk.
2. The bag of pom-poms in Mom's closet.
3. A contained of Rubber-cement that I was using for my Biography Buddy.
4. She drew on a dolphin picture she wasn't supposed to draw on.

     Another thing I don't like them to do is come into my room, see something else that looks fun, and drop what they had on the floor. I usually leave for school with a clean room, and come home to a room littered with babies, blankets, books, and other toys that belong in Pearl and Daisy's room. 
     Some things she gets into don't seem too important, but things like the ruined dolphin picture are important to me.
     Would you please consider getting a lock for my door, so that I may protect my property.

Sincerely,
June


For the record, I told her that if she wanted Dad to take her request seriously, she should write a proposal. She said, "What, like asking someone to marry you?" Ha ha...no, not that kind of proposal. I think her opinions were well voiced, and although she didn't get a lock, we did get one of those baby proof door handle things (very official name) and Pearl has not ransacked her room for a while.


Battle of the books was back at the beginning of this month. This year, I volunteered to help with the battles. It was really very fun. The kids take it so seriously. Robyn's team did very well. They won 3 out of 4 games on 'pool play' day and then she won two matches on game day. Her best friend made it to the finals, and it was good to discuss how we can be happy for our friends who do well.

June's school also did Battle of the books, but because they don't have a gym right now, they just played 5 games and totaled points for a winner. June's team didn't lose any battles, but they didn't get the highest number of points either. But she felt that she did well, and that is what matters.


We finally made it over to Kangaroo Zoo to celebrate Pearl's b-day. Even the older kids enjoy it.

I never did get a good picture of Daisy.

Ivory had a good time.

Robyn saw me taking a picture. She loves me so.

And of course the birthday girl.

June's school did another play—The Taming of the Shrew. I was impressed again with how well they all remembered their lines. June was a servant girl. She played her part very well. I'm not sure if I have ever seen this play before. It makes me want to find the movie, Kiss Me Kate and see if it is any good.

Our kids school does something called Dad's and Donuts. They invite the dads to come read with their kids for a short amount of time and they pass out donuts during the event. Tyler is a faithful attender. I happened to be at the school when the dads were arriving one morning, and I thought it was the cutest thing EVER. All these dads with blankets, bears, and books. Some were in suits, others came in biker chaps. It didn't matter how they came, it just mattered that they had taken time out to come. I think it was very touching.


In other not so touching news, June decided to see what would happen if you stick tweezers in a plug outlet. I might expect this from Daisy, but honestly, I thought June would know better. Don't worry, she didn't feel a thing, but the tweezers did melt a little and it tripped the breaker. I would not recommend this as a science experiment.


Crazy hair day came and went at June's school. Oddly, she and her best friend had their hair done the same way. (Great moms think alike.)

Have I mentioned that I finally let her read Harry Potter? I can't get the kid to put the books down.


And finally, we snapped a picture one afternoon while the kids were playing Sardines. It was funny to see them all lined up by the bed waiting for people to find them. I love that my kids play well together...most days.

Stay tuned for some Easter Eggstravaganzas!!

Being Irish is Half the Fun

Seamus was very dutiful this year. He made a cypher wheel and we decoded many messages from him. (Most reminding us how great he is and how he still wants gold.)

We made our wishes as usual. It is a silly tradition, but I love looking back at all the pictures with coins on our foreheads.

The day before we ran the Vineyard 5K again. Let's compare our results to last year:

	2012	2013
Tyler	16:55	29:37
Maleen	41:45	29:35
June	40:22	39:49
Robyn	40:43	38:37
Ivory	Rode in the Stroller	40:57

Everyone improved, except Tyler. But if you recall, he missed part of the course last year and his time didn't really count. Also, this year, he pushed the stroller. You will notice that he stayed right with me during the race. (Who am I kidding. I was trying to keep up with him!!)

Tyler was a good coach. On the last straight away we picked up the pace. And then he told me we would sprint at the finish. I told him I was already going faster and I wouldn't have anything left. But amazingly, I still was able to push it at the end. Charity, a friend of mine who finished in 26:??, snapped a picture as we crossed.

And here comes Tyler.

After I crossed the line, I took a breather and then went back for each child. Robyn was the first to show up. Another kind soul, Mandy, took a picture. Robyn was sprinting/walking at the end. But the thought of being passed by her friend helped her make a strong finish. (Wait, are they holding hands? Maybe they were finishing together.)

This is also where I could point out that Robyn is a head shorter than all her friends. Yep, we grow them in miniature around here.

June was the best to encourage. I could see the timer and told her that she needed to keep going to beat her time from last year. She told me that she couldn't do it, but she kept running the whole time she was telling me this. And she crossed the finish line in plenty of time.

And Ivory was not far behind. McKenzie came to run, but she had Adi in the stroller, so she was already planning to run at a slower pace. But she was such a trooper to pick up Jane and Ivory and keep them going the whole time. And I was very proud of Ivory for running the whole thing. Last year, she tripped at the beginning and sat in the stroller the rest of the time. McKenzie would be the third person to take pictures for me. It is lucky I know so many reliable people with cameras on their phones.

It was a great race. We all had a good time and went home feeling like we accomplished something. For me...it was my second race of the year. Only one more to finish my goal. Piece of cake. (This is where I probably break something that puts me out of commission for months. Let's hope I didn't just jinx myself.)

Love this lady.

Daisy, On Food

I was getting supplies out for lunch. I bought some craisins and I think it had been a while since we had them on hand. As I took them from the pantry and put them on the counter, Daisy saw them.

Daisy: Mom, are those Craisins?
Mom: Yes, do you like them?
Daisy: Yes, they are 100% delicious.
_________________________________

Daisy: Mom, one time we had green eggs for snack at school.
Mom: Like green eggs and ham?
Daisy: Yes!
Mom: That's silly.
Daisy: No, that's gross.

Keeping Things Close

I mentioned that Ivory got a shelf for her birthday and then forgot to post pictures. (Sounds like me, doesn't it?) She really loves her shelf. She changes up what is in there, but it is always well stocked. In fact, looking at it just now, I want one. It seems pretty handy. Here is it by her bed.

And here is a close-up.

And then I finally got around to putting up a picture of the temple over her bed. I only promised it way back when. I didn't even tell her I was doing it. She just came home and there it was.

And she seems to like it. There is now a picture of the temple in every room. Except mine. (oops.)

And even though Ivory doesn't have her own room, she does seem to have her own space just the way she likes it.

Luscious Lashes

I feel it is good to have a very girly post right after a very manly one. And what is more girly than make-up. (Unless you are in the theater, then I apologize, guys.)

I have been tempted by false eyelashes for a while now. Mainly because the idea of not having to put on mascara, take off mascara, put on mascara, take off mascara, repeat ad nauseam, was very tempting. Tyler would laugh, because I kept asking if I could get my 'nails' done when what I meant was my 'lashes.'

And what with family pictures coming up, it seemed a great time. (Actually, I had pictures scheduled long before, but my friend was kind enough to squeeze me into her schedule the night before, so I could look fabulous for the photos.)

My normal lashes are not long, but not minuscule either. As most lashes, they lighten at the ends and are hard to see without the aid of mascara. Take a look for yourself. In all my glory, I let Tyler take a picture right before I left.

We did take some after pictures, but they weren't good. And I've found it is hard to take pictures of one's own eyes. But with the help of a mirror, this is not too bad.

So, do I like them?? Well, there are pros and cons.


PROS

* I don't have to do anything in the morning. Yes, I might still put a little foundation under my eyes, or some lipgloss, but if I didn't, I could be instantly presentable. It is glorious.

* No smudging or smearing. And I can cry at church and it is fine. (Not that I cry at church, or at commercials or reading the Friend.)

* I have gotten a lot of compliments, so I'm assuming they look good.

CONS

* I can't rub my eyes, so if I get water in my eyes, it is very uncomfortable. Plus, I feel like when my eyes water or get water in them, they sting!! Is that from the glue? Or what? Which isn't encouraging to think glue is getting in my eyes.

* I can't get un-fancy. That may sound weird, but sometimes when I am chilling in my pjs, or running in the mornings, it seems weird to have my lashes look like I'm headed for the red carpet.

* Oh, and they are kind of expensive. But I don't color my hair, do my nails, whiten my teeth, or anything else that I can think of, so I am allowing myself something.


I can't imagine having them forever, but I sure like them for now. I would like to think that it is more functionality than vanity that brought me here, but really deep down, it all goes back to vanity. I honestly don't love how I look without make-up. It is the curse of having worn it for so long. And when I don't wear make-up, people ask if I am sick, or just really tired. (Yes to the tired thing, but really it is a nice way for them to say...wow! You look horrible.)

So for now, I'll just glory in putting my mascara on the shelf and giving it some time off for good behavior.

Boy Will Be Boy

Who gets the "boy" jobs in a family of all girls?

That'd be me: the lone man in the garden of Cazier.

That's ok though because that means I get to experiment on a lot of manly stuff like fixing houses or cars, and I don't get compared to anyone. There's no one to compare me to!

As it turns out, my Dodge Neon has been suffering for a while now. Last year, when I got emissions tested, they informed me that it would pass emissions ok, but it's a good thing safety's not being tested. Window's broken, needs new tires, power steering is leaking, battery's not secured, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

So to get registered this year, I've had my work cut out for me.

I'm no mechanic. I don't know how those dang machines work! But men all over the world profess they enjoy working on automobiles. Hmmm. I'm still figuring that one out.

Anyhow, I'm smart enough to know that I'm gonna break it if I don't get some help. J.R., my brother, is my pseudo mechanic. Pretty much I call him and I say, "Hey J, listen to this and tell me what's wrong with my car;" or "J, I just posted a video of my car on YouTube, can you tell me what's wrong with it?" To his enduring credit, he has never said no—he always checks it out for me. I have often quipped that, "I'm getting my four-year automotive degree...I own a Dodge." People laugh, but I'm serious. I've fixed nearly every issue this poor machine has ever had—and J.R. has diagnosed anything I couldn't figure out.

So, I posted a video on YouTube earlier this week, and asked J.R. to advise me, which he did. My high-pressure steering fluid line was leaking and needed to be replaced. J.R. thought for a moment, no-doubt considering the experience of the mechanic about to undertake these repairs, then advised, "I'd give it at least two hours."

Here's the Cazier Calculus behind this: It would take an hour for J.R. to do it, Tyler's a little...slow, let's double it and call it good.

It took me three hours.

I have also learned that repairing something on a vehicle (at least a Dodge) is never about just that part. The trick that makes mechanics good at their job is knowing which systems have to be moved / modified in order to get at the part that needs to be replaced. They see an engine as an interactive series of layers that can be systematically peeled away.

My quest to repair the steering fluid line ended in success. I came in sometime in the middle of the repair, and Maleen snapped this photo:

Yes, the grease and grime just keep going up my arms. At one point the engine took advantage of me being under the car and dripped a combination of coolant and power steering fluid in my ear.

Let me remind you that I'm a web developer. These same hands write code and styles for websites. I must say though, that I find it exhilarating to complete a true "Man" project. I was so proud of myself that I bought a bunch of honest-to-goodness Craftsman "Man" tools to reinforce my credentials to toil over these machines. (And yes, I buy Craftsman not only because they have a lifetime warranty...I shamelessly admit that a little part of my buying decision is because they say "Man" right on the tool.) I figure that by doing the work myself, I saved at least the price of a new wrench set...and an air compressor...and a new flexible LED flashlight...

Cazier Family Photos

It has been a while since we got family pictures. The last time, Pearl was 3 months old. Now she is 3 years old. So, because I loved Fotofly so much at Christmas, I bit the bullet and signed us up for pictures. It was a great experience, and I love the photos. I hope you like them too.

Adore this one. I need to get one for the house. (Oh, and yes, I actually tried to coordinate colors this trip. The orange is because that is what they had the most of at the store. I'm surprised we didn't all end up in neon yellow.

This was a fun pose, but we never quite got everyone looking how we wanted. Even this one has two kids being weird or with eyes closed, but I thought I would still include it.

And then this was our favorite. We did have to photo-shop one child, but that was easily done using another photo. (Well, I say easily, because Tyler is really good at it. It is not easy for me.)

It makes me happy that we got these done. I am very blessed. I'll keep reminding myself of that while I go to tackle the mountain of laundry.

Pi3

Pause everything. If you are reading this in Google Reader, etc., you need to go to the actual blog. (Now!!) We redid the header. So cute. Love my little family. We'll have more pictures soon.

Okay, back to business. Happy Pi day to you all. If you don't know what Pi day is, it is simply celebrating March 14th. Or you could write it as 3/14, or perhaps 3.14. See the correlation?

Okay, you probably already know about Pi day. Every year it comes and goes and I don't do anything. Mainly because it doesn't register. But this year I actually thought about it before. And I had a pie I was dying to try out. Yum! Here is a link.

It seemed to go down well.

Plus, today was fabulous. The weather was GORGEOUS! I should have walked around taking pictures of the kids playing outside, but instead I kicked them out and spent some time reading. (Because I am an awesome mom like that.)

I had already planned to take the kids out for our annual flip flop shopping, but the warm weather was a bonus for sure. Love the flip flops. Sorry about the poor picture quality. I couldn't get the kids to take off the flops until evening.

So, take a deep breath. Spring is on the way. And pie is yummy. Sorry I couldn't share with all of you.

Ode to All the Little Feet

With five little girls running around the house, mostly barefoot, it's easy to concentrate on the mess they make. After the girls went to bed, I found myself trolling through the house picking up some of those messes. Making sure the table was cleared off, picking up Pearls fifth (or maybe sixth) pair of socks today, clear the counters, delivery folded laundry, put jackets away, hang up shirts I know are clean (sniff the others to see if they're really dirty), pick up napkins, move chairs back around the table, etc. You know the drill. I stopped when I found myself depositing another pair of little shoes near my mudroom. The little feet that fill these shoes keep my life full to be sure. I'll never be at a loss for things to do, but I'll also never be at a loss as to who to do things with.

Can You Still Feel the Love?

I really don't like it when Easter falls in March. It is too many holidays all crammed together. And I was slow taking down my Valentine's stuff, so it feels like there is hardly any time to get out the green and then put it away in favor of eggs.

Plus, Seamus has not been as diligent about corresponding even since Pearl was born in March. I think she stole some of his glory. But rumor has it, he has some more codes in the works...

But let's take a quick peek back at February. It was not the horrible month of sickness that it usually is. (Thank goodness.) Valentine's was busy as always. With four kids in school, we made almost 120 Valentine's. This encouraged me to keep things simple. I was going to ask the kids for input, but instead I made these and handed each child a bag and told them, 'You're Welcome.'

I mentioned that I might get a Valentine's puzzle. I did (sort of.) I found a box with 10 fantasy puzzles and the kids dug in and did five or six of them in a day or two. They were glow in the dark puzzles, but they didn't glow that much. We finally tried to charge some of the pieces to see if they worked. Tyler thought we were so funny all holding our hands to the light that he took a picture.

Daisy is a good helper with puzzles. She finds pieces and encourages everyone. She wants to be in the middle of everything.

For the love of my life, I planned an event before Valentine's Day to beat the crowds. We went out to see 'Lend Me a Tenor' which was playing at the Hale Center Theater. It was so funny. I love a good comedy, and this one did not disappoint. And the theater is small enough that you feel like you are practically in the play.

I found the play because I had signed up to do the Hale Freezes Over 5K. (Remember, I want to do three races this year.) The Hale run sounded fun because they give you free tickets to a play. (Although I found out later, the tickets are for a certain play and only for a few certain days, so it isn't very flexible.) McKenzie and I dutifully showed up, although the ground was very icy. They even made several announcements about NOT trying for personal bests because the conditions were slightly hazardous.

I was pretty bummed because just a minute into the race, a down syndrome boy stopped running and asked for help. He didn't look distressed, so I continued on, but McKenzie stopped and never got going again. After she helped him back to the start/finish, they disqualified her. It was pretty lame. She was just trying to help. I don't see why they couldn't let her go back to where she was and finish the race.

In the meantime, I was booking my little heart out. There was a pretty big uphill portion that really slowed me down, but I did NOT stop, and I was proud of myself. Even better, when I neared the finish line, I was amazed at what time it read. I crossed the finish line at 28:12. I was hoping to get close to a half hour time, but I had no idea I would beat it soundly. And McKenzie was there to cheer me on at the end. It was really a great moment, with no pictures mind you, because Tyler was off at a scouting event, and June was watching all the kids. (She was so cute about it too. I was gone for almost three hours and when I called she said, "Are you coming home soon, Mom?" I said, "Yes, what are you doing right now?" "Oh, I'm just making lunch for everyone." She is such a great babysitter.)

Tyler and I were able to use our free tickets this last week. We went to see 'The Civil War' musical put on by the Hale. It was really good. I was actually worried I might be bored. Not that I don't enjoy history, but it was ALL singing, and I tend to fall asleep when I stop moving. But the music was very good and the characters pulled on my heart strings. (It is almost a given that I will cry if someone's spouse dies.)

Finally, (since we should end with some pictures) Daisy had a career day at preschool. The kids were supposed to dress as what they would like to be when they grow up. Daisy said she wanted to be a princess.

I think this stemmed from the fact that the teacher said they could dress however they liked...they could even be a princess. Well, it doesn't take much suggestion for Daisy to steer that way. However, she did add her own little twist....

VAMPIRE PRINCESS!!!

June said, "Daisy, you don't want to be that when you grow up, because someone will burn you." Wise words from a ten-year old. I do hope Daisy has different ambitions in a few years, but for now I will be content with my Vampire Princess.

Melt My Heart

I grew up in a family of three boys. I was thus wholly unprepared for girls when they came to my life. I have found myself a most fitting father of girls, for I have no idea what I would do with boys. If I were not entirely surrounded by pink, I should have no idea how to conduct myself.

My girls have, of course, found ways to penetrate the steely outer skin of "the only man in the house." They drop everything and come running for hugs when I walk through the door after work.  They draw bizarre creations and fantasies on my upper arm, just under the sleeve, so nobody knows. They hug me and kiss me when it's time for them to go to bed, and they snuggle my tight in the morning when it's time to read scriptures.

Despite my efforts to hide it, my tough-guy defenses abandoned me years ago. Maleen and I went on a date tonight to go see a play—we had a wonderful time. While in the care of a most-excellent babysitter, two of my angels penned this message for me:

It reads: "From, Ivory, and Daisy to, Our wonder-ful, kind, Loving, Father. Dear dad, Me and daisy want you to feel better soon, Will a hug and kiss make you feel better. Dear dad, Do you know not only daisy and me love but mom, June, Robyn, peral, and moxy love you. From, I, D."

I can't even read it—my eyes are full of this annoyingly large globs of water.

You see, I didn't feel very well today. Each of the girls in turn had to leave Dad for their endeavors of the day. Their routine generally finds me leaving them for work, but today I demurred to rest a bit longer, and they all departed for their various destinations. Tonight, after returning from the theater with Maleen, I found this note gently nestled on my pillow.

How blessed I am to have my girls, for truly their heart is tied to mine. The love of a little girl can heal the world. And yes, a hug and a kiss will always make me feel better.

Ivory's 7 Year Gallery

Still seems weird to me that Ivory is 7. Probably because of her height, she will always seem a bit younger. Today was the first time (of many I am sure) that Ivory put on a pair of Daisy's pants, mistaking them for her own.

But good things come in small packages, and we love Ivory. I took her out last Saturday and the weather was very nice, all things considered. Ivory kept telling me to come out in the sun and I kept dragging her back in the shade to avoid the harsh shadows. We got a good mix of both.

Enjoy these.

Ivory, you are such a cutie. I'm so glad you are my daughter.