A Weekend with the Woods

Waffles at grandma's

Playing at the 'McDonalds plaything after a fun lunch of junk food

Including fries and cherry pies.

Having movie night with the cousins and Grace Lienneman.

"Princess and the Frog" with popcorn and pop.

Felix helping Grandpa count his coins. He earned a few too.

Dana turns 40.

Coco doing art projects before church.

Evie twirling and whirling.
Chelsea and the girls getting ready for church

Grandpa and I started babysitting early Saturday morning while Chelsea and Dana had a nice a day and night to themselves.....a present for Dana's 40th birthday.
Chelsea and Dana got up early to leave for the Ukrop's 10k race. There were several thousand people there. They both finished the race and had a good time.
Chelsea took the kids and Fischer to the children's museum on Friday.

The Woods came up for the weekend to celebrate Dana's 4o birthday. They came a day early because he had work to do in Richmond.We began the days with sourdough pancakes by grandpa for Dana's birthday. Chelsea took her kids to the Children's Museum.

She also took Fischer( Leo was in school). We had a busy day doing lots of things with takeout Chinese for dinner Friday night. It was a cold rainy day. But we had fun anyway.

Chelsea and Dana left early for the race and then had the day and night alone.

After waffles for breakfast, we took the kids on a drive and to play at the McDonalds play area. We had lunch. Then over to Dillard's for a kids activity with cupcakes. Then to the dollar store to pick out presents. Then to the store again to pick out their cereal for breakfast ( Frosted Flakes)Then to the park to play and have pizza for dinner. Home to clean up and get ready for movie night with their cousins. Finally to bed. Grandma and Grandpa collapse.

Chelsea and Dana came back about 10 :30 am and we all got ready for church. We had a good day and then all came home for dinner with Denton's family coming over too. We had grandpa's famous ribs.

It was a fun weekend and everyone had a good time.

The Holy Grail of Parenting

I thought this was an interesting article on parenting......I think Greg and I may have done some things right...amazing, huh? We didn't even read any book. Just did what seemed best and common sense ( most of the time).

The Holy Grail of Parenting Wisdom

You know better than books do. (Published in Friday's WSJ)

By AMY HENRY

'Never hug or kiss them. Never let them sit in your lap. If you must, kiss them once on the forehead when they say good night. Shake hands with them in the morning."

Such was the advice of behavioral scientist John Watson to mothers in the 1920s.

His council may sound absurd to modern ears, but nearly a century later, 21st-century parents techno-savvy enough to Google the latest research on children with a tap on a BlackBerry or iPhone may be even more likely to fall victim to the "scientific" parenting trend-of-the-moment than their ancestors. Instead of alleviating the stratospheric level of worry that seems to be the birthright of today's parent, the ever mutating and often-contradictory science on children sometimes just makes a parent worry more.

For instance, a 2010 study at Gunma University in Japan found that teenagers whose parents overprotected or overcontrolled them as children have less gray matter due to the excessive release of the stress hormone cortisol in their prefrontal cortex, the brain area associated with mental illness. So far, so good. Parents just need to learn not to hover so much. Back off a bit, perhaps. But the same study found that brain growth can also be stunted if parents neglect their children. In other words, hyper-parenting is no better for kids than throwing a key under the mat and wishing them the best. Like Goldilocks in her search for the "not-too-hot, not-too-cold" meal, moms and dads have the job of finding that "just right" line between giving their kids too much and too little attention—or risk causing what might be permanent damage. No pressure.

The whiplash-inducing waves of advice don't stop there. To cite only some of the most recent examples: Experts first say that television makes our kids fat, that vaccines cause autism, that spanking is bad, that antibiotics are good, that wiggly boys must have ADD, and that the early mastering of the ABC's is essential for a child's success. Then new studies come out saying —oops!—TV actually doesn't make kids fat, vaccinations don't cause autism, spanking can be good, antibiotics should be used only after we "wait the ear infection out," wiggly boys are perfectly normal, and the putting on of Baby Einstein videos does not necessarily a genius make.

It's enough to put a parent in a neck brace.

Raising children has never been easy, but it used to seem more straightforward. It was a sometimes-bumpy country drive, mom and grandma offering wisdom from the back seat; with common sense and trial-and-error in tow. Now it feels like an impossibly complicated road trip, parents white-knuckled in fear of some unseen hazard or wrong turn and all too happy to let science navigate. Why is this?

Have parents lost their confidence? Aren't we, the ones in the trenches with the kids every day, the experts? Or has the glut of research sent the signal that child-rearing is way too hard for us to tackle alone, that without constantly gaping over the fence to see what science might be telling us to do or not to do, we are sure to fail?

None of us wants that. And let's be honest: with the amount of research out there begging, demanding to be read, flopping is not an acceptable option. Our parenting reputations and our children's well-being are at stake. Maybe that's what drives us on in the never-ending quest for the Holy Grail of parenting wisdom, what makes it our default setting to scour the Web or read a library of books looking for studies, solutions, formulas—anything so we don't mess up.

Last week a new study said boys who have nannies their first year of life are more likely to become womanizers than boys who are raised primarily by their mothers. With six children, I can't afford a nanny, so that's research that I—for once—don't need to worry about. Whew.

Ms. Henry blogs about faith and mothering at www.wholemama.com.

Diversity Contest

Chloe and Felix entered more of their paintings in a community

" Diversity" contest.Aren't they awesome?

I think they should hang them in their house.

Gladys Knight and her Saints Unified Voices Choir Concert

We had a special missionary opportunity in our area to have Glady’s Knight and her Saints Unified Choir come to Richmond.We had a special combined RS/Priesthood meeting to tell us about it. We were encouraged to reach out to our black friends, especially. We had to invite non-members to get tickets. I invited Barbara Tyler and Sylvia Elchinger, who accepted the invitation. I also invited Pam Plich ( a catholic friend) but she couldn’t come.

We went early to stand in line so we could get good seats. It was a fabulous concert with the most beautiful music and testimonies. Gladys was really funny and I got to high-five her as she came up the aisle. It was a wonderful opportunity. I am so happy I got to go.

In an effort to magnify her church calling as 'worldwide missionary', Gladys Knight-McDowell formed The Saints Unified Voices Choir in 2002. Not your typical LDS Choir, the group performs a mix of multicultural gospel songs that celebrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pay homage to the rich cultural diversity found within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They are so thankful for the ability we have to share our testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ, through the music of many cultures. We hope that this music will inspire you to follow the perfect example that Jesus set for us.Also, many thanks to the individuals and businesses that made it possible to share the Gospel in this unique way.

Go here to read more about it : http://www.suvchoir.org/

Congratulations Ellie!

My granddaughters Ellie and Reagan, who live in Utah are both dancers. Ellie, the oldest was in her first solo dance competition. I stole this from her mom's post to post on my blog and brag to my friends.

"This"Ellie's first solo" emphasis on first because, I'm sure it won't be her last. This past weekend, Ellie competed in a solo dance competition. She was so excited and only a little nervous. she is such a little performer. I think I was more nervous than she was. Her dance is a Jazz piece called "I'm going bananas". She did awesome and had so much fun. Which is all I cared about. BUT to make it all even more fun... she won FIRST place!!!! we are so proud of the hard work she put in preparing for this.

The next day she and Reagan had a team competition. All of their dances took first also. I will post pictures of these dances later. I didn't get very good ones this weekend, but we have more competitions coming up."

Congratulations to both of these cute girls. We are proud of them for all their hard work. I hope we can see them dance next time we come to visit.

Happy Birthday Judy!

I had a birthday luncheon today for Judy, a friend and a lady I visit teach, and her daughter., Leila. It was an Irish menu..all except dessert. I made corned beef and cabbage with potatoes, onions, and carrots , pistachio salad, Irish soda bread with cinnamon sugar, green beans with bacon and spices and a fun fruit drink. We had Costco chocolate cake for dessert with vanilla ice cream. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it ( at least they said they did) and I did too. I usually only make corned beef and cabbage in March...but I should make it more often. I made a ton so they requested a doggie bag and Greg and I will be eating it a few times this week.

Denton and family were invited elsewhere today...which may have been good for the kids. Most kids don't like corned beef. I was an adult when I learned to appreciate it. I love it now.

We sang Happy Birthday and opened presents and finished just in time for a nap. Stake conference was only 1 1/2 hours ( satellite broadcast) which was awesome.

It was a fun day and now I am eating left overs for my evening snack.

Leo Caroline turns 7!

Our cute little granddaughter. Leo turns 7 in a few days. We will go to her official family party at noon on Saturday. But grandpa and I too her out to Taco Bell and Costco today for a little early birthday treat. She had burritos and root beer and chocolate /vanilla swirl ice cream at Costco for dessert. She got to open 1 present today ( a picture frame with a picture of her and her cousin swimming at a hotel). And grandpa brought home cupcakes for her and her brothers today.

Leo is a smart and very obedient little girl. She is a good big sister to those 3 little brothers...must be following in the footsteps of her Aunt Chelsea and Aunt Melissa, who also had 3 little brothers. She is her mom's best helper and has been great when the new babies arrive. She takes piano lessons , was in her first play this year, plays soccer, and takes art after school. She loves to do gymnastics moves in her house. She is an avid reader ( reading at a college level I think :) Sounds like a grandma bragging, right? She makes friends wherever she goes and is really fun to be around.She loves to laugh with her cousin, Chloe.

We love that we get to be an integral part of her life and see her grow up. She is the sweetest little girl and we love her very much. Happy Birthday Leo! xoxoxo

Happy St. Patrick's Day from some friends of mine!

District 11 Adult Family Reunion in DC

We just finished our adult family reunion in DC organized by Clayton. We had a great time despite the bad rain we endured. My knee was really bad so I was in a wheelchair for the long distance travels. We all stayed in a Marriot Courtyard near Clayton's house, except for Clayton, Lindsay, and Regan who stayed at his house. One of his roommates was out out of town so Lindsay and Regan scored a free bed...which good since they are still students. They went early to help with the grocery shopping. They also did a great job helping with the food since they were staying there.

Clayton has a huge room with couches and with a big flat screen giant TV (with Blue-ray). We hung out in there to play games. The kids wanted me to do charades all by myself where I acted it out and they guessed. They always have fun making fun....but I can take it. He also had a huge kitchen/family room area where we could gather for the meals we ate there.

We started Thursday night when everyone got there at Clayton's hanging out and visiting and having a snack:) which we always do. Denton and Marissa couldn't come up until Friday as Dodge had an ear infection and needed a shot at the doctor.

Friday we went (in the rain) on the metro to see the Capitol. We went on an awesome tour. Many of us had been there but some had not. We got special passes to go upstairs and see the Congress in action. Luckily Clayton got to wheel me into the building because of my wheelchair while everyone else waited in line for our tour time. Afterward, we went for lunch (Clayton's treat) to one of his favorite places, " Matchbox" for mini-burgers and gourmet pizza. We had a lot of fun chatting and getting warm from being outside. The wheelchair worked great except for the scary moment when Jordan almost dumped me in the street. I promise it was an accident. He wasn't really trying to do me in...just something fun to talk about for years.

Clayton had plans for all afternoon but due to the rain we bagged them and went back to his house to hang out and stay dry and warm. We had fun watching movies and playing games until our fun dinner of tacquitos, guacamole, pineapple. etc. This is where kids love to play charades with only me acting things out so they can make fun of me for years to come. I have think skin :)

Saturday was a guided tour to the White house . We trudged through the rain and had to wait for over an hour with umbrellas in tow. We couldn't take the stroller or the wheelchair, purses, cameras or the like in..so the boys ran back to the car and got soaked. But baby Dodge stayed warm in his blanket. The Parks and Recreation people were really rude. I told the while house staff and they made up for it by taking me and a special friend ( I invited Greg) to ride in an elevator upstairs and see the kitchen where they prepare all the meals and meet up with my group......mainly because of my bad knee but also to make-up , I think. It was fun to see as I hadn't seen it before. After that, we went to another great place for lunch. A mexican restaurant called " Surfside"with fresh made mexican food. We had fabulous food and it becoming everyone's favorite. We dropped Jordan and Melissa off in Georgetown as they don't get to shop DC very often. The rest of us went home to dry out and get warm. We cooked, watched a movie, and had a few debates Roman's style. We had plans for dinner but everyone was too full. So we had dessert (homemade apple crisp) instead before we went to the play. Denton and Marissa left early and didn't go to the play. The rest of us went to Ford's theatre to see the Lincoln museum (downstairs) and then to see " Little Shoppe of Horrors". It was great and alot of fun.Afterwards we were hungry again......so we went back to Clayton's for Pizza and TV in his room.

Sunday was daylight savings so we lost an hour. We gathered at Clayton's for a delicious brunch of Migas ( mexican eggs) , homemade cinnamon rolls ( courtesy of Lindsay and Regan) and fresh pineapple. It was delicious and the perfect end to a fun weekend.

Most of us left by noon. Jordan and Melissa flew out later that day and Dana had to fly to Minneapolis for a week.

Greg and I talked on the way home how happy and proud we were of all of our kids and in-law kids and of course grandkids. They are all great kids and we feel so blessed that they are good to each other, live the gospel and are active in the church.

We were sad to have it be over so fast and we miss everyone already. It was a great weekend and fun to all be together. We can't wait until we can all be together again.

Thanks Clayton for all organization and everyone else for helping so much. The District 11 poster was Clayton's creative agenda.

We love you all.