Eight Great Years with Isaac

Isaac told a friend, "Eighth birthdays are the best if you are a Mormon." I am glad after a month has elapsed Isaac's eighth birthday lived up to his expectations. It is a little bit difficult to keep the level of excitement up on non-party years. 

The eight-year old celebration kicked off with an outing for Isaac, his brothers, and his friend Jed to Monkey Mountain in Park City, an indoor playground. It was kind of a flop. He had been there once for a birthday party when he was in kindergarten, but he seems to have outgrown it since. They had at least a half an hour of fun before they got bored though. 

On Friday, the 5th, Isaac went out for a birthday dinner with mom and dad. We went to The Garden restaurant overlooking Temple Square. He ordered a cheeseburger and fries, and we had to try the fried dill pickles as well. 

After dinner we spent some time wandering around Temple Square. One of the things I love about Isaac is his love of exploring new places. Museums and visitors centers are always more enjoyable, for me at least, with a kid who is always wanting to see and learn more, contrary to asking when we can go home. We found this replica of the temple sign with some dates significant to Isaac inscribed upon it.  

       
We celebrated Isaac's actual birthday with cake and some neighborhood friends. He wanted a dinosaur cake and this is what Dave came up with. Isaac was thrilled, and the 8 in sprinkles set the standard for all future Sullivan family cakes.

As Isaac is eight and a Mormon, he was baptized the following week into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Many wonderful family and friends came to show him their support. Thank you everyone who was there!

Isaac is a great kid! We are so blessed to be his parents, and are continually challenged by his spunk, his strong will, and his bright mind. Here are a few things make Isaac wonderful:

• We love his love for life. It exudes from him. He loves discovering all that this world has to offer.
• He is stubbornly independent. An example: I kept beating him in a game. He asked me to show him how to win, so I said we could play once on the same team, but even though he professed to wanting me to show him what to do he could not stand to do what I told him, he kept following his own ideas anyway.
• He loves a good joke, especially a good play on words. ("The cluck's chicken dad," instead of "The clock's tickin.'"was one today.)
• He is an off the charts reader. He scored 160 words per minute on his reading test at school. I am always amazed that he can comprehend at that speed. His favorites are Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, and Harry Potter, and has been on a Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery kick lately. He has read quite a bit of the Book of Mormon on his own and can explain to me each chapter.
• He still has an infectious smile and a talent for making people like him. 
• He recently drew me a diagram of his brain. The greatest real estate was devoted to getting a DS, the next greatest sections were meteors, astroids, and zombies. Friends came next, then ski camp, followed by karate. The teeniest part, the size of a pin head, he told me was devoted to sleep. With so many big ideas crowding his head how can a boy possibly sleep?
• He has the gift of gab, a mighty challenge to his teachers at school and at church.
• He is super excited to be a scout. The activity book is filling part of his need to be working on a project.
• He plans on majoring in biology one day in college, though geology, paleontology, chemistry, and astronomy must also be in the running. 
• He takes good care of his cat that he bought two years ago, but if anyone is interested he would be willing to part with Gilbert for $30.99 to go towards his future DS purchase.
• Isaac is constantly a challenge for us to parent. Sometimes the battles between us are exhausting, but we believe that Isaac's strong will and ideas are also his greatest strengths and Isaac is going to do something amazing with his life.

Washington in a Whirlwind

So many places in this world call my name, and even when I get there I find so much more than I can possibly take in. The Sullivan family split our spring break along gender lines: Charlotte and I depleted our Delta points and flew across the country with Knudsen gals to the national capitol, while the macho divisions of each of our families headed to a brick-themed park in California.

View of DC from Robert E. Lee's house at Arlington National Cemetery

Top on our list: All the touristy destinations--because the tail-side of a penny cannot capture the scale of the Lincoln Memorial, nor can numbers in a textbook give weight to the names and pictures engraved on Arlington stones or black granite walls.

Arlington

Kite Festival on the National Mall

Should a Democrat one day oust the junior member of the Utah senate delegation, Ms. Press-Secretary-to-Senator-Lee could have a backup career as a DC tour guide. Liz's sister, Emily, knows the ins and outs of the city and carries a premium capital parking pass as well. The key to getting around in Washington, she claims, is to walk like you know what you are doing and carry a Blackberry. I noticed her other secret is to always stow an extra pair of shoes in your purse.

In the original Capitol Rotunda

Charlotte acted her usual angel self. What was I thinking taking a nine-month old on a vacation like this? With any other nine-month old it would not have worked, but Charlotte was perfect, and smiled contentedly for tourists as they turned their cameras from bronze statesman to focus on her porcelain cheeks.


Once upon a time I wanted to be a senator. Several election cycles later any dream of political office has moved down on my bucket list to just below selling both my kidneys on the internet, but if I were to become a senator I would want Harry Reid's office. He has the best view, and a super nice assistant as well. To make sure our visit conformed to the Fairness Doctrine we had our pictures taken in Senator Lee's office as well.

Discussing legislation for putting Charlotte's face on the $100 bill with Senator Reid.

The view from the balcony of the Senate Majority Whip

In a society that too often confuses political posturing and polemics for patriotism I am heartened to see that the patriotism based on love of country and love of fellow man is the version immortalized in stone.  

Jefferson Memorial

"God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever. Commerce between master and slave is despotism. Nothing is more certainly written in the book of fate than that these people are to be free. Establish a law for educating the common people. This it is the business of the state and on a general plan." --Thomas Jefferson

Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

 "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." --Martin Luther King, Jr 

Lincoln Memorial

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan – to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." --Abraham Lincoln

Eternal Flame, JFK Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery

"With a good conscience our only sure reward. With history the final judge of our deeds. Let us go forth to lead the land we love--asking His blessing and his help--but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own."--John F. Kennedy

Something about having a "I remember where I was when..." moment gives a certain weight to one's life. September 11th gave me a sense of connectedness to my vast country I hadn't felt before, and reading names on the Pentagon Memorial and reliving the shock through front pages at the Newseum recalled the empathy and humility I felt on that day. 

Pentagon 9-11 Memorial

This winter Dave and I took an assignment at the Provo Temple folding socks. A job that at home takes zero thought or skill--the model of mundane--required precision and reverence in the temple. I remembered that task while watching guards pace at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Surely guarding the tomb is not  the essential thing with the high-tech surveillance available to the armed forces, and more efficient ways exist to hang a wreath. Both these incidents showed me the value of making things special, of reverence and remembrance, and the tenderness of those who serve.

Seeing an Alexander Calder mobile has been number one on my list of things to see when I made it to the Smithsonian. I didn't quite get that far. I need to move to DC for a summer I guess. Much like how I read Democracy in America in college we only had time for a Cliff-Notes tour of the American History and Natural History Museums. Some highlights included showing Abby and Emily how we listened to music in the olden days--a walkman, and seeing how first lady fashion influenced my mom's prom dress choice.

Betty Ford's Gown

Even the Ipod is a relic

As an introvert I highly value my personal space, and it is not just anyone who I can share a hotel room and vacation itinerary with for five whole days. And the Knudsens/Bennions were not only kind enough to let me tag along, they were the most generous and pleasant travel companions Charlotte and I could ask for. 

My hosts for the weekend

If there is a fitting home for the father of our country Mount Vernon on the banks of the Potomac River is certainly it. Martha Custis Washington herself welcomed us into its chambers.

Mount Vernon

Chatting it up with Martha W. 

On the bowling green, Mount Vernon

 What have I left out?

Washington DC Temple

Air Force Memorial

Library of Congress

The White House (closed for sequestration)

Charlotte learning at the feet of Albert Einstein

Korean War Memorial


WWII Memorial


View from the Newseum, a must see in my book

March in Review

While Jessica was here we had a day up at the cabin with some of the Down Cousins. Inspired by Drew's and Isaac's Olympic activities of earlier in the day Jessica and I created our own winter obstacle course to keep us out enjoying the blue skies.

Pictured left to right and top to bottom:

• Writing our brackets in the snow.
• Wearing cross-country skies: over the ammo boxes
• Curling (a push broom and a billiard ball)
• Wheel the ball 
• Take a spin on a bucket
• Under the rope
• Knock the styrofoam faucet cover off the log with a snowball
• Jessica and Brooklyn: the victor and runner up holding the torch

Also, happening in March

• Charlotte after we discover she has two sharp little teeth
• Isaac and Eli flying kites on a March day (before Spring went into remission)
• What do you get when you merge an Irish holiday, Utah Mormons, and the opening of Oz Great and Powerful? A prize winning entry in the St. Patties' Green Jello Sculpture Contest, that's what!

Eli's Favorite Things, and Our Favorite Things About Eli

For Eli's first friend birthday party he had some particular ideas.

He wanted mustache invitations.

He wanted to play "screen."

He wanted a Lightening McQueen Piñata.

He wanted to make Transformer costumes.

He wanted a Transformer Cake.

He wanted Avengers plates.

He wanted to invite five friends because he turned five.

Avery, Canyon
Eli, Jacob, Sam
(Gracie was busy)

We called this his Favorite Things Birthday Party because that's the only way we could think to tie such an array of activities.

In sticking with the theme, here are a few of our favorite things about Eli.

He is very athletic and strong. He loves to run, play soccer, ride his scooter. He is very fast on his new Spiderman bike he got for his birthday.

Discovering his bike after a yarn maze.

He is an excellent dancer. I love watching him with his best friends, Sam and Canyon, dancing to One Direction on Just Dance. I think we have the makings of a future boy band. 

He loves music and must have his tunes playing in order to do any work. His current faves are Michael Jackson's "Jam," Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll," and Orrin Hatch's "America Rocks!"

Eli is young scholar. He is quite a proficient reader, and knows most of the first grade sight word list. His favorite books are Hop on Pop, Mickey Mouse's ABCs, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and The Bob Books series. 

He still snuggles with me every morning. Oh how I will miss that when he starts kindergarten next year.

He got his Kindergarten shots this month. He was very brave, but, boy, is he dreading turning twelve when his next round of immunizations is up.

He is an introvert. Understanding that about Eli makes it much easier to get along with Eli. If he is getting upset, things can be made much better by an hour of Eli time. He has a few good friends that he plays with, but doesn't need a crowd to please.

He is a loving big brother to his little "Char-wee." No morning can start with out a hug and kiss. 

Happy Birthday to the greatest five year old we know! We can't believe how fast you grow!

Trying out the five year old size bebe gun he got from Grandpa and Nana.

Easter egg hunt

Trying to figure out how to share pictures from my iPad...wish me luck