It's Gonna Be Okay

Our dryer died.  I feel fairly certain this is the final appliance in our house that hasn't been replaced since we moved in 7 years ago.  Seriously.  We have replaced SO many things: stovetop, double ovens, microwave, dishwasher (keeping our fingers crossed that 3rd time is the charm), washer, refrigerator, well pump, pressure tank, a/c and heat pump.

I insisted this summer that the kids DO their own laundry.  They already knew how, but it's good for them to do all of the steps.  It's one more skill that they can master in our effort to raise independent kids.  I was expecting some backsliding heading back into the school year, but there really hasn't been.  Annie and Maddie noticed they needed to wash their shorts last night, and so they started a load of laundry.  I can't say enough about what a lovely reprieve it has been not to have been the recipient of, "Hey, where is my [article of clothing]?  I put it in the laundry room last night right before bed and mentioned in passing when you tucked me in that I needed it today..."  This morning Maddie switched over last night's wet clothes into the dryer, cleaned out the lint, put in the dryer sheet, and started the dryer.  An awful noise immediately rumbled out of the laundry room.  I asked if there were rocks or shoes in the dryer, and with eyes wide in confusion Maddie answered that she didn't think so.  We gave it 30 seconds or so, but the noise didn't stop.  I stopped the dryer and shook out all of the clothes and towels, looking for any kind of culprit.

Nothing.

Hm.

I started the dryer again, and again the loud noises rang through the laundry room and kitchen.  I stood next to the machine trying to identify what on earth would be making that kind of racket.  My best guess what the band thingy spinning the drum of the dryer sounded... off?  So I did what all non-handy wives do, and called Ryan.  I wanted to know how serious of a problem this was.  Can I still run the dryer?

Ryan said sure, as long as I keep the door to the laundry open and watch for a fire.

I'll take that as a "no."  One of my childhood reoccurring nightmares was a house fire.  Thanks, but I will pass.

Annie still wanted her shorts, so I set them out with a fan blowing directly on them.  The rest of the items were draped over chairs and benches at the table to air dry.  It's not glamorous, but it gets the job done.

After I dropped the twins off at school and made it back home, I was feeling rather sorry for myself as I was surrounded by this:



Isn't that cute?

I remembered a text message from my mother-in-law from early this morning (yippee, seminary started this morning...) with a photo of the sunrise through her bathroom window with the reminder to watch for the beauty in life because sometimes it is fleeting.  At 6 am I am rarely appreciative of anything besides my bed and sleep, and I'm afraid I rolled my eyes because, you know, early morning seminary is a sacrifice for students and parents and blah I still strongly dislike early mornings.  But as that message ran through my mind again, I realized I did find something beautiful.  Ryan and I were very, very blessed with a check to buy that dryer (along with a washer we replaced 4 or 5 years ago) from his grandparents when we moved to Sunnyside 15 years ago.  We were as poor as church mice with a one-year-old, and that first paycheck from working was a solid two months away.  We had an itty bitty rental house and because of that gift, I could do laundry at home as many times as I have needed since that day.  Trust me, with as much laundry as we have done since, with babies and toddlers and stomach flu and a husband who had a dirty job and the general filth of every day, that was an enormous gift.  And now we are in a place financially where we can take care of this type of thing ourselves which is no less of a beautiful thing.

Don't get me wrong.  Not having a dryer is the pits.  Likely having to buy a new one- that stinks too.

::Cue the Piano Guys: "It's Gonna Be Okay."::

First Day

The Desired and Dreaded Day finally came: school begins.  The older girls were up early and ready to go in enough time for me to snap a couple of photos before heading off to school.  Seminary won't begin until next week, thank goodness, so we can ease back into these early mornings.  Elizabeth had Grizzly Academy and Freshmen orientation last week, so she has had a little bit of exposure to the high school, but she is still extremely nervous about everything.  Her biggest worry?  Getting lost.  I would be too.  It's a high school of just over 2,000 students.  The commons area at lunchtime is crowded and loud; not an easy place to be. Ryan made sure he walked Elizabeth to each of her classes yesterday, so hopefully, she has an idea of how to get to where she is going today.  Emma is a junior this year with a driver's license, and she's totally ready for this.  She's a bit nervous about AP and college in the classroom classes, but I think she is going to do well.

 I guess I should say, Emma has a driver's license and a car to use.  My heart gave a bit of a painful squeeze watching them drive away, all big and independent.  Sniff.

Annie and Maddie were excited about school- not nervous in the least.  They are 5th graders, and their dad is the principal.  Worry is for lesser mortals.

 I took the girls shopping last week for their new, back to school t-shirt.  Emma opted for new slip-on shoes instead, so they are all wearing at least something new.

One of Ryan's students won a ride to school in a fire truck from National Night Out.  It was newsworthy, so here's a screenshot of the district Facebook photo of Mr. Principal, student, Mr. Superintendent, and a fireman.  I don't know why the photo quality is so terrible, but c'est la vie.  This little photo shoot had to be discussed in advance, with Ryan and the fireman having a discussion about where exactly would be a good place to park and turn around in the confusion of the first day of school.  The student appeared to have brought all of his near relations to school.  There was a party of about 14 who all wanted a photo with the firetruck, and then they all walked the student to class.  I glimpsed the party when I brought Annie and Maddie to school.

What a zoo though.  I had to park across the street in our church parking lot because there were no parking places at all in the school parking lot.  But I didn't know that until after I drove through the parking lot.  Consequently, Annie and Maddie made it to class just after the first bell.  We've never been that late on the first day.

Christmas News 2018

Greetings one and all!

As another year draws to a close, it’s time to look back and bask in our many accomplishments over the course of this year.  No broken bones or stitches- check!  A plumbing disaster resulting in us replacing our dishwasher and kitchen floor by ourselves, and just for the heck of it, our front room floor (a process still not completed)- check!  A million and a half loads of dishes and laundry- check!   Family dance parties in the kitchen- check!  A summer vacation to the Oregon Coast with sewage coming up into the bathtub of our rented condo during Elizabeth’s shower and therefore leaving us without a working bathroom for several hours- check!  Man, we are crushing this thing called Life.

The biggest change we saw this year was Ryan giving up his summer to do summer school, or rather, buying a “new” car and no longer driving his truck the Sunnyside Police Dept. call the “Warrant Wagon,” I mean, feeling like he was ready for new challenges job-wise.  He applied for three different jobs in our school district during the summer, and after several nail biting, sleepless weeks, he got the principal job at Annie and Maddie’s school.  He’s enjoying it, and Annie and Maddie think it’s the Coolest Thing Ever to have Dad as their principal.  When I go places with Ryan, it’s almost like being with a rock star.  Kids wave, shout “hi!”, give him high-fives, and occasionally try to hug his leg.  

Emma (15) is a sophomore in high school.  She is that kid who is taking two math classes and Honors English, and is thoroughly enjoying after school drama.  Emma landed the part of Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz and did a great job.  She did have to laugh off the many jokes about her being brainless, and finally reaching puberty to get that man-ly voice she talked and sang with during the play.  (Her character voice was pretty epic.)  Emma goes to her early morning seminary class, is taking French 2, has her driver’s permit, pesters her sisters as only an oldest sister can, and would rather read than clean her room.

Elizabeth (13) is in her final year of middle school.  She loves to rattle off science facts for my edification, but loves her art projects even more.  Our old kitchen table has been repurposed as The Place For Crafting.  Elizabeth decided this year to follow in Emma’s footsteps and has traded her clarinet (the one we are still making payments on- hope one of the twins will want to play it someday) for the bass clarinet in band.  She also performed in the high school play with Emma, but as a Munchkin, a poppy, an Oz-ian, and a flying monkey.  She also enjoys 4-H, decorating her room with her art, and pretending not to hear her parents request to collect eggs and feed the sheep.

Annie and Maddie (10) are in 4th grade this year.  They made the mutual decision to give up shin guards and soccer cleats at the end of the spring season, and so they were enrolled in Acro-Dance this fall to impress one and all with how flexible we… aren’t.  But they are enjoying it and work hard to acquire new skills.  This was also the year to tackle their cross-bites (when the upper and lower teeth don’t meet up the right way), so we paid the big bucks to have the orthodontist install Torture Devices, aka palate expanders and braces.  Annie and Maddie love to try to trick people, as only identical twins can.  They also think it’s great that their growth spurts hit earlier than their older sisters, and they can borrow certain clothes and shoes from any other female in the house, much to the dismay of their mother and sisters.

As for me, I keep things running around here- getting kids to and from their various activities, making sure everyone is fed and has clean clothes, a listening ear for life’s woes, refereeing hormonal teens and preteens, and attempting to teach “adulting” skills to grumbling children so that someday they can strike out on their own (a thought that actually makes me want to weep.  Well, most days.).  I volunteer 3 days a week at school, teach the 11 and 12-year-old kids at church on Sunday, and feel like my life is a spelling bee.  (“Mom, how do you spell [insert word here]?”)

We are thankful for so many of our blessings and cherish our moments with family and friends.  We wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

With much love,

Ryan, Danae, Emma, Elizabeth, Annie and Maddie Kannely

Happy Halloween

Halloween was a busy day.  I had a costume to finish (making Maddie's pop star dress with no pattern and only vague idea of how to make a dress is not an experience I wish to repeat anytime soon.), shoes to pick up from Walmart (they all wear about the same size shoe and so NO MORE HAND ME DOWNS and it's no longer sandal weather.  Waaahhhh.) went to Maddie's classroom party, took all four girls home from school (since Emma and Elizabeth had performed in the play all day and missed the bus home), curled Emma's hair (when is that girl going to stop being afraid of curling irons???), found white shirts that Annie and Maddie didn't hate to wear with their dresses, made the girls put on their costumes early so we would have good outdoor light for pictures, rounded up the trick or treat baskets (why can I only find 3?), grabbed the candy and away we went to the church dinner and trunk or treat.

But the girls looked pretty darn good.  I made everyone's costume, except Annie's Cinderella dress.  That came courtesy of Amazon.  Also, all of the girls are wearing something of mine.  Annie and Maddie wore my white short sleeved shirts, Emma wore my black tights and flats, and Elizabeth is wearing my black leggings.  I just have to take a step back and shake my head.  How can they be this old already?

 Emma is Little Red Riding Hood.  The cape is held together by fabric glue and ribbon.

 I made the crayon top out of green foam and hot glue and two hair clips.  I printed off the Crayola logo and made the shirt with black fabric and the heat and stick stuff from the craft store.  Voila.

 If you are unfamiliar with the The Crayon Song from Studio C, you will miss why being the green crayon is funny.

 Miss Annie as Cinderella.  I had to BEG Annie to leave her hair down just long enough for these pictures, but then it had to go straight back into a ponytail.  That girl is a little particular about how things are and feel on her body.

 Maddie is Keira from Barbie Princess and the Popstar, and she is "singing" into her purple hairbrush, I mean microphone.  Her dress has two safety pins to get it to lay (mostly) right.  Did I mention I made this thing with no pattern?  At all?  It's in three pieces: the skirt was easy enough, the belt is its own piece held together with velcro, and the top is well....  not too bad if you don't look at it closely.

 It wouldn't be a proper Halloween without some silly pictures.  I'm glad they still like to be silly.

 I made M&M shirts for Ryan and me.  I had no idea that M&Ms were going to be a big "thing" this year.  When I was at Maddie's class party, I saw 4 or 5 M&M shirts, and I heard there were several at Ryan's old building.  Huh.  Who knew?

DC day 3

The first museum of the day we went to was the Holocaust Museum.  This was the only picture I took there, a quote by an author I read in college- Elie Wiesel.  The museum was every bit as gray and ugly and horrific as the book "Night" was.  I can't think of a more appalling reminder, a more terrible tribute to the lows of humanity.  The point of the museum was to never forget, and I know that is a lesson we need sometimes.  That said, the museum was maybe a little too much for me to handle.  The images and stories are heart rending and sickening, and to try and enjoy your day afterwards is difficult.  The museum was highly recommended, but I don't see myself ever going back.  

There was an area of the museum dedicated to those who defied the laws to hide and smuggle Jews and the Roma out.  It was actually amazing to see that when the citizens in some countries did not just sit back and let the Nazis run unchallenged, the survival rate of the Jews and Roma was phenomenally better.  An impressive and noticeable difference.  There's a lesson there, I think.

Ryan texted me updates from the Saturday morning session of conference, which is how I learned about the new two hour church block and the reminder/shift in how we as a church should be referring to ourselves and Jesus Christ's church.  

On to the Natural History and American History museums!

 Creepy, large crab.

 The Hope Diamond

 I remember computers like that.  I guess that makes me old.

 Tsk, tsk.  The Smithsonian did not get the update about the correct way to refer to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  (This is said totally tongue in cheek.)

 My goofy picture of the day.

 Emma was really excited to see Dorothy's Ruby Slippers from The Wizard of Oz.  The high school is working on their performance of this very play, and Emma was hoping to be able to brag to her peers about how she's actually seen the REAL slippers.  Alas, they are not currently on display.  This was the closest we got.

And the Swedish Chef is awesome.

The we risked life and limb again on our way back to the hotel.  Rick said he was going to write a scathing review online when we were done with this trip.  It wasn't only the driver, but the ants and beetles that were all over our rooms at the hotel.  Leaving snacks out was a really bad idea.

Emma and I reheated our left over take out dinners from the night before.  They were huge meals.  Then we watched Women's Conference on my phone before going to bed.

Ryan hadn't been sleeping well in my absence.  (Ha!  See, it's not just me.)  He informed me that he figured he would make applesauce at 11:30 pm the night before since he wasn't sleeping anyway.  He went ahead and fell asleep on the couch until the smell of burning apples awoke him much, much later.  He burnt my favorite rice and soup pot beyond help.  When I got back home, I soaked and scrubbed and scraped that poor pan, but in the end I just had to throw it away.

National Mall, part uno

It was the second full day in the DC area, and we headed to the National Mall.  We started at the White House.  There was very little press and protestors, considering this was in the thick of the Supreme Court Justice drama.  We had very good luck with the timing of our visit.  We saw the news upon returning to our hotel a couple of the nights to see that we missed throngs of protestors by a day or only a couple of hours.  It was very much a blessing to miss the crazies.

The Secret Service was out in force.  I think they are trained in the art of the photo bomb.

 I think we kind of color coordinated.  I didn't realize this until we got back to our hotel and I was going through our photos.

 Vietnam Memorial

 Korean War Memorial

At this point of the day we reached places I had not visited before.  When I went with Ryan and Brynne many moons ago, we only spent a single day in DC and there's only so much you can fit into one day.

 We had a ways to go before we got to the Jefferson Memorial.  It was waaaaaaaayyy on the other side.

This next photo is honor of my dad, knowing how much he loves FDR.  Or not.

I had no idea who George Mason was before this.

 Made it to see Jefferson!  He's barely visible at this point.

 Emma found her favorite Thomas Jefferson quote.  This bookmark was $7, so we only took a picture of it.  Later Emma found a lanyard with the quote for about the same price, and got that instead.

 Lots of quotes.

 We had each only eaten about a half of a lunch with the cost of sandwiches being so ridiculous.  Emma and I made use of the granola bars and water I had stashed in my purse, but even still I was ravenously hungry.  My body was completely confused on when was the right time to be hungry and sleep.  So we made it back to our hotel via the Super Crazy Hotel Express, and ordered Chinese delivery once our feet made it back on terra firma.  I offered to go downstairs to grab our order when it arrived, seeing how tired my in-laws were.  Where I authorized a tip for the delivery guy on their credit card.  I felt rather awkward coming back to the room and saying so.  "Hey, I spent your money without asking first!"  So I stashed a little extra cash in their room when I paid for our meals.