Forgive any errors; I'm focused on Ferguson

Jessa ~

I'll admit, I'm having a hard time focusing on writing this. There is huge riot going down in Ferguson, Missouri right now. It is insane. I seriously can't believe this is happening in America. These are stories I'd expect to hear from somewhere in the Middle East. It's like the 1960s Civil Rights riots all over again. I'm not even sure I could condense it for you, but I'll try.  (BJ: Do you think you can do it in 2 paragraphs?)

Two black boys walk down a residential street. White cop tells them to get on the sidewalk because they're blocking traffic. Something we're not sure of happens. Somewhere between one boy (Michael Brown) mouthing off or maybe assaulting the cop. Either way, he ends up running away from the cop who then shoots him. Michael puts his hands up in the air to surrender, and the cop then shoots him dead. Autopsy just came back with 6 bullet wounds, two in the head. Residents start protesting against police brutality. The police respond by sending riot police in with sniper rifles and tanks. After a few days of tense standoff between protestors and police, some idiot throws a Molotov cocktail at a cop, the cops say, "This is no longer a peaceful protest" and immediately start tear gassing and shooting rubber and wooden bullets into the crowd. That was Wednesday night. Thursday those police pull back and the Highway Patrol take over and do a much better job, going in peacefully, walking in the protests with the people, talking to them. They also finally released the name of the officer, but haven't done anything against him other than put him on paid leave and let him skip out of town.

Friday night gets tense again, people start looting shops. Residents take it upon themselves to stop the looters and ask the police not to get involved, because they know if they do, violence will break out. Saturday the police guard the shops to prevent looting and enforce a curfew. Most go home at midnight (the curfew), but a small crowd stays... and they're armed. More tear gas and rubber bullets and 7 arrests resulted. Today has been tense. Another curfew was enforced. 3 hours before curfew, some punk sets off fireworks, police think it's gun shots and immediately start tear gassing again. Did you know tear gas is banned in international warfare? But apparently ok domestically. [shakes head] They tear gassed an 8-year old boy.  That's what's happening right now.

(Dear BJ: Yes.) So basically,  I'm having a hard time focusing on writing this blog post because I'm glued to Twitter, watching the live updates. I can't get this through my head. Clearly I have White Privilege to not really know that tensions like this really and truly still exist in my America.

Ok. I'll try.  Here we go.

Kessa had her Kindergarten pre-assessment. The teacher was rightfully impressed at her reading and math skills. [beams] And then on Friday class lists are posted. She's in afternoon Kindergarten with Miss Griffey. So now you know almost as much as I do. lol. She'll start school next Tuesday.

I think I told you that Abby has been dying to ride horses? Well, Grandpa Homer and Resa made that happen last week, up at the Draper fairgrounds. The girls loved it. At least once every day or two Abby will ask, "Go see Papa Resa?" She would be happy to ride those horses every single day. Multiple times a day.

Peter had his 2 month checkup. His stats:
Weight: 12.7 lb — 52.86%
Length: 24 in — 82.44%
Head Circumference: 15.5 in — 49.65%

So, he's tall, but otherwise average. He also sleeps All The Time. I won't put in writing how much he slept last night because last time I did that he stopped sleeping so well for several days. No more jinxing myself here! But at 2.5 months, he does still wake up to eat, then go back to sleep. Once or twice a day I'll bring him downstairs to lay in his gym with the girls fawning all over him for an hour or so, but mostly he's either nursing or sleeping in his bed. It's still a miracle.

Damian came down this past week with two of his boys, Parker and Kolter. He was able to finish all the trim! Hooray! It's now all ready to paint.

Last Sunday I discovered an app called ChoreMonster. It's been brilliant. Kessa has been begging for chores all week. It's great. I set up an account for Parker, too, so he cheerfully did chores all week to earn a trip to Thanksgiving Point and to stay up late one night to play a board game.

The other day she came down and told me I needed to buy her a new bed. I told her her bed was just fine. She insisted. I told her beds cost a lot of money. She said she'd earn it. So I searched for "girls twin bed" on Amazon and let her scroll through and pick one. Then BJ and I decided that we'd be willing to pay her 1 quarter for every real job (which I give her 5 points for). So we put the bed on her rewards chart for 6900 points. She has spent the last several days dedicatedly not spending any of her points on any other rewards because she is saving up for this bed. She is begging for chores to save up for this bed. I can't really blame her. The bed has a slide. That's right. My daughter is kind of awesome. It's a bunk bed of sorts. The bed is up top, with a slide to get down, and the bottom bunk area doesn't have a bed, but instead it has a curtain around it for privacy. So it's like a hide out and a bed and a slide. All in one.

Kim and all the kids are coming down tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I will be required to give Lexi and Taegen accounts too.  And they'll be spending their rewards. I'm interested to see how Kessa will handle it. Will she spend her points because of peer pressure? Or will she hold strong to her goal? My heart is already breaking a little for her right now at the decision. Part of me wants to just let her do the things the others do without charging her points, but the responsible part of me knows that this is an excellent learning opportunity, and I need to let it happen.

Parenting is hard.

We had Nick and Chelsea over for dinner tonight. I made Cafe Rio salads and they were delicious. Seriously. Definitely keeping these recipes on hand. They made us Homers Hookies which were also delicious. And then we played Ticket to Ride. Which was awesome.

Also, my sister had her baby a little over a week ago! Her name is Megan. Both are doing great, which is awesome, especially considering all the bed rest and such. I'm so happy for them. :D

Kessa has two loose teeth! And this time, she even let me touch them. That's new. Her last two she's been way too afraid of. Tonight we ate corn on the cob, which she has been begging for because her cousin, Parker, lost a tooth eating corn on the cob, so maybe she would too! She didn't, if you were wondering.

Kiddisms

• Kessa: Abby, do you want to be blown into your service? Do you want your dreams to come true?!
• Kessa: When olives are whole and not cut up, I like to put them on my fingers and they’re like Minnie Mouse fingernails!
• Kessa: I am oranges, Abby is apples, and Peter is pumpkin.
• Kessa: Mommy, you won't be evil to listen to me. And I won't be evil to listen to you! Both of us won't be evil to listen, because we'll have these headphones in!
  Me: … do you mean “able?”
  Kessa: Um, yes.
• I think Abby thinks “I know” means “no”. Which is often really confusing.
  Me: Abby, do you need to go potty?
  Abby: I know. I'm just coming upstairs.
  
  Me: When I'm done eating it'll be time to take a nap.
  Abby, whining: “I know, mommy!”
• Kessa: What are we having for dessert?
  Me: Who says we're having dessert?
  Kessa: Me! Everyone else is having dessert. Look! Doggy is eating milk… chocolate milk! And unicorn is napping while eating ice cream. [continue listing animals and what dessert they are eating for another minute or two] So, see! We need to have dessert!
• Kessa: Maybe Peter could be an astronaut!
  Me: Maybe you could be an astronaut!
  Kessa: How?! I'm going to be a cowboy!
• Kessa: If we get this done before Daddy comes down, he'll be so suppressed!
• Kessa's new favorite phrase: Oh you think so!
  For example. We were playing TTR and Nick placed some trains, moving his point marker past Kessa's.
  Nick: Oh, I just beat you!
  Kessa: Oh, you think so?!

And for sake of time, I'm just gonna put all the pictures here and write commentary.

Reward trip to Farm Country. I love the one with them holding hands. Parker really was such a great cousin to Kessa this trip. I love that they can still be friends, even with a 4 year age gap.

Just stating facts here. ;)

I forgot to mention, Abby wanted so badly to go ride horses that she just couldn't wait until the set day. So we went to Farm Country so she could ride ponies. But how was I to take all three kids? I had to walk with Abby on the pony and couldn't just leave Peter alone. So Kessa suggested we take turns. Abby could ride the pony first and she'd watch Peter, then Abby and I would watch Peter while Kessa rode the pony. How smart! And how kind to let Abby go first!

Riding horses!!!

You won't get this reference, as it's from Frozen, but just pretend she's a snowman here.
"Hi! I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

Getting ice cream after a shopping trip. Mmmm.

Abby dumped saw dust from the garage all over her hair. That is not why she's crying. She's crying because I wouldn't show her the picture... before I took it.

Daddy decided to use the vacuum to clean her up. Hah!

Just chillin' with Peter.

Kolter and Abby looking out over the neighborhood.

One of Parker's prizes: staying up after bedtime to play Kingdom Builder. He did really surprisingly well.

Hmm... I apparently forgot to put these in the collage above. Oops! Feeding baby goats at Farm Country! The one in the top picture is a new baby. He and his brother kept jumping up on the crate in their pen and butting heads, trying to knock each other off. It was hilarious. I got a video. But I don't have the energy to post a video tonight. Sorry.

Abby got new sunglasses. How is she so stinkin' adorable, even with the sunglasses on her head?!

And... I think that's all for tonight. Back to watching in horror what I've decided is a conflict between two parties both comprised of people who want peace, and racists who hate the other and make really dumb decisions, ruining the potential peace for everyone else.

~ Tianna and Co.