Happy Mum's Day 2014

Nils and the kids make a Mother's Day video every year, and here's the 2014 edition. I laughed a lot when I watched it. It's a little long, but do make sure you watch until the very end- there's a fun little extra scene. Thanks for the video, N4A. I know it took all day and a significant amount of bribery. I love my family and their horrible fake British accents!

Disneyland is expensive because they mop the concrete.

We went to California for Spring Break this week. Shiloh and Brian (Nils' brother and partner) adopted a baby in the fall, and now that we have reliable transportation (wahoo!), we took a trip to meet our new niece/cousin, Indy. Shiloh and Brian are so nice, gracious and patient with us and our brood. Indy is the cutest, most chill and happy baby, and the we couldn't get enough of her. We had a wonderful time! Thank you, SAR/BLE/IRL!

Miss Indy

Help! They're all around me!

While we were there, Brian hooked us up with his friend who works at Disneyland and got us in for the day at a steep discount. Yeah, baby. That's how we rizz'oll!

I was actually pretty stressed about Disneyland before we left. The kids are old enough to really enjoy it now, and I felt a lot of pressure to make sure they had the best possible day there. I know it's not possible to do and see everything in one day, and I was worried that it would be really crowded, with all of Utah County being on Spring Break in Disneyland. For the record, we did see a lot of BYU t-shirts there, so my worries weren't totally without merit. Haha.

It was all for naught, however, because we had a fantastic time. We spent around 15 hours there, splitting our time between California Adventure and Disneyland. The lines were all around 15-30 minutes, and by taking advantage of the fast passes, we were able to hit almost all of the rides that we wanted to. At the end of those 15 hours, we were more tired than we ever have been. I don't think I've ever seen the kids so beat down. Success!

One of the things that made the day so fun was that we were able to do everything together. Ava is tall enough to go on almost all of the rides, and we took her and Aani on everything. Sometimes they didn't know what they were in for, but they were good sports and liked almost everything. Except the Hollywood Tower of Terror. That scared the living crap out of them. We didn't really know what that ride entailed and we just schlepped them along with the rest of us. Ava ran off of the ride crying and saying, "that ride was scary!" over and over again. We're still learning how to be parents, okay?

The Tower of Terror. Ava was pretty much resigned to the fact that she was falling to her death at this point. Sad.

This cracks me up. The ride kept stopping and I think the pic was taken during one of the stops. I promise I didn't really  hate it. 

Star Tours, which our nerdy kids loved.

Our one and only character picture. Addie said Goofy was creepy. Such a sweetie.

Mad Hatter shop. Just close your eyes, hand over the money and try not to think too much about what you could do with $92.

 Nils and I have been mystified by how expensive Disneyland is. Not just admission, but the place is a money-hemorrhage regardless of what you're buying. We spent $16 on 4 soft serve ice cream cones. Anyhoo, at one point that day, one of the kids dropped some cracker crumbs on the ground. 15 seconds later, a man was sweeping them up. I watched as another man walked around with a mop, mopping the concrete. MOPPING THE CONCRETE! That's why it's so expensive! It's clean and un-trashy, and the patrons aren't carnies. And, everything is well done and oodles of fun, so there's that.

Waiting for the World of Color, utterly exhausted

Right before Aani fell asleep on the ground. We left halfway through the show. 

Next up: The beach and California Science Center.

Reading Alma takes a long time

We're working on reading the Book of Mormon by June, because we're sooo righteous. Last night we finished the book of Alma, so tonight we got ice cream to celebrate. I like to think that reading Alma is like driving through Pennsylvania. It's lovely and full of goodness, but it is oh-so long, and when you're through it you feel like you've accomplished something pretty big. 

This  school year is the first time we've read actual scriptures with the kids every night. We've always done the scripture videos on lds.org or the simplified scripture stories. Sometimes getting through those chapters is a bit tedious, but we've been amazed at Aani in particular, who can now read those big scripture words without any trouble. Who needs first grade sight words?

Conclusion of the $10,000 Mistake

I promise this is the last minivan-themed post I will do, but this drama has been too cray cray to not document. We were discussing it with some friends the other day, and one of them put it perfectly when he said, "It's almost like there's a portal to hell in that minivan", and I was like, "Yes, a portal to hell makes perfect sense!"

We've had it for 9 months, and it's spent 5 weeks in various shops, and had over $7,000 in repairs. It still doesn't drive like it should, the alignment is wacked out now, and the rotors make it shaky when you brake. It really is never ending with this thing. Two days after we got the transmission fixed, our big heavy ladder in the garage fell on the van, denting the same panel that was fixed from the accident I was in 3 months ago. No one knows how this happened, but I have an explanation: PORTAL TO HELL!!

We've been over it, but have never felt good about selling it to someone else. DARN YOU, ETHICS! Financially, we have just made peace with the fact that this is a disaster and there will be no compensating for it. There was no way to get out of it without losing more money, but I'm confident that keeping it would be constant money down the drain, and we'd be stuck with an unreliable ticking time-bomb.

Nils took it to a dealership yesterday to have it appraised. They did a thorough inspection on it, and told him that the frame was damaged. In other words, it had been in a major collision that was never reported. Finding that out was crappy, but it actually validated our experience that the van is jacked up and will always be trouble. They offered him less than half of what we paid for it less than a year ago. Nils then took it across the street to a different dealership, who looked at the van for 5 minutes and offered him a few thousand bucks more if we bought a minivan from them. That's how we ended up with this beautiful piece of heaven in our garage. I love it so much. When Nils got home with it, the kids were jumping up and down and shrieking for joy. We have all been quite traumatized over the last year, so this minivan is our wildest dreams come true. And the kids don't need to go to college, anyway, right?

This morning, Anders opened the door to the garage to look at the van, and he said, "It wasn't a dream, it's still there!" Traumatized much?

Nils and I both agree that under different circumstances, we would never own a minivan this new. We both felt really good about this purchase, however, because the post traumatic stress disorder has changed us, and we want to travel with our family and not have to be towed home anymore. I love you, New Van. Please teach our children calculus.

May the good Lord bless the soul of whoever ends up with that portal-to-hell-laden Odyssey. We honestly tried our best with the thing, and I hope it gets driven off a cliff or blown up before it victimizes someone else.

Minivan stories out!

BEST VALENTINE'S DAY EVER! (Minivan Edition)

At the beginning of February, I was having an episode of hating everything. Lots of people go through this in January, when it's cold and dreary and nothing fun is going on anymore. Since January is birthday month around here, it's a busy month full of joyness and cake. And, I can't hate the month of my birth- so I hate February instead. We decided to head south to Nevada (warmth, sunshine, and Nana & GrandPar) for President's Day weekend, which coincided with Valentine's Day as well. I checked the kids out early from school, and we were all set to get an early start so we would get to Nevada in the early evening. Oh, irony.

Enter: The Minivan of Doom... Destroyer of Dreams and Road Trips.

We have been lulled into a false sense of security over the last six or seven months, with our minivan running fine-ish; specifically, not giving us further transmission problems whilst driving around town. We thought that surely it would be able to handle a 5 hour trip to Nevada. The reason we thought that is that we're stupid, and because we continue to underestimate the demon powers of this vehicle.

Everything was going smashingly! Movies were on, the kids were eating their Valentine's Day spoils, and around Fillmore (about 2 hours in?) Nils even patted the van on the dashboard and said, "Hey, you're doing good, Vanny!" Vanny? I didn't realize we had named this vehicle, but if we had, I think it should've been more along the lines of "Dark Lord of Engine and Transmission Failure".

15 minutes after that happy little dashboard pat, it all started again. No acceleration, smoking under the hood, stuff like that. We had just gone up that big hill before Beaver- you know the one. Next time you drive that hill, say a prayer for the Rasmussons. We were able to basically coast for 10 miles into Beaver. We told the kids we were going to have to cancel our trip and find a way to get home, and they were all bawling inside the Wendy's we had coasted to. It was a good moment.

Ava wins for best sad face.

Nils called his dad, who suggested that he come pick us up (2 1/2 hr. drive each way). He said it made no sense for us to cancel our whole weekend, that we were out a van either way, so we may as well enjoy the weekend and figure it out on Monday. Wasn't that nice of him? GrandPar: Saver of Fun! While we were waiting, we had someone suggest to us that we sign up for AAA- they have a 48-hour waiting period before you can use their services, so we did that right then. That was a huge blessing.

Nils' dad arrived in his new, company-issued Ford Escape (a 5-passenger vehicle- there are 6 of us, plus our dog, plus all of our stuff.) 4 kids crammed in the back; blankets, booster seats, dog crate, dog in the front with me; luggage, blankets, metaphorical kitchen sink and HUSBAND stuffed in the hatchback trunk. What could go wrong? Nothing went wrong for almost an hour, until we got pulled over. After yelling back to Nils to hide, I said to my father-in-law, "Are we going to get arrested?" He assured me that he wasn't worried in the least, which made perfect sense, since we were only breaking like 6 laws. We got pulled over because the car's tail lights weren't on. And Par had hurried so fast to come get us, that he didn't have his license. And since it was a new company car, he didn't have any registration. And the kids were sharing seatbelts. And Nils was in the trunk. And a dog was on my lap barking at the cop. Par calmly explained the situation to this nice police officer, and after making sure the tail lights were on, the cop let us go! And he was nice about it! GrandPar: Cop Whisperer! 

We got to Logandale at 1:00 in the morning, so I was really glad we had gotten such a nice, early start. Haha. We had a nice, warm weekend in Logandale and Las Vegas with Nana and GrandPar, and when it was over, Par drove us back to Beaver (with Anders stuffed in the trunk this time). AAA arranged a tow home for us. We were able to ride in our van on the tow truck, which was awesome and super classy, in keeping with our life theme of being awesome and super classy.

Laugh or cry?

Then we got to have our transmission rebuilt, which was also awesome (but not that classy).

The Year of Dog

We have owned a dog for 1 year today. I thought I should write a review of dog ownership, now that we have been through a whole year of puppy terror. People have said having a puppy is like having a newborn baby. No, it's not. It's a million times worse.

I realize that there are millions of different dog breeds, and my experience is only with this particular female Maltese puppy.

#1 Dog Con: Pee and Poo
She came to us knowing how to pee on a training pad, but she would often miss. She has selected a couple of rooms in the house that she likes to pee and poop in. I have spent many, many hours scrubbing the carpet in my house, and have had it professionally cleaned to get it out. I have spent many, many hours sitting on the back steps repeating, "Go potty, Pip. Pip! Go potty!" for sometimes 45 minutes at a time, only to have her not go at all outside, then come inside and take a crap in the corner of the living room. RAAAAGE!!

The solution to this unbelievably frustrating house-breaking experience has been a multitude of things. Crate training is probably the most effective, but if you have children, they will sabotage your efforts. A doggie door is a must for us, since she doesn't hold it- if she can't go outside, she will just pee on the carpet. Also, we keep all the bedroom doors closed in the house, and the basement door is closed at all times. If she makes it into any of the kids' rooms, she will poop. She is only allowed in the living room, kitchen and our bedroom, since oddly enough, she doesn't pee or poop in there.

I used to take her with me to take the kids to and from school, but she started pooping in the back seat of the van, so she is banned from all vehicles.

I would say she's 99% housebroken now, but I'm telling you, it has been blood, sweat and tears, man. Whose blood, sweat and tears? MINE.

#2 Dog Con: Barking
I get that dogs bark, but every time the doorbell rings she goes nuts. Every time she hears another dog outside, she goes nuts. Every time she sees something across the room she doesn't recognize, psychotic barking.

#3 Dog Con: Destruction of Property
Dogs destroy things. Coloring books, toys, homework, shoes, books. Anything that is left on the floor is fair game for her to chew up. She has a particular affinity for toothbrushes. She also likes to unwind the toilet paper from the roll and shred it into a million pieces. RAAAAGE!

#4 Dog Con: Constant Shadowing
I don't know if this is normal for all dogs, but Pip follows us wherever we go. She is always underfoot. If I need go from my room to the kitchen, she is right there with me the whole way. If I were to do this 45,000 times in a row, I have no doubt that she would not fatigue.

#5 Dog Con: Running Away of the Dog
Yes, many a morning my neighbors have seen me running down the street in my pajamas, chasing that little piece of %#@! who loves to bolt anytime the door cracks open. One morning she was holding up traffic by standing in the middle of the road, barking ferociously at a school bus. Idiot dog.

Although I feel there are many cons to having Pip, it's important for me to clarify that I am very nice to her. I pet her, play with her, feed her, etc. She loves me and obeys me. I have felt from the beginning that since we made the decision to get her, it's only fair that we put up with all the negatives and try to give her a good life. She is after all, just a dog, and we have to teach her how to behave.

Pip getting a haircut

Me, after giving Pip a haircut

#1 Dog Pro: Kids Love Her
The kids love having a dog. They aren't a whole lot of help, but they do play with her and give her attention. The main reason we still have her is that I don't think the kids would ever get over it if she were to go away. Well, maybe they would, but it would be awful. When we left for our road trip this summer, Addie sobbed for an hour or two because she was so sad to leave Pip.

#2 Dog Pro: Cuteness
She is cute. When I'm in bed, she jumps up and puts her head on my chest and looks at me adoringly. It's annoying and invasive and cute all rolled into one.

#3 Dog Pro: It Gives You Something to Mock
When she chases her tail for 15 minutes at a time, it's funny. It's easy to mock her, and it doesn't damage her self-esteem, since we do it while petting her and talking in a nice voice.

She looks like a ferret when she's wet. See? Easy to mock.

Overall, now that Pip is a year old, she's way easier and I don't hate having her nearly as much as I did in those first months. She's housebroken, doesn't nibble on fingers and toes, and is generally a good little dog. She is great with the kids, and is very loving.

I know that there are lots of people who love dogs and feel incomplete without one. I think that's fantastic. I am not one of those people, so I can't say that I would do this again. We will keep our little Pippers, but I do consider this a very expensive and urine-filled life lesson learned.

End of Year Wrap-Up

Holy crap, another year is over! Aside from our vehicle drama/trauma, 2013 was a pretty good year for us Rasmussons. We're blessed in many ways.

Here are a few pictures to round out the year:

Thanksgiving Point Pilgrim 5k on Thanksgiving. Oodles of fun! I haven't run a 5k in many years, and I loved how fun it was! Almost everyone wore the ridiculous costumes that were provided, hats & bonnets and all. People were much less serious than in a marathon/half marathon situation. I ran it with my sister-in-law Amy and nephew Jon. Good times, indeed.

Ava turned 4! She got this Sofia the First coloring doll from her cousin, and she would watch the show with her Sofia for a few days. Then Pip ate Sofia's arm off, and that was the end of that.

Love this silly girl.

Christmas piano recital for A's 1-3. They all like piano lessons because they have a fabulous teacher (not pictured), who makes it fun for them. She bribes them with candy and prizes. It totally works!

Addie's class play, "Character Matters". I could sing some of the songs for you if you want.

Addie and her friend, who has the same last name as us, just spelled differently. Whenever I go into their class to help, I pretend like she's my long lost daughter. She plays along, but she probably thinks I'm just really weird.

Anders' class performed "A Christmas Carol", and Anders was Bob Cratchit. It was a lovely, TWO-HOUR long play. The kids did awesome, and I have no idea how their teacher was able to pull it off. Teachers, I tell ya, they're super-human.

I got hit one morning while taking Aani to school. I was really excited when I saw the truck sliding toward me- I had visions of it being totaled, and all of our prayers being answered on how to get rid of this thing. Alas, totaled it is not. However, we're going on week three of it being in the shop, and I've been driving a Dodge Caravan rental. I must admit, I'll be happy to get my Odyssey back. I am a Honda lover, even if this one has given us some trouble.

My little heart swelled with love as I took this picture of the refrigerator in the middle of the kitchen. The water dispenser stopped working, which is kind of a big deal, since I much prefer to drink water out of the fridge. After a couple of days, I asked Nils if I should call a guy to come fix it, as I know he would never permit that sort of nonsense. My own personal Handy Manny had it fixed in a half hour. Swoon.

Nils came downstairs one day to "work out" with me. He's got to fuel those muscles while he's building them. Obviously Coke is a natural accessory to exercise.

Seriously, is this not the most precious Christmas picture you've ever seen? You might be seeing this on a Christmas card next year.

Here's to 2014. May it be a year full of happiness!