Bangs McCoy

Happy Pioneer Day

After being sick and going overboard on Tuesday, I was down for the count yesterday. After much sleeping, I have recovered nicely. We watched the Days of ‘47 Parade on TV. Camping out to watch a parade in really hot weather in a huge crowd is just not my cup of tea. We had to watch though, because our family helped assemble the Wells Stake float (#90-something) - celebrating the first Boy Scout troop in America (it was our stake!). Rees and I spelled out the names of some people at the First Encampment on some “rocks” on the float. Bryan helped install some coolers under the float to hold drinks for the float operators. Rees was strangely mesmerized by the parade on TV.

We went to my parents’ house tonight for a little fireworks show. We brought KFC for dinner. Michael and Sarah came as well. There is something funny about my dad and fireworks. He seems like about the last guy who would buy his own fireworks to light, but for some reason he does. Maybe because he’s a dude? Anyway, he picked up the classic I remember from childhood - Killer Bees - plus some fireworks that shot out little parachutes (Rees LOVED those) and a giant $20 thing called a Nuclear Bomb (or as Sarah called it, “Stadium of Fire in a Can”). We also brought some sparklers and some of those spinning colored ball fireworks we found in our pantry (probably five years old). Michael commented that “…the Pioneers would be proud!”

Rees and James liked the fireworks but were a little scared. They kept their distance. Allie, on the other hand, probably would have walked over there and picked them up while they were going off. She had no fear. We also had some neighborhood kids come and join - the fireworks do seem to attract them. The boys slept over and Bryan and I went home. I’ll pick them up tomorrow.

Add comment July 24th, 2008

Da zoo

I woke up this morning with a sore throat. I was in denial, and soldiered on to the zoo with the kids. It was fun, as usual (we have a membership). James is so cute, and gets so excited about every animal. “LOOK MOM! A (insert whatever animal we’re viewing)! RIGHT THERE!!!!!!”

We rented a wagon for the first time, which was great because the kids could climb in and out easily. It was also a huge workout for me, due to the hilliness of the zoo. I had to make Rees get out and climb the last hill to the exit. I was exhausted by the time we got home.

In the evening the boys went to Mutual with Bryan, where they shot rockets with the YM.

Add comment July 22nd, 2008

The Dark Knight

Today was Rees’ last soccer game. He did great. He really wanted to play and was disappointed when Coach Dad gave him his turns on the bench. Very cute. He got a little MVP trophy that he loves and is carrying around with him everywhere. Bryan was a great coach and all the kids loved him.

We came home to find the Gregory family helping themselves to our apricots. This is perfectly acceptable, since we have way too many to manage by ourselves. Thayne, Jakson, and Kassidy were daredevils, climbing the tree and onto the roof of the garage to get the ripest ones. Camillia was content to watch.

The boys had a sleepover tonight with the Gregorys. We took them over at about 7 and then went up to Market Street Broiler for dinner. We ordered artichoke dip with spinach and crab to start, then shared a dinner of filet mignon and a lobster tail. Yummy. We lucked out - a table on the patio opened up right when we arrived. Very nice dinner.

Then we went to Sandy to see The Dark Knight on IMAX. Unfortunately, I read the theatre map upside down when ordering tickets, so we were on the front row rather than the back! My horror was offset by all the people around us who also did the same thing. We were all able to laugh about it. The couple next to us purchased the very first tickets of the show - on the front row. Honestly, the first three of four rows of that theatre should not even exist. I was having serious flashbacks about my major hotel reservation error on our recent trip to San Diego (always save your original Expedia itinerary if you’re coming back later to buy, friends!).

I was able to mostly forget about that, which is a testament to the movie. It’s been said a million times, but Heath Ledger is off the charts - which is good, since he’s probably in it more than Batman/Bruce Wayne is. I have always liked him. He was excellent in Brokeback Mountain (I practically dragged Bryan to see it, and I think he may have ended up liking it even more than I did). My favorite quote, however, was from Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman):

Let me get this straight: You think that your employer, one of the richest men in the world, is spending his nights running around the city beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands? And your plan is to blackmail him?

Good luck.

Add comment July 19th, 2008

Some old videos

Here are some old videos I found of Rees helping us paint our bedroom a few years ago. In Rees’s life, I think we have only taken three or four videos of him. That video camera sure is paying off!

1 comment July 17th, 2008

An American Girl

Today we went to see Kit Kittredge with my mom in Provo. She had seen it with a friend and thought that Rees would like it. He did, but much of it was over his head. He was good at the theatre though. He seemed to understand the ending pretty well - that was the part that interested him the most. He didn’t understand the more subtle storyline of the families having trouble making ends meet during The Depression. Or Kit wishing to be a real newspaper reporter. James was happy, but talking too loudly, so I spent the last half of the movie in the corridor with him (still inside the theatre). The story was cute and would be perfect for a kid a few years older than Rees.

In the afternoon I got a massage here. Inexpensive and not bad. We stayed over at my mom’s so Bryan could have a night to himself. He went shopping at Cabela’s for some fishing gear and then went to see Hancock. He says he thought it was okay.

Add comment July 16th, 2008

Dirty, dirty children

Rees played well in soccer today. He is not really kicking the ball, but he runs with the other kids and at least pays attention to where the ball is. Except during the second half, when he spent most of the time wrestling and playing “ring around the rosy” with his teammates. Rees was in charge of snacks and brought juice, pretzels, and grapes.

In the evening Jeff, Cashell, Liam, Kegan, and Quinn came over to play. Cashell brought these really good baked spinach-phyllo appetizers. The filling was spinach, some kind of cheese, garlic, and probably something else wrapped into triangles of phyllo. Really good. Bryan made his excellent Superior Hamburgers. He asked me to get some ciabatta rolls when I went to Harmon’s this morning, and when I couldn’t find any, I was concerned that divorce papers might be drawn up when I got home. However, I managed to locate the last four ciabatta rolls they had. Phew.

The five boys (ages four and under) had so much fun getting filthy in the dirt piles out back and playing on the swings and hammock. What will the kids do for entertainment when the dirt piles are gone? And speaking of dirt gone, we’ve decided to fill in the area under the apple tree with “Sof’Fall” playground wood chips and move the toy box and bikes over there. It will be a nice little area and will keep us more organized. Perhaps we’ll tackle that next weekend…

After the kids were hosed down and in bed, we watched Charlie Wilson’s War. I liked what I saw of it. I fell asleep about halfway through.

Add comment July 12th, 2008

While he’s at work

This morning Bryan got up early and picked up the rest of the wood he needs to finish the pergola. He also bought a new hammock. Our old hammock made of recycled t-shirts (purchased in Tijuana) finally bit the dust after too much abuse from the neighborhood rugrats.

Afterward we all went swimming at Murray Pool. It was nice to be there with another adult. The two kids have much different swimming preferences. Rees likes to go down the slide a lot and jump into the deep pool, which requires someone to catch him (he wears a life jacket but doesn’t swim yet). Jamie, on the other hand, prefers to stay in the very shallow water where he can just splash around. He gets cranky being held too much in deep water.

Bryan worked on the pergola the rest of the day and hung his new hammock. He teased me about the fact that I could now take naps in the hammock all afternoon (because that’s what he thinks I do while he’s at work - sleep). I then promptly fell asleep in the hammock and he made dinner for everyone. Ha-ha.

Add comment July 11th, 2008

BET-TY!

Today I made myself a new skirt, based on a pattern for a tiered one in this book my mom gave me. I changed it a little - I did three tiers (the example had five), used one fabric (the example used five), and I stitched the ruffles on inside-out, leaving raw edges on the outside. I also added a muslin lining - I like more fabric between me and the world (it must come from being such a jeans girl). It turned out really well, I am happy about it.

Bryan hooked up the TV antenna today to his new TV. He is excited to have everything finally hooked up (he also bought this and he got this for Christmas last year). Now we need to install a mantle shelf and try to clean up the cables and stuff a bit.

We went out with Jeff & Cashell to see The Incredible Hulk tonight. It was okay. I thought that they skipped over all of the interesting stuff (in a flashback at the beginning) and then dwelled on a simple chase story for two hours. I liked the actors, but couldn’t really get emotionally involved in two CGI hulks fighting each other. I liked Iron Man better. And of course, nothing touches Batman Begins. Can’t wait for The Dark Knight (we’ll be there on opening night).

After the movie we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Sampan, in Sugarhouse. Mmmmm. Bob babysat for us while we were out, and the kids had fun playing with him. What a guy. We got him a vanilla frosty, Coke, and chicken nuggets as payment.

1 comment July 5th, 2008

Oooooh! Ahhhhhh!

We spent the evening tonight with Bob at the Eaglewood Golf Course by their house in NSL. Bob staked out a spot early and we showed up a few hours later. He also saved us a parking spot and brought snacks for us. We ate, played around, relaxed, and listened to the assorted cover bands that were playing. The boys liked the parachutes and just running around.

When the fireworks were about to start, Rees started to get nervous, saying that he wanted to go home. He said he didn’t like fireworks and he was afraid they would be too loud. But once they started, he was excited. Both boys loved the fireworks and were doing lots of “oooohs” and “ahhhhs”.

Thanks to Bob for hanging out with us and being such a nice host. Fun times.

Add comment July 3rd, 2008

Things are looking up

Bryan got up early with Rees and made sourdough pancakes for everyone for breakfast. They were excellent as usual. The kids and I watched a movie in the car while Bryan visited with Grandma. Today she has more energy and is more alert. She is still very much herself. She told Bryan she would kill him if he damaged her sourdough starter (it’s been alive for many decades). We were talking about the possibility of her being able to swallow, when she said, “I could swallow if they would just give me something to swallow!”

We had lunch at Fiesta Vallarta in “downtown” Delta. I have to admit that I love this kind of Americanized Mexican food (much like Los Hermanos in Utah Valley). The food was yummy but the portions were enormous.

We picked up our stuff from the ranch and went back to the hospital for our last visit this trip. Grandma was still sleepy, but talking well. Still no movement on her right side. The doctors were hoping for more improvement by now. Tomorrow a speech therapist will visit to determine what she is able to swallow. Maryanne has effectively moved to Cedaredge to care for Grandma for as long as it takes, so we said our goodbyes to her for now as well.

The drive back to SLC was uneventful and nice.

Add comment June 29th, 2008