Just a note on "Checkers." I came home from work last week and was greeted by Allyson waving a sheet of paper in front of my face. she had spontaneously written an essay about playing checkers. The English teacher in me was so proud, and we decided it would be fun to post this to the blog. So Allyson now has an email address and authoring privileges on the blog. Pretty fun.
With the arrival of autumn, we dug out the kids' long-sleeved shirts and long pants to figure out what fits and what we need to buy. As an aside, one of the benefits of having three boys is the sharing of clothes; anything Ryan has outgrown now fits Isaac. So last week we had a little fashion show to check it all out. Here is Ryan in a shirt that fits fine and pants that, well, don't:
Here Allyson rejoices in long pjs that still fit. For now...
Here Ryan sheds tears of joy because he Isotopes shirt still fits--and likely will until he's 10:
By the time we were done, the kids had tried on dozens of articles of clothing, and Allyson was obviously in shock, wandering around like a zombie while wearing pink sweatpants and a blue shirt:
This topic is a bit odd for this blog, but the question has been posed to us, and we'd like our readers' input. Please comment if you have insights that we lack.
In the Spencer W Kimball manual, chapter 17, page 183, the third paragraph from the top (footnote 11) discusses the relationship of husband and wife and presents a bit of phrasing that has us stumped. Since we're in nursery, we missed (or were fortunate to miss, depending on how the lesson went and who was teaching it) this discussion in RS and Priesthood. But the word "indiscriminate" has us wondering. What could this mean in the context of marriage? Isn't monogamy by definition discriminate? Is there something here we're missing or misunderstanding?
To delve a bit deeper, I looked up the source of the passage. It's the First Presidency message from the October 1975. As anyone who's read The Miracle of Forgiveness knows, President Kimball's views on morality are simultaneously outspoken and occasionally cryptic, and the historical context of the 1970s is important. Since I was not aware of the social movements of that era (finally, I get to feel too young...), the thoughts of our more mature audience are especially appreciated. What was going on in the middle part of that decade that might explain what this means?
Any input from our readers, via comments, email (you've got our addresses), and even phone calls would be illuminating. It probably goes without saying that we don't want this blog flagged for "adult content," so let's be pretty general (no personal narratives, please!), but your insightful and careful thoughts are welcomed. Thanks.
Saturday we got up early and drove north to a raspberry ranch in the southern Sange de Cristos. We spent an hour picking about 8 lbs. of fresh mountain raspberries, which have now found their way into jam, ice cream, cereal, and whipped cream.
Over the years, and since I have so many children I don’t know what to do, I have had a lot of baby stuff. Do you know how much stuff is involved with having and caring for a baby? Well, having done this so many times, I have put together a list of my favorite baby things. Some I wish I had when I first started having children, while some are old favorites that I got every time I was expecting. I hope you enjoy my list and can use any of these items for yourself or as gifts for others. If you have any to add let me know.
These go in no particular order.
Diaper bag-
They are always needed. I, for one, carry around a lot more stuff after having a baby. We got this one from Ba
bies R Us when we were expecting our third, after shopping around for what seemed to be ages. And we not only use it for baby stuff, but for hiking, traveling, etc.
It holds an amazing amount without being burdensome or unwieldy (usually diaper bags have a long strap that only fits over one shoulder and swings around knocking things, and small children, over). This diaper bag stays put. Plus since I am usually carrying the baby, my husband gets to carry the diaper bag. Since it is black and gray, this one isn’t so babyish that he won’t wear it.
Nursing Pillow- 
I found this one when I was expecting the latest addition to our family (#4). I LOVE IT! It is so much better than the Boppy (I used that with #2) which has to fit all the way around and gets in the way if I want to nurse in my rocking chair.
This one has a very comfortable, fuzzy, removable, washable cover. And it is at a slight slant which helps elevate the baby’s head. It has a matching foot stool if you want (my husband actually uses it more than I do). 
Breast Cream-
Lansinoh is tried and true, the best ever!! It helps heal breasts sore from nursing. You’ll never use a whole tube, but when it is no longer needed for sore breasts, it makes a great chapstick!
Sling-
After carrying around the bulky, heavy infant car seat with my first three children I refused to do it with my fourth. So I searched and searched for a sling to carry him around. Not only is it easy to use, and easy to carry him around, it has so many other benefits. Since babies like being snuggled up close to mom hearing heartbeats and familiar voices this sling is perfect. Plus it is so cute and comfortable. In fact this is the one product I get comments on ALL the time; when I pick the kids up from school, when I am grocery shopping, at baseball games…so many people asked about it, if it was comfortable for me, and for baby, and of course where to get buy one.
Tummy Cream-
My sweet husband gave me this as a Christmas present during my fourth pregnancy. I just wish I had it
with my first and maybe I could have avoided stretch marks altogether, but they didn’t get any worse thanks to this cream. Plus it helped alleviate itchy tummy syndrome which can make a pregnant woman even more cranky and irritable. Plus it smells great. It has essential oils of lavender and tangerine, very soothing right before bed. You may even be able to guilt your husband into rubbing it in for you.
Nursing pads- 
One of the unfortunate truths of nursing is that breasts leak milk for the first couple of months. But fortunately there are some great nursing pads out there. Personally I liked them before they started making all of them able to stick inside your nursing bra. But my favorite by far is the Johnson & Johnson nursing pads. They are comfortable, they hold a lot of milk, and they are the most natural looking (already rounded rather than flat and they even have a little nipple bump that is quite amusing).
Other things we haven’t been able to live without (but I have no brand preference): binkys (otherwise known as pacifiers), how on earth did parents get along before these were invented?; sleep positioner, with new sleeping guidelines these are great for keeping baby on back or side (our children always preferred their side); travel crib, a huge life saver, we got one that was relatively small and lightweight, plus it doubles as a bassinette!
I hope you enjoy my list and that it is a useful collection of ideas for you.
Monday morning, the older kids and I decided to go for a hike, so we set off for the Sandia foothills east of town. We took a picnic lunch and set out for the trailhead just north of Embudo canyon, one of the more popular hiking areas in town.
As with most of the city's open space in the foothills, the hiking at Embudo begins with a gentle slope to the edge of the hills, followed by much steeper climbs. We went east and then veered south around the base of a nice sized hill. Here the kids begin the walk.
After we turned to the south, the climb go steeper and we found more and larger granite boulders strewn acorss the patrh. Here the kids appear to be trying to move this one out of the way.
After lunch we set out again, hiking north along the base of the hills. We took a few side trails as well before turning south and returning to the car. Here Ryan races ahead while Allysona nd Isaac follow along.
