The Babysitting 100

Okay, so I didn't babysit 100 children.  Only 21.  But the work definitely felt comparable to running a 100 mile race.

The three Gunn ladies with babies were the obvious childcare candidates, so Heidi, Rachelle and I took on 3 babies, 4 potty training toddlers plus one more spunky toddler, and then 12 additional kiddos up to the age of 13. Of course the oldest were a HUGE help, when they were around. If you know Taylor and Natalie you know exactly what I'm talking about.



Us three verses the following eight children:

The rest were fairly self-sufficient and played like crazies.

It was a weekend full of adventures. Most memorable include:

• Figuring out how to hold the three babies while taking four toddlers to the bathroom so the remaining toddlers won't try to pick up (Olive, Brooke, and Eva) or roll on (Mac and Seth) the babies.
• Playing referee.  I've got the "share" thing down with the younger ones, but was a little out of my element when it came to hurt feelings of 9 year olds.  Good thing Rachelle and Heidi are so on par.

• The general amount of time it takes to get 21 children ready for ... anything. We had it down to about an hour. Ish.
• The sunscreen train.

• Bathtime.  We only did it once.  I'm sure you can imagine why.
• Meals.  Set up, eating, and clean up ... took a couple of hours.  Moms usually ended up eating dinner around 9 pm after things were settled.

• The night wanderers ... I may or may not have locked my door ...
• Mac and Sampson the dog.  Inseperable.  Mac played with the dog about a thousand times more than he did any of his cousins.

• Updates were hard to come by.  Apparently everyone was busy or something.  Also, the reception was terrible.  Luckily Josh and Katie were fairly on the ball and talked to us regularly throughout the weekend.  We learned about Katie getting ditched as a crossing guard, Mark killing rattlesnakes and hunting down lost runners, Curtis verbally attacking the staff and locking the door, Ashlee's lost contact, Matt stumbling around in a sleep-deprived coma, Chris's awe-inspiring aide station (of course), and the general success of things.

The first couple of days, we three ladies decided that next year Danika, Katie, and Ashlee would be on babysitting duty and we would get to do the race.  But towards the end of the second day and at into the third day we decided ... we might stick with babysitting.

The days were complete chaos.  But the kids had a blast.  After stumbling our way through it, they would crash hard.  And Heidi, Rachelle and I would sit, chat, eat oreos and ice cream and watch chick flicks. 

It was almost ... awesome.

Zion 100

After my time in Logan ended, I hitched a ride with Zack and Ashlee down to St. George.

The entire Gunn family was gathering.  We were here to put on a 100 mile race around Zion National Park.

Remember my post on this book?

















Well, Mark's brother Matt has become Caballo Blanco.  He's all beardy and hairy and runs 30 miles or so a day because he just loves it.

It's a little bit impressive.

What's more impressive is that he's turned a love of his into a business that can (potentially) support his family.

Matt dreamed up a race 100 miles long through the gorgeous landscape of Zion National Park.  He ran and ran and ran, and came up with countless neat things to make it a race nobody would ever forget.

(How anyone could forget simply running 100 miles straight is beyond me.)

It's called:

(Click on the picture to go to his website.)

And it was a huge success. 

Luckily Matt the do-er is married to Danika the communicator ... it makes for a very important team when pulling off enormous things. 

Matt is also very lucky to have seven siblings.  Nearly every one came to help make the race happen.

Everyone drove down Thursday night.  They went straight out to the track to help with some last-minute set-up.  The race began 6 a.m.  They went all day.  At night, they took turns sleeping 2-3 hours(ish) and then got up to keep it going.  They went until 2 a.m. Sunday morning, came home and slept 5-6 hours, then headed back out for clean up. 

When all was finally said and done, we came together exhausted, zombie-like, and very Caballo Blanco-ish.  Mark's beard was especially fuzzy.  He said he felt like Timmy Timmons on Sandlot when the vacuum explodes in his face.

I was on babysitting crew.  And that is an experience that deserves its own post.

I cannot believe what that Gunn family can do when their forces are all put together.

Obviously, this weekend proved it's quite a bit. 

Runners posted their experiences here:

http://truelovehealth.com/2012/05/17/zion-100-running-100-miles-takes-more-than-cycling-legs-and-heart/

http://www.abccoon.blogspot.com/2012/05/zion-100.html

http://trailaggie.blogspot.com/2012/05/zion-100-race-report.html

https://www.facebook.com/allie.gunn.50#!/media/set/?set=a.10150803505940732.397641.679425731&type=1

https://www.facebook.com/allie.gunn.50#!/media/set/?set=a.10150803505940732.397641.679425731&type=1

http://laeasymeals.com/2012/05/14/zion-100-race-report-dnf-part-i-miles-1-35/

http://suannontherun.blogspot.com/2012/05/journey-is-award.html

2012's First Logan Trip

It seems I will still be needing to figure out ways to get up to Logan for the next couple of years.

This time around, my good friend Lindy discovered $60 flights to SLC.

That lovely price in addition to the knowledge that she would be on the flight convinced me to snag up those tickets and go see the family. 

I'll tell you what, that's the way to fly with two kids:  bring a friend.

Mac was happy as could be.  He is definitely pro-Jet Blue as they have you walk out to the runway to get on the airplane.  He couldn't stop talking about the "Big, huuuuge pa-lane!"  And the awesomeness just continued on from there as we went "Super fast, up up up high in the sky!"  We looked for tiny cars and Nana's house, and were very disappointed when the clouds got in the way. 

Belle nursed, slept, ate a pretzel, cooed at everyone around us, and laughed as we made our bumpy descent.

Upon our arrival, my wonderful sister Rachel whisked my two kids away and had them both laughing in no time.

Belen began to "thumb" things, just like her brother used to.

She loved Bumpa's dark eyes.  She knows exactly where hers came from.

These two spent a lot of time like this.

And the Barney's came and visited!

Brielle is a babe and loves her hair all curly.  She tells me not to worry when Malia doesn't want her hair curled.  "She's just kind of a tomboy.  I don't think she even wants to go to her own prom."

Belen loved her six new moms.

We played all sorts of games. 

Rachel and Brigette got their nails done.  Malia and Brielle bought some stick-ons.  With tiger stripes.

Brigette got to do some serious room re-decoration shopping.  She and Rach are all about bright colors, it'll be awesome.

Night games happened each night they were here, and this studly brother of mine made sure all the boys got to play German Spotlight.

Little Alyssa is the funniest little jibber-jabber-er I've seen.  I never would guess there was such a scare when she was born ... her scar is barely noticeable and she is as happy and full-of-life as any toddler.

And of course, Auntie Jen is as babe-ish as ever.  I love her.

The rest of the week, we hung out.  I didn't see any friends.

But I did read a book.  And took naps.

And convinced Mom she needed a little paint to go with her new countertops and back splash.

Unfortunately I don't have a final picture of the paint, as Mom wouldn't let me finishe the last day we were there.  "I just want us to relax and play.  No painting." 

And so we played.

We love these Logan trips.

Through Mac's Eyes

Ever since I got my fancy-schmancy camera, I have been less vigilant as to where my little digital camera disappears to.

Significantly.

Turns out, it's become one of Mac's favorite play-things.

And actually, I approve. 

It's really fun to see how he documents the most important things in his little world.

Mommees holdin Stister

Daddoo

Marble

Stister jumpin

Lotta lotta jumpin

Small twampoline

Hoop



MackyCalister

Mommy's Purse

Mommy paintin

Tiny blue rocks

Blue inside house.

Stister smilin

Jesus Stories

T.B.

Under Mommy's Bed
(Favorite hiding place, and also favorite place to sneak under and sleep during the middle of the night.)

Mommy's leggies

Macky Jesus Stories

I hope he doesn't break it ... but I don't really want to keep it away from him. 

I like these too much.

He's A Big Kid Now

This boy sleeps in a ladder bed.

He skips naps (most days -- I've given up fighting him on it) and goes to bed around 7:30.

He wears size 9 shoes.

He speaks quite clearly.

He has a little group of friends he likes to play with.

And ....

             he is potty trained.

 Mostly.  We're still taking him to the bathroom more than he's telling us he needs to go.  And number two is still a bit of a problem.  Forget about nighttime underwear.

But it's been a week now of straight daytime underwear.  Mark did all the dirty work getting him used to the idea the last couple months, and then I printed out a "Jake and the Neverland Pirates stickers" chart, and finally we went on a big underwear shopping spree ... and there you have it.  He's sold.

I still say taking him to the bathroom every hour is about as annoying as changing three-ish diapers a day ... but ... I can't help but be proud.

He's not a baby.  He's not even a toddler.  He's my boy. 

Checking Back In

Some days, I feel bummed.

Why are we still here?

California was supposed to be our school adventure. 

By now I'm supposed to be enjoying the clean mountain air and real seasons, building my kids' relationships with their cousins, and visiting my Mom while the hubby dives into his new business.

But we are not doing any of those things.

However, there are some real benefits to what we are doing.

Mark gets to learn from someone he knows and trusts, and basically do a trial run on bringing in patients and running a business.  So when we do finally take off, he'll have a much better idea of what he's doing.  And he gets to do all that in the comfort of somewhere we already know well.

I have friends.  Good friends.  Friends that have forgiven me despite my four month hiatas as I was massively pregnant, packing and unpacking, and then trying to figure out a colicky newborn.  Somehow they've decided to still let me hang around.

And so, we will continue going to library for story time.  We will continue park days, beach days, and dinner dates.  I will keep these wonderful friends for a little while longer, and make new ones as well. 

My kids will do the same.

Water balloons and giant snakes help with all that.






















I haven't known any blues that a little sunshine won't cure, and California is far from lacking in that area.

Plus we get to watch intense teenage drug busts at the beach (couldn't quite tell what that grassy stuff was in those bottles the cops took).

And we get to hear the finer details of deep sea spear fishing from our Saomoan and Tahitian sister missionaries.  Also, how to sing babies to sleep.

We get farmers markets and organic stores galore, not to mention enough Ross', Forever 21s, and Targets to make your head spin.

And if there is a place far away to live, this is it.  Here we meet the most awesome people.  And here our loved ones visit us.

So I'm going to love these next two years.  Every last bit of them.

But I won't lie ... I'm very excited to make a Utah trip in the next couple days.

Prima Donna

I love Phantom of the Opera.

It started because my Nana took me to the play as a ten year old.  She had me memorize all the songs, and told me I could be a famous actress one day.  It ended up being the last play she took me to before she died.

This love continued on as I watched Gerard Butler play him in the movie.

Unfortunately, Mark isn't the biggest fan.

When I turn on the soundtrack, Mac asks for "Nunner Mommy songs.  Too loud this one."

But Belen?

She "sings" right along with it.

I suppose her middle name is Christine, after all.

So now I finally have someone who will not only kindly put up with me, but will belt it out right along with me.

Chef MacAlister

"Watch out fingers, Mom."
"Stop, Mom.  All we need."

Here, Mac was teaching me how to "paint the dough" with oil, seasonings, chicken, tomatoes and cheese to make Stromboli from this great cookbook.

This little chef is starting to think he knows more than I do.

And maybe he does ... this one turned out fantastic.