Vegas, Baby!

Yes, this picture is of the Moshers in good old Sin City. We took a last-minute summer trip across the desert and hung out with good friends. It was 105 every day, but, you know,

it's a dry heat.

We started off our trip on Sunday, August 22. We drove through to Barstow and ate lunch at Del Taco. This restaurant was a wonder to our kids for three reasons: drawings and renderings of all the Del Taco restaurant styles from 1964 to present (this thrilled Gavin), giant, jaw-stretching gumballs (Sean was in heaven), and tacos that were filled to bursting, unlike our regular Del Taco (Grace was full after two tacos -- unheard of!). Gavin was so enamored of this particular restaurant that he asked us to "bookmark" it for future trips.

Sean and I enjoy goofy time.

One of the highlights of our trip was hanging out with the Lawrences, who stopped in Vegas on their way home from the Grand Canyon. Here, Uncle Mike takes on all the kids in the Marriott Summerlin Resort pool. He was a trooper. The Mojitos we were enjoying poolside really helped him. They also helped me, but not for the same reason.

Look at this face. She is soooo cute. We love Kellen.

And Kellen loves the pool. She has no fear.

On Sunday evening, we went to Chili's and celebrated Jay's 8th birthday. We were so fortunate to time this so we could enjoy his special day. Jay got to celebrate his birthday in the states of Arizona and Nevada, but not his home state. Wacky!

Sean was quite the fashionable dude in Vegas. He was bound and determined to wear his funky magician hat all over town. Where else but Vegas, right?

The other reason we went to Vegas was to visit our friend Rod and his son Christian. Christian just graduated from high school and will be heading off to the Air Force in November. We are so proud of him and so amazed at how he has grown up. Grant and Rod got to spend some quality time together, which is terrific.

More crazy pool shots.

Grace and Gavin

Grace and Sean

Here we are leaving on Tuesday. We had a really nice time and will be out again this way soon.

Alohomora!

This summer, the boys unlocked the joy and wisdom of the Harry Potter universe. Grant and I were so excited at their enthusiasm for the characters because we have loved these books and have found such great joy reading through them over the years. Both of us have spent August days anxiously waiting for our Amazon boxes to arrive with the latest Harry Potter book inside. There was even one summer when I spent the entire day in a hotel room reading the 7th book from cover to cover (I ordered room service, took a nap, and it seriously was the best day EVER). These books have been so important to us that it is gratifying to see our children like them or, at the very least, embrace the world that is within them. The boys were introduced to Rowling's wizarding world through the new Lego Harry Potter video game that we bought for our trip to Escondido.

Since our vacation, we have spent many a night watching the Harry Potter movies and discussing the many elements of the books. Yes, the boys have picked up the first book and are reading through it, but the books are big (at least after book three they are big), so we see more skimming through the tomes than actual consumption. However, no matter. We still have talked about the themes present in the books: friendship, bravery, wisdom, choices, good vs. evil, and so forth. We have had very meaningful conversations because the books are so rich with examples and details of the many things children (and adults) face in real life (albeit our lives are lacking in real spell casting and the presence of dark wizards). Almost every day, we get peppered with questions about characters or why certain things happen and in which book something occurs. Often Sean will just grab one of the books and skim through it at night, reading the parts that appeal to him. That's fine by us.

Grace has enjoyed this resurgence of interest in the books as well. She started the series when she was in kindergarten, and she had forgotten some of the details of the books. She found the Potter Puppet Pals on YouTube a couple of years ago, and she can quote nearly all the episodes, including "Wizard Swears" and "The Mysterious Ticking Noise." She has enjoyed playing the video game and the new Hogwarts Lego board game that we recently bought. She put the whole thing together and has played several games with her brothers, trying extra hard to be patient with them. It's been fun to watch them all play together with something that they all enjoy.

In addition to our all being able to sing the catchy tune on "The Mysterious Ticking Noise," the best example of how this new obsession has invaded our lives was the sentence I had to utter -- no, I'm sorry, shout -- last night when the boys were having yet another wizard duel in the living room. I've become so complacent about the Harry Potter vernacular that I find myself answering questions about/with Hogwarts terminology: "Well, yes, if you did have a Firebolt, you could do your chores more quickly," or "You have to make a choice. We don't have a Time Turner!" You get the idea. Since this easy shift from real world parlance to wizarding world lingo takes place on a daily basis, it didn't even dawn on me what I was saying until I yelled at the boys last night: "I will not have any killing curses in my house!" when Gavin went straight for the Avada Kedavra on Sean instead of using something more realistic like Stupefy! or Reducto! I mean, really. Unforgivable curses are so illegal.

Thank you, J.K. Rowling, for allowing us to borrow your creativity so that we can be more creative in our lives. We are indebted to you.

Guilty!

My name is Sheryl, and it's been a month since my last post. I am feeling horribly, horribly guilty. There has been much to write about, but my thoughts have been jumbled, and there were so many things to choose from that I ran away from my computer whenever I could.

What is wrong with me?

Potential story lines and future entries:

1. ADD/ADHD and its newfound prevalence in my life in all its forms.

2. My daughter's shifting identity as she enters into middle school -- aka "the purple room."

3. The absolute, unquestioning need for stillness and meditation in one's life

4. How cute is Zac Efron?

5. Leadership and God's timing

6. Helping others sometimes means stepping outside of yourself

7. Why Dr. House is awesome despite being a loathsome human being.

8. How can I make an extra $1000 a month without resorting to the world's oldest profession or auctioning body parts?

9. Frustration turned inward is depression; frustration turned outward is anger.

10. Monster High is going to be a huge hit, and my friend Wendy is responsible for it!

These and many other thoughts float through my brain often, and I compose nearly half of one entry and then abandon it because I either fall asleep, are nowhere near the computer while I'm composing, or I'm painting or cleaning another room in the house and therefore will forget by the time I actually sit at the computer.

It's maddening, I tell you! For those of you who actually read this blog, please stay tuned. More is coming; I swear.