THE PENDER FAMILY

Déjà Vu

2009-07-09T17:07:00.000-07:00

When Jaise was three she dislocated her right elbow. We never did figure out how that happened, but our best guess is that she and Trey (4 at the time) were fighting over something and when Trey yanked it away from her, he pulled out her elbow. Wonderful parents that we are, we didn't even notice anything was wrong for a few days. Then it dawned on us that she wasn't using her arm and she kept it in a weird position all the time. *duh* So I took her to the doctor. I left the room when the doctor and two nurses tried to reset it. (Yeah, I'm a baby about stuff like that!) The doctor was unsuccessful, so she sent us right over to the emergency room. The doctor there tried to reset it, and was also unsuccessful, so he sent us right over to Children's Hospital. Once there, Jaise had had enough of people in white coats hurting her, so she did not let them touch her. The doctor put a soft cast on it and two weeks later we took it off ourselves and everything was fine.

In May, Jaise arrived at school and had just gotten off the schoolbus, when a Kindergartener we know ran over and clung on to her leg to give her a hug. Not expecting this, it threw Jaise off balance and she landed on her left elbow. However, this wasn't the story I got. The NEXT DAY Jaise tells me she hurt herself at school and showed me her elbow. It was bloody and nasty-looking. I cleaned it and bandaged it up for her. All she said was, "I hurt my elbow at school." A couple DAYS later I notice she's holding her arm funny. I thought maybe the scab was hurting her since it was on a moving joint. I asked, "So, Jaise, how did you hurt your elbow anyway?" Well then the real story comes out. This was on Friday afternoon.... and there was no way we were getting a doctor appointment now. So we waited out the weekend. On Monday I took her in and the doctor sent us over to Children's Hospital emergency room for x-rays.... which came back inconclusive, but to be safe they put a hard cast on for 3-1/2 weeks. She missed out on several fun activities and it came off the day after school got out. You should have seen the difference in arm sizes just after three weeks. It took her a couple more weeks to get used to using it again.... but I was so glad to not have to wash her hair for her in the sink anymore!

Cutting the cast off

Prying it apart

Cutting through the inside layers

That's Just Weird...

2009-04-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

Chaye recently had her check-up and shots to register for Kindergarten. She had to pee in a cup (never had one of the kids do that before!) and as I held the cup for her she said, "Okay, THIS is weird." I had to tell her to stop going before the cup overflowed onto my hand! When we got back into the exam room she told the doctor in a giggle, "I can't believe you have to test pee. That's just weird." She had to have four shots on Friday, and we had to go back on Monday for a TB skin test. She didn't NOT want to do this, so I offered to get a TB test as well, and she could see how brave I was. (Yeah, I'm so brave I have to look the other way when they put the needle in!) Well, she ended up hiding behind the exam table, so it will probably be a wasted $100 for me when I get the bill. Ryan held her for both appointments, and I thank him greatly for taking time off from work to be there with us because I don't like to hold the kids down for shots. Babies I can handle, but once they can yell out, "Mom! Why are you doing this to me?!?!" I just don't do that well.

Chaye constantly says the funniest things. She has the vocabulary, wit, sarcasm and humor that is equal to or above most adults. (You can thank both of her parents for the sarcasm!) Her Kindergarten teacher is going to be in for a surprise! Here's a funny conversation we had recently:

CHAYE: I think I need a haircut... what about you?
CHANNA: Yeah, I think you need one.
CHAYE: No, I mean, do you think you need a haircut?
CHANNA: Yeah, I probably should.
CHAYE: Well, I sure hope your butt fits in the chair.

I don't take offense to this because the shop we go to has a little kid chair with a metal bar in between the legs so they don't fall out. It's quite apparent that my butt would not fit in the chair, however, I'm so glad she was concerned for my butt's welfare. :)

Another thing she did recently: Our RS president chose a slightly annoying Primary song as the closing song at Enrichment Night. It was the kind of song that gets stuck in your head, very similar to the Barney "I Love You" song. I couldn't get it out of my mind and it was driving me nuts! I fell asleep singing it in my head, so of course it was incorporated into my dreams. The next morning when I woke up, stupid me thought to myself, "Oh! Yay! I can't remember the song!" And then it came to me. So I was telling this to the RS president, who is a very good friend of mine. Then she couldn't get the song out of her mind. I'd call her at work throughout the day and when she answered the phone I'd start singing it just to get it in her mind again, as payback for the insanity she'd put me through. So later on Chaye was telling me about the dream she had. Then she asked me what my dream was about. I told her I didn't remember. She said, "Oh I know what it was... it was about...." And then she sang that song and started laughing!!!! So then the song was in my head again and she thought that was hilarious!
(And of course I'm singing it in my head again now that I've written about it....aaaaggghhhh!!!!)

The End of Cuteness...

2009-03-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

Tate lost both his top front teeth within a day of each other. The whole time his teeth were loose, we kept joking with him and telling him how sad it will be when the permanent teeth grow in because he'll look like a rabbit and won't be cute anymore. We aren't being mean, really; you know what we're talking about if your kids have lost their top front teeth. The new ones are big and just aren't as cute as the baby teeth were. So the day Tate lost his first tooth, he announced in the car, "I've lost half of my cuteness!" And then the next day he proclaimed, "Well, it's official. I am no longer cute!" Which is cute in itself, really. Here's the before and after....

Happy "Leaf Day"

2009-03-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

Someone finally found the pot at the end of the rainbow!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Chaye calls it "Leaf Day" because I have a shamrock icon on the date square on the calendar. When she was anticipating Valentine's Day, which has a heart, she kept asking, "How many days until Heart Day?" The Thursday before Feb 14th, when she asked me, I said "Two days." Then she jumped up and down and said, "Then we get to celebrate Leaf Day!" I asked, "Leaf Day? What's that?" And she turned the calendar page and pointed at the shamrock. Then she asked, "What happens on Leaf Day? Do we get stuff?" (Hmm.... get stuff, get pinched; get stuff, get pinched; I like her idea better!) So I got her a Tinkerbell Look & Find Book (I collect those) because it's green. I'll give it to her tonight at dinner - we're having green salad, green fettucini alfredo with broccoli, and mint chip mud pie for dessert. And I had to get her a green shirt because she didn't have one and was terrified that Paige was going to pinch her. I didn't get anyone else anything..... oh well, they'll survive. :)

Cade's First Haircut 2/20/09

2009-02-26T11:07:00.001-08:00

Not too sure about what's going on.

Decided he doesn't like this idea.

Distracted by someone else in the shop.

Look at those crocodile tears!
(Where does that phrase come from anyway?)

Oh, the drama! (Or trauma?)

Rainbow Connection

2009-02-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

February 13, 2009

On Fridays, Trey stays after school to work with a group of students and their English teacher, as they prepare for the upcoming Pentathlon competition. As I sat in my car waiting for him to finish up, it started to pour - I mean really POUR! I don't remember it ever raining that hard! Then all of a sudden this awesome rainbow appeared. It was the brightest, most vivid rainbow I've ever seen, and I could distinctly see each separate color. The coolest part was that it was the full arch - completely 180 degress - I've NEVER seen that before; usually only a portion of the arch is visible. I took a picture with my cell phone (top) but couldn't get the whole arch into view. When we returned home, Jaise asked if we'd seen the rainbow, and told me she took a picture of it, too (bottom), in case we missed it. She couldn't get the whole arch into view either!

Happy 12th Birthday, Jaise!

2009-02-26T10:29:00.001-08:00

January 23, 2009

Jaise has been looking forward to turning 12 and going to Young Women and mutual activities for some time now. Within the first week of being 12, she did temple baptisms, gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting, and attended a stake fireside. Just a preview of how busy things are going to be!

Jaise was supposed to have a big sleepover party, but she kind of got in trouble and it was cancelled before the invitations went out. You may think I'm a mean mom for cancelling her birthday party, but if you knew the rude and disrespectful things this child said to Ryan and I, you'd ship her off to a deserted island! We did, however, end up having a homemade pizza party with Ryan & Jan, Curtis, and Jake & Anna. As Jaise was going to bed that night, she mentioned that it was the perfect way to celebrate her birthday - at home with good friends and family, having fun together and just hanging out.

She is looking forward to attending Girls Camp in July, and starting junior high in August. This next school year we have three kids starting three new schools - Trey in high school, Jaise in junior high, and Chaye in Kindergarten.

Happy Birthday, Channa!

2009-02-26T10:13:00.001-08:00

January 20, 2009 -

I refuse to post birthday pictures. I had just gotten a haircut the day before and I was still trying to figure out how to style it on my own. Therefore, I was having a severely bad hair day on my birthday. Thank goodness my new straightening iron arrived UPS a couple days later or I might still be hiding out! (Not that the hair looks that much better straight, but at least I can fix it now.)

I absolutely did NOT want to celebrate my birthday this year. Call me a party pooper, I don't care. I feel old, fat, and yucky, and the ominous 40 is approaching way too fast. After a depressing Inaugural Ceremony that morning, what was left to celebrate anyway? I told my husband and children I wanted no gifts, no cake, and there was no need to extend any birthday wishes to me that morning.

For the most part of the day, things went as I wanted them to. It was just another day of the week - good! Then Ryan came home from work with an ice cream cake. What a dork! My step-mom called and I went into the other room to talk to her. When I returned to the kitchen, there were birthday gifts all over the table. What kind of considerate man did I marry, anyway? (At least now I have proof he doesn't listen to me!)

I was very happy to receive my own set of dumbells as one of my gifts, as I've been asking for them for a couple months now. And Ding Dongs - I love them frozen!!! There was more, but why bore you? ;) I loved Chaye's card and still have it hanging up in the kitchen.

What was I Thinking?

2009-02-26T09:57:00.001-08:00

January 9, 2009
I just opened the yogurt cup for Cade, when the phone rang. I set the yogurt down on the table and answered it. When I came back this is what I found. (What was I thinking, leaving open yougurt on the table?)

Of course I couldn't get upset about the mess he made all over the table, his clothes, the chair, and the floor.

After all, it was my fault for leaving it within his reach.

At least he left half the container to actually eat.

With a smile like this, he gets away with a lot!

Imaginary Friends...

2009-02-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

This took place on January 8th. Chaye informed me that it was her "friend" Brenda's birthday and we needed to make a cake. Brenda is an imaginary friend. Chaye has lots of imaginary friends, teachers, ballet classes, life experiences, etc. I decided to indulge her and possibly score some "good mom points" on the side. Of course Chaye wanted to make the cake all by herself.

First she stirred all the ingredients.

Then she used the mixer... very carefully!

She probably used way too much PAM, but oh well.

"I'm a very good pourer, aren't I, Mom?"

Everyone knows this is the best part.

"Pink cake with pink frosting, because pink is Brenda's favorite color."

"Don't lick the bumpy side of the knife, Mom, or it will cut your tongue."

"Ta-Daaaahhhh! Can we do candles, too?"

Apparently this was Brenda's 4th birthday. Yes, we sang "Happy Birthday" to Brenda, and Chaye blew out the candle. (Triple points for me for singing along.)

Cade benefits from imaginary friends' birthdays, too.

Making her day scored me the most points of all!

Chaye was very happy to share her cake with her siblings as an after-school snack. Jaise realized that it was Chaye's 1/2 birthday that day.... what a coincidence!

Happy New Year, 2009!

2009-01-05T10:49:00.000-08:00

Where did December go.... or 2008 for that matter? Wasn't it just yesterday that we celebrated Christmas with a 2-month old baby Cade, held like a football in Santa's arms? Since the secretary of the family was way too busy last month with My-Sweet-Memories orders, we didn't send Christmas cards or a family letter out to anyone. Maybe this year she'll get her priorities straight and be more organized when December comes around!

We enjoyed a very low-key Christmas Day at home, and then later in the evening we decided to head to Clayton to visit the Cutlers and Domans. During that visit we all played games together, and hung out together, and Grandpa, Channa, Trey, Jaise, and Paige went on a long morning bike ride. Ryan and Channa took an opportunity to visit with Jason Hansen's mom, Judi, who we hadn't seen in several years. We stayed an extra night, even though no one brought extra clothes, and returned home Saturday. That evening we had a fun game night with the Hansen family.

The beginning of the next week was spent putting away Christmas decorations, taking down the tree, cleaning the house, and preparing food for our annual New Year's Eve party. We enjoyed spending the late evening with friends, and only a few die-hards stayed until midnight to welcome in 2009 with us.

On New Year's Day the Young Men and Men in the ward had a football game rematch. The Men creamed the YM 27-0 at the Thanksgiving Turkey Bowl. With a few team adjustments, the score this time was tied after 2 hours. Only a few wives and moms came and froze their butts off watching on the bleachers. Yes, Channa was there, tried and true (and lips blue afterward!)

We came home, changed clothes, ate lunch, then met the Hansen family, Ryan & Curtis, and Dave & Andy in the boonies above the dry riverbed to go shooting. Only Ryan, Channa, and Trey went. Ryan bought himself a shotgun for his birthday and he was looking forward to using it and teaching Channa how to in case of an emergency. Channa is a bit gun-shy, but she shot a couple pistols, a rifle, and the shotgun. She was surprised at how much kick the pistols had, almost knocking her off balance. The shotgun was a huge kick. Her gun of preference was the Ruger 22. Ryan shot our rooster the next day because he keeps killing our chickens. The kids watched out the window and thought it was cool when all the feathers blew up in the air. Trey was out with Ryan and he offered to bury it in the graveyard we've started on the lot next door (Cats, chickens - a real Coyote Buffet over there.)

On Saturday we took the family to the snow on a whim. Thanks to Spencer & Sarah for going with us and making us commit to the trip after inviting them! It was crowded, but we found parking at a Sno-Park and the Ranger told us where to find our own hill away from all the other people. We all had fun, until the little kids got cold and whiny, then it was time to go home. But it was fun enough to do it again, maybe sooner than later!

Now the kids are back in school and it's time to get back into routine. We don't even have a January calendar up yet but we've got things scheduled already. Life moves on, with or without us, it seems. Maybe we should catch up......

Hope you all enjoyed Christmas, and we wish you all the best this year!

Oh the Snow!

2009-01-05T10:47:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas 2008!

2009-01-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

Young Men vs. Men Turkey Bowl Nov 2008

2009-01-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

Happy 7th Birthday, Tate! 11/20/08

2009-01-05T10:10:00.001-08:00

In the Public Eye

2008-12-12T10:00:00.001-08:00

Recently a plaque I made and donated to a non-profit organization was shown on our local news. To view the segment and learn more about a charity that I participate in as a volunteer (as well as my daughters and many friends), click on the link. The woman being interviewed, Amy Washko, is Tate's second grade teacher. http://www.ksee24.com/news/kseesunrise/35607099.html?video=YHI&t=a
To learn how you can participate or to learn more about this organization, please visit http://www.hatboxfoundation.org/
or contact me for more information.
Making hats is very easy!

Little Miss Chaye

2008-11-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Chaye was invited to go see High School Musical 3 with Kaelyn and Alyssa at the movie theater.... without mom or dad.... and she loved it! Thank you , Kaelyn, for inviting her. We hope you had a great 4th birthday in Madera!

On the way to the movies....

At the movie theater....

Chaye's primary teacher gets to hear lots of funny things during class, because as we all know, Sunbeams have a lot to say. Here's her blog post about last Sunday's class.

"My sunbeams are always saying and doing the silliest things. Here are today's funnies:

1. Alyssa said the opening prayer. She prayed that the lesson would go by quickly, so that we could then play games and have fun.

2. I was teaching about Christ on the fishing boat in the Sea of Galilee when the storm came and he calmed the water--you know the one. When I mentioned "boat" and "storm", one of my little ones chimed in, "Oh, that's what happened in 'Ariel', too!!"

3. I showed the children a picture of the Christus--the one on Temple Square. "Who is this?" I asked them. One child exclaimed, "Liberty!". No it's not the Statue of Liberty, but good guess. Any other guesses?...

4. Chaye was trying very hard to write her name. She couldn't get it just right--she wrote down an A and a Y and an E. Another child in the class wanted to be helpful so she wrote down a few more letters on Chaye's paper--another A and an H.This made Chaye very upset. She said, "I already had an A. My name doesn't have two A's.!Now it spells DUMB!"

I love teaching Sunbeams! They sure know how to entertain me."

Chaye really likes you, Sister Hyer..... keep up the good work! It takes a very special person to be with a whole bunch of 4- & 5-year olds each Sunday. You are an angel!

Cade's 1st Birthday! (10/15/08)

2008-10-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

I want to touch the candle.

Is this all just for me?

Let's have a taste.

Does the plate taste good, too?

No, but it makes a good hat!

This is good stuff!

Do I have frosting on my face?

Who made this mess?

Let's do this cake thing every year!

Trey - School Tennis Team

2008-10-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

Trey's 2nd year on the junior high tennis team.

Played singles and doubles.

Didn't do as well as last year.

A little air guitar after scoring.

Paige - School Volleyball Team

2008-10-21T10:28:00.001-07:00

Paige tried out for the school volleyball team and made it!

Paige is #16.

The one game Ryan drove up for they asked him to ref.
(Shhh.... he's supposed to be at work!)

Happy 10th Birthday, Paige! (9/16/08)

2008-10-21T10:14:00.001-07:00

Birthday slumber party!

10 years old!

Nothing Like a Good Piece of Watermelon!

2008-10-17T13:26:00.002-07:00

Cade LOVES watermelon!!!

He will eat it all the way down to the rind.

Mmmm..... Good stuff!

Fresh Eggs

2008-10-17T12:31:00.000-07:00

Building the chicken coop.
We've been told our chickens are really spoiled!

We did end up eating two roosters.

Our very first egg!

"Can I have some privacy, please?"

Our egg container never goes empty.
Just about six months to the day, we got our first eggs. Ryan was working in the backyard and the hens started making these noises - like they were in labor. He went to check it out and we had our first batch of freshly laid eggs! And the cool thing was that they laid them in the boxes Ryan built for them. How in the world does a chicken know to fly up into a box to lay an egg??? Weird! Most of our eggs are pinkish to brownish in color, sometimes with speckles, and one lays sky blue eggs - way cool! We've had a few double-yolks, which are much bigger eggs than single-yolks. It is so nice to never be out of eggs, to not have to buy them anymore, and a fresh omelet or scrambled egg sure tastes good in the morning. Chaye has a little basket and everyday she goes into the coop to collect the eggs - six eggs a day if they all cooperate. A couple weeks ago Chaye ruffled up the one rooster we have left and he came after her. Ryan was on the coop roof putting the rest of the shingles on and had to jump down to save her. Now she's afraid to collect eggs, but she'll get over it at some point. The hens all lay their eggs in one corner on the coop floor and use the boxes to sleep at night. We highly recommend "growing" your own fresh eggs!

All six hens take turns laying their daily egg in this corner.

We forgot to collect for a few days - 18 eggs today!

Good Luck Tara!

2008-10-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

Tara Hansen was one of our beloved babysitters before we finally trusted Trey and Jaise to take charge (and that is still questionable!) She is now attending Southern Virginia University and is having the time of her life!

She stopped by to say good-bye the day before she left, and Chaye didn't want her to leave and tried to put her in a headlock.

Good luck, Tara! We miss you!

Warning! Teenager in the House!

2008-08-18T21:26:00.000-07:00

Happy 13th Birthday to Trey on July 23rd!!

Definition of Teenager (noun)
1) A mammal found extensively throughout the planet, often clustered in groups in front of television sets (See SLOTHS). Thought to be a member of Homo Sapiens due to physical similarities, though social and emotional behavior leads many researchers to consider Teenagers to be a completely different species altogether (See PARENTS). Very territorial. (See ITS MY ROOM STAY OUT OF MY ROOM.)

Teenagers are extraordinarily social animals, seeking contact with their peer groups to such a great extent they will forgo family, chores, food, and responsibility (See FATHERS, QUOTATIONS OF). The males of the species forage for food constantly (See MCDONALD'S) and can consume three times their weight every day. When in full plumage, the males are usually drab, marked by loose fitting garments which slide off their backsides and look ridiculous (See FATHERS, QUOTATIONS OF).

The females, on the other hand, sport striking colors under their eyes, throughout their hair, and on the tips of their fingers. Females often attract males by wearing garments to accentuate chest development (See WONDER BRAS). Males indicate their approval by staring at the display (See FATHERS, HEART ATTACKS OF). The call of the female is complex and shrill: "Like, O m'Gosh! O m' Gosh!" Males are less vocal, signaling to other males with a salutatory "Yo. Yo. Yo. S'up? S'up? S'up?"

Teenagers line their nests with discarded undergarments. The females hold telephone receivers to their ears an average of six hours a day. When challenged for possession, they snarl and warn intruders "I'm doing my HOMEWORK. My HOMEWORK. My HOMEWORK." The males lie immobile for hours at a time, conserving energy and listening to violent electronic signals from radios.

Male Teenagers concentrate on important information (See FATHERS, LECTURES OF) by rolling their eyes, shrugging, kicking dirt and sighing. Females burst into tears and slam doors. Many Homo Sapiens families have a host-to-parasite relationship with one (See STRESS) or more than one (See EXTREME STRESS) Teenager. These host families often develop a resistance to the parasite, rejecting them some time in the eighteenth year of life. Often, though, this rejection is merely theoretical, with the Teenager continuing to live off of the host Homo Sapiens family for many years afterward, often at great sacrifice (See COLLEGE).

2) Of, relating to, and especially EXPLAINING irrational, intolerable, or inexplicable behavior. ("She's a Teenager.")

3) A request for sympathy, offered by adult parents to each other in support. ("I have a Teenager at home.") Often accompanied by sighs, head shaking, tongue clucking, and shoulder shrugging.

Utah Trip July 2008

2008-08-18T21:22:00.001-07:00

Partners in Crime

2008-08-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

Chaye has recruited Cade to be her donut partner in crime!

Tate & T-Ball

2008-07-24T13:31:00.001-07:00

Tate played T-Ball for the first time this spring. He loved it. To him, every game was the final game in the World Series. The anticipation all week just about did him in, and he could hardly contain himself on Saturday mornings. He had some pretty good hits, but our favorite is the way he runs..... look at the way he holds his hands and arms.

Cade's First 4th of July

2008-07-24T12:59:00.000-07:00

This is what Cade thought of the fireworks spinning on the ground on July 4th. You can't see it, but he's holding onto Ryan's shirt for dear life. At least he didn't cry. Before our show was over, he snuggled up to Channa, let her hold him wrapped up in a blanket like a baby (strangely, it was a wee bit on the cold side that evening), and he fell fast asleep despite the loud bangs and bright sparks. He NEVER EVER lets us hold him like a baby - - Channa thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

Paige McKensie Pender

2008-07-22T23:29:00.001-07:00

In reviewing all my blog posts, I realized that I have neglected to include any posts exclusively about Paige. Paige is the unfortunate Middle Child. She is the one that basically does what she's told without fuss. She does the dishes when no one else will. She takes out the garbage when someone else forgot to. She doesn't ask, "Why am I the poop-checker?" but will change the diaper even if it's not her turn. Paige spoon-feeds Cade the most because he eats the best for her. She gets good grades at school and doesn't get involved in drama with friends. She doesn't stand out in sports yet because she hasn't been old enough to play. (5th grade - this year finally!) Paige has never had a big birthday party with friends because there isn't anyone in our ward her age, and she only has one best friend from school that she's ever cared to invite over. I'm very aware of the guilt I feel as a parent, wondering if she's missing out on anything as she strolls through life.

So let me talk about Paige:

Paige is tall and thin (just like her dad).

Paige can eat like a horse (just like her dad) and stay skinny (just like her dad).

Paige has dark eyebrows and long eyelashes (just like her dad).

Paige likes salsa and fiery Doritoes, and ketchup on eggs (just like her dad).

Paige has big brown eyes (just like her mom, thank you very much).

Paige gets very tan in the summer (thanks to her 25% Portuguese mom).

Paige will most likely never have a weight problem, even after having children (lucky!).

Paige loves to sing and has a pretty good voice, actually.

Paige likes to dance and has the best groove and rythym in our family.

Paige likes to play outside, but is also content laying in the grass staring up at the sky.

Paige likes animals, especially the ones she can cuddle and pet.

Paige views the world with rose-colored glasses, and doesn't understand why people intentionally hurt others.

Paige is very sentimental and cries during sad movies.... and sometimes the happy ones, too.

Paige usually lets things roll off her back, gives a shrug, and moves on pretty quickly.

Paige is deathly afraid of frogs.

Paige doesn't like cookie dough.

Paige likes to draw, and makes her own cut-outs she calls "Paper People".

Paige plays the flute very well for having just learned this year.

Paige is fairly clumsy and gets hurt doing the simplest, safest, things (walking, breathing.)

Paige has a temper that flares up when she is overly tired.

Paige doesn't feel the need to compete with her siblings unless she feels threatened by them.

Paige used to have the strangest, mis-matched sense of fashion until her mom fixed that.

Paige would sleep in the longest of the kids if the others didn't wake her up with their loudness.

Paige idolizes Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus (we're keeping tabs on it, don't worry.)

Paige isn't too big on reading in her spare time (just like her dad; makes her mom sad).

Paige tries to be a good person; if she is dishonest the guilt is too much for her and she comes clean fairly quickly.

Paige has been allowed to get her ears pierced since she was 8 but has been too scared to.

Paige is going to be 10 years old on September 16th.

We love Paige very much and the dynamics of our family wouldn't be the same without her!!!

Happy 4th Birthday, Chaye!

2008-07-22T22:18:00.001-07:00

Little Miss Chaye loved her birthday. Weeks before she would tell anyone who would listen that her birthday was "Tuesday, July 8th, and I'll be four." Then she would hold up four fingers. She doesn't have any friends her age, so when we asked her who she wanted to invite to her birthday party, she named off our friends and their kids.... the ward family she's grown up with and is used to, really. So they were all invited to a BBQ and swim party in our friends' backyard. (Thanks, Ryan & Jan - you're awesome!) Chaye is so easy to please, that someone could have given her a stick in a box and she would have thought it was the greatest gift on earth. She sure is a sweetheart... when she wants to be! Chaye is a huge ice cream fan but does not like cake (weird, we know!) so I didn't feel the urge to bake anything fancy. She told me what kind to make, what color frosting, and which sprinkles to put on. On the way to the party her gifts toppled over in the back of the vehicle and landed in the frosting. Someone who likes cake would have cared, but she didn't and neither did we!

A Tribute to our 1965 Mustang

2008-07-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Let's roll the calendar back one year....

In Spring 2007, Channa's car had to get an overhaul to fix the engine modifications that went from bad to worse (long, dishonest mechanic story). We paid the bill (and we're still trying to find the arm & leg it cost each of us when the check cleared!) and Ryan noticed a used 5.0 engine sitting in the corner of the shop and asked our new mechanic about it. It was for sale. Channa immediately saw the wheels a-turning in her husband's head and she promptly put her foot down (the right foot because the left leg was missing.) Over the next few weeks Ryan would come home from work and casually mention that he'd visited the mechanic's shop and "that engine" was still there. Each evening the conversation became more detailed about "that engine" and it was very apparent to Channa that Ryan was trying his best sales pitch on her. Now mind you, Ryan can go out and buy anything (within reason) that he wants if he really wants to - - - after all, he's the breadwinner of the family and the king of his castle (Channa just helps choose the kind of bread, and tells him where to build the castle.) But we'd just had some very expensive vehicle repairs over six months' time, and the words "engine" and "replace" were enough to send either of us into a seizure at any moment.

Now Father's Day 2007 was coming up and Channa wanted to get Ryan something really cool. There have been only a handful of "really cool" gifts that Channa has pulled off throughout our 18-year relationship, and it was time for a really good one. After all, Ryan had just spent a lot of money modifying Channa's car and he deserved something, too, right? Okay, so not really, financially, but we did need an engine and it was a great deal. So one day Channa dropped by the mechanic's shop and talked to him about "that engine". And then she bought it. She told the mechanic and his employees that they had to keep it a secret from Ryan, who now found it fun to drop by quite often on his way home from work. Father's Day was 5 weeks away and Channa wanted this to be the surprise of all surprise gifts for him. She didn't dare tell the kids about it.

The next day Ryan come home from work pretty bummed out. Someone had bought "that engine"! He couldn't believe it! It wasn't fair! We'd never find a deal like that again! The world may as well just come to an end! How DARE that person buy HIS engine! How DARE that mechanic sell that engine to someone else! Darn it! Let's take turns kicking ourselves! Channa sympathized and consoled him as best as she could, ever the understanding wife. "It's okay, honey, we couldn't afford it anyway. You need to let it go."

A couple weeks later we had to take Channa's car in to get the A/C charged before the summer heat kicked in (She was pregnant and A/C was a necessity, not an option at that point!) Channa was so nervous that someone at the shop would blow her cover and let something slip about "that engine" - - - "So, when are we installing this for you, Mr. Pender?" Ryan asked the mechanic so many questions, but our mechanic was so awesome and played it all off very well. With the gesturing and looks Channa was giving the mechanic behind Ryan's back, you'd think it was a catcher/pitcher relationship at a baseball game! But Ryan didn't have a clue... hee hee hee. And he went home so disappointed and disgusted that the buyer was just going to let the engine sit there for awhile because he wasn't in any hurry to install it into his car just yet.

Father's Day came and Ryan got the surprise of his life when he opened his card and found a receipt for one bonified 5.0 Mustang engine. By the time Channa got to church that day, he had told everyone he knew what he got for Father's Day. He was absolutely glowing! We trailered the Mustang down to the shop a few weeks later and the engine replacement process began. We should have the Mustang back in a couple weeks.

Well, putting a 90's engine into a completely original 65 Mustang wasn't easy. Lots of things had to be replaced, refitted, updated, moved, reattached, computerized, etc., and two weeks turned into two months, four months, six months, a year. Could it have been done quicker? Yes, but we didn't push it. Our mechanic was swamped with other cars (including two more of ours on two or three separate occasions), and besides, we had replaced the Mustang's place in the garage with junk, so there was no room to park it even if we could bring it home.

The phone call finally came.... a year almost to the day. "This is Method Motor Works. Your Mustang is ready to go." Ryan didn't let himself get excited because we'd heard this before and when he went to take a look, it didn't start, or it was leaking something, etc. But we headed down there and our mechanic fired it up and took Ryan on a test drive. This time it was for real and Ryan was going to drive her home!

Channa followed Ryan home and took pictures while steadying the camera on the steering wheel. The junk has been redistributed throughout the garage and the Mustang is back in it's proper parking spot. (Basically, Channa's sign workshop got shoved up against the wall, and to use any power equipment the Mustang has to be backed out of the garage first..... *sigh*) Ryan has washed and vacuumed it, and he drives it around the block on Saturdays. He actually bought himself a Ford Mustang t-shirt while we were in Utah last week. :) We're not done with this car, but we're taking a break for now.

Reflections of Christ

2008-06-06T22:36:00.001-07:00

http://www.eastvalleyproductions.com/blog.cfm?postID=31

I absolutely LOVE this video and the music! I turn it on, sit back in my chair, close my eyes, and let my mind relax as I listen to it. And when my eyes are open, it's a very moving video to watch. For more information about this video and when it might be coming to an LDS Temple near you, visit http://www.reflectionsofchrist.org/.

Donuts, Anyone?

2008-05-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Chaye loves donuts! She is the donut queen and could eat them all day, for every meal, if we'd let her. We always know when she's snuck into the box, too, because the evidence is all over her face.

Cade - 6 Months Old

2008-05-12T09:32:00.000-07:00

Cade is growing up too fast! We were looking at his newborn pictures posted on here and he doesn't even look like the same baby! Actually he's not even a baby anymore... he's turning into a kid. He's developing so many different parts of his personality right now and is such a fun little guy!

Sweet & Sour, Anyone?

2008-04-16T11:39:00.000-07:00

I think chicks are, by far, the fastest-growing pets! I took off the cover to their crate the other day, just to check in on them, and they were practically flying. We've only had them three weeks. This is Ryan's favorite, "Chicken Hawk"---her eggs will be speckled like her. I just bought $7.00 worth of eggs again this morning..... can't wait until they're FREE and right there in my backyard!!!

E.T.

2008-04-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

I put Cade in his crib to see if he might take a nap. I turned on the toy thing with lights and music and he was cooing and talking to himself and just as content as can be. I went to the kitchen to do some dishes, and a few minutes later Chaye announced, "Don't worry, I put Cade down for a nap."

I said, "Oh, that's a nice big-sister thing to do."

And then I realized that "the voice" in my head was speaking very slowly and warped, (like in the old days when we'd play a cassette tape and the tape player ate the tape while it was playing... remember that sound?) So, "the voice" is saying, "I.... don't.... think.... that's.... a.... good.... idea...." And finally my brain kicked in and I realized I'd better go check on Cade and see what Chaye did to him.

This is how I found him:

Kind of reminds me of that scene in the movie "E.T."

April Fool's Day

2008-04-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

Memory: When I was a kid, my step-father would go all-out for April Fool's Day. He'd play tricks on all of us and get the biggest kick out of it. We had the fake dog poop, the fly in the ice cube, the fake vomit on the carpet, the fake spider, etc., you name it, he fooled us with it. The best was the fake mouse behind the shampoo bottle in the shower. That brought some good screams!

Happy April 1st to all you Fools out there!

What is THIS?

2008-04-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

Mom, what ARE you feeding me?
Don't you love me? What have I done to deserve this?

You think it's funny? Are you laughing at ME?

You're taking a picture of me in my misery?
Oh, I don't THINK so!

I'll show YOU who's going to eat this and who's NOT!

Old McPender Had a Farm... E-I-E-I-O

2008-04-01T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last week Ryan brought home 10 little friends to join our pet family of 5 cats, 1 turtle and 1 goldfish.
They are cute and cuddly, (except their feet are really ugly!) and really loud when they are hungry.

In six months they will start laying eggs, which is why we have them. Fresh eggs are the best! In six weeks they would be ready to eat. Ryan mentioned this to the kids and they were all so disgusted by the thought, they all adamantly proclaimed they will be fasting that day. The funny thing is that this conversation took place as we were sitting at the dinner table eating.... you guessed it, chicken! ("But it's different, Dad, this came from the store!") Tate was so upset by the thought, that Ryan has dismissed the idea.

They are in a big crate in the garage with a heat lamp for now. We have to build a chicken coop in the backyard within the next few weeks for when they are big enough to withstand the elements. They are so fun to watch! They literally bask in the heat of the lamp. They will run over to the light and stand in front of it and "sun" themselves, front and back, then run back over to the food. When they drink they dip their heads down to the water, then tilt their heads back (like gargling) so the water can run down. When they sleep they all cuddle up together like one big ball of fur in a corner. It's hard to name them because 5 are black and 4 are orange and they all look alike. We have one speckled one that stands out from the others, thus he has been named "Speck".

We have a tractor, now we have chickens... E-I-E-I-O.....

Go Team!

2008-04-01T08:10:00.000-07:00

Trey (#10) is currently playing on the school's 7th grade
baseball team - the Desmond Longhorns.
He gets home from practice every day at 6:00pm.
They wear white shirts and ties to school on game days.

Jaise (#15) played on the school's girls' soccer team
earlier this year - the Pershing Panthers.
She just finished cross country and looks forward
to a break from after-school practices.

S * M * I * L * E

2008-03-26T13:59:00.000-07:00

It doesn't matter how tired, busy, or frustrated I am... I absolutely cannot look at this picture and not smile. This picture of Cade (from a couple months ago) is my computer desktop background, and I have the pleasure of smiling at my little guy several times a day. I love my Caderbug!

Boys Will Be Boys

2008-03-05T22:36:00.000-08:00

Trey and Tate are six years apart; Tate and Cade are six years apart. The kids were having the "when you're 30, I'll be..." conversation the other day and we realized when Tate is Trey's age, Trey will be in college, getting ready to leave on his mission. When Cade is Tate's age, Tate will be doing all the things Trey is doing now. The girls pointed out that as sweet as Cade is now, it's hard to believe that he, too, will be an annoying, obnoxious, gross brother one day in the near future. The scary thought is: when Cade is Trey's age, Trey could be married with kids... that would make us grandparents, oh my! Aaaaggghhh!!!!

My New Year's Resolution (in the last half of February!)

2008-02-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

My New Year's Resolution (50 days into the year already!) is to get this blog updated with photos and stuff... and to keep it updated (at least monthly!) A friend of mine recently reminded me that Cade has been "One Month Old" for 4 months now. Okay, so yeah, I'm a little behind. My goal is to catch up again before March. Maybe I'll do it on that one extra day this month.

There are so many days in the week that I wish I had at least 30 hours instead of 24. The downside to that is that I'd have more hours available to still get nothing worthwhile accomplished that I want to do... *sigh*. And it isn't the baby that keeps me busy... it's the older three and their "schedules". I didn't have a "schedule" at their ages; what's up with that??

Cade - One Month Old

2007-11-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

Happy 6th Birthday, Tate!

2007-11-27T13:38:00.000-08:00

"Uncle" Ryan giving Tate his birthday spanks.

Tate decorated his own birthday cake.

Cool presents!!!!

Cade's Blessing

2007-11-06T13:02:00.001-08:00

Outside the church with Cutler great-grandparents and Cardoza grandparents.
Never even budged or blinked an eye during the whole meeting!
We looked everywhere for the white blessing outfit and couldn't find it anywhere...

so we had to go with this baby blue outfit instead. But at least we found the white blanket!

Happy Halloween!!

2007-11-06T12:38:00.000-08:00

Third Baseman Trey

Paparazzi Jaise

Hula Girl Paige

"Darth Tater"

Miss Princess Chaye

Little Pumpkin Cade

It's a BOY!

2007-10-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Cade McKaye Pender

Born October 15, 2007 ~ 7:30 p.m.
8 pounds ~ 21 inches

Originally due November 4th, we scheduled to induce on October 25th because ultrasounds showed the baby measuring larger. Then the induction date was changed to October 19th. Channa had a Dr. appt. on the 15th and was told her blood pressure was high. Induction was scheduled in 2 hours.

Channa had to get Chaye back to Madera to a babysitter, and then back to the hospital, which was a 45 minute drive each way. When she and Chaye got to the car, the tire was flat and there was no jack to change the tire. Chris came to the rescue by driving out to pick up Chaye, while Channa waited for Ryan to meet her at the hospital after he finished up with his clients.

The induction was started and everything seemed to be progressing well. (Although the epidural didn't work well and caused itching from head to toe. Channa had to have 2 bolus shots, the last one sending her into LaLa Land and requiring oxygen.) Six hours into it, dilated to a 9, the baby went into distress and the heart rate dropped significantly. The Dr. decided it would be best to do an emergency C-section. Channa always had a feeling that this pregnancy would end up in a C-section, but what could she do about it now?

It was a good thing the C-section took place when it did, because the baby came out blue. Once things were under control, Ryan asked, "Well, what is it?" After 9 long months of anticipating, we were told we brought a son into this world! Although at times we were tempted to find out the gender, it was a nice surprise to wait it out. Channa always thought we'd have 3 boys and 3 girls, and had a boy name picked out for 15 years, so it's a good thing it was a boy because we didn't have a girl's name chosen! Trey is happy to have a brother - mostly because now he gets his own room and Cade will share with Tate.

Channa and Cade came home on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday Channa noticed Cade's hands and feet turned blue several times throughout the day. They also got bone-chilling cold, despite having socks on, a PJ, and being wrapped in a blanket. She wasn't able to get Cade to eat all day. Then Cade turned completely blue from head to toe. We called the Dr. and he said to get him into Children's Hospital ASAP.

At CH they did an echocardiogram, a spinal tap, and various bloodwork to find out what was going on. Cade's oxygen saturation level was low and he had a fever. His heart was fine and the spinal tap showed nothing. Maybe an infection of some sort? We'd have to wait 48 hours for the blood cultures to come back. Ryan got Channa and Cade situated in their hospital room and returned home at 1:00 a.m.

Ryan returned to the hospital on Friday to be wtih Cade while Channa went to see her Dr. about complications she was having. Her blood pressure had skyrocketed and if bloodwork came back positive, her Dr. was going to re-admit her to the hospital. Two hours later the results were negative, and she was told she absolutely had to get some rest and keep her feet up. Kind of hard to do while keeping watch at the hospital and sleeping on a very uncomfortable couch, coughing like crazy, and trying to find some way to position herself so the C-section incision didn't ache.

Ryan returned to the hospital again on Saturday so Channa could go home and shower and change clothes. She hadn't showered since Tuesday and had been wearing the same clothes for 3 days... (gross, yeah, we know!) Then back to the hospital for another uncomfortable night on the couch. While she was gone, the Dr. had told Ryan that Cade was doing great. They were giving him antibiotics to combat any infection or bacteria he may have picked up. As long as the cultures came back negative, we could take him home Sunday morning. This news was the only thing that kept Channa from having a complete break-down at this point. Just one more night....

Sunday morning brought the good news that we were going home. After one last blood draw, Cade was given the okay and Ryan took his wife and son home from the hospital... again. The three of us enjoyed a quiet nap before Ryan & Jan brought the other kids home from church. Since then, Channa's cough has subsided somewhat, the staples were removed, the incision doesn't hurt as much, her blood pressure has come down some, she has gotten some rest, and has lost 30 pounds. (Although she's pretty sure she passed a gallstone last night. She is so sick of hospitals she refused to go to the ER!)

Cade is doing great! He's eating better and hasn't turned blue.

Chaye is very happy to have Mom and Cade home. Her world was topsy-turvy while they were gone and she didn't do well with the disruption.

Tate is extremely happy to have a little brother. He informed us during the pregnancy that if it was another girl, he was moving out because "that would be way too many girls in this house!" We're happy to know Tate plans to stick around awhile longer.