The Big Presentation

Yesterday I spoke at the Click It or Ticket campaign kick-off. Hopefully a few more people will wear their seat belts. I think it went well. Here's the links to the different news stories that came out of the whole thing.

Fox News #1

I didn't have a clue what to do with my hands! At least they didn't film that far down.

Fox news #2

Love that he had to get a picture with me being interviewed in the background!

Ksl.com

The cows in the Seat Belt Convincer! We got in it too. And since the weather was bad I was wearing a cool trench coat my friend lent me.

Deseret News

It was good to do this but it was really exhausting. I came home and took a three-hour nap afterwards! The Chick-fil-a Cows were there, they're a big sponsor of the whole safety thing. They had a good time playing with Middle Child and gave him some free sandwich coupons. That made his day.

Seatbelts On, Cell Phones Off

It has been an emotionally exhausting week and a half for me. Last week I had written a bunch of stories about Calvin so everyone could witness some more of his fun-filled antics. As many of you know October 15 was the one-year mark from our accident and Calvin's passing. We celebrated his life by planting a tree at the cemetery between his and Olaf's dad's spots. Olaf went and talked to the sexton and he said we could plant a tree as long as it wouldn't grow over six feet tall. That's a hard requirement! We searched several nurseries before we finally settled on a Korean Lilac Tree. While it will grow up to 10 feet, it's a slow-growing tree that won't be huge.

Getting ready to break ground

All the wonderful mementos family and friends left

Family and Friends digging a hole

Baby making sure it is the right size

Olaf putting in the tree

Baby putting in some dirt

The other boys helping as much as possible

Some of our family that came and helped

More family coming to lend support

Finished!

Tuesday of last week we met with a group that was formed several years ago in an effort to prevent teenage deaths on the roads. Last year they put out a book with the stories of these teenagers in an effort to make a difference. The thought process is statistics are boring, real stories make it personal and make more of an impression.

Yesterday we were lucky enough to attend a High School assembly promoting safe driving for the school Calvin would have attended and Olaf did attend. The kids around us were acting just like a real assembly, chattering and goofing off until one of the presenters announced that two mothers of deceased teenagers were in the audience. It became quiet. Slowly the noise level crept up until Calvin's and another boy's pictures from the book were put on the wall. It became quiet and the kids really started listening. I heard a few whispers around us "I know him" or "My little brother was friends with him."

Today all our hard work culminated in a news conference to announce the book for 2008. We just want kids to drive safer and wear their seat belts. We talked to a few reporters and hope the message to wear your seat belts and don't drive distracted will reach more kids.

Here is the news story on the 5 o'clock news:

Families hope their tragic stories will save teenagers' lives

And here is a story from the local newspaper:

Parents hope their losses will save others

And finally, here is the book we all worked so hard to put together. It's the book at the top of the page titled "13 Stories We'd Rather Not Tell." It's hard to read. When they sent me last year's book I almost threw it away because it was so hard to read those stories of other families. But my sisters helped me see the good this can do and hopefully it will help others.

Next week, I promise, I will quit talking about Calvin. We've got a family wedding and I'm sure something funny will happen there that will lift everyone's spirits. It's hard for something funny to not happen when seven siblings and their families get together.

Spring is in the Air

It's Spring! Spring is here! The daffodils are blooming. (The year I went to Scotland the daffodils were in full bloom in JUNE!) The crocuses are all gone. The yard finally needs watering after a few dry days. The sky is blue and the temperatures are warm but not hot. All the remaining patches of permasnow have finally melted. (You know the black snow that has a hard time melting.) Summer blockbusters have hit the theaters. Go Star Trek! And all the roadside crews are busy cleaning up the winter garbage that is flat and icky after being piled under layers and layers of dirty snow along the road. If it hasn't disintegrated yet there's a good chance it won't anytime soon. Off to the landfill with you!

The other morning on my way to work under a beautifully blue sky I noticed a work crew ahead, leisurely picking up garbage. Then I saw the sign announcing the crew so no one would run over any of them. It said, "Sheriff's Inmate Cleanup Crew." And then the next sign a few more feet down the road said "Sheriff's Cleanup Crew" with a very blank spot where 'Inmate' had been yellowed out. It gave me a good laugh on my way to work and reminded me not to pick up hitchhikers wearing orange vests.

Baby & the Car Seat

Lately Baby has been acting a little weird. And it's getting worse over time. It started with him liking to wash his hands when he was dirty. That didn't happen with either of the other two children. Then it progressed to washing hands before he ate without nagging from me. The other day as I changed a diaper he reminded me to wash my hands after changing dirty diapers. I informed him that I wash my hands after changing any diaper. He randomly asks for baths because he's "Dirty." He has absolutely no problem getting dirty, he does it every day! And it's not like he always tries to get clean. He randomly asks for baths and reminds us all of handwashing. Just a few days ago he came in crying and claiming Middle Child had touched his cereal without washing his hands. In order to console him I let him know that Middle Child had just taken a shower, so he was super clean. Today when I made him a sandwich he asked if I had washed my hands as I handed him the plate! I have two older boys, but neither have ever showed any interest in being clean. It's a constant battle to get them to wash their faces, hands, and hair! This is rather odd behavior at my house. I'm used to being the only one that likes to be clean.

His newest obsession is the car seat. A law was recently passed requiring children to be in car seats until age 8 or 80 pounds. Baby has been out of the car seat for over two years. Now he is counting down the days till his eighth birthday. He had a conversation with my friend when he caught a ride with her and her kids. He reminded her that her little boy had to be in a car seat for four more years! And he checked on the ages of the other children to make sure they were old enough. He is constantly reminding me that his cousin who barely turned seven doesn't ride in her car seat. He reminds me for her safety, not because he is trying to squirm out of sitting in his car seat. He is not shirking his duty and will sit in his car seat until he turns eight! He will not break the law!

All this worrying makes me worried. I've never had a kid so worried about others, rules, and cleanliness. It's kind of cute and I hope it doesn't become too much of an obsession!