Bed Time Stories (and other night-time activities)

Back in the late 90s, early 2000s, there were only five of us Fluegel girls. The older twins, Ashley and Elizabeth (me), had our own room, and the younger set of twins Rebecca and Laura, shared the room right next door. Jessica, right in the middle of the twins, would often be switched, sometimes living in the older twins' room, and other times with the younger twins'. This is important to know because this effected very much our night-time routine.

 Of course, we didn't like going to bed, what little kids do? So as Mommy would put us to bed, we would use our extremely good persuasive skills and ask Mommy "Can you tell us a Mommy story?" Sometimes Mommy would oblige us with a story of her childhood, which we always found fascinating and I think I still remember most of them. When we couldn't get her to tell a story, we would try hunger "Mommy, I'm hungry!" to which Mommy would kindly get us a few slices of cheese. If this didn't work, we'd try "Mommy I forgot to brush my teeth!" "Mommy I forgot my stuffed animal in the living room" and anything else you can think of. Mom tried her hardest to get us to calm down at bedtime, and played many different types of music to get us to calm down, this usually worked well, such as instrumental music (from the CD Graft); Titanic music (but only if she skipped the scary loud songs); Enya music; and my personal favorite, my "Baby Song" Blue Eyes by Elton John.

None of us really know what was so exciting about night, but something about the sun being down made our inner vampire come out and we were ready to play the night away the second Mommy (after our constant badgering) left the room and said goodnight. Bedtime=playtime in our eyes. We came up with many games to play in the dark, a few stand out in my mind the most:

(Mom and Dad, here are all the awesome games we were playing before you came in and forced us to go to sleep!)

The Cats and Dog game: Jessica was always the Dog, and Ashley and I were Cats. The cats were allowed onto the top bunk bed, but the Dog was definitely not! The Dog could however, jump up and try to reach us while we were on the top. Basically it was a game of chasing, and all the while we would make "Meow" noises and Jessica would make Dog noises. It was terribly thrilling, and we played that as often as we could convince Jessica, because who doesn't want to be chased around by Jessica acting like a Dog?

Murder: This game was usually just between Ashley and I. We had seen a scene from Braveheart when Mom was watching it, where his wife was tied up to a stake and then these bad guys came up and sliced her neck and her head fell forward all limp and dead. It was quite traumatizing to us, so naturally we had to act it out. So, usually on the top bunk bed, one of us got to be the girl and the other one was the murderer bad guy. The girl would stand straight against the wall, then the bad guy would take his finger, and swipe it across the girl's neck (fake knife) and then the girl's head would fall forward. We usually dramatized this even further by falling forward onto the bed face first. It was quite exciting to be murdered! Then we would switch places and do it again so both of us got the chance to be murdered. It sounds quite morbid now...but back then it was quite thrilling!

Spying on Jessica: This wasn't just a night-time game, in fact it happened all the time. Ashley had a pair of binoculars, and I had a notepad, and Ashley would "Spy on Jessica" and tell me all the maliciously evil things Jessica was up to and I would write them down. I remember one particular night when Jessica was sleeping in the hallway inbetween the two bedrooms (I'll explain why later), and she was making up songs and singing them to herself, so we wrote them down while she sang them, and snickered to each other the whole time until she discovered us and we scurried back to our beds before she could harm us.

Sneaking into Becca and Laura's room: So when Jessica slept in the younger twins' room, Ashley and I would get bored with our usual chatting and murder games (dying is only so much fun), and we knew that Becca, Laura and Jessica were probably having way more fun than we were, so we made a game out of being very very sneaky, and crawling and silently as we could into Becca and Laura's room. If they were talking or playing, they usually didn't notice us until we were right next to their bed. I don't know why it was so fun, but even just laying there next to their bed without them knowing we were there was pretty exciting! Eventually we'd let ourselves get found (Jessica was usually on to us), and we'd get chased out of the room, which was of course what we wanted to happen.

These are just the stories I remember, so I asked the other girls, and Becca and Laura reminded me of a few more:

Laura: "I remember BEFORE bedtime, we'd get into our footy pajamas and slide down the staircase and somehow all five of us were able to go down at the same time. It had to be footy PJs otherwise you'd get rug burn.
I also remember Becca and I playing barbies because we thought Dad was far away in the living room and then he caught us and it was the scariest thing because he (somehow) crept up on us even though he was big. Silent and deadly"

Becca: "I remember talking SO much underneath the blankets and jumping on our bed that we would check if mom and dad were in their bedroom. A lot of times Dad would be sitting in the hallway on his laptop and that was enough to know that he was watching! Those moments were terrifying, yet so thrilling to sneak around!
I remember the infamous story-telling by Jessica, where we would create imaginary worlds based off of themes, or listen to a tale she made up right there and then. We would talk for hours and hours, but it was the giggling that caught us!"
Speaking of getting caught, punishments are also quite vivid in our memories!

As you can tell, we kept Mom and Dad on their toes at bedtime, and they had to make up different ways to get through to us and get us to settle down.
Some punishments we remember are:

1. Mom sitting in the hallway with both doors open so she could see all of us and make sure we didn't get out of bed or talk

2. Getting our pillows and blankets taken away for a little while so we would want them back and go to sleep. This one was quite creative Mom, it really did create the effect you wanted. Except that one time when you fell asleep watching TV and we still didn't have our pillows back. Ashley devised a plan though and we successfully completed our mission of sneaking into the living room and saving our pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals from the couch without being seen.

3. Sleeping in the Hallway: Mom would take the troublemaker and make them sleep in the hallway as punishment for acting up. Because this was usually Jessica, (common denominator), the hallway became such a usual place of sleeping for Jessica that she began to like it a lot, and started asking to sleep in the hallway every night, it was like her own little room away from all the twins.

4. Dad coming in and telling us to go to bed. This was quite effective, mostly because Dad wasn't home all the time and he was ten times scarier than Mom (Mom wasn't very mean ;).
I remember one time Ashley and I had been making "nests" where we take all of our bedding and create this nest around us to sleep in, and I somehow ended up on the top bunk with Ashley, and after goofing around somehow I ended up tangled up in blankets, hanging upside down with my head almost touching the bottom bunk (it was an L-shaped bunkbed), we were giggling hysterically and uncontrollably. I remember looking across the room at the slightly open door, and from my upside down view, suddenly realized that Dad's face was peeking out in the crack in the door, just watching us. I tried to warn Ashley but I couldn't stop laughing, so even when I said her name she couldn't sense any warning. I don't remember what happened after that, but I remember feeling terrified and very much "in trouble."

5. Spankings: These weren't terrible, but they were usually only used when every other option had been exhausted, sometimes spankings were the only way for the parents to show they were serious and done with us playing and giggling the second they left us alone. One story stands out in the minds of the younger girls the most with regards to this. From the eyes of Becca, here's the last story I'll share:

"There is this sudden, surprised feeling a little child gets from being thrown into the air, upside down. Add a huge spank onto that and you get a sobbing little 3-4year old Becca. I don't remember much of the conversation afterward, where Jessica confessed that she was the one to blame for all the noise and messing around (that time). Poor Dad had to apologize for grabbing the wrong child, but hey, when you are in the dark and there are three little girls under the covers, what are you supposed to do? Grab 'em all at once? No, grab a bony little leg and lift them up! It shouldn't be to hard-6 legs-they ALL deserve it, don't they? No (as he soon learned).....but it had to be me for some reason. Mostly, I recall the crying afterwards. It was mostly from the injustice in my little mind (even though I had it coming) that I was the one to get spanked that way. I think I wished Laura and Jessica to be sprung into the air and spanked too! Maybe even more aggressively! Now, ten years later, we can always laugh and chuckle at those good old days. It's one of the stories that we won't ever really forget, because I don't think we can with Jessica's little voice saying, "Dad, it was me."

Well, that's the detailed explanation of why we were holy terrors at bedtime!
I couldn't find the picture of us going down the stairs in our footie pajamas, but here is one where we are stuffing ourselves with sugar and being pretty cool with our nutty bar-ice cream cone combinations.

-Elizabeth Fluegel

21 Years Ago Today

Roughly three months into our marriage Robin and I felt like we wanted to start on our family right away. We had heard of other couples trying for their first child taking five or six months to get pregnant so we thought we would start in November and see what happens. The first month off the pill Robin missed her monthly time but we thought it was probably just the effects of being off the pill. But another week went by so she decided to go get a test at the doctor. I remember sitting in the waiting area wondering if my life had just changed when she walked out with this smile on her face and informed me that she had a little baby on the way. I wish I could say what my reaction was or that it was appropriate for the setting but I don't remember much of anything after she told me. I was probably in a little bit of shock and I really didn't know what it all meant. The months cruised along, we started telling family that we were expecting and we went to all the appointments at the doctor one goes to and then came the ultrasound. The doctor told Robin he wanted an ultrasound to check and make sure everything was good with the baby and also because sometimes babies like to bring a friend along. I don't think either of us gave it much thought that we could have twins. It's just not something you think about. So we entered the room and they put gel on her stomach and started looking around in there. I wasn't the old pro I am now so I didn't recognize what I was seeing on the screen. The ultrasound technician said, "Did the Doctor tell you you were measuring big for your months?" We said, "Yes." "Well that's because there are two in there!" I don't remember anything else that happened that day or really for the next few days. I just remember the utter shock I felt. It was a happy shock but the thought of twins just blew me away. When we found out we were having one it changed everything. Now with twins it had happened again. We continued on to May and went to another appointment where the doctor informed Robin that she was too small. She needed to put on some more weight for the good of the babies. My mother had just given us a homemade ice cream maker so we put it to good use. We made homemade chocolate, pina colada, vanilla and several other batches. By the end of the month both Robin and I had put on ten pounds. We continued to have many ultrasounds week after week until we got to the 36th week which was in July. It was the 21st of July when we went in for our final ultrasound. The technician told us that the amniotic fluid was low. The then told us to come back the next day to most likely be induced. We went home and made our final preparations for our new babies. While we did so we talked late into the evening and had a great time with each other. What seemed like just a few minutes after we finally went to bed Robin woke me up to tell me her water had broken, we needed to get to the hospital right away. It was about 3 AM. We gathered our things and headed up to the hospital. I again had this surreal feeling. Like I was watching it all occur out of body. Almost a numbness as I took it all in. I was definitely excited but for what, I had no idea. The concept of babies and fatherhood was just a foreign concept. The doctor wasn't even at the hospital as the day progressed. He had gone to a fair with his family. A few hours before the babes arrived Robin began feeling a fair amount of pain with her contractions. They called for an epidural and while in the middle of receiving it another contraction came. The pain went away like a miracle. Now Robin only felt pressure during the contractions but not pain. The epidural worked so well that Robin was able to fall asleep. I hadn't eaten anything yet that day so I ran over to McDonalds and grabbed drive thru. As I pulled in to the hospital I heard a little voice in my head, different than my own, which said, "We're coming Daddy, hurry back." I rushed in expecting to see Robin in delivery but she was still sleeping. When she woke up she said that something felt different. She felt pressure. I ran out and got the nurse who came in and checked her. I watched her check Robin and lo and behold there was a head. I could see the dark hair on it. I was pretty excited and told Robin I saw our little baby. The problem was, the doctor wasn't even there. The nurse went to call him and make preparations so I took the opportunity to touch that little head. It was the first time I touched one of my children. They gave me a white jumpsuit and whisked Robin away to the c-section room just in case. Our first baby would be born head first, but the second was coming feet first, which meant the doctor would have to pull the baby out by its feet. We were very lucky to have a doctor willing to do that kind of delivery. Dr. Judson was the best. He finally arrived in his shorts and tennis shoes and very calmly got his robes on to do the delivery. Elizabeth was born very shortly after he got there. She was 6 lbs 3 oz and had dark beautiful hair. She wouldn't cry though. The doctor kept patting her butt but she wouldn't cry so he handed her off to the respiratory team which took her into a different room to work on her. She was breathing but she just wouldn't cry. She was so small and pink and perfect. I can't remember the rush of emotions I felt as I stared down at that little miracle. I didn't understand then how much my life had just changed. Suddenly I heard a call from the delivery room to come back. I left Elizabeth and came back to see the doctor with his arm in the birth canal, trying to get a hold on Ashley. At first he grabbed hold but said he had gotten an arm and a leg. Then he reached again and got both legs. He began to twist and pull until eventually two small feet emerged. They were even smaller than Elizabeth. He kept pulling and pulling until finally out popped the head. Little Ashley wasted no time and cried her lungs out. Just a few seconds later we heard Elizabeth letting loose in the other room. It was almost as if they were waiting for each other. After they worked on her they handed me Ashley so she was the first child I held. As I walked her to the nursery she was very alert and looking straight up at me. That was it, I was wrapped around both of their fingers from then on. In the nursery I got watch them have their first baths. Ashley didn't like it, Elizabeth didn't mind as much, she just grunted as they washed her up. They put Elizabeth and Ashley in the same incubator which I thought was really special. After a little while the babies could finally be taken to Robin. She was so happy to see them. It was such a special day. Made even more special as these two angels have grown up. I realize now just how special that day was, how it changed everything in my universe. I am so grateful for my two sweet girls who made me a Daddy. I love you Elizabeth and Ashley.

Reflections on the Past

One of my earliest memories in life is of a little spot at Krape Park in Freeport.  The road crosses Yellow Creek and runs along on the west side for some time before turning the corner and beginning a climb up Flagstaff hill.  Just before that climb a little turn off will take you down to a perfect fishing spot a little out of the way from the rest of the park.  This is where I spent many a summer day fishing with my Grandma Hadju.  She had a folding chair set up right by the water's edge and would have a cane pole or two set up with a worm and a bobber.  I would sit with Grandma and watch that bobber, hoping to see a little nibble.  Grandma and I would talk as we waited.  Funny thing is I don't remember anything we ever talked about.  I just remember that spot and the hours of fun we spent together staring at a little bobber in the water. 

Sometimes after a large rainstorm little pools of water would appear in the tire tracks of the dirt road.  Grandma would put fish in those little pools to keep while we fished.  I remember Grandma caught a rather large catfish once and put it into one of those pools.  I sat and watched it swim around and grew somewhat attached to it.  Then I found out it was a mother with babies on the way.  I was broken hearted.  I knew what was going to happen to that pour fish.  I pleaded with Grandma to set it free and after some time she relented and put it back in the creek.  I still remember her smirk as she and I watched the fish swim away. 

Having parents who are divorced was no picnic.  Tracey, Trisha and I would spend weekends out on the farm and week days at home, although we were usually home in time for church.  I have many fond memories of the farm.  I wanted so bad to show I was a man and help out.  In the beginning I would go around with Grandma Fluegel feeding the milk cows as they were milked.  She had an orange cart on rollers she would fill with grain and would go from cow to cow giving them a scoop each of grain.  In the barn there was the bullpen, which was not a very nice place.  It always stank and even when the bull was out we stayed out of there because of the mess on the floor.  There was a little calf pen at the back of the barn which we used as a jail for all of our make believe games.  It was perfect.  Then right up a latter we would go into the hayloft.  That was a place of wonders.  The best hide and seek games ever played took place in that loft.  There were several levels to it and although it was really hot in the summer we still had a blast up there.  Usually my cousins Tammy and Christine would come out at the same time so the five of us would spend hours in the barn playing.  Of course I was the only boy so many times I was outvoted but I should have known then what the Lord had in store for me.  For much of my life I have been the only boy.  I guess the Lord was preparing me early. 

Sometimes those farm visits would happen over Christmas break.  Dad had bought us each a sled.  Sometimes he pulled us behind his snowmobile which was fun but a little scary.  We found a little spot in between the fields that was perfect for sledding.  It descended a pretty nice hill and if you caught enough air at the bottom you could jump the small stream that was frozen over.  I remember coming back from those excursions frozen from head to toe because we had stayed way too long and even at times until it was dark.  We would get to Grandma's house and strip off all our wet coats and gloves and sit on the heater thawing out.  Fun times.

Songs of the Heart...sort of

Our Fluegel family has many interests, and one unanimously loved by all is music. We love to sing, dance (well some of us), and listen to music whenever possible. Here is a lovely excerpt of one of these moments that took place sometime last Christmas break.

My Thoughts on the Supreme Court Ruling on Gay Marriage

This week the Supreme Court has ruled that same sex marriage shall be legal in all 50 states.  It is a ruling I was expecting so I am not shocked.  I hoped that they would be wise but I did not expect they would.  I thought I would spend a few moments while it is still fresh in my mind. 

We have reached a turning point in the history of our nation.  We were founded on principles of liberty and justice but those very concepts were rooted in the Judeo-Christian beliefs of our founders.  John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

The plan of Satan from the beginning was to take away our freedom of choice, freedom of religion, freedom of belief.  So I do not believe we should force our beliefs on those who don't agree with us.  But Satan hates this nation precisely because it espouses the belief in freedom.  The United States has ever been a light to the world of what liberty can mean to the sons and daughters of God.  He has sought from the beginning to destroy it.  This week he has taken the single greatest step towards that goal than any war, any depression, or any other threat than has ever faced it.  This is the tipping point.  We are witnessing the overthrow of the principles that are the reason for America.  Those who came to plymouth rock were seeking freedom of religion.  They were seeking a place where they could worship according to the dictates of their own conscious.  Yet this ruling will lead to the downfall of religion as we know it. 

Already this week some are calling for the removal of tax exempt status from religions who do not recognize the rights of gay people to marry.  If that were to happen hundreds if not thousands of churches would simply have to close their doors.  That is the ultimate goal of Satan and his followers.  This has nothing to do with equal rights, it has everything to do with ending God's work in this country.  In one day all who still follow Christ have become bigots, intolerant of the "legal" rights of others.  See how quickly we will descend down this slippery slope? 

If I were trying to destroy this country this is how I would do it.  I would reach into the very homes of good families and minimize the family unit until it is destroyed.  I would separate sexual desire from morality making it okay to do whatever you like so long as it feels good.  I would have the schools teaching the children from their earliest years against morals and religion and God.  Nothing would destroy us quicker and nothing will as we have done exactly that.

Soon we will have to choose between jobs and friendships and acceptance of society and our beliefs.  We will soon be pariahs and to some we already are.  Through his prophets both ancient and modern we have been warned what will become of this nation if the majority will turn against God.  In Sodom and Gomorrah God let it be known once and for all how he views sexual perversion.  The destruction was so great and terrible that Lot's family was told to put theirs backs to it and not even turn around to watch from a safe distance.  In the Book of Mormon this was written as king Mosiah stepped down and a system of judges  replaced him. 

"Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
"And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land." (Mosiah 29:26-27)

I believe if you asked this nation the question you would now find that a majority of them agree withe Supreme Court's ruling.  In modern days the prophets have not been silent.  Exactly 20 years ago the First Presidency released a "Proclamation to the World,"  The key points in it seemed a little redundant and even unnecessary at the time.  But how prescient these words are now.

"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."

"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity."

And these statements are followed by this warning,  
 
"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

This prophetic warning is certainly as in force as those of ancient times.  We as a nation have violated the laws of God, and when we are ripe we will suffer the consequences.  I can only hope that the prayers of the righteous will yet spare us for a season because there are those even in my own family who are partaking in these bad fruits.  I love them, I want their happiness in this life but more importantly the life to come.  I hope for her all the blessings of eternity.  I know she still knows the truth and she knows the way to happiness but I also know that doing the right thing would be really hard for her and that she is not ready yet.  I pray every day  that she will receive the strength she needs to step back onto the path.

I make no predictions on what exactly will come to pass with this ruling.  I just know that it is not of God.  In fact is in direct opposition to his will.  I know that this ruling is significant.  I know that I feel a sense of foreboding now that  I didn't feel before.  I know that the speed at which we have fallen is shocking.  I feel we are as the Nephites, who were saved as a nation time and time again and had so many reasons to follow God and give thanks and yet within the course of only a few years we have forgotten all and turned our backs on him.  He does not give us rules to enslave us, he gives us commandments to set us free.  Yet this week my country has chosen chains and death. 

I close with a clip that I believe sums this up perfectly.