today is a day that is full of surprises

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long time no bloggin’.
it’s been busy.
today is no exception.
yesterday. bleh.
today, we’re moving on.
hopefully.

i have oodles to catch up on with family memories from the weekend.
good things. hard things. cute things. messy things.
today.
2 doctor’s appointments for tots.
a broken pair of glasses to fix.
shots for ‘liza.
1 long school program for abe.
3 teeth cutting through today for ‘liza.
9 etsy orders to catch up on.
entertaining tru at doctor’s offices for hours.
chores galore.
gathering laundry to conquer tomorrow.
dishes to wash.
many dishes.
a garden to plant.
garden may have to wait until tomorrow…
for, There’s always tomorrow,
For dreams to come true,
With so much to do,
And so little time in a day.
Tomorrow is not far away.
ha-ha.
and always… relief society.

wish me luck.
and a thought to leave with.
this is my optimism poster for mr. max.
he thinks it’s really funny to say the opposite.
as in, “I think I can’t”. “I cannot do hard things.” etc.
we’re working on positive affirmations ’round here.
for all of us.

advice

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My sister knew i’d been struggling with this, that, and the other. Her advice:
Some days we thrive… some days we endure happily… some days we just keep all the troops alive and look forward to bedtime. It’s true. They are fed, clothed, safe, and loved. There is more… and we strive for that… but some days… we just stay alive.

Saw this quote on pinterest. This is sooooo perfect for my children. No time for fussing… perfecto advice.

This is my newest bit of advice for my oldest tot. There seems to be a lot of whining and complaining but very little problem solving going on. In order for all of us to make it, I’ve realized I need to teach our children to learn to solve problems on their own. So often they blame others, but so much responsibility lies within them. Get those gears turning.

This one – my personal goal, especially related to Relief Society. I never get enough visits in. I love visiting sisters… but with 5 tots, it’s hard to find time ALONE to go do it. I realized that a phone call, text, or email might be a needed service as well.

a little sour … turns into calm

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i’m feeling a bit sour this evening.
i’m not going to babble on about the “why”.
poor jimmy has heard it already.
suffice to say i was tired of screaming tots (age 2 & 4).
i doubted my parenting ability. i felt like a lousy mother.
i was mortified that my poor neighbors hear my children when they were outside “playing”.
i was trying … but it all crashed down right before jimmy got home.
i was a groucho.
my family had to endure a groucho mom…. for hours.
after bedtime for said tots…
I decided to chill…
and I came across this fantastic quote I discovered earlier today during study time.
Sour starts fading away into calm.
it may take a really good night’s sleep to turn that frown upside down…
but the perspective shift was good for my soul.
everything about our Savior is calm, and full of joy, and good.

p.s. are those not the most cheerful “sour” candies you’ve ever seen. good… ol’ fashioned lemon drops.

a little bit of this … a little bit of that

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While listening to the 2012 R.S. Auxiliary Training, I was able to look over the photos from this weekend.

I love the colors, the sunshine, the memories. We worked, we played, we coughed (well, I coughed up a few lungs), we swept the garage, we picked up dirt clods, Jimmy worked outside fixing sprinklers and the swingset, he shopped and hauled Macey’s caselot home, we sorted food storage and 72-hour kits, and then we showered and ate waffles! I love good weather weekends!  My brain is fuzzy and I know I’m forgetting all the HARD of the weekend… but … let’s focus on the JOY today!


I wish I had a recording of the awesome conversation in the back of the car on the drive to Thanksgiving Point this afternoon.
“Mom, how do cows make milk?”
Mom explains.
Lots of confusion.
Mom explains further.
“Mom, when do you have to milk cows?”
“I think in the morning and in the evening.”
“Why can’t you milk a cow in the afternoon?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you can. Would you like to go to a dairy farm and learn about milking cows?”
“I just want to live on a farm! But that would cost more than like $700 dollars. We’d have to buy animals…”

It was just plain random and funny.

p.s. Great Auxiliary Training…
Vision, Lifted & Sustained,
Strengthen the strongholds – the homes & families,
Temple – biggest protecting wall around us.
Prepare children for Temple Covenants.
Prevention Business… not ambulance business.
Definitely not in the Entertainment business.
Daily Personal Effort
Daughter of God – help them know & feel Love from the Lord
Engage in the work of Happiness
Do not be discouraged in your work or sphere
Nourish by the Good word of God – Doctrine changes behavior.
Stick to dull BASICS – the Why of the Gospel. No need to be frilly. Teach the Gospel!

sentences

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Highschool.
Sugar City, Idaho
1990s
English Class.
Mr. Thomas.

Dear Mr. Thomas was our English teacher. He had glorious stories about the huge rats in Guam… and life in Guam… and other such tales of adventures. He seemed very old to us young-in’s. The main thing I remember about Mr. Thomas’s English class was SENTENCES. This was punishment for chewing gum… or talking excessively… etc.

The most memorable sentences I wrote were something like this only extended a bit, “I will not talk to my friend Alison while she is sharpening her pencil.” You see, I sat by the pencil sharpener so we thought we were so clever to disguise our conversation. Not so. I also thought I was extremely clever to line up my neon multi-colored pens to speed along the process of writing pages and pages of sentences. This was very difficult with my most memorable sentence writing because it was just too long to fit on one line. I remember writing sentences during Madrigals… and while sitting in the rocking chair in my parent’s room watching tv… probably something like Saved By the Bell.

Well… tonight as we sat down to dinner, I knew I’d failed quite dramatically at Practicing my Calm Voice during dinner prep.

Failed. F.

I knew I deserved sentences… or something. This is what my 250 sentences would look like:
“I will remain calm to create a center of inner stillness despite the noise and chaos blowing all about.”

“There’s always tomorrow,
For dreams to come true,
Believe in your dreams
Come what may.”

Gotta love Burl Ives singing that one.

My dream is that I will stay centered on my inner stillness (listen to the Holy Ghost)… and remain calm.

The end.  Happy Sabbath.

p.s. more tomorrow on our sunshiny weekend of work…. and coughing… and blowing noses… and bandaids.

p.p.s. a friend from Sugar City mentioned recently that she has her tots write sentences when they are squabbling with a sibling, etc. I’m thinking this might be a grand idea to try with Hannah and Abe.

hearing the call from the Spirit

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So – I guess there is some political mumbo-jumbo going on out there about Hilary Rosen commenting that Ann Romney “never worked a day in her life” as a stay-at-home-mom.

I wasn’t offended by Hilary Rosen.  I KNOW it’s the hardest work out there (especially when you have a 2-year-old!).   I wasn’t surprised to hear something like this though; I wouldn’t expect the majority of those in our society to praise women staying home and “sacrificing” their career (this is set aside for another post).  It’s only the most awesome opportunity ever… and they are so missing out.

Thankfully, I don’t look to the world for approval … I hear the call from the Spirit … helping me know what my purpose and role is. I love the YW video “Be Strong: I Know Who I Am” that shares this message applicable to all, at any age:

I have a purpose.
He has a plan.
I have a witness.
I know who I am –
A chosen daughter of noble birth.
The Father’s mission to fill on earth.
I’ll follow His Beloved Son.
And in His Name, I can become.
And as I grow, His light will too.
and that light will strengthen you.

When the world’s temptations –
seem to call you by name.
Be strong, be strong.
When they question everything
you put your faith in every day
Be strong, be strong.
And if you stand for something right and stand alone,
Remember through his chosen servants
God will lead you back home.

Be His, Be One, Be Strong.

I try not to fuss over politics too much as it bugs … but I’m glad I had this conversation with Jimmy about this recent situation as it made me really think about how important I know my role is as mother. Now – if I could just be the calm, sweet soul-of-a-mother that I know is in there somewhere.

I love this reminder as it relates to motherhood: “The small and simple things you choose to do today will be magnified into great and glorious blessings tomorrow.” Ann Dibb

PRESS FORWARD SAINTS … with steadfast FAITH in Christ!

Happy Together

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This Piano Guys video totally brightened my morning. I had “so happy together” running through my mind over and over. p.s. Tru’s favorite part is the disco dancing.

I especially like this song because of the memory of the day of our first kiss. We had just played basketball and were driving home in my car named ‘Bueno'(yes… it was “good” to us). So Happy Together came on the radio and we sang it with the windows down. We went and ate pizza and watched Sabrina with Mary & Jeff. It was a really good and happy day together. Then we kissed. The end… or was it the beginning? This is an ancient scrapbook page I made back when I used to pretend to scrapbook.

The good news is that I’m still happy together with Jimmy. Love ya babe!

WE CAN BE a Read-a-loud Family

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My friend Julie recently shared about their experience reading a book out loud as a family. I’ve been thinking about this.

I always thought I’d read and read and read to my kids. But I have not been the best at this… at all, especially in the past few years. Oh – we have oodles of books. I love books. The kids read through them… or Hannah reads to Max… but oops… I need to improve.

Here are a few awful excuses that have prevailed:

1. I have the hardest time staying awake. I have this awful yawning thing that happens and I feel like I can’t get through a sentence without yawwwwwwwning. Is my brain sucking all the oxygen out of my body to be able to function … and there is none left for breathing? ha-ha.

2. Have you ever tried to read to more than 1 child at a time. Usually they kick each other. Or they all want to sit on Mom’s lap. Or the baby eats the book. Or the 2-year-old insists on turning pages and skips a few or 10.

No longer should I let these excuses keep me from doing something that is important to me.

I decided that we can be a read-out-loud family.
We can do hard things. ha-ha.

We read scriptures, don’t we. Yes, usually someone is doing a head stand or punching someone, but we make it work and we occasionally hear a word or two… and have a great conversation about what’s going on.

This is getting long… oops. Anyhoo… so my brain has been spinning with fun summer plans for the tots. Reading out loud is one of those fantastic ideas (that I hope turns out to really be a fantastic idea… as most of mine don’t). I want my kids to enjoy the adventures and imagination that comes with reading.

So – what should we read? I want to read some entertaining classics. I’m thinkin’ the kids will read the new modern books on their own? Or not? But why not try and sneak some interesting older stories in there. These are a few I’m interested in either reading together or checking out for the older tots. I haven’t read them all so perhaps some would be too boring… eh?

A few I totally loved when I was little… Summer of the Monkeys, The Egypt Game, The Great Brain Series, Little House Series.  There are oodles of other old-fashioned girlie books I loved, but I didn’t think Abe would go for any of those.  I slipped Sarah, Plain and Tall in there because Hannah recently read that series and enjoyed it.

If anyone happens to read this and has any ideas for great read-a-loud books for kids under 10, I’d love to hear your ideas. I get so nervous about modern adventure tween books because I haven’t read many… Fablehaven and the like? Please share. Gracias.

i want to ride a bicycle

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Can you explain why this bicycle costs $1650.00? Really! It does! It’s the perfect bike for me and my 3 tots. Would they pinch each other sitting in the bucket? Would I tip us all over? Am I strong enough to even get us all going on our way? I ought not even ask these questions because I will never pay $1650.00 for a bicycle.

Oh – but wouldn’t it be fun!

I think it’s one of life’s sweetest treats to do things like ride a bicycle with the wind in your face… speeding along… enjoying nature.

It’s like swinging.

We all ought to swing at least once a year… pump your legs… lean back and look up into the sky… maybe not jump out as I’d probably break my leg or sprain my ankle at this point of my life… but yes… wind in your hair… letting stress go… and feeling like a kiddo again.

Yes. This is good.

by golly, i’m determined

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My boys were jumping from chair to chair today and I remember this quote I saw on Pinterest. It makes me smile. Childhood is magical. I need to let my children be little and have those fun imaginative adventures. I hope our summer is full of them.

And what does that have to do with the title of this post – eh… nothing. But a friend gave me a compliment and said she thought I was determined. And boy howdy, I agree. I’m determined to keep trying. I’m determined to someday get my house organized. I’m determined to lose my belly so I feel healthy once again. I’m determined to be a good mom (and stop losing my temper). I’m determined to learn how to be a better leader in this calling (I certainly need all the help I can get). I’m determined to do so many things… but ya know… they just can’t all happen at once. (Determination does not always = success … but try I shall)

So – I ought to practice WISDOM in priorities & PATIENCE along with my DETERMINATION.

p.s. I did clean out the pantry today. It’s a bit refreshing and I like it. Things are orderly for a wee moment. It took me 2 hours. Yes – 2 hours. Jimmy took the kids away and I felt like I could use 10 hours more to do some good solid work.

p.p.s. We watched the first half of Jane Eyre last night. I don’t know – it was a bit forlorn. Going to finish the rest. Hope it brightens up a bit. (edited to note after watching the entire film: In fact the entire movie was mournful. Maybe it was my mood this week, but it was too sad that Jane had such a sad life… she smiled once in the movie… And Mr. Rochester, as much as I tried to like him, I just couldn’t. But overall, an okay film … just know it’s mournful).