Week In Review

How was my week? It was a little of a lot.

On Monday, I went walking at the church at 8 AM with the 3 kids and then picked up a friend and her kids afterwards to do some shopping. While we were in Wal-Mart, her wallet came up missing and we spent some time retracing steps, saying little mental prayers, then more time on the phone cancelling her cards when the wallet turned up in the bathroom without the cards. At one point, all of her 3 kids were crying simutaneously. Her checkbook was still there so she went back to pay for her stuff and then found the credit cards stuffed into a separate section of her wallet! From there we went to DI and did some "treasure hunting." I got some warmer clothes for Rebekah and Leah. *Side note: I have two boys and two girls. Each pair was born in different seasons, so I have always had to buy additional clothes for each one. Now I'm ready for whatever comes at whatever time of the year! Aren't some things supposed to get cheaper with more kids? We have used the same crib and stroller for all 4!* Since my friend no longer had usable credit cards, she headed home for lunch and I ran a couple more errands.

The rest of the week went fairly normally. I fought with Daniel over his reading, I cleaned up different spots of the house only to see them get destroyed again, I did some laundry, changed the girls' clothing for the new season/sizes, made some breads and some dinners, went Visiting Teaching, did some reading, etc... I've been working on my quilt squares. I am SO CLOSE to having the 2nd one done. This one has been the most time consuming. Check back in a couple of days to see the finished project. It is going to look neat!

One of our Enrichment Groups is a book club. We read the first book last month. It was "The Five Love Languages." It was VERY good! I don't normally like self-help books, particularly relationship ones. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the one written for children. (It came in the mail yesterday.) Our book for September is "Love Comes Softly." I bought it off of Amazon.com for $3.50 (shipping included). I'm hoping it comes in the next day or two. There has been a movie made for it, so we plan to watch that eventually.

Chad had to run into the Scout office here recently and while we waited in the van, I got this cute video of Leah and her "backup" singing, "I Am A Child of God." She looks so innocent! It is very cute.



I have been fighting a cold the past couple of weeks. This week it really hit my throat. I was supposed to be learning a 2nd Soprano part for a choir song we sang this week. There is a reason I don't sing 2nd. I can't. I can't stay on my notes. It is lucky that I have the range for 1st Soprano, because that is all I can do! Anyway, I spent the week needing to practice, but unable to because of a cough. I finally got around to in on Friday afternoon and yesterday. During the practice today we decided to scrap it because the other strong soprano couldn't hit the highest notes (lots of young sopranos make us look impressive, but they are still developing their talents - anyone else have a church choir like that?). OH well! I tried. I wasn't much help because my cold is still troubling me; I sang all the notes, but you couldn't always hear them! By the end of Primary, I gave up singing. I had used up my voice in Sacrament Meeting and teaching my primary class.

As far as I know, we still aren't actually keeping the kitten. But he is very "playful" and is constantly attacking us as we pass. I bought him a collar while grocery shopping yesterday. It has TWO bells on it. For the first hour he frantically tried to escape the torture around his neck. The bells probably bug his ears. They are kind of annoying. The one good thing is now we know WHERE he is! The kids used the opportunity to try to name him. Apparently, Nathan wanted to call him Jingle Bells. By the time Daniel decided he would call him that, too, Nathan decided that he really wanted to call him Thunder. Leah is playing peacemaker and waffling between the two names. To defray some of the stress between the boys, I have been calling him Thunder Bells. Personally, I think he should be named Scratchy. It suits his voice and his claws!

General Conference is coming up. Anyone need some Bingo Cards to keep their kids listening longer than one talk? I like to find neat things online. I passed some of these out to my Primary class today. Now I need more printer ink.

Because of G.C. and our Primary program coming up, I don't have to prepare another lesson until 22 October! Yeah! One less thing to cram into my Saturday evenings! If I prepared sooner, I would have less to stress about. If I had less kids, I would have less to stress about. If I had less kids, I would be bored (and have less laundry).

For FHE last week, we had a lesson on service. I cut out a big heart from red foam and wrote, "Because I love you!" on it. We have been doing things for each other and leaving the heart for them to see. We have also instituted a new marbles system that the kids are now individually rewarded or punished. Between these two events, I have seen some very sweet exchanges between the kids. We really are getting through to them! We are also hearing. " I love you" more often.

I guess I'll wind down my ramblings. It is apparently time to take a walk. Winter is coming quickly to this area and we are taking advantage of some remaining rays of sunlight.

I was honored

I played the clarinet in Jr. High and High School. Anyone else play an instrument in school? I was never great. I suffered from lack of confidence. I once signed up to be in the orchestra for the school play (Anything Goes) and ended up with such a low-on-the-totem-pole part that I hardly played, but got to sit still for a long time. FUN! Anyway, I didn't pursue anything in college that wasn't required for graduation, so the clarinet didn't see much daylight. I did play in some Christmas orchestra once.

So as I've gotten older, it's become important to me to keep the little skill that I had developed and I've played in church for different things a few times. A few weeks ago, I was asked if I would participate in a musical number with some other sisters. (We had performed a piece in a Stake RS meeting a while back. We pulled it back out to get it ready again.) It is an arrangement of "The Spirit of God" for Flute, Clarinet and Oboe, accompanied by the piano. We didn't have an oboe, so we re-arranged the arrangement. ANYWAY.... that's what we did today.

I had casually invited family members to come and listen. It wasn't with any great expectation, because we live a little ways from family. Of course, if I hadn't really wanted them to come, I wouldn't have said anything. This morning I was honored by Chad's parents getting up at 5 AM (an hour and a half before we did) and driving 2 1/2 hours to be on time for our 9 AM Sacrament Meeting. How long was the musical number? About 5 minutes or less. How did it make me feel? AWESOME! I was really touched that they would support me like that. And then they topped it off by giving me sincere compliments. (Don't you always know when they are fake?)

So I just had to share what great in-laws I have. They of course had to drive home another 2 1/2 hours. That was a sacrifice worth a lot to me!

Tough Primary Classes & Family Scripture Study

I teach Primary...Valiant 9 girls. Three regulars attend each week (most of the time). I have one young lady who really challenges me sometimes. She's not bad, just has a hard time sitting with her mouth shut. I came across this video clip today of a Primary class in Jamaica. That teacher had her hands full! It seems like the class is combined with all the ages - probably a small branch. It's so nice to know that things are "normal" in situations that I would expect to be so foreign!

If you've ever tried to read scriptures as a family, you may really enjoy this clip. Don't we love a family full of personalities? :) It also reminds me of FHE!

There are several other clips there, of "regular Joe" members. Maybe there is something that really resonates with you!

Any crazy mothers out there?

Is it normal behavior for a six-year-old to look at you like your head is inside out while you're threatening his very mortality? Daniel is challenging my patience on new levels - daily. We were out in public yesterday(I'm beginning to wonder if that's something we should avoid for a while) and he was constantly doing just those little things that make you want to grit your teeth to keep from completely embarrassing yourself in an uncontrolled rant regarding his mental abilities. Of course, he wasn't bad enough to clue in the unknowing observers on the entire scope of the problem. Do you know how deep the Grand Canyon is? Just consider that it was a gentle flow of refreshing water that created that enormous gouge in the ROCK. I am not made of rock.

But, this is a family, and he is not without his "posse." The kids were supposed to go and brush their teeth this evening. Such a simple chore. Such a resulting flood. Even Leah, who was using the toilet, was wet. I nearly lost all limits of self-control. And why should I? Didn't I KNOW that would happen? Yes, but I was really hoping it wouldn't. I keep showing faith in my children. I still expect to be rewarded one day. I suggested that they shouldn't be allowed in the bathroom anymore, unless they were the only one in it. Daniel agreed that would be a good rule. I'm still considering really using that rule, but for now, they've just lost their TV tomorrow.

*SIGH* I just need to take a really big breath. They are good kids, with gigantic spirits to teach and train.

I need a few friends to commiserate with. Having 4 kids under the age of 7 puts me in a lonely world of parenting. If anyone comes across this blog, share your ideas! I would love to hear of your crazy adventures, too!

TIME OUT (for women)

This weekend was Time Out for Women. We were in Logan, Utah. My mom treated my SIL, my two sisters and me to the weekend.

It was pretty good. We liked some talks more than others, laughed more with some, looked at our watches more with others. :) I got some hand-sewing for one of my quilt squares done while sitting and listening!

I'm not a note-taker so I only wrote one thing down. It was a quote shared by Robert Millet as he quoted someone else. "There will be no good people in Heaven, only forgiven people." The idea is that Jesus was the only good one, the rest of us are forgiven of our less-than-good moments.

The weather was good and the time away was good. The drive to Logan by myself was kind of long. And it's too bad that the truck couldn't run on something cheaper than what gas costs these days (oh well).

I was a little bummed as I drove because it had been an eventful morning. Read the update for the kittens to find out what I mean.

Chad and I are going to a Time Out for Couples in Boise soon. Now I know what to look forward to.

Here are some pictures and a very serious video of the weekend.

A day without Chad and other ramblings.

Chad had to/got to go to California for a 2 hr. meeting today. He left at 5:3o AM and will be back at 11:30 PM. Anyone else notice the crazy way to waste valuable time? He's driving back from the Salt Lake City airport this very second.

Now, I'm spoiled by having a husband that works at home. It would be very hard for me to have him gone days or weeks at a time. I applaud the mothers who have to do that and do it well.

So today was fun...being the only one to take care of things sunup to sundown. It wasn't too bad, really. Just got a little out of hand when the kids had a bath (big surprise, huh?). I let the boys bathe first, so they could take care of themselves while I bathed the girls. That is not good for Leah...she's used to going first. So by the time I got in there the floor was flooded, the tub had a layer of suds a foot thick (the boys were in there somewhere) and both girls were already wet. Apparently, Leah squirted a good portion of the shampoo into the water while it was still running. At least she didn't jump into the tub fully clothed, including shoes, which is what she did a month or so again. I don't think any of the kids got out of the tub without suds clinging to them. There was so much! Daniel even had red eyes from the "tearfree" soap. Sheesh.

But all was not lost. Nathan of course worked feverishly on worksheets. The boy is starting to read! After wearing me out on short a and short e, he was reading words like web, bell, hen, tent, vest, hat, bat, fan, pants, ant and cat. I had to print more worksheets for these vowels of the internet. When I told him I had to make dinner, he complained.

Leah cried for worksheets today, too. I just can't find any good ones for her. If anyone has some good links, please let me know! I had to change her bed sheet tonight (it has animals on it) and her response? "I get a new animal worksheet!" Again...sheesh!

The boys have started in a performing group called TaVaci. The went for the 2nd time today. I can't believe how much Nathan enjoys it! This may be the thing he needs to break out of his shell (he doesn't talk in his Sunbeam class). Daniel wasn't as easy to win over, but he's decided to participate. Even if it's just because he doesn't want to be left out, I still think he'll have fun and benefit.

*Updated* Labor Day...What is it for? (many pictures added)

Ok, I could search online, but what is Labor Day for? I know what all the other holidays a for. This one seems to have slipped through my years of education.

Chad worked half a day and then we headed out to look for letter boxes. We looked for 7 boxes and found 2. It was pretty discouraging. Some people apparently like to keep them when they find them.

We did find a cave that we'd never heard of and didn't know anything about. It isn't visible from the highway as its entrance is below ground. It was very cool in there (temp. and slang - cool). It also looks like a hangout for teenagers, so there was a lot of broken beer bottles and graffitti. What a world we live in.





This is a picture of the kids deep inside the cave. That's why they look like ghosts! You can see the letterbox over Nathan's shoulder before Chad re-hid it.




We searched for letter boxes along the Green Belt in Idaho Falls. It is some pretty scenery, including the temple. At least there was something to look at since we weren't finding any boxes.

The kids were pretty hot and flushed by the time we couldn't find 4 boxes in a row. So we went for ice cream. That will not help my diet (I was down to 167 this morning) but I was so tired and irritated from tired, whiney kids, that I didn't care. It was good!

Here is a very unflattering but realistic (I hate to admit) picture of me. Take a good look because this girl is slowing disappearing!

Look at that beautiful sight!

*Don't forget to check the updates on the kittens!*

Dear Mrs. First Grade Teacher

Daniel has reading homework every night. Because it was a 3-day weekend, we of course put it off. When we tried to find it tonight, we discovered it missing. I wrote Daniel's teacher a note but then I just found the little book so now my note is in vain. I share it with you now so at least someone will enjoy the mood I was in at the time. :)

Mrs. XXX,

Daniel's reading homework fell prey to his little sister (not quite the dog excuse) and is now MIA.

Unfortunately, due to a severe case of B.A. (bad attitude), I cannot report that he read it enough times. I think he got 2 times through.

We would have re-written the story from memory for him, but B.A. is very contagious and we were infected to the point of bad memories.

If you have an extra copy, we would be happy to sit down with him again.

It's likely that we will find the missing book sometime during the week - probably in the freezer next to the rocks Daniel is freezing.

Sincerely,
Arlyn Collett

P.S. Thank you for keeping Daniel for 6 1/2 hours a day. You're saving the both of us from each other! ;)


So, it's good we found the homework, but it's 10:30 PM and Daniel leaves to catch the bus @ 7:15 in the morning. We'll see how it all turns out.

August Quilt Blocks

Here are the quilt blocks from August. They are both baskets. The first one is the beginner and the second one the advanced. Check back in a few weeks to see the next blocks. They are going to be a lot of work!

Genius...I'm sure of it!

Nathan and Leah are addicted to worksheets. I am talking rehab level addiction. Nathan has a workbook that he's been using. One day he did 30 pages in one sitting! Of course, he's 4 and can't read the instructions, so I have to keep stopping what I'm doing to help him. Yesterday he finished ending consonant sounds and moved into short vowel sounds. He was doing a little addition and subtraction earlier in the week. Here he is taking a quick break to snack, while working on his beloved workbook.

Leah is just as bad, but she's at an age where there aren't really any workbooks she can do. I have to sit with her and guide her through everything. So, I obviously put her off often. She has a workbook for pre-schoolers, just a little too hard, which is conveniently lost right now. I'm sure it will turn up just as I am up to my elbows in bread dough!