I dreamed a dream

I dream a lot...weird, stressful, unhelpful dreams. I wish I could dream less. I hope that the heavens don't ever try to contact me through dreams, because I'd probably dismiss what I dreamt and miss the whole opportunity for instruction.

"That being said," (inside joke to Chad) I have to report my dream from last night. I dreamed we were planning a move from Idaho to somewhere in western Washington state. And then I found out I was pregnant on top of it. UGH. I've given away all my baby stuff! I don't enjoy being pregnant. Is the dream a nightmare? Truthfully, I would love to have the beauty of western WA in my backyard again.

So the dream was good and bad. I've dreamt about moving before; we lived about 15 minutes away from here. So you see, dreams do come true! But is that necessarily a good thing?

Passed out

There is something so sweet about babies who have just finished nursing and are limp and drooling creamy white milk from the corner of their mouths. It's like they've been fed a sleep tonic. They can't keep their eyes open and their warm bodies fit so perfectly in the bend of your arm, held up against your heart.

It moments like these that I stare endlessly at Sarah and cannot picture her giving me any trouble...EVER. But I'm not so naive. She's number six, after all. So I give her slow, gentle kisses on her cheek, temple and forehead and put her into bed. You don't fool me kid!

Carpool Corruption

Because of "budget cuts" (haven't we heard enough of that lately?), the school district eliminated the mid-day buses for Kindergarten. That means I have to pick up Rebekah from school everyday. There are three of us that are carpooling together and so we only have to make the daily trip one week out of three. I got the first shift.

We got to the school a little early and the weather was kind of cool, so we sat in the van for a few minutes. A CD was playing in the van...The Ark (Michael McClean). It sounds rather harmless, right? Not when taken in the dose I served up today!

I loaded up my 3 kids and the two extra I was bringing home then got in and started up the van. As I backed out of the parking spot, the CD started back up where it had left off..."Chest out, butt in. Work it girls and you will win." I was horrified! Two young, impressionable, silent sponges sat in my back seats. What would they remember when they got home? And then the song ends and the new one is blasting, "I hate the rain." Nice. There's nothing like an positive, uplifting ride with Arlyn!

Anyone else have a 5-year-old they'd like me to influence?

Teaching life

Admittedly, parenting is hard. It's much harder than I thought it would be. I suppose I can be thankful that I thought so highly of my skills before they were actually put to the test. Otherwise, I may not have been brave enough to have a child, and surely wouldn't have considered six of them!

A big frustration and an even bigger embarrassment is when I fail to teach my children something obvious. I sure was surprised when the doctor asked me if Daniel played Peek-A-Boo when he was still tiny. What? Am I supposed to include that in the curriculum of life? Nursery rhymes, too? What the heck is Sesame Street for?

Occasionally, I run across skills and concepts that I assume my children have acquired - mostly from my amazing hands-on, real-time examples. Did you know I've never had to teach the kids how to flush the toilet? They picked that up on their own! And it's amazing the way they just know that shoes go on their feet, rather than their hands. But it was a little exercise in patience trying to explain to Leah through the answering machine that she needed to push the green button that says TALK to answer the phone and talk with me. I think she finally got it during the third call.

So I guess there are some things I think are clear to the kids, only to find out I sorely misjudged the situation. This was reinforced this afternoon when Rebekah says: Do you know what I learned from a book today? Me: What? Rebekah: Animals do not wear underwear.

Ah...a perfect example of something I didn't think I needed to actually teach.

Monday Morning

It rained a lot last night and was raining when we woke up. (good thing)
My house is a mess. The kitchen sink is full of dirty dishes (but the dishwasher is empty).
I have a large round cake cooling on the counter and 44 mini cupcakes on the table (four have already been eaten). I used two cake mixes.
My house smells like chocolate cake and it's not even 9:30.
The mail lady delivered the cake pan I needed on Friday.
I have a bunch of b-day presents to wrap for Rebekah.
The laundry needs folded.
Joseph has a chocolate beard from licking the beaters.
I still have to decorate the cake.
I have to drive the carpool - in less than two hours.
Sarah is ready for a nap.

I'm glad I've showered and my teeth are brushed!

First Day of School...Twice

Daniel, Nathan and Leah had their first day of school yesterday. Here is a not-so-close-up shot of them. :) It was a pretty cool morning yesterday, so coats were necessary.

Leah - 1st, Nathan - 3rd, Daniel -5th

Daniel moved up to middle school this year. Now they aren't all in the same place during the day.

Yesterday was only a half day and the kids were home by 1:30. Nathan was the only one assigned homework, but had it done before he got off the bus.

Today is a full day of school, which means kindergarten kids get to go. Rebekah was VERY excited about starting school! She's been singing songs about how excited she is. So we took another picture this morning, with Rebekah in it. I can't believe she's in Kindergarten!!

And then we took a picture of all six kids to help record the passing of time. Sarah wasn't even in last year's picture! Joseph didn't want to leave the house, and Sarah was pretty sick yesterday, so we sat on the porch steps. I took two pictures...this is the one with everyone looking. Even the cat got in the shot - and gave Leah an interesting hair accessory!



Here are the kids waiting for the bus. I like that it stops right at the end of the driveway. I would feel a little better if the traffic wasn't zipping by at 50+ miles an hour!


And there they go! I was so impressed with Rebekah's excitement and not one hint of fear or apprehension. I think a lot of that is from having 3 older siblings who have had great school experiences. And since Rebekah didn't seem to be nervous, I went ahead and felt nervous for her. I hope everyone is having a fabulous day!

Overheard

As I was sitting at the computer (working on Daniel's 4th b-day party scrapbook page), I overheard Daniel talking with Joseph while he helped him go potty.

Hey, Joseph. Do you know that some day I'm going to have a cell phone and a car and lots of cool gadgets? Except it's going to be a million years before that happens.

I'm glad he looks forward to things...and I'm glad he isn't in a big hurry to grow up. I think I can handle a million years from now.

Last summer Blast

I woke up yesterday with a desire to do something extra special with the kids before their summer officially ended. I considered a day trip to Utah, but there really wouldn't be anyone available to play with during the times we would be there. And I wasn't going to spend 6+ hours in the car with 6 kids if it wasn't REALLY worth it.

So I started considering the options locally. Eventually, I asked the kids what they would like to do or where they'd like to go. Nathan suggested Disneyland or Disney World (if Disneyland wouldn't work). For some reason, he thought that would be quicker than driving to Utah. Another popular suggestion was Blast Off. It's little indoor play place about 25 minutes from here. They have rock climbing, laser tag, mini golf, arcade games, pizza, numerous ball pits, a kiddie section (ball pit, dress up and play house) and a human-sized hamster run. (Think McDonald's play place, but WAY better.)

I have avoided going to this place because, truthfully, all I can think of is GERMS! But they wore me down and it was much closer than Disneyland. We arrived at noon; just as it opened. We ate lunch before, so we didn't have to pay for over-priced pizza. For less than $19, all 7 of us played in the ball pits and "hamster run" for two hours.

I was surprised at how affordable the experience felt. The kids were well-behaved and even Sarah had fun! An added bonus was that schools have been starting back up and there were only a few other kids in there. Maybe we can find a time in a few months to go back...when only our school district has the day off!

So this morning, without any previous conversation to spark the comment, Nathan says, "Mommy, if we lived at Blast Off, we'd do scriptures in the ball pit."

To which Leah added, "The main (ball pit)."

I'm so glad to know that living at Blast Off would not pre-empt scripture study!

Enjoy the pictures below. :)

Joseph in the Kiddie area.

I don't know how Leah makes climbing through this thing look graceful.

Joseph diving in!

Sarah really enjoyed the balls! I thought she'd be afraid.

But she didn't even mind when the balls came up over her face!

This was a bit of a stretch for Joseph.
Just before I got this shot, he'd missed the roller and dropped out of sight!

Rebekah was a good helper with Sarah.
This was in the Kiddie area.
And this is one of the last times we saw Sarah's socks.
I think they were lost in the big ball pit!

This little zip line was fun for all the kids.
It was entertaining to see Joseph hold on the whole way down
and then dangle a couple of inches off the floor before letting go.

Oh yeah...that kid is having fun! (Joseph)

And this kid is on the outside, looking in.
Maybe next time, little Sarah!

Joseph struggled quite a bit trying to get over this obstacle.
He finally did, but I don't think he ever went back to that spot.

All six kids in the main ball pit.
Somehow, I just don't think scripture reading
is going to work here.
Hey guys, look for Sarah's socks!

Tradition!

Sarah turns ONE on Friday! Yipee!

In keeping with family tradition, she's starting a cold. Lovely. Why do these kids think that their birthdays are good times to get sick? Rebekah's b-day is Monday...she's sniffling, too.

Scrapbook LO

It only took me two days to make this! *sigh*

How do I get more time to do what's essential and necessary, so I can do what's nice? *

Rain

It's finally raining. They've been promising it for about a week or so, but all we've had are broken promises. And now I can hear the tiny, hurried, tinkling sounds of rain water dripping from the roof top to the soggy grass below. The air is cool and CLEAN!

We awoke to an orange tint in the air this morning because there is (was?) a fire burning a little less than 100 miles to the south. When we left church this afternoon, I was transported right back to Thailand. They burn a lot there...garbage mostly.

My favorite rain is the kind that comes down in sheets, flashes lightning and bellows thunder. If the house shakes, it's even better. Having the power go out makes me want to cuddle with the kids (as long as I'm not trying to make dinner that is...I'm spoiled that way). Of course, my house has never been flooded or slammed with a mudslide. That might alter my feelings a bit.

Thailand's best season was the rainy season. I'll never forget riding my bike down the main street of Roi-Et with water past the axles of my bike tires. (My gears never quite worked the same after that.) It wasn't so great to have to walk in it. I'll never forget having to remove my shoes and go barefoot in the flooded streets of Thonburi (Bangkok). I was surprised to come out of that without any injuries and I was certain I'd catch some kind of parasite. I must have been given extra blessings then.


The worst rain storm I experienced as a missionary was in my greenie area. Sister Duerichen and I were on our way back from Service (we worked at a plant nursery) and got caught in a storm. Instead of letting up, it got worse and worse, causing motor traffic to pull to the side of the road. We were two sister missionaries and had to show that we were tough! But the lightning worried us a little and we were traveling on a road that was higher than the surrounding countryside...on metal bicycles.

We'd already passed up a chance to wait out the worst of it when we peddled by a covered bus stop. Of course, now that we were humbled enough to stop and take shelter, there were none to be found! Eventually, we came upon some kind of construction materials yard that had some huge cement culverts. We rode our bikes down to them and abandoned them for the circular shelter of the culverts. They were large enough to stoop over in and probably about 5 or 6 feet long. Luckily, we'd just been to Service and were wearing pants!

The thunder crashed, the lightning flashed and the water level rose. Bits and pieces of wood floated by outside our shelter. We could SMELL the burn of the lightning scorched air! We sang some hymns to ward off the feeling of "we're going to get electrocuted any second" and waited out the tempest. It was likely only 15 minutes, but it felt like 30.

When the storm started to let up, we climbed back up the slope to the road and finished our trip home. By the time we got there, it was sunny again!

But most of the rain in Thailand came quickly, without warning and only lasted a few minutes. It was just enough to get you soaked before the sun came back out to increase the humidity! During rainy season, we kept our proselyting bags (strapped to the back of our bikes) wrapped in at least two plastic grocery bags.


I love rain. It's one of the things I still miss from living in Washington. Mold...I don't care for as much!

School-night bedtimes

On Sunday we started the early bedtime and early rising schedule to prepare the kids for the first day of school next week. The first couple of days were rough on the kids. All 5 of them were rough on me. So I was really looking forward to sleeping in this morning.

By 7:30 our house was operating at full volume. I guess the kids adjusted better than I expected! Well, I did get to sleep in an extra hour. That's something.

I redecorated my blog in honor of the holiday. ;)

Parking Video

Had trouble behind the wheel lately? If so, you may feel better after watching this video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rn0e6xA5G_8&feature=grec_index

(I would embed it, but it won't let me.)

Brushing teeth with Joseph

Joseph LOVES to brush his teeth! Sometimes too much. But he has the routine down and a trip to the bathroom for brushing goes like this:

Mommy, teece.
Mommy, raw.
Mommy, choo-choo.
Oh. chuckle

And here is the translation (mostly so I can look back on this 20 years from now and enjoy the memory...but you're welcome to enjoy it, too):

Mommy, I want to brush my teeth!
Mommy, I want the Tigger toothbrush (raw=roar).
Mommy, I want the Thomas the Tank toothpaste.
Oh, you're already getting it. And I'm laughing because I knew you were going to get it (since it's the only toothpaste in the cupboard), but I just had to say it anyway.

Ah, Joseph. You're one of our favorites!

Too Efficient!

First off...I want to announce that Joseph has been DRY all day! He has initiated several trips to the potty and is insistent that he be part of disposal, too. What a big step for him. On Monday, he was fighting the potty. Today, he is in love with it.

I'm sure it doesn't hurt that he gets two little jelly beans when he puts something in the potty. If he forgets, the girls remind him (thanks for that, girls)!

So, tonight he went potty before bed and we put a pull-up on him. Then he got his jelly beans. I tried to put him to bed, but he popped back out reminding me that he needed to brush his teeth. As I was brushing for him, I was momentarily confused by the red tint the toothbrush was getting. Oh yeah...the jelly beans. Oh wait, he's still eating one! So he brushed his teeth while eating candy. I'm pretty sure that some things shouldn't be done at the same time...regardless of efficiency.

Don't tell the kids

If what I am about to tell you gets out to the wrong people, I will be ruined. Namely...my kids.

My kids have less than two weeks of summer left. Less than two weeks of building forts, chasing chickens, eating raspberries from the garden, sleeping out in the tent, staying up late, etc. And that makes me a little sad for them!

I have been trying to force them outside. What would they wish they had done with their summer when they are stuck inside the school, sitting at their desks? They are slow to catch the vision, but at least they go out for a bit.

So, when Rebekah comes to me at 2:30 and wants to know if they can play on the slip 'n' slide, I say..."Sure." Never mind that it's barely 81 degrees and quite breezy outside. If she wants to play, then I won't stop her. Do you want a Popsicle, too? The way I feel when I think of their childhood summertime slipping away, I would almost say yes to anything (within reason, of course). Just don't let them know that!

And in the center ring...

I'm making my final surge at getting Joseph potty-trained. He can actually now SAY "Potty." That is helpful, wouldn't you agree?

And the weather is still warm. Next month, it will be a little harder to go around in a t-shirt and training pants. The kids start school two weeks from today. That will be less distraction for Joseph's training, but it also means he has less of a cheering section.

While we were eating lunch today, Joseph piped up with, "Potty!" and the parade took off down the hallway. Joseph was in the front, I followed and the rest of the kids brought up the rear. Daniel even got Sarah out of her high chair to join us. (Not sure why. Maybe he's starting her potty training early?)

And then the circus began. Joseph was happy to entertain while he sat unproductively on the little potty. He wiggled and giggled and danced and pranced. He made ridiculous faces and bent his arms in crazy poses. He grabbed a nearby cap, put it on backwards and leaned his potty forward so that only the front edge rested on the floor. To this, he said, "Fun!"

But no potty. True to their short attention spans, the kids were soon off to other adventures and Joseph eventually got something done. He called me back by shouting, "Mommy, done!"

Since Monday, Joseph has put the yellow goodness into that potty only 3 times. One of those times was only half of a success, since he also got it on the floor. Surprisingly, he hasn't had many accidents. That kid can really hold it! He hasn't always had training pants on...especially if we were running errands. Those times he wore diapers and he didn't hold it then.

But we are getting so close! I would love to save the money his diapers cost, while not having the extra burden of a particularly stinky load of laundry. This is the 5th child to meet this challenge. Shouldn't it be getting easier?

It's Already Started

My baby will have her first birthday in less than three weeks! It's our family's last first birthday. I am a sentimental person (though I try to hide it behind a grumpy act) and when I know I'm experiencing something for the last time, my mind slows down and tries to absorb it.

And despite my best efforts, I feel like I haven't absorbed enough of Sarah's first year. How can there only be 3 weeks of it left? How does 11 months compress into such a tiny moment in time? How can I get it back? (Please...not through another pregnancy.) I am trying to accept the fact that my turn for that is over and I'm on to other priceless moments. (To that I say, THANK GOODNESS! and SO SOON? all at the same time.)

Anyway, the reason for this emotional post is that I sat behind a little family in Sacrament Meeting today that reminded me of us about 6 1/2 years ago. They have 2 little boys and a teeny tiny baby girl. I just looked at that tiny baby and watch her eyes focus on heavenly images, a smile at the corners of her mouth and her tongue slowly rolling in and out of her miniature mouth. She was so peaceful. And her (likely exhausted) Daddy held her in his arms as his eyes fought for the nap he so badly wanted.

Then I understood. No wonder everyone always wanted to hold our little babies! I mean, I "understood" then, but this time I FELT it myself! I wanted to hold that baby...just for a tiny moment. While I did, I would remember my own babies and the peace they brought (talk about the calm before the storm!). And while I felt the tugging at my heart, I felt Sarah's tugging at my arm; that gigantic baby that's turning one in 3 weeks - she's gone from "straight from heaven" to "get me a straight jacket!"

And one day soon I'll be borrowing a newborn in church. After I can get my bundle of joy into Nursery!

Mesa Falls

We aren't a family that travels well, though it's been a while since Leah began her tantrums as we backed out of the driveway. With six kids, we don't like to be stuck in a tiny space together for too long. And "long" can be defined differently depending on the day and the traveler(s).

So while we try not to go more than 4 hours in any direction too often (which means we still haven't made it to Disneyland), we feel very fortunate to live in an area of the country with so many great places a short drive away.

A month ago, we drove up to Mesa Falls for a visit of the falls and a picnic dinner. We have some of the best times when we make these last minute trips. And the weather threatened rain, so we weren't too hot and didn't have a lot of people to run into.

When we left Washington state to move here to Idaho, I lamented the beautiful trees we were leaving behind. We live in a farming area...the only trees around here are near canals or the Snake River. Or up in the mountains. This shot of Chad and the kids makes me miss our brief time in Washington.


We started to get a view of the falls on our walk down the path. This was the Upper Falls stop. It was beautiful...


...and it was high! Hold on to the baby, Chad!


From there, we got back into the car and drove a little further to the Lower Falls. This entailed a lot of boardwalk and steps. I'm just glad I wasn't pregnant!


It was worth the effort! I was transported back to Samoa when I saw this. I think the kids were mildly impressed. Luckily, I was able to use my maturity to enjoy it more. Hmm...wouldn't it make a good wall mural?


Proof I was there. I'm not sure what Rebekah's intentions were here. We have 3 shots and she's making a weird face/pose in each of them. Vogue, vogue. Joseph nearly disappears behind the stroller!


The kids enjoyed the view a bit further down from the falls. They just like the elevated views. What is that kid doing? Someone should let him know it's a long way down and an even longer way back up!

We had our picnic dinner at the Lower Falls parking area. We had our choice of picnic tables and were only bothered by a very angry squirrel and some very inconsiderate mosquitoes. Luckily, there was some insect repellent in the van. We just laughed at the squirrel.

Hmm...this doesn't seem to be a very flattering picture for anyone. Motion shots can be so tricky!

More proof I was there. Nathan and I sat together across from everyone else.

It wasn't too long before the wind picked up and blew us out of there. We chased a few paper plates on the way.

And since we were up that way, Chad wanted to check out an old fish hatchery. Old was right! They don't use it anymore, but they do rent out the cabin. It's way back in the hills, at the end of a road. There is a spring of warm water that comes out of the mountain there and the river widens up nice a flat for some good fishin'. It might be fun to check into renting that cabin for ourselves sometime!

Chad got out with everyone but Sarah. I stayed in the van with her...nice and dry and warm. You can see that things were a little chilly at this point. Joseph came back to the van and everyone else went for a little walk.

On the trip home, we stopped in Ashton for a RedBox movie and enjoyed a mostly quiet trip home.

Kentucky Gal

This is a funny story, compliments of Rebekah.

Our little Joseph is still adding to his vocabulary, trying harder and harder words each day. Joseph has only used regular names for Rebekah (Bocky or Bocka), Mommy, Daddy and Sarah (Baby). We've been working on getting him to say "Sarah" and sometimes he's tried, but I've never heard it.

So this morning I tried to get him to say it. And he did! Sort of...he said something like "Sa-i-ah." I questioned him on his pronunciation and laughed a bit. Then Rebekah says, "Maybe that's how they say it in Kentucky!"

Ha HA! Maybe so! Though I wouldn't know...we've never been to Kentucky. And frankly, I'm surprised that Rebekah even blurted that one out.

1x+7n= ZERO

I'm doing a little math here. It's likely you'll need me to show my work. I'll use this post as my "scratch paper."

x = an organized person. This is a person who puts things away, knows where they go and repairs them when they get broken. This person buys weed killer AND uses it. This is a person that throws things away when they are empty or otherwise at their limit. This is a person who is willing to spend money on something new and then care for it to keep from having to replace it again. This person is a little uptight and less likely to relax.

n = an UNorganized person. This is a person who leaves things out indefinitely. This person doesn't usually know where things go and often has to ask an organized person where to look for what they want. This is a person who decorates the yard only with things that aren't usually yard items; and leaves them there so long that eventually, they decay or get lost in the grass (that can't be mowed because this thing is in the way). This is a person who is expert at garbage stacking (it's best to start with the garbage can in a corner for the extra support), can't smell the garbage to know when to take it out, and often doesn't realize that the things around them ARE garbage! This person often doesn't know what color their carpet is. This is a person who uses the garage to hide their junk pile...only leaving a big enough space for the car (so that the organized drivers won't throw a tantrum). This is a person who is generally content with the way things are (except for the uptight organized people they have to live with).

In my experience, 1x+7n = ZERO. One person who WANTS to be organized has no chance. The organized person, to survive, adopts some (many) of the unorganized characteristics. In the spirit of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," the organized person starts pulling laundry out of the basket instead of getting it folded and put away. They mow the lawn/weeds in very erratic lines because they don't have time to clean the yard AND mow. They step over the messes left around the house because in the list of things that MUST be done, a pile of magazines shredded and strewn around the house ranks very low.

And so our house is a mess. I'm the only one who cares - it seems. I guess 1 out of 8 unhappy people is actually a success. Right? Ugh.

Endurance and Hope for the Future.

This video seems to have "gone viral" on the web lately, but it gives me a great boost. So I'm sharing it with you here. If you've already seen it, I'm sure you'll still enjoy it.

New Tub

Perhaps you remember the demolition of our old tub area. It was quite a big, messy project. Chad's brother was out this way and gave Chad a hand. The boys also pitched in, though I'm not sure how helpful they were. All of this started on 25 June.



We sold that monster tub for $25.

While Chad's brother was taking care of some business during the day, Chad took some time off work to clean up and build in some shelves/wall. (The replacement tub was not as wide as the original and the tub was too far away from the original wall. Unless we didn't mind that the drain didn't line up. But we did mind.)

That night, they hauled in the heavy cast iron tub and eased it into place. I got a bath at 11 PM that night! And it was nice to be able to confirm that the drain was indeed lined up.

As the days slowly passed, Chad found small snatches of time to work in the bathroom. Meanwhile, I took baths...sometimes cleaning out the tub first.

After several weeks, the tile job was nearly complete. This picture was taken just before we left town for our family reunion. Chad's elbow was all that made it into the picture.

And here is the finished tub! I have been able to shower for two whole mornings now...after 6 weeks of quickie baths. Wow...a shower is SO MUCH more convenient than a bath! I love a bath, but it's hard to take those extra minutes when there are so many little ones that need you elsewhere.

And what are the remaining plans for the bathroom? Well, Chad wants to put in a pocket door to make the toilet a private thinking spot. We are going to install and lamp/fan over the shower, the room will need painted after all this work, and then it's time to get rid of that nasty carpet. It's only gotten worse with the construction.

Nathan lost it!

Nathan finally lost his first tooth! He was so ready to have that milestone behind him. I mean, really, the kid is going to be a 3rd grader in 3 weeks...it was time!

The tooth was finally loose enough that he came to Chad and let him finish it off. It was a relatively easy process; Chad just pushed it back until it popped. (Such a different experience from getting Daniel's teeth out of his mouth!)

The tooth.

The gap.

(Daniel appears to think this is a picture about him!)

The inspection.

Nathan was very considerate and washed the tooth. After all, the Tooth Fairy doesn't like dirty teeth, does she?

The Tooth Fairy assigned to our family is obviously on a restricted budget. Nathan got a whole quarter for his tooth. I think that's less than I got. (It's certainly not more.) Nathan and Leah had a discussion about what makes the Tooth Fairy pay more. I guess it either depends on the size or the cleanliness...not sure what the final decision was.

Ten-Year-Old Boys

What an interesting creature a 10-year-old boy is. He can be so helpful and pleasant one minute and so completely beyond irritating the next.

Daniel does exhibit some promising previews of the responsible young man he's likely to become, but I'm not sure he'll get the chance to prove himself! I'm a little worried that there is an important piece of hardware missing from his brain. You know that one little bolt that secures the "past experience memory" to the "make a decision now impulse?" Totally missing from his system.

For example (Daniel, this is for you to read in the future and give some appreciation for parents who miraculously got you to adulthood. And remember this when you have a son just like you...I pray you do!):

Daniel cannot leave people alone. I yell, beg, plead, implore, threaten, cry (not really, but I want to), punish, admonish and glare, hoping that he'll STOP before he makes someone else scream again. Even after a prolonged time out, he's right back at it. I really don't think he can help himself. Even while the person is shouting/screaming "Stop!" at the top of their lungs (I really love that sound echoing off the walls), he can't stop.

Daniel is S.L.O.W. Apparently, he is stopping to smell the roses of life. Or he's just sitting there while he waits for his brain to form a message and eventually send it off to the right receptors. Just this morning I was dropping off the 4 oldest at a Primary activity. Daniel sits in the seat that must be flipped up to let the back row of passengers out. Every other door of the van can be open, except for Daniel's. He's still in his seat belt, staring out the window, assessing the situation before he commits himself to it. IT DRIVES ME NUTS! You can probably guess who is putting their shoes on while everyone else in in the car, ready to head out.

Daniel can't put anything away...even with the threat of losing it for good. Oh, wait. That's a family problem.

But lest you think Daniel is all bad news, I should share some great things about Daniel (just to ease my conscience).

Daniel is a GOOD kid. He's not an angel in church (my apologies and condolences to his leaders), but I can trust that he will make good choices while he is away. He is kind to others at school and respectful to his teachers. He responds extremely well to praise and can be a great helper.

Daniel is starting to see things that he can do to be helpful and doing them. Just last week, Daniel got Sarah out of bed, found some leftover baby food in the fridge and fed her breakfast. No wonder I got to sleep longer!

Daniel can prepare and present an awesome FHE lesson, complete with scripture references and questions relating to the stories/topics.

So there are things about Daniel that make me want to tie him up and hang him upside down from a tree, and there are things that nearly bring tears (of joy) to my eyes. The crazy thing is, most people I know with a boy this age are having the same experiences. The fact that there are any men at all in this world is a miracle (because I hear teenage boys are worse than the ten-year-old crop)!

FASHION SENSEless

I was reading a magazine during breakfast today and came upon an article about one of the latest fashion trends seen on the runway.

Some of you may be utterly shocked. Most of you probably won't be offended.

It is now becoming fashionable to wear socks with sandals. I know! What is going on with people? How can that be OK? And heeled sandals, no less - with ribbed, knit stockings! We might as well walk around with our underwear hanging out. (Oh wait, I've seen that lately...often.)

Honestly, I am glad to see that the fashion snobs have found a way to make it "legal" to commit this one tiny sin, so that those people who are already smart enough to wear socks will get a little break, if not some respect.

With everything important we have to worry about in this life, I find it bizarre that people will judge so harshly based on something so temporary. This doesn't mean that I'm going to let Daniel wear his orange plaid shorts (yes, he does have some) with a red striped shirt (yes, he's tried). There is no need to blind or visually impair other people!

But if someone is clean and covered (we know you have lots of different body parts...we just don't want to have the images burned into our minds), let them wear socks with sandals without smirking behind their back. And if that 20-something girl wants to wear a tutu while she shops at Sam's Club (yep, with my own two eyes), go ahead and take a second look, but don't hold it against her. She's likely a very pleasant person!

Looking Forward

I have been looking forward to August for some time now. July was a very rough month for me. Actually, it was likely one of my roughest months on record (though I don't know what record that would be).

I think, maybe, my plate is too full. I remember a trip to Duff's (think Chuck-a-Rama) with my Brownie troop when I was about 7 or 8 years old. One of the mothers there loaded her plate so much that it was at least 8 inches high and came to a point at the top. Possibly, it was only 6 inches high, but my young age distorted the truth a bit. Regardless, it was an obscene amount of food and I was appropriately stunned. I was also impressed that nothing was rolling off.

I feel like my "plate" in July was like that woman's lunch plate. The exception is that things were rolling off!

Looking back, I can't recall too many things that stick out as solid reasons why I would feel so completely overwhelmed. Now, don't assume I'm making up trouble...I can remember of plenty of unpleasant experiences. However, I think that I had a little tougher time swallowing the ugliness before a new batch was upon me. Eventually, I was buried.

Of course, motherhood is no walk in the park. You see all the beautiful images of mothers cradling their babies and putting a gentle arm around a child's shoulder. But where are the shots of the baby throwing its head back in a mid-Sacrament Meeting tantrum and nearly crashing to the floor? And why is it when my arm goes around a child's shoulders, it's more likely in an effort to restrain bad behavior?

Then there are the faith-filled stories of enduring to the end and magnifying a calling in such a way to make one think that church service is so simple. Huh. My visiting teaching partner threw me a loop this month and by the time I could try to save the situation, I was going out of town and returned with sick kids. The end of the month slipped away and a very heavy feeling of guilt sat right down in my lap. I had a hard time even getting to the phone and so I made no contact at all. HEAVY guilt.

I absolutely love (read sarcasm here if you haven't already) that one of the temple recommend questions deals with relationships with family members. I seem a target for family problems. Admittedly, I have caused some of them. Others just seem to find me. Every time that question starts coming, I tell myself that I'm trying and that the relationships are on the mend. To be honest, things are at best - stagnant. I have a situation that is suffering from 35 years of problems, but most recently about 15 months. And I'm to the point of not caring anymore. To care is to stress and I've learned that doesn't help. I could lie to myself and say it doesn't matter and that would take care of the issue, but not solve the problem. So I wait for apologies that will never come and try to pretend none of it exists.

But it looks pretty stupid to pretend something doesn't exist when it's in the same room with you.

The last weekend in July was a big family weekend for us. The kids saw every single one of their cousin, plus a few extras. The first stop was an extended family reunion for Chad's dad's family. I was not really looking forward to going. I haven't made any really solid connections here. Most of the family is easy to get along with when we are together, but once we go home, it seems to be a distant memory. Being an in-law is a fairly precarious position! Of course, there is usually someone that doesn't seem to like you...no matter what. It seems I am normal in this case. (Not that it makes me feel any better.) And after 3 days of visiting with that side of the family, we moved over to mine. I've already mentioned how that is going.

I think I put off somewhat of an "I don't care, anyway" attitude. It's a big facade. I do care and it pecks away at me almost constantly. I hate that the situations are so bad and I feel like a failure to try to fix them. Then my pride gets in the way and I am mentally beating my head against the wall.

So anyway, July was less than stellar. I don't want to repeat it. I'm trying to concentrate on the things that my little family needs the most and trust that the other issues will still be there when I'm able to honestly deal with them.

In Sunday School today, the discussion was on being a good leader and the topic got around to parenting (a little something I'm stressing over). Someone I admire and respect mentioned that the environment has to be pleasant to get pleasant results...or something to that effect. That makes a lot of sense. And that could explain some of the failures we've been having. I haven't been that pleasant. I am going to have to be better.

So here's to August! RIP to July.

Mini Versions

We had some sick kids lately. On Thursday, Daniel and Leah crawled into Chad's and my bed and went back to sleep.

I thought it looked like someone shrunk us! (That big bump in the middle is my body pillow that is left over from pregnancy. I haven't been able to give it up yet.)