Back in Business

Life just hit the gas pedal at my house. Instead of playing at home and thinking of reasons to get out of the house we are suddenly out of the house Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I've spent so much of the last year sitting nursing Anna or recovering from some illness or injury that I am in shock - and so are the kids.

This summer I worked out a preschool co-op with five friends from the ward. We are each taking turns teaching in our own homes Tuesdays and Thursdays. I planned the curriculum taking lesson plans from a few different preschool books. A friend who has been homeschooling her kids for a few years added a nice way to teach math concepts using the calendar and we are in business. Michael went to school in his pajamas yesterday. "Hurry" is not in his vocabulary. He doesn't like leaving home for any reason and resents the lost playtime but he does enjoy being at school, a huge improvement over last year's anxiety each time he had to go to school.

Mondays and Fridays I am teaching dance classes in a friend's garage! It actually looks pretty cute. She has a carpet, mirrors and a barre. Mondays' class is ballet for six year olds. It is exhausting but fun. At the end of class I gave the girls a chance to get up and do some "freestyle" ballet one at a time. Half of them did. Then I got up and did a few things I didn't know I could still do! I haven't had that much SPACE to DANCE in since we moved here. Their naive jaws dropped and they thought I was a great dancer. They all stood up and danced and twirled around until their moms came to pick them up. That's what I want them to get out of this - the joy of dance. I have to have dinner going in the crockpot because we get home at 5:30 on Mondays but it went well this week.

Fridays is a ballet/jazz split hour of dance for 10 & 11 year olds. They are easier to teach and I don't have to help them pay attention. They are all trading me free babysitting for their lessons! The trouble is that they're so young it has to be daytime babysitting and I don't really need that. With preschool and dance I am suddenly savoring being at home trying to give equal attention to everyone. I'll have to think about how they can help me. Some of the other mothers are watching Sam, Michael, and Anna in their homes while I teach.

I am also the new ward nursery leader. I have lost all of the other three workers and am begging for substitutes until some get called. We had twenty kids there last Sunday and I came away exhausted. Josh leaves home after breakfast and I get everyone ready for church, keep them all within arms reach during sacrament meeting, then go off to nursery for two hours. When I get home it's dinner time and I'm scrambling. I'm trying to get make ahead meals for Sundays too. Two busy days in a row is hard but we'll see how it goes next week.

All of this leaves Wednesdays. Blessed Wednesdays at home. I want to get my housework done other days so I can spend this one having fun with the kids. It's a big change from sitting on the couch waiting for something to heal and I love it.

I have promised that all dance proceeds will go to food storage so I don't have a pit in my stomach every time someone says "Food Storage" or "Hyper-inflation." I've only committed to teach through mid-December so we'll see whether anyone wants to continue after that.

Wish me luck and all of us good health as I try to become organized and efficient overnight . . .

Pictures to come.

Pretty as a Picture

My Anna is getting so big! She's walking, going down to one nap, saying lots of words including Mama, Mom, and Mommy which she pronounces momMEE! She loves reading books and always does baby sign language for more when I stop reading to her.

She is definitely our little princess.




But she has some sass too. She knows what she wants and what is hers and she doesn't like it when other people try to take it.

She fits in around here as far as dressing up goes.
And loves to hold and pat her baby.

Michael and Sam adore her as demonstrated by the fact that they let her play with Monkey and Moe. They comfort her when she cries and like to make her laugh however they can. Anna is also good at giving hugs when one of the boys is sad.

She likes to play basketball and will no doubt play along with the boys games as soon as she can.

And by the way, I made that Batcave. It took me an hour and every ounce of patience I posess. I may even have created some new patience in the process. I've discovered I hate doing puzzles and this is like a 3D puzzle, with missing pieces.

Summer Vacation

We had the most WONDERFUL vacation to Utah last week. It seems like the kids brains just explode when we're on vacation. Anna learned to walk, drink from a sippie cup with the valve in it, and take straight cow's milk on our vacation. Michael and Sam didn't fight the entire week because they felt so loved and so stimulated by all of our fun family and activities. Alas, it had to end and we're back home, but feeling oh-so-rejuvenated and full of fresh ideas and goals. Nothing like getting out of the rut.

Here you go . . .

Thursday- Pioneer Village with Shawn and Sarah and their pretty girls. My boys loved talking with these fun girls! Here's Michael and Kristina in the train.

We spent four hours there, felt like we just saw the tip of the iceberg and the kids wanted to stay and see more! We'll have to go back there next time.

Michael finally got to ride a pony while Sarah and Josh finally got to sit down and catch up a little bit.


This was the first day Anna had to take a nap on the go. Used to taking two naps a day in her quiet, dark room at home she was a trooper.

Here's Kristina and Kristina. We kept saying each others' names all day. Our hair even matched, totally unplanned too. What a sweetie!

After Pioneer Village we headed up to Park City to swim and have dinner at Shawn and Sarah's hotel. Have you ever sat in a hot tub with a waterfall in it? At the base of a ski lift? While holding your children and giving them kisses while the water mists into your faces? I highly recommend it.We ate dinner in the hotel while the kids all watched The Backyardagains together.

Friday- We spent in Stockton with Josh's grandparents. The boys put on a show with the ukeleles and we had a nice visit. We visited his other grandparents in the afternoon and I didn't take a single picture.

Saturday - We went on a hike to Doughnut Falls in Big Cottonwood Canyon with Becky and Brent. Besides being the most generous hosts, they spent their entire Saturday morning patiently hiking with us. Michael declared a beautiful pine tree, "The Queen of the Trees" and said he was glad Heavenly Father created such a beautiful place. He was a slow hiker, but very observant and appreciative of the scenery.

Uncle Brent lives large in the boys' memories. The whole drive there they were anticipating playing with him on his Wii in the basement. He took them there the first night and played the jousting tournament that leaves the looser dripping in water and weeping huge tears while the winner is cheered by a wildly enthusiastic crowd. When asked what we did in Utah, Sam tells people he played Wii with Uncle Brent.

Uncle Brent also got the boys these great cowboy boots and hats! Michael has worn them everyday since. He wants to take his hat with him in the van and have it nearby whenever possible. He's been playing Sheriff and defending our home against stuffed animal robbers. Sam gets to be his deputy.
Saturday we also took the kids to the Conference Center where Anna took her first steps. She'd been taking a few here and there but decided to go for something in the auditorium and walked about 10 steps. We were all cheering! Great going Anna!

Here's when I put down my sunglasses and Sam's baseball hat which Josh had to go back for later.
The south visitor's center has a model of the temple, cut away so you can see how the inside looks and is furnished. After spending some time there Sam said he loved being there and that he wants to get married in the temple one day. Michael said he knows Heavenly Father is real when he sees the temple. This is why we go there.

Michael thinks this is how cowboys shoot their guns. Hee, hee!


Sunday- We went to church and spent the afternoon with Debbie and her kids. The boys were dying to see whether they had brought their knights, castles, and legos with them when they moved. They were in heaven playing with their cousins the whole time.

Anna enjoyed her special attention as well. That evening we had John and Linda's birthday cake back at Becky and Brent's.

Monday - We had planned on driving home but decided instead to drive 3 1/2 hours up to Rexburg to see Josh's brother Ben, Kristy, and their kids, including newborn Kohl. Michael spent the last 30 minutes of the drive screaming that he would "never be happy again" because we didn't have any scissors in the van to cut a string off of his new cowboy boots, but Josh saved the day by pulling it off without it unraveling. Neither one of us had been in Idaho and we had so much fun with Ben and Kristy! The boys with their cousin Noah, who is one week younger than they are, didn't stop moving until we put them to bed at 10:45 that night. Rowyn kept right up with them.


Uncle Ben had a huge pack of sparklers and fireworks and the kids were so excited they didn't know what to do with themselves.


I'll leave you with a little glimpse of the fun and the ukelele jam session. Twice, apparently.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I love vacation. It is so RELAXING! I love taking a step back from my life to appreciate it and find ways I'd like to tweek it. Wish me luck following through on some new goals!

Go Guppies!

The thermometer read 58 degrees when I loaded up the kids in the van for the boys' first swimming lessons. It should be in the 90's by 9am this time of year.
They spent 25 minutes of their lesson sitting on the edge of the pool refusing to get in. "No way, Jose" was heard more than once.

Anna ate banana bread and watched from the sidelines.Finally, another instructor finished up her lesson and came over to help. She was very friendly and took charge, just taking Michael into the water with her. Sam soon followed. At least they got in. Tomorrow we'll work on scooping the water with our hands. AND, it is supposed to be about twenty degrees warmer tomorrow!

On the way home Sam said he would like to invite his teacher over to have hot chocolate with us. Michael suggested we might give her some perfume as a gift at the end of the swim lessons. I think they will want to go back tomorrow!

Accomplishments

Anna in and of herself is not so much an accomplishment of mine, but she does look darling in her Swedish hat!

With the thought in mind that I would post about something I accomplished each day I became suddenly overwhelmed with how much I accomplish each day! Who knew!

I nurse the baby.
I make breakfast, often three different things, for me, Anna, the boys, and Josh.
I make Josh's lunch.
I clean up the breakfast dishes and put away the clean dishes from the night before.
I water the garden.
I give everyone their various vitamins and supplements and make sure they have had a drink.
I put Anna down for a nap.
I help the boys make their beds.
I help the boys get dressed.
I comb the boys' hair.
I read to the boys.
I open all of the curtains and blinds, turn on the radio and shower and dress.
I clean something.
I make lunch.
I clean up lunch.
I go: grocery shopping, to the library, to visit a friend, to the playground, to the fruit stand, to Costco, to Walmart, to the grocery store, to Target.

Speaking of Target, I have seen my first major signs of inflation there today. I am usually very accurate at estimating how much a given shopping list is going to cost, but today I was way, way off:
Anna's size 3 shoes estimate $10, Actual price $13
Boys' socks estimate $5, Actual price $7
My sunglasses, broken by a certain adorable baby, estimate $10, Actual $16
Sunblock lotion estimate $5, Actual $8
Sterling silver 1" hoop earrings, lost by the same adorable baby, estimate $10, Actual $15

I didn't get the earrings. After all, Anna will just play with the new pair and soon they'll be lost too. Inflation, I tell you. But I digress. I did the Target run.

Back to the accomplishments.
I make a snack.
I clean up the toys.
I put Anna down for another nap.
I rest for 5 minutes.
I break up fights.
I refocus attention.
I make dinner.
I clean up dinner.
I put Anna to bed for the night.
I close all of the curtains and blinds.
I read a story and sing songs to Sam and Michael.
I catch up on friends online.
I plan out and adjust my budget, my menus, and my calendar/ schedule.
I read the scriptures.
I do 10 minutes of lunges, pushups, ankle exercises, and stretches.
I do or do not watch t.v. and eat ice cream or popcorn.
I talk to Josh and hear all about his hopes and dreams and their current states of realization.
I pray.
I go to sleep.
I may or may not wake up in the night to help Anna who is teething.

I start all over again.

The thing is, I love it. I love what I am able to accomplish. Sometimes I get to have a friend come over or lay on the grass with the kids in the back yard. I soak it up. I love being busy and I love trying to teach my children about the sense of well being that comes from a job well done.


And here are Michael and Sam today, on their first last day of school. An entire year of preschool under their belts they are the proud possessors of such knowledge as the alphabet, writing their names, and that bears eat berries and fish. I am especially proud of Michael who persevered in attending even though he always told me he didn't like it.

Moe has accomplished an incredible feat According to Sam, on this bear's impromptu birthday on a rainy day last week he turned 15 years old. I guess that's 3 in human years!Monkey, however, only turned one year old. That's 4 in people years. Animals do age differently, you know!

What I've Been Doing

(For what I've been thinking about, see the post below).

Here's what I've been doing while not blogging . . .
Jammin' to some rockin' music.


Smiling.
That's mix-matched pajamas, a light sabre-horse he's riding, with rain boots on the wrong feet, and a baseball bat, just in case of, well, who knows.

Getting lost in blue eyes.

Soaking up the joy.

Playing make-believe 24/7.

Reading.
Michael took this. He and Sam love their scriptures and remind me to read them out loud to them every night. Every morning after she nurses (yes she's still nursing twice a day) Anna reaches for my scriptures and I read them out loud to her.

Snuggling.

Field-tripping.

Using lots of hand sanitizer.

Dancing.

Playing outside.

Watching movies at night.

Playing with my doll.

Also, strictly following a budget, monthly meal calendar, and weekly house cleaning schedule. Signing up the boys for swim lessons, making homemade bread once a week, twenty minutes of daily ankle exercises, planning a preschool co-op, and a new obsession with Disney's Tangled.

Coming soon, daily accomplishments. No matter how small, there has to be something every day. It will be a little boost for myself. Don't be surprised if there are multiple days where the picture is of my nicely-made bed. That usually gets done!

What I've Been Thinking

Life is a journey, not a destination. Good thing. I've been thinking about some of the destinations I have dreamed of and I am so grateful they were not the end of my journey. Some would have been great big mistakes. Others worthwhile but unfulfilling. (Why does Blogger say that's not a word?) I am excited about where I am in my journey and looking forward to the future.

Time is a funny thing. It seems like TODAY will last forever. Sometimes an afternoon or a bedtime routine seems never ending, but it always, always passes and another day invariably comes. Tonight Sam observed, "It's always day, then night, then day, then night again!"

I have learned that we never earn the right to stop working, growing, and learning. Happiness, fulfillment, faith, health, security, relationships, they must all be strengthened daily because they are fragile.

I am aware that I will pass through seasons in my life. My book club has a lot of women over age sixty. Widows. Others are empty-nesters. My children think they will be small forever. They tell me they want to live across the street when they have to leave home. Michael said he will come visit me every night and he'll bring his wife with him so she won't be lonely while he's gone. He said if he has to go back to heaven without me, perish the thought, he'll parachute back to me in the backyard.

Time just speeds up and our lives take turns we never anticipated. Who would have guessed my life would be what it is today, where I am today. I am not a fatalist. I understand that we must plan for our futures. In fact, I think I am finally learning to take responsibility for myself in a way I have been afraid to in the past. But with all of our planning, we can't pretend to plan out all of the events that will shape us. We must prepare for the future and embrace the present. Nothing new, but it's made an impression on me lately. Plan for the known, prepare for the unknown.

I'm grateful that I have the life I have now and that I have been, and will continue to be, tutored and shaped in ways I cannot foresee. Vague enough for you?