Oh, what to do? My little baby is one of the smallest in the church nursery class and a certain class bully has made Chiquitita her target. She takes away toys, pushes her down, smacks her. Not cool. That behavior is never cool, even if it's not my child being targeted. I only heard about it from another mom who happened to be in there one day as a substitute teacher, but apparently it's been going on for awhile. The thought of another person intentionally hurting my offspring fills me with rage (good thing I haven't witnessed the bullying!). But this cannot go on. I am unable to attend the nursery class because I'm teaching a different class, but D went the last two weeks. What do I do when he can't be in church? What would you do if you were me? If you were the teacher of the class? The mom is a nice person, but we have different ways of parenting--she is much more permissive than I am. Fine for them in their home, but this is not their home, and I think it's unfair for one child to make class an unsafe environment for another.
I happen to teach the 3- and 4-year-olds. It's a large class with ten kids. I love this age--the age of discovery and enthusiasm. I also love that Pip is in my class. Some of the kids in class have had to work on being reverent and respectful and less wiggly, but they are all sweet kids. One boy in class has a touching problem though--he cannot resist the urge to touch people and things around him. Constantly. Sometimes it's more than poking too. He will kick or hit on occasion. This is what I do. When he pokes other kids, I move his chair right next to mine and tell him that as soon as he can show me that he can keep his hands to himself, he can go back to his place. Sometimes he stays next to me for the whole class. The other week he hit a little girl so hard that she started crying. I immediately put him in the corner and made him stay there for the rest of class (10-15 minutes). Then I told his mother and the girl's mother about it after class. Was I right to do that? Too harsh? What other option is there with me being the only adult in there? How can I provide a safe and comfortable learning environment for all the kids in class?
And also, how do I tame the mama bear or raging lioness when things like this happen? I'm a pretty patient person, but my patience has a threshold...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
(Almost) Half-birthday Half Marathon and other excitement
Back in May I was in kind of a fitness rut. So I needed an event. After considering the many, many options available to me, I settled on Tera's (almost) Half-birthday Half Marathon on June 6 (my real half birthday is in July and we already had plans for that date), coincidentally taking place on a vacation day for D. I was miraculously able to fit in enough long runs beforehand to feel somewhat prepared, and my friend Lindsay (who also needed an event) volunteered to run the last half of it with me. The race course was beautiful (kudos to whoever set it up!) and the day couldn't have been more pleasant. I also had the best sag wagon a girl could ask for--four cheerleaders plus ice water, oranges, and gatorade along the race route!! I forgot to make race bibs this time around, but the run felt great and I know how far I went, so who cares?
Other news is that D is officially done with THE INTERN YEAR. It was quite a year, one that he will never have to repeat (even if you switch specialties in one year or ten, you never repeat intern year). After performing hundreds of rectal exams and being thrown up on and bled on and screamed at regularly, D is convinced that being a doctor is not as glamorous as most people think. Shucks! But, hey, he does get to go to work in these pajamas!
Also, the very same day as that last post, Pip told D he wanted to start using underwear, and D said, "Great! We'll do it tomorrow!" When he told me the exciting news, I asked, "Did you read what I posted on my blog? I don't really want to potty train right now." Well, it was too late, so we spend the next morning on a peppy potty training adventure. Pip did GREAT--peed in the toilet five times with NO ACCIDENTS!! Then he suddenly decided he didn't want to do it anymore, had a little break down, and I knew it wasn't worth a battle, so I said, "OK, we can try again another day." The exciting news is, we all know he CAN do it. Now he gets to decide if he WANTS TO do it.
Here's a great shot of me pulling my shorts down. Just trying to be modest!
Approaching the water stop
Trying not to guzzle... I was quite warm and I have a weakness for ice water.
Approaching the end
My four cheerleaders and me
Other news is that D is officially done with THE INTERN YEAR. It was quite a year, one that he will never have to repeat (even if you switch specialties in one year or ten, you never repeat intern year). After performing hundreds of rectal exams and being thrown up on and bled on and screamed at regularly, D is convinced that being a doctor is not as glamorous as most people think. Shucks! But, hey, he does get to go to work in these pajamas!
Also, the very same day as that last post, Pip told D he wanted to start using underwear, and D said, "Great! We'll do it tomorrow!" When he told me the exciting news, I asked, "Did you read what I posted on my blog? I don't really want to potty train right now." Well, it was too late, so we spend the next morning on a peppy potty training adventure. Pip did GREAT--peed in the toilet five times with NO ACCIDENTS!! Then he suddenly decided he didn't want to do it anymore, had a little break down, and I knew it wasn't worth a battle, so I said, "OK, we can try again another day." The exciting news is, we all know he CAN do it. Now he gets to decide if he WANTS TO do it.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Who's up next?
I'm loving summertime and its wonderful greens, heat, humidity, rainstorms, fireflies, flowers, breezes, and sunsets. I want to soak up the beautiful outdoors. This makes me really lazy with domestic duties like cooking and laundry. I really am a jungleprincess and don't have any desire to be a domestic goddess. I do like having a clean house, but I'm hoping my kids will soon take over the domestic chores which will allow me to sit outside all day and make wishes on dandelions. Ahhh!
So I've got this quandary. My boy is three and still wearing diapers. I haven't even tried potty training because until now, circumstances have not been right for successful potty training (I do the one-day method, put them straight in underwear, and it's wonderful but a lot of work--setting them up for success means that you're stuck at home for about a week). He started showing interest a year ago at age two, but we were preparing for a cross-country move and didn't know where we'd live, etc. I held him off and figured we'd try in the early fall after we were settled in our new place. Surprise! We didn't get "settled" for almost eight months. I thought I'd try then, and I gave a half-hearted attempt for a few hours one morning, but he was resistant, and I didn't want a battle. Besides, I was about to take a 2-week trip with the kids. Not a good time for something new! After we returned, D was working nights for a month, so I decided to try after that was over. Then we found out we'd be taking another trip soon. No good! So after we got back from the other trip, I thought the time might be right. Then we decided to take another trip. The Training Event was put off yet again. We are now back from that trip, and I could go ahead and set aside a day to do it, but as mentioned above, I'm feeling lazy. Oh, what to do?
My other issue is, Chiquitita is showing the signs that she's ready now. Squeak potty-trained before age two, so I'm not surprised. Do I let my baby learn first, or my 3-year-old, or do I just say no to being stuck at home when I really just want to get out of the house?
So I've got this quandary. My boy is three and still wearing diapers. I haven't even tried potty training because until now, circumstances have not been right for successful potty training (I do the one-day method, put them straight in underwear, and it's wonderful but a lot of work--setting them up for success means that you're stuck at home for about a week). He started showing interest a year ago at age two, but we were preparing for a cross-country move and didn't know where we'd live, etc. I held him off and figured we'd try in the early fall after we were settled in our new place. Surprise! We didn't get "settled" for almost eight months. I thought I'd try then, and I gave a half-hearted attempt for a few hours one morning, but he was resistant, and I didn't want a battle. Besides, I was about to take a 2-week trip with the kids. Not a good time for something new! After we returned, D was working nights for a month, so I decided to try after that was over. Then we found out we'd be taking another trip soon. No good! So after we got back from the other trip, I thought the time might be right. Then we decided to take another trip. The Training Event was put off yet again. We are now back from that trip, and I could go ahead and set aside a day to do it, but as mentioned above, I'm feeling lazy. Oh, what to do?
My other issue is, Chiquitita is showing the signs that she's ready now. Squeak potty-trained before age two, so I'm not surprised. Do I let my baby learn first, or my 3-year-old, or do I just say no to being stuck at home when I really just want to get out of the house?
I think this looks much more appealing than sitting inside near the potty!
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A lady I won't forget
Two summers ago, money was tight--we were on a student budget. It is hard for most people to understand exactly what that means, even if they've been on a student budget. Unless they've done the D&T student budget plan. Just to give a little bit of perspective, we whittled our spending down to just basic needs--food, shelter, and transportation. After rent and utilities were paid, we had about $200 for our family per month, which we used to buy food and personal/household items, pay for car insurance and gas, and purchase any other needs. We didn't spend money on clothes, shoes, furniture, entertainment, or any other luxuries--and we gratefully accepted hand-me-downs from others. I'm not kidding when I say that I deliberated over every dollar I spent. And I will always be grateful that the Lord blessed us with all of our needs and many of our wants.
I knew that there was no way to further decrease our spending. D agreed. Unless we moved. We could move to a safe place and save a few hundred dollars per month--but we'd have to move out of state. So, for a variety of reasons (only one of which was financial), we moved for D's last year of med school. Moving does cost money, though. So almost two years ago, we were at the end of our funds (we took out a new loan for living expenses every six months). We had just moved, we had just paid $1000 for maternity insurance for me, and we had just purchased tickets (over $2200) so D could do a foreign medical rotation (and we could visit his parents) in Colombia.
We had a need--a stroller. I had a stroller for Squeak, and up to that point, I had been carrying 17-month-old Pip in a backpack, but I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. If you've been there, you know what I mean. I needed something compact but sturdy enough to make the trip and handle the Colombian sidewalks (if you've been there, you know what I mean!)--so a $10 umbrella stroller wouldn't work. I looked on Craigslist and KSL classifieds incessantly, trying to find a suitable option.
Miraculously, I found a Chicco umbrella stroller--perfect! And it was only $25!! I called the lady and she said it was practically unused--just occasionally for her granddaughter during visits. I was very excited, but also uneasy about driving 3 hours round-trip from Provo to Ogden to pick it up. The A/C in our car was broken (fixing it was a luxury we couldn't afford at the time), I was pregnant and hot (yesssss!), and it was July. Oh, yeah, and my kids don't do well in the car for more than about half an hour. I asked if she was ever closer to Provo (maybe meet in Salt Lake?) and she said she was planning to visit a relative in Provo that weekend and she'd be happy to bring it down. She even insisted on dropping it off at my house!
We had agreed on a meeting time for Friday morning. I took the kids for a little run that day, arranging to be back before she arrived, but just in case, I left a note on the door saying I'd be right back. When I returned from my run a few minutes early, I discovered that she had also arrived early. She'd left the stroller on my front porch with a note: "Free, with my regards." Her name was Pam. I rushed into the house, called the number I had for her, got her voice mail, left a message and told her thank you, and I'd be happy to mail her the money. I never heard back from her. I tried calling again, but she never returned my calls. When I told my mother-in-law about the miracle of our stroller and how much I'd like to pay Pam for it, she said, "Maybe she doesn't want your money. Maybe she wants to do an anonymous act of service." Two years later, I still cry as I remember her kindness. How did she know that we were so in need? I got my answer when I read this post about Pam on our cousin's blog. She was just one of those angels who goes about doing good. I never got to meet her in person, but I will never forget her.
I knew that there was no way to further decrease our spending. D agreed. Unless we moved. We could move to a safe place and save a few hundred dollars per month--but we'd have to move out of state. So, for a variety of reasons (only one of which was financial), we moved for D's last year of med school. Moving does cost money, though. So almost two years ago, we were at the end of our funds (we took out a new loan for living expenses every six months). We had just moved, we had just paid $1000 for maternity insurance for me, and we had just purchased tickets (over $2200) so D could do a foreign medical rotation (and we could visit his parents) in Colombia.
We had a need--a stroller. I had a stroller for Squeak, and up to that point, I had been carrying 17-month-old Pip in a backpack, but I was 7 1/2 months pregnant. If you've been there, you know what I mean. I needed something compact but sturdy enough to make the trip and handle the Colombian sidewalks (if you've been there, you know what I mean!)--so a $10 umbrella stroller wouldn't work. I looked on Craigslist and KSL classifieds incessantly, trying to find a suitable option.
Miraculously, I found a Chicco umbrella stroller--perfect! And it was only $25!! I called the lady and she said it was practically unused--just occasionally for her granddaughter during visits. I was very excited, but also uneasy about driving 3 hours round-trip from Provo to Ogden to pick it up. The A/C in our car was broken (fixing it was a luxury we couldn't afford at the time), I was pregnant and hot (yesssss!), and it was July. Oh, yeah, and my kids don't do well in the car for more than about half an hour. I asked if she was ever closer to Provo (maybe meet in Salt Lake?) and she said she was planning to visit a relative in Provo that weekend and she'd be happy to bring it down. She even insisted on dropping it off at my house!
We had agreed on a meeting time for Friday morning. I took the kids for a little run that day, arranging to be back before she arrived, but just in case, I left a note on the door saying I'd be right back. When I returned from my run a few minutes early, I discovered that she had also arrived early. She'd left the stroller on my front porch with a note: "Free, with my regards." Her name was Pam. I rushed into the house, called the number I had for her, got her voice mail, left a message and told her thank you, and I'd be happy to mail her the money. I never heard back from her. I tried calling again, but she never returned my calls. When I told my mother-in-law about the miracle of our stroller and how much I'd like to pay Pam for it, she said, "Maybe she doesn't want your money. Maybe she wants to do an anonymous act of service." Two years later, I still cry as I remember her kindness. How did she know that we were so in need? I got my answer when I read this post about Pam on our cousin's blog. She was just one of those angels who goes about doing good. I never got to meet her in person, but I will never forget her.
I look totally awesome in this photo (we woke up at 3:30 a.m. to catch our flight), but here's Pam's stroller (the blue one)
Friday, June 24, 2011
Post-Vacation "Adventures"
It seems that I'm just barely catching my breath (knock on wood). The night we returned from our trip in May, D started a string of nights--6 pm to 8 am or so. Sleep all day, wake up around 4, study, go back to work. Repeat. It's a rough schedule for our family. If we're lucky, D gets about 15 minutes of face time with the kids each day. Ten days of that (fortunately not 6 weeks like last time!!).
Little discovery on the way back from the airport--A/C in the car was out. Bummer--it was just starting to get hot! We arrived home and discovered that our computer was dead. Poo! The next day or so we discovered that the A/C in the Suburban was out. Ugh! Then the Suburban died a few days after that. Grrr! And then our trusty Olds died too. Dang! And then my wonderful Chicco double umbrella stroller broke. $%*@!!! This made me almost completely homebound (with noisy kids and a husband trying to sleep all day) and also unable to do anything about our situation (I WAS able to go running with the kids in the triple jogger, but since it's too wide to fit on sidewalks or through doors, we couldn't go to the store or anywhere else). D was biking to work. We were climbing the walls. We wondered, "What's next?"
We made it through though, and D had a few days off during which he worked on getting the computer and cars fixed. After several rough weeks, we are now up and running again. We have both cars running and A/C working in both cars. And the computer works (currently, but we think its days are numbered). I was also able to find a new (to me) Chicco double umbrella stroller on Craigslist, yippeeee! Did you know that Chicco doesn't make double umbrellas anymore? SAD!!
My life is so full of adventure! I thought my life was full of adventure back in my single days when my weekends involved going backpacking or road-tripping or competing in a triathlon! I thought I was spontaneous back then, but look at me now--always a change of plans, always something unexpected, always a new adventure. FUN!
Little discovery on the way back from the airport--A/C in the car was out. Bummer--it was just starting to get hot! We arrived home and discovered that our computer was dead. Poo! The next day or so we discovered that the A/C in the Suburban was out. Ugh! Then the Suburban died a few days after that. Grrr! And then our trusty Olds died too. Dang! And then my wonderful Chicco double umbrella stroller broke. $%*@!!! This made me almost completely homebound (with noisy kids and a husband trying to sleep all day) and also unable to do anything about our situation (I WAS able to go running with the kids in the triple jogger, but since it's too wide to fit on sidewalks or through doors, we couldn't go to the store or anywhere else). D was biking to work. We were climbing the walls. We wondered, "What's next?"
We made it through though, and D had a few days off during which he worked on getting the computer and cars fixed. After several rough weeks, we are now up and running again. We have both cars running and A/C working in both cars. And the computer works (currently, but we think its days are numbered). I was also able to find a new (to me) Chicco double umbrella stroller on Craigslist, yippeeee! Did you know that Chicco doesn't make double umbrellas anymore? SAD!!
My life is so full of adventure! I thought my life was full of adventure back in my single days when my weekends involved going backpacking or road-tripping or competing in a triathlon! I thought I was spontaneous back then, but look at me now--always a change of plans, always something unexpected, always a new adventure. FUN!
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Vacation!? photos part 1
Primos!
They had so much fun together, and then the next day the vomiting began. So sad!
"Mami, tengo frio!" is what they're saying to me.
Look! I'm the proud owner of a new lime-green dress!
I love this attempt at getting all the grandkids (minus the oldest) together for a photo with the bride and groom.
Squeak and Pip at the luncheon
Love this one of my dad on speaker phone at the reception. Classic!
Burbujas!
Me and sis Melis with cute little Chiquitita
One of the few shots I got of Jonny and Celes (this is probably one of the times I ended up sprinting to chase one of the kids)
The Baby Jogger that saved my sanity! We are so glad we got to go running so many times!!!!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Vacation!?
Two family weddings plus a really busy month for The Intern equals VACATION for the kids and me. We were gone for 2 1/2 weeks. Here's the good, the bad, and the ugly for your enjoyment...
I agonized over the best time to book our flight from Detroit to Salt Lake, taking into account naps, feeding, traffic on both ends, bedtime, waking up time, etc. The most viable option was to take the Thursday 7 pm flight from Detroit, getting us in at 11 pm Michigan time (9 pm Utah time)--kind of pushing it with the bedtime, but the kids do way better staying up late than coping with a missed nap (and nobody in this house will nap in a plane or car, unfortunately)--(bad!). Our sweetheart of a friend Liz was taking a trip the same weekend and booked her flight with us (good!). The night before our trip, my favorite doctor paid us a house visit and diagnosed Squirt with an ear infection (bad!) but I got the meds before we left Michigan (good!). As luck would have it, our plane had maintenance problems. First we sat on the plane for an hour (bad!), then they deplaned everyone and said they didn't know when we'd leave (bad!!). Then they found another plane for us to take that night (good!) but by the time everything was said and done, we were three hours behind schedule (ugly!). Luckily Liz was there and was a wonderful help to me (good!) or life would have been really hard.
By the time we arrived, got our luggage, and got to Provo, it was 4 am Michigan time (ugly!!)--thanks, Delta! My lovely seester Melissa was so nice to pick us up (good!), and my other wonderful sis Karen let us stay with her so the kids could have some cousin time (good!). The kids did not adjust well to the time change due to the severe lack of sleep (bad!) and spent the first FIVE days in Utah recovering (ugly!)--lots of crying and waking up multiple times every night. I actually had to hold Squirt in my arms all night for two nights so she could sleep. I did manage to get a run in with my sis and all our kids that first day, despite only getting about four hours of sleep (good!). I have a triple jogger in Provo also--I found it on KSL a few months ago and Karen went and picked it up for me (good!)--what a lifesaver!!
The next day, cousin Aaron started throwing up (bad!) and I moved myself and the kids to Melissa's house (also our old place) (good!)--we were lucky to have another available place to stay and eager to not share the sickness. We thought we'd just go for a few days until the sickness ran its course, but one after another, all of Karen's kids got sick (ugly!). Karen wasn't even sure she'd be able to make it to Jonny's Tuesday wedding (bad!) but Monday night was a good night for everyone, and she was able to make it (good!) And nobody else outside her family caught the sickness (good!). The day of the wedding it was freezing cold and the weather man said it looked like rain (ugly!) but luckily no rain fell and I was so glad I had brought the kids' winter coats (good!). Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the double stroller (bad!) which is especially terrible in an unfamiliar and large setting. It was perfect lighting for photos (good!) but please don't make me comment on the photographer. The wedding ceremony was lovely and I was grateful to be there with my family to support our sweet Jonny in this important event (good!). The luncheon afterward was delicious (good!) and I was honored to give a tribute to my dad who couldn't attend--and they later put him on speaker phone so he could participate too (good!). I felt like a crazy girl that day trying to keep my three kids from running away--all three would take off in a different direction and I had to sprint to catch them. This was at the temple multiple times and then at the luncheon again and again (ugly). My shoe broke from all the abuse. This happened again at the reception on the weekend. My cousin told me that when the kids are about 8 years old, they will stop running off like that. That means I'll be strapping them into that stroller until they're 8!!
My mom has been nice to let me use her cell phone while she's out of the country (good!) but of course I was going to let her have it as soon as she arrived a few days before the wedding. I didn't foresee a problem since I planned on staying with Karen who has a landline with free long distance. I also planned to borrow my parents' van--they have two cars available, and one would logically be for my mom and the other, logically, would be for the mama by herself with three kids. Logically! (good!) Then we had to leave Karen's house, and Melissa's house doesn't have a landline (bad!) and somehow everyone else got to drive a car except for me (bad!). Aside from a few quick trips to buy food and other necessities, I was stranded without phone communication or a vehicle for most of my time in Provo (ugly!). I made the most of it, though, and made sure to run almost every day with my dear running buddy Sharon. We even did two long runs together (good!). I was able to spend a lot of time with family and even saw lots of extended family at the wedding and reception (good!). Melissa was a delightful hostess and she became good friends with little Squirt (good!). This was not a friends and places visiting trip though--I didn't see anyone unless they came to me because I had no ability to contact people or go anywhere (bad!). I did get to see super nanny Ashley (good!) and awesome friends Rebecca and Paul (good!) and amazing visiting teacher Kristy (good!).
Karen loaned me her cell phone to keep me from going insane (good!) When everyone else left, I was finally able to use the van (good!). Then Squeak started throwing up (ugly!). What a gal, though--she got it in the bucket every time except for the first (good!). I had to postpone leaving for Logan because of the barfing and missed part of the family reunion up there (bad!) but D was able to fly in a day early so I picked him up on the way (good!). And nobody else threw up (good!). We stayed with some friends Brad and Christina who had tons of space and enjoyed seeing them and also family (good!). We even did a family 5K as part of the reunion festivities (good!). Rob's wedding was very nice and D's 96-year-old grandpa (who also married us) performed the marriage (good!). What a treat to attend a wedding in the same place where we were married (good!). We also got to relax at the wedding luncheon because it was during naptime and Christina said she'd watch the kids (good!). The kids enjoyed some cousin time later that night (good!) and then we flew out the next morning. The travel back home went really smoothly (good!). And D started graves that night (bad!). He only got two days off but hey, at least he got to attend his little bro's wedding (good!).
I managed to hang on to my camera for this trip (good!) so I'll post some photos later.
I agonized over the best time to book our flight from Detroit to Salt Lake, taking into account naps, feeding, traffic on both ends, bedtime, waking up time, etc. The most viable option was to take the Thursday 7 pm flight from Detroit, getting us in at 11 pm Michigan time (9 pm Utah time)--kind of pushing it with the bedtime, but the kids do way better staying up late than coping with a missed nap (and nobody in this house will nap in a plane or car, unfortunately)--(bad!). Our sweetheart of a friend Liz was taking a trip the same weekend and booked her flight with us (good!). The night before our trip, my favorite doctor paid us a house visit and diagnosed Squirt with an ear infection (bad!) but I got the meds before we left Michigan (good!). As luck would have it, our plane had maintenance problems. First we sat on the plane for an hour (bad!), then they deplaned everyone and said they didn't know when we'd leave (bad!!). Then they found another plane for us to take that night (good!) but by the time everything was said and done, we were three hours behind schedule (ugly!). Luckily Liz was there and was a wonderful help to me (good!) or life would have been really hard.
By the time we arrived, got our luggage, and got to Provo, it was 4 am Michigan time (ugly!!)--thanks, Delta! My lovely seester Melissa was so nice to pick us up (good!), and my other wonderful sis Karen let us stay with her so the kids could have some cousin time (good!). The kids did not adjust well to the time change due to the severe lack of sleep (bad!) and spent the first FIVE days in Utah recovering (ugly!)--lots of crying and waking up multiple times every night. I actually had to hold Squirt in my arms all night for two nights so she could sleep. I did manage to get a run in with my sis and all our kids that first day, despite only getting about four hours of sleep (good!). I have a triple jogger in Provo also--I found it on KSL a few months ago and Karen went and picked it up for me (good!)--what a lifesaver!!
The next day, cousin Aaron started throwing up (bad!) and I moved myself and the kids to Melissa's house (also our old place) (good!)--we were lucky to have another available place to stay and eager to not share the sickness. We thought we'd just go for a few days until the sickness ran its course, but one after another, all of Karen's kids got sick (ugly!). Karen wasn't even sure she'd be able to make it to Jonny's Tuesday wedding (bad!) but Monday night was a good night for everyone, and she was able to make it (good!) And nobody else outside her family caught the sickness (good!). The day of the wedding it was freezing cold and the weather man said it looked like rain (ugly!) but luckily no rain fell and I was so glad I had brought the kids' winter coats (good!). Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the double stroller (bad!) which is especially terrible in an unfamiliar and large setting. It was perfect lighting for photos (good!) but please don't make me comment on the photographer. The wedding ceremony was lovely and I was grateful to be there with my family to support our sweet Jonny in this important event (good!). The luncheon afterward was delicious (good!) and I was honored to give a tribute to my dad who couldn't attend--and they later put him on speaker phone so he could participate too (good!). I felt like a crazy girl that day trying to keep my three kids from running away--all three would take off in a different direction and I had to sprint to catch them. This was at the temple multiple times and then at the luncheon again and again (ugly). My shoe broke from all the abuse. This happened again at the reception on the weekend. My cousin told me that when the kids are about 8 years old, they will stop running off like that. That means I'll be strapping them into that stroller until they're 8!!
My mom has been nice to let me use her cell phone while she's out of the country (good!) but of course I was going to let her have it as soon as she arrived a few days before the wedding. I didn't foresee a problem since I planned on staying with Karen who has a landline with free long distance. I also planned to borrow my parents' van--they have two cars available, and one would logically be for my mom and the other, logically, would be for the mama by herself with three kids. Logically! (good!) Then we had to leave Karen's house, and Melissa's house doesn't have a landline (bad!) and somehow everyone else got to drive a car except for me (bad!). Aside from a few quick trips to buy food and other necessities, I was stranded without phone communication or a vehicle for most of my time in Provo (ugly!). I made the most of it, though, and made sure to run almost every day with my dear running buddy Sharon. We even did two long runs together (good!). I was able to spend a lot of time with family and even saw lots of extended family at the wedding and reception (good!). Melissa was a delightful hostess and she became good friends with little Squirt (good!). This was not a friends and places visiting trip though--I didn't see anyone unless they came to me because I had no ability to contact people or go anywhere (bad!). I did get to see super nanny Ashley (good!) and awesome friends Rebecca and Paul (good!) and amazing visiting teacher Kristy (good!).
Karen loaned me her cell phone to keep me from going insane (good!) When everyone else left, I was finally able to use the van (good!). Then Squeak started throwing up (ugly!). What a gal, though--she got it in the bucket every time except for the first (good!). I had to postpone leaving for Logan because of the barfing and missed part of the family reunion up there (bad!) but D was able to fly in a day early so I picked him up on the way (good!). And nobody else threw up (good!). We stayed with some friends Brad and Christina who had tons of space and enjoyed seeing them and also family (good!). We even did a family 5K as part of the reunion festivities (good!). Rob's wedding was very nice and D's 96-year-old grandpa (who also married us) performed the marriage (good!). What a treat to attend a wedding in the same place where we were married (good!). We also got to relax at the wedding luncheon because it was during naptime and Christina said she'd watch the kids (good!). The kids enjoyed some cousin time later that night (good!) and then we flew out the next morning. The travel back home went really smoothly (good!). And D started graves that night (bad!). He only got two days off but hey, at least he got to attend his little bro's wedding (good!).
I managed to hang on to my camera for this trip (good!) so I'll post some photos later.
Monday, May 02, 2011
A true disciple
My mom and dad have five sons and three daughters. They have always taught us to love and serve other people, to have integrity, to work hard, and to make God and Jesus Christ our top priority. I have watched them live these ideals my whole life. Sometimes their choices or priorities were not popular, but my parents have always been "steadfast and immovable"--they know what is most important--the ultimate goal of this mortal experience--to live with God again, together as a family. That example is a great blessing to me.
My dad left his career behind for "the greater good"--he was called by the Lord to preside over 200+ missionaries in the Chile Santiago North Mission. He was there for three years, teaching and loving people so that his fellow man could come to know the Savior. He was in heaven, and when our family's time in Chile came to an end, we were all sad. Ten years later, he was called to Chile once again, this time to preside over the Missionary Training Center. I will never forget his exuberance as he was leaving. Squeak asked why he was going on the airplane and he said with excitement, "I'm going on a mission!" He is in heaven once again. My parents spend from sunup to sundown training new missionaries about life and the gospel. They have a half-day off every three weeks--just enough time for a long nap to catch up on lost sleep. No holidays, no vacations--the work must go on. This is true commitment.
Next week my family will gather to attend my brother's marriage. My dad can't come--the President cannot leave his mission. My heart aches to think of him missing this happy event--it won't be the first time either. He missed my other brother's wedding during his first time as President. My dad is a true disciple of Jesus Christ--he has put aside his personal desires to show the Lord his commitment. We will miss you, Dad! Thank you for showing all of us how to follow Christ.
My dad left his career behind for "the greater good"--he was called by the Lord to preside over 200+ missionaries in the Chile Santiago North Mission. He was there for three years, teaching and loving people so that his fellow man could come to know the Savior. He was in heaven, and when our family's time in Chile came to an end, we were all sad. Ten years later, he was called to Chile once again, this time to preside over the Missionary Training Center. I will never forget his exuberance as he was leaving. Squeak asked why he was going on the airplane and he said with excitement, "I'm going on a mission!" He is in heaven once again. My parents spend from sunup to sundown training new missionaries about life and the gospel. They have a half-day off every three weeks--just enough time for a long nap to catch up on lost sleep. No holidays, no vacations--the work must go on. This is true commitment.
Next week my family will gather to attend my brother's marriage. My dad can't come--the President cannot leave his mission. My heart aches to think of him missing this happy event--it won't be the first time either. He missed my other brother's wedding during his first time as President. My dad is a true disciple of Jesus Christ--he has put aside his personal desires to show the Lord his commitment. We will miss you, Dad! Thank you for showing all of us how to follow Christ.
My dad with baby Squeak 2006
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Behold!
My kids teach me many things, but the lessons that make me cry are the best ones. In February we (the kids and I) took a little trip to Utah. We got a screaming deal on tickets and D was working horrendous hours--it was a great time to be gone. I made the mistake of snapping some photos on the plane--because I ended up leaving my camera there. I didn't realize until the next day, and although I called the Southwest office in Salt Lake incessantly, nobody picked up. I tried again the next day. Somebody finally answered, and I gave her the description of the camera and the flight number and time, and she said, "After 24 hours, any lost and found items are sent to corporate in Texas." Ugh!
I called the Texas office and gave a detailed description, saying that the camera wasn't worth a whole lot. Just a crappy digital point and shoot camera in a breastmilk storage bag with a few batteries. All I wanted back was the memory card.
I was in agony because before the trip, I stupidly neglected to download the photos. Aside from a few Halloween photos, I hadn't downloaded anything for over five months--autumn, Christmas, playing in the snow, Pip's birthday--it was all gone. I was really broken up about it. I told the kids and we started praying that somehow we would get our camera back. We mentioned it in every prayer.
Nothing turned up for the 10 days I was gone, and I called Southwest corporate again when we returned to Michigan. They said sometimes it could take up to a few weeks. Well, the weeks went by, and we kept praying, but still no news of our camera. I was really starting to lose hope. The kids still mentioned it in prayers, especially Pip. A month passed, and then two. Our camera was gone, and with it all those precious photos. I mourned their loss and the fact that I could never visually review those memories.
Then one day, I found a box on the front porch. I wasn't expecting a package--what could it be? Suddenly I saw "Southwest Airlines" tape on it. I burst into tears and thought, "Really? Could it be?" I tore open the box and behold! The black Similac bag with our camera inside, and inside that, the memory card that held a record of our lives the past half year. Oh, how I wept for joy! And then I realized that, although I had lost hope of ever getting our camera back, my kids had not. Pip had mentioned the camera in every prayer. It had never even occurred to him that we might not find it. When I told them through my tears that our camera was found, they just looked at me as if to say, "Well, of course it was. We prayed about it, didn't we?" Behold, the faith of a child!
I called the Texas office and gave a detailed description, saying that the camera wasn't worth a whole lot. Just a crappy digital point and shoot camera in a breastmilk storage bag with a few batteries. All I wanted back was the memory card.
I was in agony because before the trip, I stupidly neglected to download the photos. Aside from a few Halloween photos, I hadn't downloaded anything for over five months--autumn, Christmas, playing in the snow, Pip's birthday--it was all gone. I was really broken up about it. I told the kids and we started praying that somehow we would get our camera back. We mentioned it in every prayer.
Nothing turned up for the 10 days I was gone, and I called Southwest corporate again when we returned to Michigan. They said sometimes it could take up to a few weeks. Well, the weeks went by, and we kept praying, but still no news of our camera. I was really starting to lose hope. The kids still mentioned it in prayers, especially Pip. A month passed, and then two. Our camera was gone, and with it all those precious photos. I mourned their loss and the fact that I could never visually review those memories.
Then one day, I found a box on the front porch. I wasn't expecting a package--what could it be? Suddenly I saw "Southwest Airlines" tape on it. I burst into tears and thought, "Really? Could it be?" I tore open the box and behold! The black Similac bag with our camera inside, and inside that, the memory card that held a record of our lives the past half year. Oh, how I wept for joy! And then I realized that, although I had lost hope of ever getting our camera back, my kids had not. Pip had mentioned the camera in every prayer. It had never even occurred to him that we might not find it. When I told them through my tears that our camera was found, they just looked at me as if to say, "Well, of course it was. We prayed about it, didn't we?" Behold, the faith of a child!
April Foolishness around here
April 1 was a great day at our place. I woke up, went running on the treadmill, and started wasting time on the computer. When I finally decided to get the kids up, I was amazed at what I discovered as I opened the door to Pip and Squeak's room:
What a funny joke! Except that it wasn't a joke at all. You know those tiny crystals inside disposable diapers? The entire room--floor, crib, bed, bedding--was covered with those things. Squeak had taken off her night diaper and was flinging it around (from her bed, because she's not allowed off her bed without permission). Then she and Pip started throwing it back and forth. Ew!
I had to hold back the laughter. I was really glad it wasn't vomit, because that's what I thought it was when I opened the door. I'm all about kids being accountable for their actions, so she had to clean it up. But I had to supervise. It took an hour.
Then Pip ?dropped?threw?flung? his cereal and milk on the floor at breakfast. He had to clean that up. But I had to supervise. That took half an hour. And Squirt was happily eating the remnants off the floor as Pip was cleaning.
I was behind schedule, because I had a little April Fools plan of my own. We headed out, Pip and Squeak in the double stroller and Squirt in the backpack, to D's work. The kids asked what we were doing. I said, "Today's a day for jokes! We're taking the car, and when Dada gets out of work, he won't know where it is!" I should also mention that the Suburban hadn't been working all week (D has fixed it since then), so we were down to one car.
I waited and waited for D to call when his shift ended (somewhere between 8 and 9 p.m.). He finally called and said,
D: "Uh... did you take the car?"
T: "No. What's up?"
D: "It's gone."
T: "You're joking, right?"
D: "I wish I were."
T: "Did you maybe forget where you parked?"
D: "I've walked through the whole parking lot."
T: "Why would someone steal our car?"
D: "This sucks. Insurance on the car won't cover theft."
T: "What are we going to do? Should I call someone and ask for a ride for you?"
At some point, D's friend Haidar comes outside and D says, "Dude, my car's gone." and they talk about it for a bit. I had thought about dragging the joke out a little longer, but D seemed really distressed...
T: "Babe! April fools!!!"
D: "No, I'm not joking. The car's gone!"
T: "No, babe, I have the car! April fools!!"
So he told Haidar, "My wife says, "April fools," and then I heard Haidar's boisterous laugh go on and on. "Props to your wife, man," he said. Oh, it was soooooo good! I love a good April fools joke!
What a funny joke! Except that it wasn't a joke at all. You know those tiny crystals inside disposable diapers? The entire room--floor, crib, bed, bedding--was covered with those things. Squeak had taken off her night diaper and was flinging it around (from her bed, because she's not allowed off her bed without permission). Then she and Pip started throwing it back and forth. Ew!
I had to hold back the laughter. I was really glad it wasn't vomit, because that's what I thought it was when I opened the door. I'm all about kids being accountable for their actions, so she had to clean it up. But I had to supervise. It took an hour.
Then Pip ?dropped?threw?flung? his cereal and milk on the floor at breakfast. He had to clean that up. But I had to supervise. That took half an hour. And Squirt was happily eating the remnants off the floor as Pip was cleaning.
I was behind schedule, because I had a little April Fools plan of my own. We headed out, Pip and Squeak in the double stroller and Squirt in the backpack, to D's work. The kids asked what we were doing. I said, "Today's a day for jokes! We're taking the car, and when Dada gets out of work, he won't know where it is!" I should also mention that the Suburban hadn't been working all week (D has fixed it since then), so we were down to one car.
I waited and waited for D to call when his shift ended (somewhere between 8 and 9 p.m.). He finally called and said,
D: "Uh... did you take the car?"
T: "No. What's up?"
D: "It's gone."
T: "You're joking, right?"
D: "I wish I were."
T: "Did you maybe forget where you parked?"
D: "I've walked through the whole parking lot."
T: "Why would someone steal our car?"
D: "This sucks. Insurance on the car won't cover theft."
T: "What are we going to do? Should I call someone and ask for a ride for you?"
At some point, D's friend Haidar comes outside and D says, "Dude, my car's gone." and they talk about it for a bit. I had thought about dragging the joke out a little longer, but D seemed really distressed...
T: "Babe! April fools!!!"
D: "No, I'm not joking. The car's gone!"
T: "No, babe, I have the car! April fools!!"
So he told Haidar, "My wife says, "April fools," and then I heard Haidar's boisterous laugh go on and on. "Props to your wife, man," he said. Oh, it was soooooo good! I love a good April fools joke!
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