Yesterday morning my house was visited by the candy fairy! To adequately explain this occurrence, I need to back up a bit.
A couple of weeks ago I had a bag of chocolate that I took to my Young Women activity. Amber had asked if I would save her a piece of chocolate. And I had told her there probably wouldn't be any left over. Well, I got home that night, she was in bed, and I had a little bit of chocolate left. But I didn't want to wake her. So I had John put chocolate under her the girls' pillows. In the morning they found the chocolate and I told them the candy fairy had visited and left the chocolate under their pillows! I had to do some fast thinking when Timothy felt left out. So I dropped a piece of chocolate next to his bed and told him he had just knocked it off his bed when he moved his pillow during the night!
Okay, so fast forward to yesterday morning. Everybody was supposed to be getting dressed and ready for the day. I was in the kitchen making breakfast and all of a sudden Amber comes running out, "Mom, the candy fairy left smarties for Emma!" Then she ran to Timothy's room. "Timothy got some too! And there's some for Micah, and I got some too!"
At this point I thought John had been sneaky and left the smarties for everyone while they were downstairs looking for clothes. But then why was there candy under my pillow and under John's pillow? Still I thought, John was just being funny and trying to help the kids improve their moods a bit.
But my assumptions were wrong. John had not played candy fairy. I had not played candy fairy. So who did? The evidence points to Amber! I guess Amber has picked up on the fact that the candy fairy was fired recently and she took over the job! Gotta love her. She didn't tell me what she was doing, she just did it. I am in awe over how grown up Amber is becoming!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Tooth Fairy Adventures
Amber lost a tooth on Sunday. To say the least, I was not prepared for this occurrence. I knew she needed to get that tooth out as the new one had started growing behind and looked to be growing too far back. I had John work on the tooth and he eventually pulled it out!
But this created a problem. We weren't prepared for a visit from the Tooth Fairy! Oh no. What do we do? Amber wants to put her tooth under her pillow and she will be severely disappointed in the morning if she doesn't get anything from the tooth fairy that same night. So yes, I lied to my daughter. I told her the Tooth fairy doesn't work on Sunday so she might as well wait until Monday night to put her tooth under her pillow.
I think I will be forgiven for telling this lie to my daughter. I had to. I had to prevent the attitude stemming from the disappointment of not being visited by the tooth fairy.
But this created a problem. We weren't prepared for a visit from the Tooth Fairy! Oh no. What do we do? Amber wants to put her tooth under her pillow and she will be severely disappointed in the morning if she doesn't get anything from the tooth fairy that same night. So yes, I lied to my daughter. I told her the Tooth fairy doesn't work on Sunday so she might as well wait until Monday night to put her tooth under her pillow.
I think I will be forgiven for telling this lie to my daughter. I had to. I had to prevent the attitude stemming from the disappointment of not being visited by the tooth fairy.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Small (or big!) miracles
I did not realize how long it has been since I last posted. Life has a way of pulling me in so many directions and unfortunately the blog has fallen to the wayside.
At the moment I am awestruck with my eldest daughter. She has become so much more grown up and I am just noticing, I guess. She absolutely amazes me sometimes. On Saturday she received a little bit of money so she wanted to pay tithing. She found a donation slip and an envelope to put her tithing money in. As she filled out the donation slip, she noticed the line that said "Perpetual Education." She asked what that meant, what that was for. So I explained to her that in some places there are people who do not have the opportunity for an education like she has. I explained that we can donate money to the Perpetual education fund to help these people get an education. I fully expected that after hearing my explanation that she would just let it drop. I was shocked and amazed at her response. She turned to me and said, "I want to give money for that too!" Her eyes lit up and there was pure innocence on her face. How could I deny her the opportunity, in her own small way to do something for somebody else? There was no way I was going to tell her no right then. So she went to her bank where she keeps her pennies, and carefully counted out ten pennies! Ten cents is not very much, but to me at that moment, ten cents could change the world!
On Sunday morning I had told Amber to get three bowls out for the three kids who would be eating breakfast. Being insightful and observant, she realized that it was Fast Sunday and John and I would not be eating breakfast. So she turned to John and asked what it means to fast. John explained to her that we go without food or water, and that we pray for specific things and that by fasting we are more receptive to the spirit. He also told her we have the opportunity to donate the money we would have used on the meals we do not eat that day to help others who need a little extra help. Once again, I thought she would accept the answer and go eat breakfast. But she turned to us and told us she wanted to fast with us. I think my jaw hit the floor and I had to catch myself in my response. I started to say no because I didn't think she could handle it. But I stopped before I could get the word out. After all, I didn't want to discourage her. It was her decision. She wanted to participate in a fast. So why not let her try? So I told her that if she really wanted to, then she could. So, with a spring in her steps she went to the kitchen to get out two bowls instead of three.
Have I mentioned how much she amazes me? Despite the tantrums and the attitude, I really am proud of her. While we were enjoying treats after Family Home Evening today, I took the opportunity to tell her how proud I am of her and how much she has impressed me. She was positively glowing. If her smile had gotten any bigger, I think her face would have split in two!
I then took a few moments to tell Emma and Timothy why I am proud of them. Oh my, do I really not praise them enough? They soaked up the praise and were so much more willing to do what I asked after the few moments I spent telling them how wonderful they are!
Then it was time for pajamas. Amber quickly put pajamas on and asked if she could read a chapter of her book to me. So while we were waiting for the other two, I sat and listened to her read about Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion! It was actually quite amusing to hear her read the story. We stopped halfway through the story to gather for family prayer and then I told her I would come sit in bed with her while she finished reading the story to me. By this time her face was glowing and the light in her eyes was unmistakable. I think we both needed this time. I enjoyed listening to her read me a story. It was a nice change from me having to read.
Amber finished her story and switched beds. I sat with Emma for a few minutes while she read to me. When it was time to turn lights out, Emma was only halfway through the small book she was reading. So with the promise of finishing the book tomorrow, we turned the lights out and the girls got ready to go to sleep. At that point I went in to Timothy's room and sat on his bed. While I had been reading with the girls, he would sneak under John's radar and magically appear on the bed with the girls! Then with utter disappointment when I turned him away, he would shuffle back to his bed. So I sat on his bed with him. Amidst the cries of "get off my blanket" we finally got settled and he asked me to lay with him as we read a story. I read Uh Oh Max to him, which only took a few minutes. When I finished, I left a happy boy in his bed ready to go to sleep! Yay! I count tonight as a huge success.
You see, tonight was a huge success because lately I have felt extremely frustrated. I have not been able to figure out what the kids want, why they are so whiny and just plain moody. While I still don't know why, I feel as if we averted some of that moodiness for just a little bit. I am not frustrated and we weren't fighting over bedtime. Yay for small miracles in my life!
At the moment I am awestruck with my eldest daughter. She has become so much more grown up and I am just noticing, I guess. She absolutely amazes me sometimes. On Saturday she received a little bit of money so she wanted to pay tithing. She found a donation slip and an envelope to put her tithing money in. As she filled out the donation slip, she noticed the line that said "Perpetual Education." She asked what that meant, what that was for. So I explained to her that in some places there are people who do not have the opportunity for an education like she has. I explained that we can donate money to the Perpetual education fund to help these people get an education. I fully expected that after hearing my explanation that she would just let it drop. I was shocked and amazed at her response. She turned to me and said, "I want to give money for that too!" Her eyes lit up and there was pure innocence on her face. How could I deny her the opportunity, in her own small way to do something for somebody else? There was no way I was going to tell her no right then. So she went to her bank where she keeps her pennies, and carefully counted out ten pennies! Ten cents is not very much, but to me at that moment, ten cents could change the world!
On Sunday morning I had told Amber to get three bowls out for the three kids who would be eating breakfast. Being insightful and observant, she realized that it was Fast Sunday and John and I would not be eating breakfast. So she turned to John and asked what it means to fast. John explained to her that we go without food or water, and that we pray for specific things and that by fasting we are more receptive to the spirit. He also told her we have the opportunity to donate the money we would have used on the meals we do not eat that day to help others who need a little extra help. Once again, I thought she would accept the answer and go eat breakfast. But she turned to us and told us she wanted to fast with us. I think my jaw hit the floor and I had to catch myself in my response. I started to say no because I didn't think she could handle it. But I stopped before I could get the word out. After all, I didn't want to discourage her. It was her decision. She wanted to participate in a fast. So why not let her try? So I told her that if she really wanted to, then she could. So, with a spring in her steps she went to the kitchen to get out two bowls instead of three.
Have I mentioned how much she amazes me? Despite the tantrums and the attitude, I really am proud of her. While we were enjoying treats after Family Home Evening today, I took the opportunity to tell her how proud I am of her and how much she has impressed me. She was positively glowing. If her smile had gotten any bigger, I think her face would have split in two!
I then took a few moments to tell Emma and Timothy why I am proud of them. Oh my, do I really not praise them enough? They soaked up the praise and were so much more willing to do what I asked after the few moments I spent telling them how wonderful they are!
Then it was time for pajamas. Amber quickly put pajamas on and asked if she could read a chapter of her book to me. So while we were waiting for the other two, I sat and listened to her read about Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion! It was actually quite amusing to hear her read the story. We stopped halfway through the story to gather for family prayer and then I told her I would come sit in bed with her while she finished reading the story to me. By this time her face was glowing and the light in her eyes was unmistakable. I think we both needed this time. I enjoyed listening to her read me a story. It was a nice change from me having to read.
Amber finished her story and switched beds. I sat with Emma for a few minutes while she read to me. When it was time to turn lights out, Emma was only halfway through the small book she was reading. So with the promise of finishing the book tomorrow, we turned the lights out and the girls got ready to go to sleep. At that point I went in to Timothy's room and sat on his bed. While I had been reading with the girls, he would sneak under John's radar and magically appear on the bed with the girls! Then with utter disappointment when I turned him away, he would shuffle back to his bed. So I sat on his bed with him. Amidst the cries of "get off my blanket" we finally got settled and he asked me to lay with him as we read a story. I read Uh Oh Max to him, which only took a few minutes. When I finished, I left a happy boy in his bed ready to go to sleep! Yay! I count tonight as a huge success.
You see, tonight was a huge success because lately I have felt extremely frustrated. I have not been able to figure out what the kids want, why they are so whiny and just plain moody. While I still don't know why, I feel as if we averted some of that moodiness for just a little bit. I am not frustrated and we weren't fighting over bedtime. Yay for small miracles in my life!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!
Growing up we chanted quite regularly the old adage, "Good night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!" As a young child I never realized bed bugs were real. I always thought it was just something funny to say so we would all go to sleep and sleep well. Little did I know that these bugs could actually invade my home!
As an adult I would hear stories about bed bugs in hotels, but I never really thought about it. I've stayed in plenty of hotels, but never thought twice about picking up bed bugs in the hotel! I never really considered it a real threat. After all, I never heard about anyone close to me having an issue with these pesky bugs.
So, when I started seeing little black bugs on the beds, the thought that they were bed bugs didn't cross my mind. I was only seeing them occasionally, so I thought it was just another common household bug. So I dismissed the bugs and went on my merry way. Occasionally I would wake up with bug bites but chalked it up to spider bites because we have had a lot of spiders in our home. The thought of bed bugs still did not even cross my mind.
Then I had my fourth child. We had just gotten home from the hospital and by this time the bug population had grown exponentially. I was waking up with a lot of bites, which I thought was hives. At this point I still didn't realize we had bed bugs. I am so oblivious sometimes! I told John that I must be having a reaction to the medication. After a short while I dismissed that notion. Then I thought, well, it wasn't too long ago we changed the laundry detergent. Maybe I'm allergic to that. So I started putting my laundry through a second rinse cycle. That wasn't doing any good.
As I sat pondering this predicament and being frustrated with not knowing what was happening, the thought came to my mind that we probably had bed bugs. I almost laughed out loud because the thought was incredibly ridiculous! Bed bugs? Me? In my house? No way! So I ignored the thought. Then I had the thought again, louder this time, shouting at me! So I went to the trusty internet. :) I googled bed bugs and found multiple websites. I found one with a good description and even pictures of these bugs. To my horror, this is exactly what I was dealing with. Bed bugs!
So, how was I to get rid of these pesky bugs? The prospect looked grim. I thought I could just get some bug spray and get rid of them myself. Maybe there was a good home remedy that wouldn't cost and arm and a leg. But, in all my research, I learned self home remedies were not effective against this resilient bug. We would need the help of a professional exterminator. The search was on. We found a company that we thought would do the job well. During the initial consultation they guaranteed their work. They were confident the problem would be taken care of! They left leaving us hopeful we would be able to take care of the problem. They came, treated our home multiple times, and then the warranty period was over! The bugs should have been gone.
We hadn't seen any bugs for awhile and hadn't been getting bit. All of a sudden Timothy started getting bit big time. One day he had so many bug bites it looked like chicken pox. Emma and Amber were getting bit. Apparently these bugs were resilient to the pesticides used to exterminate them! At this point I didn't know what to do. We had tried the professional exterminator, could we really afford another one?
Then I found out one of my neighbors was dealing with these same bugs. She told me about the company they went to and I decided it was worth a shot. I called them, and they were able to come the very next day. They seemed better qualified than the first company to treat bed bugs! I was confident we could take care of the problem this time. I was so full of hope.
Throughout all of this I had to keep reminding myself that this isn't what I call a "dirty" bug. I didn't get bed bugs because my house is unclean. I do admit my house is a disaster most days, but it isn't because it is unclean. In the bedrooms it is clutter. But the clutter did not cause us to get bed bugs. It isn't like ants that invade when there's food left out.
The other thing to keep in mind was that these bugs do not cause diseases. They are just annoying. And they mainly come out at night when we are sleeping because it is dark and they have a lot of time to eat! They like to stay close to the food source so they will stay close to the beds. We only had bugs in the three bedrooms upstairs. We did not have them in the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, or the basement. That was a relief!
Because the kids had these pesky bugs in their beds, I was ready to throw out the beds and buy new ones. This second exterminator assured us we would not need to replace the beds. He was 100% confident he could take care of the problem. As far as I can tell right now, these bugs are finally gone! They are no longer invading our home. We have our home back. Pesky pests no longer make their home in our beds!
It has been a long journey to get rid of these pesky bugs. Fortunately we caught the problem before it was too bad. The exterminator has regaled us with stories of worse cases than ours. I am grateful we figured out the problem and have been able to take care of it in the early stages!
As an adult I would hear stories about bed bugs in hotels, but I never really thought about it. I've stayed in plenty of hotels, but never thought twice about picking up bed bugs in the hotel! I never really considered it a real threat. After all, I never heard about anyone close to me having an issue with these pesky bugs.
So, when I started seeing little black bugs on the beds, the thought that they were bed bugs didn't cross my mind. I was only seeing them occasionally, so I thought it was just another common household bug. So I dismissed the bugs and went on my merry way. Occasionally I would wake up with bug bites but chalked it up to spider bites because we have had a lot of spiders in our home. The thought of bed bugs still did not even cross my mind.
Then I had my fourth child. We had just gotten home from the hospital and by this time the bug population had grown exponentially. I was waking up with a lot of bites, which I thought was hives. At this point I still didn't realize we had bed bugs. I am so oblivious sometimes! I told John that I must be having a reaction to the medication. After a short while I dismissed that notion. Then I thought, well, it wasn't too long ago we changed the laundry detergent. Maybe I'm allergic to that. So I started putting my laundry through a second rinse cycle. That wasn't doing any good.
As I sat pondering this predicament and being frustrated with not knowing what was happening, the thought came to my mind that we probably had bed bugs. I almost laughed out loud because the thought was incredibly ridiculous! Bed bugs? Me? In my house? No way! So I ignored the thought. Then I had the thought again, louder this time, shouting at me! So I went to the trusty internet. :) I googled bed bugs and found multiple websites. I found one with a good description and even pictures of these bugs. To my horror, this is exactly what I was dealing with. Bed bugs!
So, how was I to get rid of these pesky bugs? The prospect looked grim. I thought I could just get some bug spray and get rid of them myself. Maybe there was a good home remedy that wouldn't cost and arm and a leg. But, in all my research, I learned self home remedies were not effective against this resilient bug. We would need the help of a professional exterminator. The search was on. We found a company that we thought would do the job well. During the initial consultation they guaranteed their work. They were confident the problem would be taken care of! They left leaving us hopeful we would be able to take care of the problem. They came, treated our home multiple times, and then the warranty period was over! The bugs should have been gone.
We hadn't seen any bugs for awhile and hadn't been getting bit. All of a sudden Timothy started getting bit big time. One day he had so many bug bites it looked like chicken pox. Emma and Amber were getting bit. Apparently these bugs were resilient to the pesticides used to exterminate them! At this point I didn't know what to do. We had tried the professional exterminator, could we really afford another one?
Then I found out one of my neighbors was dealing with these same bugs. She told me about the company they went to and I decided it was worth a shot. I called them, and they were able to come the very next day. They seemed better qualified than the first company to treat bed bugs! I was confident we could take care of the problem this time. I was so full of hope.
Throughout all of this I had to keep reminding myself that this isn't what I call a "dirty" bug. I didn't get bed bugs because my house is unclean. I do admit my house is a disaster most days, but it isn't because it is unclean. In the bedrooms it is clutter. But the clutter did not cause us to get bed bugs. It isn't like ants that invade when there's food left out.
The other thing to keep in mind was that these bugs do not cause diseases. They are just annoying. And they mainly come out at night when we are sleeping because it is dark and they have a lot of time to eat! They like to stay close to the food source so they will stay close to the beds. We only had bugs in the three bedrooms upstairs. We did not have them in the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, or the basement. That was a relief!
Because the kids had these pesky bugs in their beds, I was ready to throw out the beds and buy new ones. This second exterminator assured us we would not need to replace the beds. He was 100% confident he could take care of the problem. As far as I can tell right now, these bugs are finally gone! They are no longer invading our home. We have our home back. Pesky pests no longer make their home in our beds!
It has been a long journey to get rid of these pesky bugs. Fortunately we caught the problem before it was too bad. The exterminator has regaled us with stories of worse cases than ours. I am grateful we figured out the problem and have been able to take care of it in the early stages!
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Reflections on walking
Reflections on walking:
Walking allows the mind to clear and the soul to breathe. Walking awakens the senses allowing a person to enjoy the beauty of the day. Walking engages the senses that have been awakened allowing a person to appreciate the beauty of God's creations!
Reasons for these reflections:
Last week the other carpool mom was out of town, so that left me trying to get Amber to school in the mornings. I wasn't too worried, after all, how hard could it be to get everyone in the car and drive her there? So Monday morning rolls around, and I have about 15 minutes before time to go. I realize, wait, I need to get dressed! Then a couple of minutes later I made the last minute decision that I would let Amber walk to school with some of her friends. She begs me every morning to walk. So I made a phone call to make sure her friend was walking, and then we got everyone out the door. We made it on time! What a feat. I wasn't prepared to walk that morning, but we did it and Amber absolutely loved being able to walk. So I thought, maybe we'll walk all week long. That would be a nice treat for Amber.
Then I came home and was looking at my calendar, reminding myself of activities for the week. Ummmm . . . okay, so maybe walking was not going to work out. I realized I had an online seminar to attend for the next three days. I had to be signed in by 9 a.m. to get the credit for attending. Yikes, yikes, yikes. That's what I get for making rash decisions and getting Amber's hopes up! Never fear, the other moms who had been meeting us were willing to let Amber tag along. I really appreciated them letting Amber tag along. It made her happy to be able to walk. This was a little thing I could do for her so maybe she could have a better day, a better week. John was able to walk with her one of the days and she was so happy to have daddy go with her. What a special treat that was. She ended up being able to walk every day last week.
So Monday this week rolls around. I know there are very few nice days left to walk in the mornings. It is starting to get chilly and I won't be able to justify taking the other kids out. So, when I finished feeding the baby in enough time to let Amber walk, I once again made the last minute decision to walk. But I would have to send Amber on ahead and I would follow in a few minutes with everyone else. I called the carpool mom and told her Amber would be walking. I caught up to Amber about halfway to school. I had to almost run to catch up with her.
Yesterday was the PTA's Walk to School day. I had always planned on letting Amber walk, but I failed to leave as early as I had hoped because I got distracted. I didn't know when the other moms who walk were leaving. So I left and hoped to run into them. Apparently I was too late because I didn't run into any of them on the way. Oh well. It wasn't such a big deal. I'm a big girl and can walk with my children alone. It was actually an uneventful walk. My cousin did catch up with us and walked with the girls for a bit and then ran ahead to catch her friend. I think Amber was a little disappointed to not have her friends walk with her, but it happens. I stayed with her until her teacher took her inside. She was so excited that I stayed.
I was going to stay and let the other two play on the playground for awhile. But after a couple of minutes Emma was complaining about needing to go potty. I decided it would be best to head home rather than fighting to get her into the school restroom! It turned out she didn't need to pee as bad as she thought and we were able to take a nice leisurely walk home. We didn't have a reason to hurry, we didn't have to keep up with anyone else.
So with the few times I have walked with Amber, I have had time to think, to just be outside, and enjoy the fresh air. It has been a nice change from the regular routine. Now back to our routine, back to the carpool. I will miss walking, but I also enjoy the less hectic morning.
Walking allows the mind to clear and the soul to breathe. Walking awakens the senses allowing a person to enjoy the beauty of the day. Walking engages the senses that have been awakened allowing a person to appreciate the beauty of God's creations!
Reasons for these reflections:
Last week the other carpool mom was out of town, so that left me trying to get Amber to school in the mornings. I wasn't too worried, after all, how hard could it be to get everyone in the car and drive her there? So Monday morning rolls around, and I have about 15 minutes before time to go. I realize, wait, I need to get dressed! Then a couple of minutes later I made the last minute decision that I would let Amber walk to school with some of her friends. She begs me every morning to walk. So I made a phone call to make sure her friend was walking, and then we got everyone out the door. We made it on time! What a feat. I wasn't prepared to walk that morning, but we did it and Amber absolutely loved being able to walk. So I thought, maybe we'll walk all week long. That would be a nice treat for Amber.
Then I came home and was looking at my calendar, reminding myself of activities for the week. Ummmm . . . okay, so maybe walking was not going to work out. I realized I had an online seminar to attend for the next three days. I had to be signed in by 9 a.m. to get the credit for attending. Yikes, yikes, yikes. That's what I get for making rash decisions and getting Amber's hopes up! Never fear, the other moms who had been meeting us were willing to let Amber tag along. I really appreciated them letting Amber tag along. It made her happy to be able to walk. This was a little thing I could do for her so maybe she could have a better day, a better week. John was able to walk with her one of the days and she was so happy to have daddy go with her. What a special treat that was. She ended up being able to walk every day last week.
So Monday this week rolls around. I know there are very few nice days left to walk in the mornings. It is starting to get chilly and I won't be able to justify taking the other kids out. So, when I finished feeding the baby in enough time to let Amber walk, I once again made the last minute decision to walk. But I would have to send Amber on ahead and I would follow in a few minutes with everyone else. I called the carpool mom and told her Amber would be walking. I caught up to Amber about halfway to school. I had to almost run to catch up with her.
Yesterday was the PTA's Walk to School day. I had always planned on letting Amber walk, but I failed to leave as early as I had hoped because I got distracted. I didn't know when the other moms who walk were leaving. So I left and hoped to run into them. Apparently I was too late because I didn't run into any of them on the way. Oh well. It wasn't such a big deal. I'm a big girl and can walk with my children alone. It was actually an uneventful walk. My cousin did catch up with us and walked with the girls for a bit and then ran ahead to catch her friend. I think Amber was a little disappointed to not have her friends walk with her, but it happens. I stayed with her until her teacher took her inside. She was so excited that I stayed.
I was going to stay and let the other two play on the playground for awhile. But after a couple of minutes Emma was complaining about needing to go potty. I decided it would be best to head home rather than fighting to get her into the school restroom! It turned out she didn't need to pee as bad as she thought and we were able to take a nice leisurely walk home. We didn't have a reason to hurry, we didn't have to keep up with anyone else.
So with the few times I have walked with Amber, I have had time to think, to just be outside, and enjoy the fresh air. It has been a nice change from the regular routine. Now back to our routine, back to the carpool. I will miss walking, but I also enjoy the less hectic morning.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
We've been busy
Okay, so I've neglected this blog for quite some time. I didn't realize how long it had been. So here's what we've been up to the past couple of months.
During the summer months I was working a whole lot more. I had the best of both worlds. I was still able to be with my family while going in to work a few days a week. But it made the summer very busy. Coordinating schedules was the biggest challenge, but we were blessed to have one of the young women in our neighborhood be willing to babysit one morning a week for the entire summer! I'm sure she could have found something better and more fun to do, but I will always be grateful for her.
The last week of July was Girl's camp. The girls left on Wednesday and even though they aren't my family, I felt so sad sending them off without me. It was very difficult to leave them in the hands of others. I joined them on Friday morning and camp ended Saturday morning.
Right from Girls camp me and John drove to Nephi to meet up with Aunt Deb. My kids were with Aunt Deb and we had plans to stay with her for the rest of the weekend. Fun times were had by all.
About a week later I had Youth Conference. I hadn't been planning on being there, but then I realized I could be there at least the first day. It was so crazy getting everything ready for that. Plus I was trying to get everything ready for our trip to Michigan. It seems as if everything happened at the end of the summer! Thank goodness for the extra work I had this summer that allowed us to make the trip to visit with John's family. The kids were so excited to see Papa John and Grandma Kate!
We left for Michigan on August 13th. Now, the drive can be 24 hours, but with 4 small children, that 24 hours quickly spread into 30! It was a very long drive, but the kids were amazing in the car. The girls didn't fight very much, and the boys were happy as long as we got them out of the car seats every time we stopped! This was the difficult part for me because I wanted them to sleep most of the night, but alas, nothing ever goes as planned.
We spent about 5 days with John's family before heading back home. There were things I needed to take care of and school was starting on the 23rd. School here seriously needs to start later. I felt like we had very little summer. But part of that is my fault for working. I wouldn't trade it for anything though. Life has been crazy but has been so worth it!
Like I said, school started on the 23rd for Amber. Emma started Kindergarten a week later, on the 30th. It is so hard for me to see Emma coming out of school at the end of the day with all the big kids. Seeing her next to all the big kids makes her seem so little still. I've had a harder time sending her to Kindergarten than my oldest. I was so not prepared for this!
Since then we've signed Amber up for soccer so we'll see how this goes. She is so excited. John gets to be her coach, and I am a member of the soccer league board. Amber didn't want to play until she found out John would be her coach! It helps to see both of us excited about her playing. My hope is that she gains some confidence that spills over into other areas. In the past year she has lost a lot of confidence in herself. I would like to see her build her confidence levels again. It makes me sad to see how she is.
Oh, and in the midst of all of that, we've been to the Discovery museum downtown, and the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. And the girls have found time to have play dates with some of their friends. I've found time for a few baking nights in the midst of all this craziness. I need to bake to keep my sanity sometimes.
Despite all of that, I have managed to keep my family fed, the grocery shopping done, and actually get a few minutes of shut eye! Sleep deprived mom is not fun. Just ask my kids, and then ask my husband.
During the summer months I was working a whole lot more. I had the best of both worlds. I was still able to be with my family while going in to work a few days a week. But it made the summer very busy. Coordinating schedules was the biggest challenge, but we were blessed to have one of the young women in our neighborhood be willing to babysit one morning a week for the entire summer! I'm sure she could have found something better and more fun to do, but I will always be grateful for her.
The last week of July was Girl's camp. The girls left on Wednesday and even though they aren't my family, I felt so sad sending them off without me. It was very difficult to leave them in the hands of others. I joined them on Friday morning and camp ended Saturday morning.
Right from Girls camp me and John drove to Nephi to meet up with Aunt Deb. My kids were with Aunt Deb and we had plans to stay with her for the rest of the weekend. Fun times were had by all.
About a week later I had Youth Conference. I hadn't been planning on being there, but then I realized I could be there at least the first day. It was so crazy getting everything ready for that. Plus I was trying to get everything ready for our trip to Michigan. It seems as if everything happened at the end of the summer! Thank goodness for the extra work I had this summer that allowed us to make the trip to visit with John's family. The kids were so excited to see Papa John and Grandma Kate!
We left for Michigan on August 13th. Now, the drive can be 24 hours, but with 4 small children, that 24 hours quickly spread into 30! It was a very long drive, but the kids were amazing in the car. The girls didn't fight very much, and the boys were happy as long as we got them out of the car seats every time we stopped! This was the difficult part for me because I wanted them to sleep most of the night, but alas, nothing ever goes as planned.
We spent about 5 days with John's family before heading back home. There were things I needed to take care of and school was starting on the 23rd. School here seriously needs to start later. I felt like we had very little summer. But part of that is my fault for working. I wouldn't trade it for anything though. Life has been crazy but has been so worth it!
Like I said, school started on the 23rd for Amber. Emma started Kindergarten a week later, on the 30th. It is so hard for me to see Emma coming out of school at the end of the day with all the big kids. Seeing her next to all the big kids makes her seem so little still. I've had a harder time sending her to Kindergarten than my oldest. I was so not prepared for this!
Since then we've signed Amber up for soccer so we'll see how this goes. She is so excited. John gets to be her coach, and I am a member of the soccer league board. Amber didn't want to play until she found out John would be her coach! It helps to see both of us excited about her playing. My hope is that she gains some confidence that spills over into other areas. In the past year she has lost a lot of confidence in herself. I would like to see her build her confidence levels again. It makes me sad to see how she is.
Oh, and in the midst of all of that, we've been to the Discovery museum downtown, and the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. And the girls have found time to have play dates with some of their friends. I've found time for a few baking nights in the midst of all this craziness. I need to bake to keep my sanity sometimes.
Despite all of that, I have managed to keep my family fed, the grocery shopping done, and actually get a few minutes of shut eye! Sleep deprived mom is not fun. Just ask my kids, and then ask my husband.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Life through the eyes of my children!
Life can be so complicated as an adult. I find myself being caught up in the complications and stresses of life. Amidst the complications and chaos of my life, my children gave me a priceless gift. They allowed me a glimpse into their world, a view of life through their precious eyes!
Here is life through the eyes of my children! Enjoy!
Here is life through the eyes of my children! Enjoy!
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