I’ve got four little golfers today.
Four train players.
Four car racers.
Four mac-and-cheese eaters.
Four cuties.
recent posts
about
-
-
Samuel and I both had injuries this month. I fell off my bike onto a street (I was clipped in to my pedals – at a stoplight I unclipped my right foot but leaned left). Ouch! I can’t remember the last time I fell like that. I also sported a bruised hip.
Samuel fell off his bike and hit his head – hard! Over the following days the bruising and swelling went down into his eyes. We’re hoping this will reiterate our “helmet and shoes” rule for bike riding. Poor guy – a blessing from Dad and sincere prayers from the rest of us plus a grape slush seemed to help.
-
My efforts to spur the BYU Cougars and Jimmer Fredette on to victory last week proved fruitless (we lost to Florida in overtime). But it sure was fun to cheer them on all the way to the Sweet Sixteen. We admittedly had “Jimmer-Fever”.
-
They came downstairs looking like this one Sunday after church. I should have been frightened perhaps, but I was amused.
-
Found this picture on my Iphone. It makes me laugh – it looks like the horse is posing for me. He, he! Stonebriar Mall Carousel, early March 2011
-
My Jacob is struggling. This 5th grade year will NOT go down as our favorite. And despite the fear of sending a child to Middle School, I have to say that we are beginning to look forward to it with great anticipation because it will mean we are leaving 5th grade behind.
We have spent the year tweaking, trying and re-trying different ADHD medications. For Jacob this "disorder" is so much more than just a difficulty focusing at school, which is how so many categorize it. It's about anger and anxiety and mood swings and impulsivity. It's so hard - for him and for us. Getting him TO school is such a challenge. Getting him up out of bed is a challenge. Getting him to bed at night, you guessed it, a challenge. On Monday we got a 'patch' that we're trying now to see if we can get benefit during the day, but decreased benefit after we take it off in the afternoon so that maybe he'll be able to sleep. (I read THIS article in Real Simple magazine that I thought was interesting – talking about a child with ADHD and how it effects the whole family.)
Jacob has a teacher that is just mean – says childish and hurtful things to him. She wants 100% compliance and takes it upon herself to lecture him – all the time. He is fed up and tired.
Jacob is struggling to find a peer group that he feels he belongs in. This has produced late night discussions that involve tears. He has had his own issues with treating kids unkindly. And now he is the recipient of some of that stuff – name calling, that as a mom is heart-wrenching. School is a hard place without social pressures – add in the fact that you don't feel like you have friends and it makes it even harder.
A month ago I found him dressed in camo overalls and wool socks with a pillowcase packed with essentials. He was ready to run-away…at 10:30 pm. He wanted to escape and go "live in the woods". He has always been a lover of adventure/nature books – Swiss Family Robinson and My Side of the Mountain and The Sign of the Beaver are favorites. He is convinced that he could live in the wild and fend for himself and escape some of the hardship that accompany his unique challenges. The truth is that he is capable enough to probably handle the "rough" nature life for a while!! He reads his Boy Scout book for fun sometimes and knows more about first aid than I do!!
This morning he forgot his homework. This is not altogether uncommon for him. He called me at 7:57 am and begged for me to bring it up to school. I have admittedly sent mixed messages in this department – occasionally dropping by unexpectedly to the school with his forgotten lunch or homework. But today I am tired. Today I have things to do (plus, I'm still in my robe). So I said "no". I told him he was welcome to run home and grab it and then take a tardy (which I don't think his teacher would allow since he was already in the classroom). I feel terrible. Despite everything I've ever read about 'helicopter parenting'. Despite everything I know about 'natural consequences'. Despite the fact that my head tells me this is a good way for him to learn so that he'll be less likely to leave his homework home again tomorrow (or the next day). Despite all of that, it breaks my heart to say no, when I could have just as easily gotten dressed and said 'yes'. And I have to live with that and hope that his resentment doesn't overshadow his love. And I have to hope that the lesson is not lost on his "especially sensitive-right-now" soul.
In my ideal world, I would pull him home and celebrate LEARNING again (something he loves so much). We would explore and read and study together and build up his self-worth and confidence before sending him off to 6th grade. But would that work? Or is that just a dreamy idealized scenario on my part?
Parenting has a way of taking your heart and slowly peeling away the layers to reveal the most vulnerable and sensitive inner parts. As the kids get older I realize that the young years are so easy comparatively. Hard physcially, yes. I feel like Samuel demands all of the physical strength and energy that I have sometimes. But as they get older they demand more time, more emotional energy, more spiritual discernment. And mine aren't even that old (teenage years, here we come!).
But, as always, I pray and exercise faith on behalf of a child that wasn't always mine. First he was HIS. And He loves him even more than I do and can direct and guide my feeble efforts to parent him in love. Thanks be to heaven for that knowledge. Otherwise I would be lost in this endeavor.
-
Get ready folks – I'm unstoppable right now. I have not been blogging at my true blogging potential, I'm sure you've noticed. Part of the problem was that I was SO (so!) far behind that I didn't feel like I could move on. And I didn't really know where to start. This blog is not just about my quips and feelings, but also (mostly) about keeping our family's history. And without the history it's just not worthy of my time. So I am so happy to say that I am now caught up with 2010 (yes, I was THAT behind). I can't imagine anyone really wants to read about what happened in November at this point, but if you're bored, here goes:
Pine Cove (includes a video!)
The Heart of the Matter (my Dad's heart surgery)
2nd Annual Hot Chocolate for Charity
Photo Shoot 2010 (some great pictures of the boys)
Carol of the Bells (includes a video!)
New Year's Eve 2010 (see me embarass myself!)
That's right, friends, I've been busy! I'm resolved now to get caught up on 2011 (look for that this week) and go back to being a regular, current blogger. Stay tuned!
-
No one else probably finds these that fascinating, but he's my "baby" and the things that come out of his mouth right now kill me (in a good way)!
On the way to the park…we listened to Keith Urban's song "Kiss a Girl"
S: MOM! This song is about kissing girls!! I want to kiss a girl.
Then the song "Marry Me" by Train came on:
S: MOM! This song is about marrying. I want to marry somebody!
After the park, we were talking about two boys who got into a fight…
S: Mom, did that thing make you so sad? (I often say I'm "sad" when people make bad choices).
This afternoon after his nap:
S: One day when I'm bigger I can do this thing (pointing to my computer) like you. And I can have my toes painted too (I just got a pedicure).
And for my own memory books:
Samuel STILL loves silly bands. Samuel empties every drawer looking for just the right outfit (that always involves shorts and tops and bottoms never match). Samuel loves to say naughty words like "stupid" and "fart" just because he knows it makes me crazy. Samuel snacks all.day.long. Samuel still sucks his thumb and we're trying hard to get him to stop (to no avail). Samuel sneaks out of the house when I'm distracted (with no shoes or helmet) and rides his bike down to the neighbors. Samuel still naps (maybe 3-4 times a week). Samuel thinks Caleb is his bestest friend. Samuel loves to sing along to "Dynamite" (Taio Cruz) and "You're Amazing" (Bruno Mars) and anything by Hilary Weeks. Samuel loves to color with markers. Samuel writes his name on everything which makes me look like a really amazing detective (he signs his name at the scene of every crime). Samuel is delightful…
-
Today my heart is heavy…for others. I feel so blessed. I am so blessed. My biggest worries today are if my kids will eat what I am preparing for dinner. And how sore I'll be tomorrow from my kickboxing workout today.
So many people - loved ones and those that I don't know – are facing challenges and discouragement. And I wish that I could help lift some of that burden from others sometimes. Derek often says, that as a bishop, one of the blessings that come from that responsibility is to be able, at times, to help people let go of some of the burdens they carry.
So, today, for you who struggle, or weep, or feel that your burdens are heavy…
the mother who is overwhelmed by grief
the mother who worries and prays for her teenager
the grandmother who worries prays for her newborn grandbaby
the friend who feels she is not enough
the Japanese father who worries where his family's next meal will come from, and wonders about their future
the Libyan mother who waits in fearFor all of them, and all of the others, I pray today for grace, for strength, for peace.
And I express gratitude for THIS day – where my worries and burdens are so light. For I know that "he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45) So today I will bask in the sun, but pray hard for those in the rain.
-
Last night we surprised my mom with a b'day party for her 60th. Her actual b'day is not until 3/30 but with babies coming and 4 family schedules to work around we decided to REALLY surprise her by having it 25 days early! We had one of our family favorite's for dinner – glorious mess. We were split into two teams and played "Minute to Win It" games. And we had a chocolate cake from HERE (two words – YUM-MY!). And Anne put together an amazing video of pictures of all of us and Mom through the years (including a pic of the two new-bies due to make an appearance this year – Reid and "Boss Hog" (until appropriately named). It was so special and all I could think the whole time was – we have had a happy life. It was great fun to be together and celebrate this woman we all adore! Happy Birthday Momma!
Friends: Watch this video and see for ourselves where I get my competitive edge. :) It's an engrained genetic trait.
p.s. Caleb insisted on wearing his new green wig! I think he looks like a leprechaun version of the orphan Annie. 🙂
p.p.s. This video makes me really happy. We're pretty blessed.
Nana's 60th B'day Party from Meredith Smith on Vimeo.
Site Title 