You Go Girl!

This is the cake I bought from Safeway for my son's first birthday.  It was chocolate with some kind of gooey pudding inside.  

This is the cake my buddy Judy made for her daughter's fourth birthday.  Clearly I have extraordinarily talented friends.  You are my cake idol Judy!

A Little Lesson:

    I have come to learn that when you meet people who are super dooper in what they do, and you kind of stink at it, there are three responses you can choose....

1. "I am such a looser, I can't do that, I'm not good at anything, I'm so lame." 

                                            or

2. "Wow! You're amazing! I hope one day I can do something like that too - can you give me some tips!"

                                            or

3.  "You GO Girl!"  "Not going to try that any time soon but...YOU GO GIRL!"

I hope all of us dabble in and out of number 2 and 3  - it sure makes life a lot happier!

Proud Sister

My little sister Jenn, mother of three/entrepreneur/homemaker/dabbles in the gong show life like her big sister, announced last month that her company Alphabet Garden Designs was selected to have an article written about her in their Arthritis Today magazine.  We giggled and gave her a standing ovation.  Yeah Jenn!  She sells vinyl lettering for home decor and weddings.  So we thought, hey, people with arthritis have decorating ideas too!  Last week, however, Jenn announced her company is going to be featured in an actual BRIDAL magazine!  I was so proud.  We didn't giggle, we gave her a standing ovation and did the wave!  So proud! 

I've watched Jenn say hey I'm going to start a company that sells vinyl lettering, bought the machine and got started.  She has come to master the art of climbing the Google search latter and finding ways to become visible.  She has never taken a business course in her life but has managed to work with over 50 wholesalers, hire employees, and gets dozens of orders a day!  I feel like I am watching that famous saying by Thomas Edison:

Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration!

Go Jenn go!

A Little Lesson:

Practically everything there is to have in this life will come to us based on how badly we are willing to work for it!

Looking Happy

Last night I was at a "visiting teaching" dinner with a group of friends.  I sat next to my buddy Rana who explained to me how she decided to become a librarian.  It went something like this...

I was trying to decide what to do next.  I had my undergraduate in drama from BYU.  All of the teachers I knew, and I knew many, were frustrated and so unhappy with their jobs.  All of the lawyers I knew felt they were overworked and underpaid.  And then one evening I was at a party where it seemed half of the people there, were librarians.  They were so happy.  They enjoyed what they did.  They loved going to work.  And hey, they were all dressed so great!  I will become a librarian!

A Little Lesson:

    I thought as Rana told this story, what great advice for all of us.  Would someone spend the evening with me and conclude hey, that's a great life she's got there.  Do we really look happy in what we've chosen to do?  Food for thought.

Paint Date

The last three nights, Craig has spent the evening with Benjamin...Benjamin Moore that is.  Our house still has about 57 door, window, and baseboard frames t0 be painted.  And about 2 million nail holes to be filled with putty.  I call it the Never-Ending Reno, a B-movie that went straight to dvd.   Craig finds a little time between dadhood, stakehood, telushood and husbandhood to dig out the brush and go to work.  He's really good at it.  He takes his time, he is meticulous and he keeps on pluggin along. Our home is in many respects beautiful because of him.  I just like to go to Pottery Barn and Ikea.  In our marriage I am absolutely the hare and he is the tortoise.  I am the burst of energy kind of worker, he is the slow and steady win the race kind of guy.  I didn't know this when I married to him.   He was tall, dark and handsome, he loved the Lord and he was head over heels in love with moi!

A Little Lesson:

   I've always given the advice to youth and YSA in speaking assignments I have given over the years, when finding a companion to spend the rest of your life with, find someone who really loves the Lord as much as you do.  That one quality over all the rest will mean you will marry someone who is striving constantly to become a better person.  A more Christ-like person.  The other personality traits whether charming or annoying will evolve and develop into what will be your companion's greatest potential.  

Von Trapps We Are Not

When I came home from the pawn shop, after having bought my first guitar, the first thing I did was learn three chords and write a Family Home Evening song.  It was titled Comfy Couches.  We've been singing that song at Family Home Evening since Jordan was four.  At the beginning of the summer I decided we needed a new one, and We're All in This Together was born.  (Influenced by High School Musical I?  Not so much...same title, different tune)

Recording Woes

-one of us had the hiccups

-one of us was very tired

-one of us was anxious to get back to painting the stairs

-one of us, it seems is entering puberty early

-one of us forgot to save the tracks and 

we had to record everything all over again

-one of us had the time of their lives

C a n   Y o u   G u e s s ? 

A Little Lesson:

     Learning the gospel of Jesus Christ is an ongoing lifelong journey.  Putting some of that learning to music makes the journey a little easier and a lot more fun!

Instruction Manual

A Little Lesson:

     And they say babies don't come with instruction manuals...

(Click on image to enlarge)

Heartfelt Thank You

I don't remember when Benjamin started sleeping through the night.  It was several months ago.  I didn't even say thank you.  I would just snooze away, wake up refreshed and go on with my day.  Sleep or the lack thereof is what can determine a mom's stability or the lack thereof.  Thank you Benjamin for your slumber.  I am deeply grateful.

A Little Lesson:

    Credit should be given where credit is due.  

Christmas Songs

Over the past week Clara has selected  for her personal listening choice christmas music, as she goes from room to room with her cd player in hand, set's up her toys and plays.   O Come All Ye Faithful and Silent Night have been bellowing through our home at all hours. Coincidently, my calling in the church is the Stake Activities person and our major event is the Festival of Nativities.  We set up hundreds of nativities from around the world for a three day event that celebrates the birth of Christ here in Vancouver at Christmas time.  I'm sure I will be referring to this event a lot over the next 3 months, as it is a big part of our lives.  I am slightly behind in our preparations this year and feeling the guilt of that. With Nat King Cole belting it out to the sleigh bells it is hard to not to get my head in the game and work on the necessary assignments!

A Little Lesson:

    I used the word coincidently, but I actually don't believe in coincidence.  I believe even the workings of a four year old can be part of our Heavenly Father's gentle nudgings to get a move on!

Sepia Moment

When I first got my camera I wanted to take all my pictures in the 'sepia' setting.  It felt more artistic and hip when I did that.  Not black and white.  Not colour.  It just seemed to capture the moment I was experiencing...relaxed, enjoyable, old fashioned, like the days when people would sit on porch swings and drink lemonade.  This past Sunday afternoon, Emily and I laid on the couch together and watched the Book of Mormon video The Iron Rod.  

Emily asks, "Mom"

I responded, "Yes"

"If you weren't a member of the church...do you still think you would hold on to the rod?" (holding on to the rod in our church represents keeping the commandments)  

I think for a second, "yes Em, I think I would."  

A few minutes go by...she says, "me too." 

It was a sepia moment.

A Little Lesson:

   There is a certain way our children say "Mom".  It's drawn out.  It descends and then goes up in intonation.  It is reflective and curious.  I try to watch out for these.  I know waiting on the other side is a window into our children's intricate thinkings.  

Baby Steps

The 'Faith in God' primary assignment:  make a healthy meal for your family.  I suggested wraps, chicken and rice, spaghetti, etc.  Jordan decided a can dedicated to one vegetable fit the bill.  Last night we enjoyed a lovely tomato soup meal prepared by my oldest son.  

A Little Lesson:

Although the preparation of the soup was a valuable lesson for Jordan,  when his sister decided she didn't like what he had prepared, he looked at me as if to say "ah...I get it now."  

No lecture, explanation or complaining would have had as much impact as that moment where he experienced just for a split second, his mother's life.

Always Laughing

I am what they call an 'easy laugh'.   I find most of the people in my life hilariously funny.  My gut and cheeks hurt the most however when Colleen is on the other end of the phone.  Today I woke up and didn't post a blog.  I returned home from church with this email waiting in my inbox.

Sunday 7:45am

Subject:  Where's the Blog?

It is 7:48am and I am wondering where the blog is.  Now that you are part of my morning routine you can't just take it away.  Perhaps you could bring your laptop and camera to church and drop a few lines during the intermediate hymn.  Or I am sure you could borrow Craig's new blackberry as well.

C

A Little Lesson:

   Clearly she has not read my "Sabbath Day Race" entry.

Hardly Wrapped

"Is that how you're going to wrap Austin's present?" Clara looks on with skepticism as I curl the green ribbon with a pair of scissors.  I reassure her that he will be so excited about the pink pig (Austin LOVES the colour pink!) and the Cat and the Hat colouring poster that he will forget all about the fact there is no wrapping paper.  She is not convinced and announces she doesn't want to go to the party.  In steps Emily, who by the way has negotiating skills that would put a top billing corporate attorney to tears, manages to calm her younger sister and convince her the party is worth giving up this one detail.  Clara relents and heads to the car with her hardly wrapped present.

A Little Lesson:

     I thought I was doing great having the present ready to go, we didn't even have to do the 'Toys R Us on the way to the party' run like we usually do!  There is a saying I've always loved...

God wisely designed the human body so that we can neither pat 

our own backs nor kick ourselves too easily.

Middle Child

My Clara is the middle child in our family.  Mathematically speaking she is not, but...she is.  I was also the middle child.  I can already hear people saying the things I used to hear when I was a child...she is such a character!  She sure beats to her own drum!  The other day as I was watching my little wonder, a song started to flow in and out of my mind.  I decided I would put off finishing it until another time.  This morning when I saw her from my bedroom window on the swing set in full swing, wearing her tie- die bathing suit, black cowboy boots and sunglasses singing at the top of her lungs I decided I would finish the song and put it to some memorable pictures.   Speaking from experience, I want my middle child to know...I hear ya sister!  And when you feel your world doesn't 'get' you...I will wink and smile at you and say...no explanation necessary.   The song is titled "So Beautiful"... I love you Clara.

A Little Lesson:

     I believe nothing equips you for raising children more than remembering deeply what it was truly like to be a child.   As I have mentioned before, I was not so good at the diary thing, but I feel like I have thousands upon thousands of memories of what it was like to be me.  So far that seems to be helping my little Clara the most!

Practical Wishes

I overheard my older kids talking.

Emily announces to her big brother, "I wish that I could wake up and find 10 million dollars on my bedside table."

Jordan responds with authority,  "Emily, first of all, if you ever have a wish, you have to wish that you will have like 20, 000 more wishes, then you have to start wishing for real things like never having to go to the dentist again."

A Little Lesson:

   After hearing the quote on getting drapes and blinds for my windows,  I think I'll vote for Emily's wish.

What Fun!

Today I have been bloggin' now for exactly one month.  I have more journal entries in the past 30 days here in blogland than I do for my entire high school life...what a shame.  Here's to looking to the future!  Thank you for all of you sweet people who left kind words for me to find.

A Little Lesson:

     I am still not crazy about the word 'blog' but I have come to love the exercise of putting to paper (or I should say screen) an ongoing narrative otherwise known as, my life.

We Didn't Notice!

I spent 2 hours at Arlene's, a window covering store today.  It was brought to our attention from our house sitter that we might be living as border-line exhibitionists.  Since we finished our reno (two years ago) we haven't bought drapes or curtains...yet.  Our house sitter couldn't figure out how we moved around, especially in the evening, especially in our upstairs bathroom. I have never been a fan of sheers.  I am such a big fan of light pouring into our rooms, old leaded-glass windows and curved molding, I just always thought it was a shame to cover them up.  So what if we have to shower in the dark!  We live on a hill, sort of.  The window consultant gave me a thorough education and I picked the ones I liked the best.  They were approximately $2000 per window.  And exhibitionists we will be!

A Little Lesson:

   I find more often then not it is the almighty dollar more than anything else that breeds ingenuity, flexibility and patience in the common homeowner.

Sacred Work

On the way home from camping we stopped in on our temple to see how it was doing...glorious!  It was this time last year that those piles of wood and concrete were actually a beautiful grove of trees and the primary children came from across the stake for a special activity to hear the exciting news about the temple that was coming.  It was such a beautiful day.  Emily was asked to sing "I love to see the Temple" and I accompanied her on the guitar.   President Christensen told the story about how President Hinckley chose this spot for the temple even though he couldn't even see it, as it was behind a row of 40 foot trees!  Everyone here in the lower mainland loves that story!  

A Little Lesson:

     Although it is going to be so convenient and comfortable to drive a handful of minutes to now go through the temple, the real and ongoing challenge is to allow the temple to go through us and our lives.  Is it's sacred work and purpose woven into the fabric of our days, weeks or months, or is it just a place we attend out of duty and obedience.  One of our prophets said it best:

"May you let the meaning and beauty and peace of the 

temple come into your everyday life..."

~President Howard W. Hunter

The Phone Call

This morning I woke up with a kitchen full of peaches waiting to be finished, shortly there after my older children asking for their chore assignments (Jordan & Emily are actively earning their final summer "reward"...I'll explain another time!) there was putting away the final three loads of 'camp' laundry, keeping Benjamin off the stairs - WE NEED GATES, teaching Jordan O Canada on the piano, which he was asked by the principal to play for his school assemblies for this upcoming year (which starts in 14 days by the way), and helping Emily resurrect her violin pieces from last year. It seemed doable when I started the day, but as the day progressed I realized I hadn't really recovered from camping and I was tired. I also realized I had been with my children 24/7 for what seemed like weeks without a break from these sweet people called my offspring. We were having fun of course...but even a break for just a few minutes! The day went progressively downhill. It started with a full jar of peaches cracking open in the boiler. This creates a really big mess that has to be tended to immediately. The kids took turns being annoyed with each other in various combinations: Emily with Clara, Clara with Jordan, Jordan with Clara and Emily... I don't remember hearing the violin at all and on and on and on it went, by five o'clock...I made the phone call. It went something like this...

"Craig...?"

"Yes..."

"When you come home tonight will you take all of our children out for a long drive far away."

"Where?"

"Seattle"

"How about I take them to A&W on the outskirts of town get them a root beer, head over to Rogers and get them a video which I will watch with them down the basement?"

"I love you..."

"I know"

A Little Lesson:

The entertainment world, in the common sitcom or movie, likes to portray men as insensitive and clueless to the needs and wants of women. It portrays the female as a complex creature, demanding, complicated and impossible to please. This is fantasy. My husband, a.k.a. love of my life, completely 'gets' me. He is acutely aware of what I need and more importantly when I need it. He doesn't always get it right, but he tries. In this kind and simple gesture I am renewed and ready to take on my world again. Thank you my love.

Sweet Service

I came home from camping with the 8 boxes of peaches in my garage that my wonderful buddy Tami Lyn brought me from the Okanagan last week when she was driving back to the coast.  As I stood in my kitchen with Emily at my side canning away, all I could think of was my dear Tami Lyn.  Not because of her generosity, pulling the car over to pick me up some peaches...on her birthday I might add  No, that was just the tip of the iceberg.  Last year when I discovered I was pregnant I thought of two things.  Wow I am going to have another baby, and oh oh this baby is coming the week free stone peaches are on!  I usually can 70-80 jars, and have done so for many years now. Knowing this, Tami Lyn quietly came over to my house the week before peach season, (I was 9 months pregnant) picked up several bins of jars, quietly drove to her hometown of Nelson for a week, canned my 70-80 jars of peaches and quietly brought them back to me all done, even with little material tops tied on with raffia.   I stand in my kitchen today with sticky counters, peach juice on the floor, jars in the dishwasher, jars on the counter, jars in the sink, boxes of peaches in the dinning room, canning paraphanalia everywhere, my windows steamy from all the boiling water, my eyes welled up as I thought... she did this for me! 

Most people when they hear you are going to have a baby, think, I will buy her a cute sleeper or perhaps bring her a meal when she comes out of the hospital, all wonderful gestures for sure. Tami Lyn thinks, what does my friend really want...that is what I will do.

A Little Lesson:

     If my chances of making it to heaven are based on the examples of the people I call friends, I will surely have a fighting chance. 

Another Good-Bye

This past two weeks I received the sad news that two of my dear friends Sariah and DeEtte are going to be moving away.  DeEtte and her husband Art are going to be heading up to Naramata to live in a beautiful home on the beach.  There is a big guest house on the property that already has our name on it!  Sariah and her gang are heading out to Mission to live in a wonderful house in the Silverdale area.  Living in the middle of Vancouver has meant that I have spent the past 30 or so years saying good-bye to people.   It's always comes with an awkward love/hate roller coaster ride.  You are so excited for them to have a new home, a new job, a new adventure and even a new life.  Quietly,  you are also aching that they will not be down the road, at church on Sunday, someone to wave to at Stake Conference, over for dinner, or just available for when you want to go out for lunch...

A Little Lesson:

I am grateful for all the inventions that make saying good-bye a little less painful - phone, email, internet, blogging, digital camera's and of course the obvious one...the car!  Can you say... R o a d  T r i p s ! 

365 Beautiful Days

My baby boy is one years old.  I really can say it didn't fly by, or feel like it was just yesterday, or that it seems ten years ago when I was in labour.  It feels almost exactly 364 days and a few hours.  I can say without any hesitation he is the happiest, smiliest, most cheerful human being I have ever met.  Since he was two weeks old, he has been flashing his big gummy smile at everyone and anyone who will lock eyes with him.  Our home is different since he came to stay.  He is Switzerland.  He never takes sides, he never tattles, he always loves you, he doesn't mind if you're in trouble with mom or dad, he still thinks you're wonderful.  He is our beloved Benjamin.

A Little Lesson:

     Some of the greatest blessings I've enjoyed here on earth are the things I didn't plan, didn't organize, didn't prepare for, didn't weigh the pros and cons, and didn't overanalyze.  Thanks again Jordan for wishing our little Benjamin to our family!

It's Called Glamping

This past weekend, the Umbachs and Wolseys joined us in what is referred to as "glamping", otherwise known as glamorous camping.  

What's the difference...

cabanas instead of tents

electrical outlets instead of flashlights

mini golf, swimming pool, paddleboats, ice-cream shop

hot water showers

internet access...sort of

trips to the county fair

a front desk that sells wood, ice, spaghettios and dental floss

What's the same...

smore's around the campfire (or should I say schmores)

biking around the lake

dutch ovens, camp stoves, fishing poles

finding spiders and beetles,

late night camping chair discussions

sunscreen, life jackets, 

hot days and cool nights

smelly clothes, delicious food

fun fun fun!

Here are just a few of the fun times 

we had at the Lynden KOA...

A Little Lesson:

"Glamping" with children under two years old (Benjamin and Nathan) is the way to go!  

side note:  I intend on investing in some new music soon, 

for those of you who recognize songs from past videos!

Peace of Mind

We're home...the animals were fed, the flowers were watered and the vegetables are still growing. Thank you to Nikki C. who made it possible for me to leave and completely forget about the duties of home and enjoy a vacation away with my troops!  Paying someone to live your life for you for a couple of days is truly an investment worth every penny.  I know there is always the neighbour who could pop over, pick up the mail and do a few chores.  But the peace of mind of someone keeping the fort going... completely worth it.

A Little Lesson:

Vacations have many stages to them.  The idea stage... let's go camping.  The planning stage... booking the site.  The organizing stage... we need to get a new camp stove, book house sitter, clear schedule etc. The packing and cleaning stage... don't forget sunscreen, I can't leave my bathroom looking like this!  The executing stage... what fun we are having in the woods.  The coming home stage... picking up your life where you left off.  And of course now, the blogging stage... how will I condense 527 memories into a few sentences.

Back to the Bush

We are heading out again to go camping with our buddies from Tsawwassen the Umbachs and Wolseys.  This "bush" however has        e l e c t r i c i t y !  So I may continue my bloggin' habit now that I'm a complete junkie!  If not, I'll be back on Sunday!

Side Note:

We have another friend/house-sitter coming to watch over the zoo of animals and plants while we're gone.  My hope was to leave the house in spotless condition to give the illusion to our house-sitter that we live in a squeaky-clean abode.  After daybreak this morning, as the sun started hitting my windows, my walls, our furniture and every other fingerprint infested item in our home, I realized I will be lucky to give the illusion we don't live in complete squalor.  So much for squeaky clean!  

A Little Lesson:

The exercise of looking at your home, every drawer, cupboard, corner, closet, carpet, linen, dish, mirror, sink, railing, garbage can, toilet, stair etc. through the eyes of someone who will stand before these things without your presence is humbling to say the least.  And without you standing behind them reminding them quietly. . . I  h a v e  f o u r  c h i l d r e n . . . t h e y  

d o n ' t  c l e a n  u p  l i k e  t h e y  s h o u l d . . . 

Genetics

You could offer me steak, pie, lasagna, ribs, cake,  you name it and it would still come in second to my love for Campbell's Tomato soup with about half a box of Premium Plus crackers smushed on top.  Is it possible that I have produced a child with the same crazy love!?!

A Little Lesson:

    Hey, if something out of a can, that cost 68 cents, brings a smile to my little girl's face - count your blessings!

On Her Own

On Sunday night Emily was asked to speak at her friend Naomi's baptism. It was her first official talk, outside of talks assigned in primary. When it was time to write it, she sat down, without any hesitation created the entire thing. I was nearby to offer assistance but, she politely declined. She wanted to do it on her own.

Baptism

I got baptized two months ago. At first I was nervous and didn't want to do it. So I told my mom how I felt. She told me not to worry. We said a prayer that I would feel all right. Then the time came to when everybody crowded around to watch me get baptized. For some reason I felt that I was ready to be baptized. Then I realized that Heavenly Father had heard our prayer and helped me feel like I could do it. So I went into the girl's washroom and then started walking towards the baptism font. I saw my dad waiting there. I stepped into the water. He held my hand and started praying. When he was finished the prayer he dunked me into the water. When I came back up I felt clean and happy. This was a very special day for me. I hope Naomi will feel that way too. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Little Lesson:

Communicating how we experience life and it's sacred moments to our friends and ward members is a big part of being a member of the church. Emily took the first step of a long and rewarding journey. I am grateful I zipped my lips and let her walk...on her own.

These Are My Clothes!

Go get dressed I said.  She looks at me bewildered "I am dressed."  A butterfly bathing suit, shell necklace, orange tutu and fairy wings.  I tell her we're going out in public.  "So,"  she says "these are my clothes!"  I quickly weigh squashing her imaginative individuality and the tears that will follow with looking publicly presentable.  Butterfly bathing suit it is!

A Little Lesson:

   I only have three words.  P i c k   y o u r   b a t t l e s !

Talking Away

It's time to record the babblings of my Benjamin.  I worked with him, tried to gently coach him "Mmmmmaaaammmmmaaaaaa"  is what I would say when I smiled at him....here's the list:

First Words:

Dada - every time he sees his daddy

Gapa-  every time he sees his Grandpa

Whoops - when he drops something

whas tha? - when he points to something 

whos tha? - when he sees a person smiling at him

Actions thus far:

clapping

waving bye bye

speed crawling

walking 5 steps

folding arms for prayer

head butting, biting and pinching

A Little Lesson:

   One day Benjamin will ask, Mom is there a baby book that you kept for me?  And I will say, come my sweet child, sit on my knee, let us look up the 28th entry of my blog and peruse through the special moments of your life.  Sometimes you just have to bring the bar down a few notches...and that's okay.

Reluctant Pruner

I have let my tomato plants grow for too long without pruning.  I don't like to prune.  I have made many mistakes in the past.  There I am pruning away when all of a sudden there is cut branch in my hand with little tomatoes growing on the end.  For the gifted gardener, pruning is simple and enjoyable. They understand that every sucker left on the vine takes valuable energy and resources away from the growing fruit.  The scriptures often use the concept of pruning.  In Jacob 5...

And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant:  It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this thing.

Even the Lord does not enjoy the process of cutting back but has a perfect understanding of how essential it is for his children to experience this process.  Today I will prune my tomatoes so that I will in fact have tomatoes at the end of the season!

A Little Lesson:

I am grateful I only have to prune tomato plants and grapevines, the job of pruning my children I will gladly leave up to the Lord.  As for loving them and teaching them...I'm on it!

The Sabbath Day Race

I feel like when I wake up and my feet hit the floor on a Sunday morning it's like the conductor of an orchestra raises his hand, the musicians are poised to play, I stand up out of bed and the William Tell Overture begins to play.  Out of no where the voice of a horse-racing commentator begins to give play by play of my morning...

"And she's off...!"

"She hops in the shower, gently calls out to her sleeping children to wake up, mixes her shampoo and conditioner to save time, gently calls out to her sleeping husband to wake up, dries off, run's girls bubble bath, she get's dressed and starts brushing her teeth while walking to girl's bedroom picks out dresses, NICE MULTITASKING, hugs Emily and it looks like...is it?...wait for it...YES! Emily woke up in a fabulous mood and heads to the bath, Jordan stumbles out of bead and heads for his shower, she gently nudges husband and YES he's out of bed and getting ready, she hear's some rustling from the baby's room, she runs downstairs, prepares a bottle, runs back upstairs and gives Benjamin a bottle and just bought 10 more 'not having to hold baby' minutes, she gets Clara out of bed and walks her lethargic body towards the bath and Clara hops in,  she irons Emily's shirt and leaves the ironing board out for Jordan, calls out the girls to wash their hair, she starts looking for Benjamin's church clothes, girl's ignore her and she reminds them she can wash their hair for them and they immediately get started washing their own hair, she pulls baby out of crib, pulls baby's clothes off and dips his naked body in the bath with the girls, girls wine out "don't put him in - he smells like pee!",  wraps up baby in towel and begin dressing him on her bed, she puts Benjamin on the floor, hands girls their towels and tells girls to go put their dresses on, she blow dries her hair with her left hand and puts on some lipstick and mascara with her right, she discovers Clara has woken up on the wrong side of the bed and has to use carefully worded sentences to get her to put her dress on without tears and tantrums, she starts telling everyone to go downstairs for breakfast, she asks Emily to put the bowls and spoons and cereal out, she helps Clara feel better by blowdrying her hair and tells dad to take Benjamin downstairs, she distracts Clara while putting her dress over her head by telling her about Naomi's baptism that's coming tonight,  she arrives at the breakfast table to eat with her family, she feeds Benjamin peaches and barley while helping Clara see that her yellow spoon is as nice as Emily's silver spoon, she reassures Emily that she has as many cornpops as Jordan does, asks dad to pass out the scriptures, she listens with one ear to the verse he reads while hearing the phone in the background with the other ear, she runs to grab it and heads back to the table just in time to tell everyone to get their shoes on and head out to the car, she runs to the basement to help Clara find her church shoes, she gently threatens Emily to find her church shoes or she will be wearing rainboots, she pulls Emily's hair into a ponytail, finds Clara crying in front of the mirror as her little girl is truly realizing that her hair is really not growing back since she cut it, she hugs her four year old gives her a kiss and a squeeze and puts a purple head band in, she shuffles her out the door grabs her scriptures, the diapers, the bottle, the wipes, the dvd to return to Sister Triggs, looks for some earrings to no avail, hops in the car, says a prayer with the family not forgetting to pray for Colleen and her talk in Sacrament meeting up in Kelowna and she's off with her family dressed, fed, groomed and ready for church."  

A Little Lesson:

I am grateful for the prelude music I hear when I enter Sacrament meeting.   I sit there, wipe the sweat from my forehead,  mentally shift gears and try to remember the reason we do what we do as moms who love the Lord.

She Noticed

Benjamin was squealing because he wanted the broom.  Clara had the broom leaning up against the couch and was walking down it like a tight rope and singing at the top of her lungs.  In the same room, Jordan was boisterously plunking out O Canada on the piano and telling everyone in the room at the top of his lungs to move somewhere else so he could have some quiet to concentrate.  Watching the whole thing from the couch, Emily turns to me and says "Mom, this is why I am only going to have one child...so I don't have to deal with all of this!" as she fans her arm across the room.

A Little Lesson:

     Sometimes I forget our children are not just living their lives but carefully watching ours.  

Everything is Green

Our yard is bursting with unripe veggies and fruit.  It's almost impossible for Clara to walk by the grapes and not just try, just incase, to see if they are ready.  Surely today is the day, she thinks to herself.  There is nothing more sour than a sour grape!  I try to remind her that they are in fact purple grapes.  That doesn't seem to detract her - she's a brave soul.

 A Little Lesson:

I love garden metaphors.  Especially parenting ones.  If we could just remember in our busy days that our kids are like green grapes.  They don't always help the way they should, or be kind the way they should, or put things away the way they should or act the way they should but remember...they're not quite done yet!  Ripening fruit takes time and so does ripening children.   When we expect them to have this life figured out, simply because we've told them how it should be...it always ends up a sour experience!

Are You Going to Blog This?

They're on to me.  As my oldest son Jordan headed out the door to go play hockey with his buddies at Douglas Park, I quickly grabbed my camera and said "hold still!"  He responded with a little eye roll, "Mom, are you going to blog this?" I immediately responded "Of course!  One day you will wonder what you did all summer when you were ten, and now I will have a journal entry to prove it, besides it is an honour to be chosen to be the main character of your mother's blog!"   

He's is not so convinced of that.

So for the record... Jordan's favourite summer activities:

1. drop in street hockey with Coach Ronnie at Douglas Park

2. playdates with his buddies:  Anthony, James, Tomer, Matthew etc.

3. writing stories...long ones 

     (Jordan hopes to write a great novel one day)

4. tennis camp

5. bike riding with his friends around the neighborhood

6. checking the email account (Emily, Clara and him share)

7. the odd game of wii

8. playing slapjack with his mom

9. playing tennis with his dad

10. learning O Canada on the piano

A Little Lesson:

     I'm not a big fan of putting my kids into sports/day camps over the summer vacation.  No doubt they are a lot of fun. I just want summer to really feel like summer.  Lots of down time, lazy sunny days, sprinklers in the back yard and plenty of day dreaming.  It's hard to make that happen during the year when the rat race is going full swing!

My Junk Drawer

This is my junk drawer.  Everyone has one.  Mine is a little bigger than most.  But I don't like to do things small.  This "drawer" is on every goal list I make, along with finishing my wedding album and running an ironman.  I can imagine the day that this room will sparkle with organization and order, so much so that I will probably have to call Martha herself so she can include it in her latest magazine spread.  As always it is on my summer goals to get this room in order!  After our big renovation 2 years ago I have slowly brought each drawer, cupboard, bin, and room in our home back into order...except this one.  It's calling my name.  I'm not sure if I want to answer...22 days left of summer.

A Little Lesson:

      I have a mutual deal with my buddy Sariah.  If either of us is killed in a car accident the other one will rush to their home and tidy up just incase we left our homes in complete and utter disarray.  Good luck Sariah.

Close to Mom

This is where Benjamin spends a lot of time.  He is at that stage where he is usually wearing whatever he's eaten earlier on.  I put him in the sink while I continue to clean up everyone else's mess, load the dishwasher, clear and wipe down the counters.  This is how we hang out.  He talks.  I talk.  I was hesitant to post this picture, as Benjamin is going to grow up some day.   But for now...

A Little Lesson:

They make walkers and strollers and bath seats and bouncers and playpens and jumpers and high chairs...all to be able to put baby 'somewhere' so mothers can do 'something'.   Where do babies really want to be...wherever you are.

A Good Sport

Emily came upstairs to show us the dress up outfit she put on Benjamin.  This one, perhaps a tacky tourist holding his wife's gold purse.

You can see how much he liked this one.  A sword, an old chaps hat, he couldn't see the butterfly wings strapped to his back so they didn't bother him one bit.  

Unfortunately it went downhill from there.  Sorry Benjamin, you were blessed with two sisters and there's no explaining the princess dress.  They thought it would be cute.  Good thing your daddy's not home!

A Little Lesson:

Coming in as number four child you get:

-calm, cool and collected parents

-lots of playmates

-licks of lollipops and ice cream cones way before you're supposed to

-and sometimes the undivided attention of five people who find you 

adorable

You also get:

-bottles that have never been sterilized

-small children carrying you around who are only a few inches taller than you are

-your needs met... most of the time

-and yes, dressed up in princess dresses whether you like it or not

Green Spray Paint

Yesterday Emily and I decided to spray paint the lines of our badminton court in the backyard. We spent so much time the other night, while playing as a family, trying to defend what was in and what was out, I thought this was a perfect solution. New grass always grows back.

You know the ol' adage measure twice cut once. That applies to spray painting badminton courts in backyards. Trying to avoid grape vines and plum trees and make the courts evenly spaced was trickier than it looked. After several minutes of painting the grass, we came to realize we had done one of the lines wrong. I explained to Emily that we would hardly notice once we got used to the new line. She was determined to fix it. She insisted I find some green spray paint to cover the newly painted white line. I could see her determination to do this thing right and relented. Off I went to find some green spray paint to fix my mistake. Can you see it? After finishing the line, Emily announces "We should paint the rest of the yard green it would sure look a lot better."

A Little Lesson:

Be grateful for mistakes that only take a can of green spray paint to fix.

What's the Treat?

Candy Apples

Family Home Evening Treat 08/08/05

Each Monday night our family gathers together to have Family Home Evening. We sing, pray, have a little lesson, play a game and have a treat. This is how the dialogue goes every single week.

"Okay everyone, come for Family Home Evening"

"Is there a treat?"

"You bet"

"What is it?"

"Don't worry you'll like it, just come and sit down"

"Is there a game?"

"Yep, come and sit down"

It's like they're reading a script! Same conversation every week.

It's funny, no one ever asks..."Hey mom is there a spiritually uplifting lesson that you've carefully prepared to help us in our journey here on earth?"

A Little Lesson:

One of the reasons I titled this blog Little Lessons to Live By is because of how it seems that there is a lesson waiting for us in every experience, even the simple and mundane things we do each day. Is the lesson easy to see? Sometimes, but often we are too busy looking for the treat to see it.

Where's Mommy?

We headed out with some old friends the Sillitos and Brooks family to do some camping just outside of Kamloops.  It was just one of those camping trips where I did all the picture taking and after all was said and done...it kind of looks like I wasn't even there.  That's okay...my hair was a mess anyways.  Have a look...

A Little Lesson:

     Teach your kids to take decent pictures.

 

A Million Words

I put together some of our reunion photos to create a little movie this morning with my kids by my side helping me choose their favourite pictures.  We quickly discovered that I had not taken any pictures of Jordan tubing, or all the wonderful dinners we shared, playing slapjack late at night, the "cousin" party at Aunt Betty's place, or daddy playing tennis, or my Aunt Kathy or my cousin-in-law Susan, or Hunter's birthday piniata etc.  

A Little Lesson:

     Yes, a pictures does say a thousand words.  But there are still a million left unsaid when you forget to grab the camera!

Clara's Here!

I love my Grandma.  As a little girl I used to love to go to Cardston to see her.  She was just like the grandmas you read about in storybooks.  She always smiled, she gave you big hugs, baked homemade cookies just for you, told you stories about the olden days, made beautiful quilts, golfed with her friends, and loved you no matter what you did.  She is a faithful Latter-Day Saint and I have thought on many occasions throughout my life in tough circumstances "what would my grandma do in this situation."    When it was time to have our third little baby I spent a whole week in what I like to call uncomfortable labour - you aren't screaming in pain but you think with every uncomfortable contraction that it will only be a few more hours.  This all started  on Monday morning when at the time we had decided our little girl would be named Elizabeth Clara. Elizabeth, because I love that name and Clara, after my grandma.  The contractions just kept going on day after day - I sent my kids over to my mom's house day after day thinking this baby is surely going to come today.  Five days later, I went to the hospital at 11pm to say I have been doing this for five days I'm exhausted surely the baby is about to arrive.  They examined me and said not yet and sent me home.  Just as we were packing up our things to go home I went into excruciating labour for 45 minutes and my little girl was born just after midnight on January 10th 2004, my beloved grandma's birthday.  It was like she knew she had to hold on until that special day, and when it arrived, out she came!  We changed her name to Clara Elizabeth.  

    Re-introducing her to her great grandma and namesake at the reunion just made my little Clara's face beam.  She had never met another Clara, certainly not one who was as important as my wonderful Grandma!  I would find Clara slipping away from the group to go sit next to her great grandma throughout the reunion.  Even though she lived far away, and didn't get to see her very often, it was like she knew this lady is something special.

A Little Lesson:

     Sometimes without reason or understanding there are people in our lives we just adore.  We can hardly see their faults, we hold them in high regard and we love them with all of our hearts.  I feel that when this life experience is over we will come to know with a greater understanding why that is.  Perhaps it was something we experienced with these special souls before we came here.  I don't know.  I sure do love my Grandma!