Peace

When I think of peace I think of a day where my children are kind to each other and there is no fighting. I think of a dove flying through the air, flowers growing in a field, and children from every nationality holding hands singing beautiful songs about love and harmony.
For too many places in the world peace means the absence of killing, destruction and war, a day that doesn't threaten their lives and a place to live where they are free to choose basic human liberties. The International Montessori Conference I will be speaking at in New Orleans next month is celebrating peace and social justice. I am hibernating early each morning in my recording studio to write an album of children's songs dedicated to the concept of peace.

A Little Lesson:
I decided to look through some of the pictures that are being taken everyday around the world of war-torn countries. It makes it feel very real and very desperate. I am not sure if bringing peaceful people together to discuss peace will make a dent in this beast of a problem, but surely we must do something.

The Eyes

I got the 'eyes' last night before bedtime when in a complete panic Clara announces she can't find her lion stuffy's bottle. I calmly reply "I think it's in the bath toys bin under the sink upstairs." "Mom! It's not a toy, what is it doing up there? It's real you know! My lion is thirsty and I have to feed her!' She walks away with her eyes saying..."oh the people I have to put up with!"

A Little Lesson:
I record these little interactions so in decades from now my children will have a good laugh at how funny they used to be and I will have a good cry at how quiet my house has become.

My Hat Collection

I love growing wheat grass, homeschooling, playing the guitar, eating organic food, letting my children run around the beach with uncombed hair, and natural medicine...I could even be a vegan if I didn't like McDonald's Egg Mc Muffins so much. I love listening to classical music, reading Robert Frost poetry, Shakespeare, and classic literature...I could even be a scholar if I didn't like spending the evening watching American Idol and Twenty-Four on TV so much. Before children, I loved to jog, play sports, run races, complete strenuous long distant feats....I could even be an athlete if I didn't love not exercising so much. I love talking to friends on the phone, entertaining dozens in my home, playing games with other couples and going out on the town with husband...I could be a social butterfly if I didn't love being alone for big chunks of time and composing music in complete isolation so much. I love visiting Thailand, Japan, New York, Australia, Newfoundland and other cool destinations...I could be a world traveler if I didn't love staying home in my pajamas and slippers and puttering on home and garden projects so much. I haven't quite figured out who I am yet.

A Little Lesson:
Remember high school? The jocks, the brains, the artists, the popular gang, the drama lovers, the band/choir group, the techies, the bohemians ohhhhhh, so many groups to choose from with so little time. I never did decide which one I liked the best...they were all so cool. Thank goodness we are no longer in high school and we can switch the hats we wear as often as we like and with as little effort as pouring a few wheat berries into a mason jar. As they used to say in high school Carpe Diem! ...or at least they did in the eighties.

Where it All Goes Down

Tuesday is quickly becoming one of my favourite days of the week. A small flock of violinists gather in my living room to play some A's some E's and a few F sharps. Emily, who after four years of "suzuki learn by ear" method is ready to dive into note reading, comes to learn the skill of reading music with some friends. Gabrielle a 14 year old young man/beginner violin student, from our ward, who won a seminary auction item that I donated last year of 'how to read music". Finally, Diana my friend and buddy who for many years has said to me I've always wanted to learn the violin, and I've always wanted to swap lessons for some prime "take the kids" babysitting time. The hour starts with some tonalization, speed note drills, and moves into hard core note reading at it's finest. And then, at the end of the lesson, the gears shift. I pick up my cello and play the bass line of the most famous wedding piece on the planet and the violins join in playing the first eight notes of the Pachelbels Canon. We only played eight notes but there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Perhaps a small exaggeration, perhaps not. We are only on week three...but it is confirmed, I love Tuesdays.

A Little Lesson:
I remember thinking to myself, I am too busy to teach my own child violin these days let alone others from my ward! There is no way for this to work. Traditionally a student would come, learn for half an hour and go. I don't have time for that kind of committment. With a little finessing, we created something much better, more fun and a lot more rewarding. Many of life's solutions come in the form of finessing the traditional. I think finessing or tweaking our lives is one the most productive excercises of staying on track of our goals. When things don't seem to be working, don't give up, or throw in the towel, just tweak. In order for me to be a stay at home mom, living in Vancouver we just keep tweaking the budget, we keep tweaking our schedule so that we can go to the temple and be part of a soccer league on Saturdays, we keep tweaking our morning routines to find that perfect time to gather as a family to study the scriptures. When things change, and they always do, we continue to tweak. Tweaking allows us to have things go totally wrong and still know and believe that with a few tweaks there is a solution down the road to what we are trying to accomplish. I don't even know if that's how you spell tweak, but it's one of my favourite words.

Fitting In

Mom plays the piano/violin, Jordan plays the piano, Emily plays the violin, Clara plays the cello and Benjamin is slated to play the violin...Daddy finding himself lost in the suzuki shuffle, resorted to playing Smoke on Water on the cello last night. He is a trooper that husband of mine. He does not play a musical instrument yet a large portion of his earnings goes to the expensive lessons our children take each week, and he never complains. He does not read music, yet he supports his wife in musical event after musical event after musical event that requires him to watch children and keep the home fires going, and he never complains. He likes to call himself the "great listener", not everyone, he explains can be the player, it is essential that there are some listeners and that is what I am good at. The first time we "met" many years ago, he was sitting in a large tri-stake fireside where I was performing a piece on the piano. He was sitting so far back he couldn't see who was playing but as he sat listening, he decided at that very moment he had to meet the girl who played that song. The rest is history.

A Little Lesson:
Thank goodness there are a million talents. Sure, music is nice. The talent of being honest, fixing a broken cupboard, being objective, making me laugh, finishing something you start, dreaming big, making homemade egg Mc Muffins, knowing how to lead, understanding doctrine, knowing how to follow are just a few of my favourite talents my husband has developed over the years. I am most grateful for the way our loving Father in Heaven set up talent distribution. Work on the ones I gave you and I'll give you many more...ones you never even dreamed of having.

A Few Words...

These days I am getting ready to head down to New Orleans at end of next month to present at the big Montessori Conference that is going to be held there. A few days ago, I was reading over my write-up in the conference registration booklet online and I was a little startled at how wonderful and life-changing I made my presentation sound on paper! I wrote the write-up about 6 months ago, and kind of forgotten about it, and now I am feeling a little panicked about delivering such an awe-inspiring presentation. I only promised them new and amazing songs for children about peace and world unity and how through those songs children will grow up to be contributing, conscientious and considerate members of society who will change the world for the better. Just a small thing.

A Little Lesson:
It reminds me of one of Stephen Covey 7 Habits of Highly Effective People exercises that ask us to write what words we would hope are going to be said at our funeral. Make them amazing. Make them life-changing. Make them profound. Then, put the pen down and go spend your life living those words! Just a small thing.

Did I mention...

When we went to go get Clara's cello, I casually asked how much it cost to rent an adult cello and to my surprise it was hardly anything, especially for such a big instrument! I couldn't resist. My fingers are raw and on the verge of bleeding I have played so much cello over the past two days. It is dramatically different than violin, but yet it has a lot of similarities. Having the deep, rich, gorgeous sound waft through the rooms of our home has been such a pleasure. Jordan and Emily line up every time I play, to take their turn. Since we all know how to hold a violin bow, move our fingers around a fingerboard and stroke the bow on the strings, we have all had an amazing time pretending we were Yo-Yo Ma.

A Little Lesson:
There are days I feel eighty to ninety years on this earth is simply not enough. To learn all the extraordinary musical instruments, read all the great literature, meet all the fascinating people, taste all the succulent dishes, visit all the exquisite landmarks, and still get our laundry, dishes and visiting teaching finished is more than a lifetime can possibly hold. All I can say, I hope there are cellos in heaven.

Hipping and Hopping

Emily came home for the lunch hour with one of her favourite buddies Jillian and they practiced their Hip Hop dance routine in our living room. Our school has brought in a Hip Hop dance specialist to work with each grade in doing a big dance number for the big show. Emily is so excited and has totally got into it with her buddies from her class. If only my camera could take a decent picture these days I could show you some of their cool moves but it would look like this...

A Little Lesson:
Blogging without a good camera is like eating Campbell's tomato soup without Premium Plus crackers, or skiing without poles, or going to Disneyland by yourself, or listening to your ipod with only one headphone, or I don't know...it's just really lame.

Finally!

A Little Lesson:
There is a scripture in Daniel that talks about the Book of life, where everything is recorded. I like to think there are also videos in heaven. A big Block Buster in the sky with our entire life on video. Some moments I will look forward to watching again, and others of course I hope are accidentally chewed up by some unfortunate heavenly mishap. Today was one of those days I will watch over and over again. The car ride to the cello shop, her face, her excitement. The car ride home, she looked out the window hardly able to concentrate on the goings on outside, when a large black soft case with a beautiful golden stringed instrument inside sat right beside her under her protective arm. Walking into the music academy with her cello on her back, hardly able to contain her excitement for her first lesson with her new teacher, who I promised was as nice as the princesses at Disneyland, and it turns out she was. She almost fell asleep on the way home exhausted from such an eventful day.

Where's the Ball?

Saturday's soccer game (I'm a little behind in my blogging) started at 7:30am and the fog was thick as pea soup as they say. Thank goodness for the empty adjoining field next to the one they were playing on so my girls had something to do. They thought it was pretty boring watching a game that you couldn't even see the ball.

A Little Lesson:
Craig had training with the area authority for the whole morning which meant I was taking the whole gang to the soccer game on my own. I was in charge of the oranges and after game treat for the team, socks, gloves, pig tails, boots, and breakfast for my offspring, and finding a baseball cap so that I didn't have to do my hair, or even shower for that matter. I am eternally grateful for the baseball cap.

No clue

A Little Lesson:
I love that Benjamin has no clue that he was put in one of his sister's shirts instead of his pajamas last night, and no clue that it looks like he is wearing a dress and no clue that his florescent pink shoes are meant for the most delicate of princesses.

Tough Situation

While reading bedtimes stories to the girls, Emily interrupts and explains a difficult situation she is having at school with some of her friends and we discuss how she can pray about it for help. Clara pipes in "Mom! When my friends are mean to me you know what I do?" "Do you pray about it?" I ask. With a big smile on her face she announces "No, I say mean things to them and then they say mean things to me!"

A Little Lesson:
I am so glad we have eighteen years to get some of these more important points across!

Perspective

Prayers have been answered and little Chas will be going home later on today. A few nights ago, when it looked like maybe he would go home Tuesday, maybe Wednesday if just his stomach would settle and he wouldn't be so nauseous it was hard to decide what to do. On the one hand Chas just wants to be home, he heals so much better there. On the other hand, you don't want to leave the hospital prematurely when your child has just had brain surgery. In some respects, as Sariah and Dallin are not new at this, the doctors allowed for them to decide what they felt their son needed, he was not in any danger of going home as the important things were working the way they needed to be working in order to be discharged. It just felt like a long haul. We discussed it at length in my living room one night as to what they should do...go now or stay a one more day. Then...Sariah spoke with a stranger in the elevator. A dad who was casually talking about sandals and hospital footwear and whether the antibacterial hand lotion worked etc. In the casual elevator conversation he also mentioned they had been there in the hospital for ten months. Perspective. All of a sudden the dilemma no loner felt like a dilemma and worrying over a day or two didn't seem at all worth any energy whatsoever. We will just go with the flow and be grateful for the blessings of healing and health.

A Little Lesson:
Every trial and burden we endure could use a little stranger in the elevator conversation to put things into perspective. One of the reasons we are commanded to love our neighbours is because we will begin to learn about who they are and the burdens they carry and thus we will come to learn that the burdens we carry will not seem quite as heavy. It is just the way things are.

This is the Place

This is the place where Dallin and Sariah take

turns coming to get a good night sleep while
their little boy heals in the hospital two blocks away.

This is the place where Clara waits patiently
for the big kids to go to school so she can spread out her
memory game and play with her mommy until her hearts content.

This is the place where she beat me three games in a row,

and I tried to win each time. (I don't believe in
letting children win just because they're little children).

This is the place where Clara got this many pairs...and I got this many.

This is the place where Clara tried to remain
humble about her winnings but had a hard time.

This is the place where Benjamin can, in a single roll, ruin the
game and be banished to the floor by Queen Clara forever and ever.

A Little Lesson:
I can play lengthy concertos on the piano, devour black belt level Sudoku,
and never have to use a recipe but try as I might, I could not beat my daughter at a
good old fashion game of memory. I am getting old. As my brain turns to mush
I hope my children will remind me of my early thirties back when I could play a mean
game of memory and take each of these turkeys down one by one!

Birthday Party #2

It's fun to have a birthday party on a different day than your actual birthday. Two celebrations is where it's at! Two cakes, two sets of presents, two birthday songs ohhhh what fun.

A Little Lesson:
Halloween went down, Christmas went up. Christmas came down, birthday flowers and streamers went up. Next on the horizon...groundhog day. If you're wondering if I plan on decorating...stop wondering.

Prepared

Chas is out of ICU and has begun his long and exhausting journey of recovery. This is not a simple let the stitches heal and get back to life kind of recovery. No. It involves managing excruciating pain, speech therapists, physical therapists, endless doctor visits, MRI's, and days that feel long and hard. Chas and his family have done it before and they will do it again.

A Little Lesson:
Watching a family endure and triumph over such a difficult trial has taught me over and over the importance of being prepared. Not the kind of prepared that puts a 72 hour kit in the trunk of your car and water and food storage in your basement. The kind of prepared that means each day you make decisions and choices that follow basic commandments. Reading the scriptures, praying, keeping the sabbath day holy, serving in church callings and loving your neighbour. When a storm rolls in and its fierce winds hit, faithful hands are already firmly gripping the iron rod and a family is able to continue to be led and guided through even the most difficult of storm conditions. Sariah prepared little wrapped presents, and Franklin videos and games and babysitting for her girls and people to pick up and people to drop off all to help this time go a little easier. More importantly, without probably even knowing it, years ago, she prepared herself for this difficult trial in the quiet hours of her life when her and her husband quietly did their best to do the things that the Lord has asked us to do day after day after day.

The Place

When I walk through these doors my heart swells with gratitude and appreciation. This is the place where all four of my children were brought to this earth. This is the place that has saved my children from beads in their noses, fevers that wont go down, broken arms and cuts that need stitches. This is the place that saved little Chas's life last year and this will be the place that saves his life this year. The doctors are gentle, the nurses are kind and children are what it's all about around here. I always walk through the doors with a thankful heart.

A Little Lesson:
I explain to Clara that she needs to get her coat on because we are going to take some lunch to Sariah in the hospital. "She doesn't have any food?" she asked. "Nope, so we are going to take her some." Upon entering the hospital Clara sees the coffee shop full of food and announces: "Mom, look there's lot of food here!" "Sweetheart, that's really expensive food." The light goes on and Clara understands. "Ohhh, we are bringing her food because she doesn't have any money. It's kind to give people things when they don't have any money." "Yes my darling it is."

Praying

Today we are praying that little Chas will be able to have his surgery to remove a growing brain tumour that came back after last year's surgery. We are praying that there will be no other emergency that will bump him to a later date. We are praying that there will be an ICU bed so that he will not be bumped to a later date. We are praying for his skillful surgeon to remove only that which will prevent the tumour from growing and nothing that will prevent him from having a normal and functioning body that will serve him for the rest of his life. We are praying that he will recover quickly from the surgery and that there will not be leaking or draining problems that will require another surgery. We are praying for Sariah and Dallin that they will continue to be strong and courageous through this difficult journey. We are praying for Eliza and Naomi while their Nana comes to fill in for mom. We are praying for comfort, strength, health and peace and if there are miracles waiting that we will all have the faith required to bring those miracles to pass.

A Little Lesson:
I am indeed grateful for prayer.

Almost Five!

Clara has waited a long 365 days to turn five and we are finally hours away. With her buddy Chas heading into the hospital on Thursday afternoon, we thought it was a good idea to have the party in the morning so that he could be there. Needless to say, it was a super duper fun morning filled with all the bells and whistles of a good old fashion birthday party!

A Little Lesson:
There are a few things that I've come to discover that really makes a birthday party really work. (for me at least) Keeping the number of children invited a small and comfortable number. Encouraging parents to drop off and come back later. Play lots and lots of silly games that make children giggle and squeal with delight! (Unfortunately I was unable to run the games and run the camera at the same time so I have no pictures of the games for the movie, perhaps letting a few parents stay behind wouldn't be so bad to take some of those action shots.) I know there is nothing profound in these simple discoveries, but when I remember to do them I am always so pleased with the results.

Setting Up

We quickly finished our dinner so that there would be a little time for Clara to set up the fun decorations for her birthday party before bedtime. We hung streamers and windsocks, put enormous flowers all over the room and plastered flowers all over the wall. It was indeed ready for a four-year-old turning five little girl birthday party.

A Little Lesson:
I spent quite a few years doing the themed birthday parties around characters, or sports. The past few years however, I have shifted from the cake matching the loot bag which matches the carefully crafted invitation, which drives the games we play and the activities we orchestrate. Instead I have honed in on what that particular child LOVES to do. That is what we will do for their birthday. Is it swimming? playing games? going to a movie? That is the new theme of the day around here. I like doing it both ways. Children are always up for a day completely dedicated to their enjoyment and happiness!

Family and Friends

A Little Lesson:
Spending the weekend with the Looses and all the family was just a perfect way to end the Christmas vacation. As always, I am sad to see our two weeks of blissful snow playing and pajama wearing fun drift away but I am thankful we are all heading back to our lunch packin, homework tottin, lesson attendin life!

Say Good Bye

We said good bye to 2008 with our New Year's Eve gang the other night. We stayed up to a ridiculously late hour, or I should say early hour... as in 4am early. What were we thinking!!! The bags under my eyes feel like they are filled with lumps of coal.

A Little Lesson:
I said good-bye to half a dozen friends this year with the move outs and move aways from our community of friends. Not so fun. New Year's Eve is one good bye that I do look forward to. I love the ushering in of a new year, a new start, a new plan, a new goal and of course with my fingers crossed a new and improved me. Here's to 2009!

`ree