Thursday, January 26, 2012
Moments
It's confusing being an almost-two-year-old. Tonight Jocelyn was angry and crying because she thought I went into the garage and left her (It was Julianna that went into the garage.) I said, "I'm right here. Come here, baby, let me hold you." "NO!" she said in her angriest voice, and then suddenly she came running into my arms for a snuggle. I'm glad she let me hug on her after all.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Loving October
Evie's first 6th grade Orchestra Performance
Since Evie has played the cello now for a couple of years, she was placed in the 6th grade advanced orchestra class at school this year, and she was able to participate in a concert with the 6th and 7th graders and the Meridian Chamber Orchestra (an audition only high school orchestra.) My favorite piece was spooky-sounding, and at the end the whole orchestra jumped up and said, "Boo!" Cute stuff. I love that Evie plays the cello. It's a beautiful instrument and I love the look of concentration Evie gets when she plays. She had the opportunity to play "Search, Ponder, and Pray" during the Primary Program this year, and Clark and I were really proud of her. Julianna is now taking violin lessons and we had fun during the concert noticing which performers were "collapsing their wrists," something that Julianna struggles with a lot. The performance was just short enough that Russell and Leila sat through the whole thing and actually seemed pretty interested. Jocelyn was occupied eating every last mint from my little box of mints, after which she honored Julianna, Clark and myself by dividing her time between each of our laps. Towards the end of the performance she began "conducting" with both of her arms, and I thought she was quite good.
I'm thinking about cutting myself some bangs. Or, actually, I'm thinking about having someone else cut some bangs on me. I know some people cut their own hair, but I've never been particularly gifted when it comes to anything to do with hair. I've been trying to learn how to french braid, and I think I'm getting better. I tried to roll Leila's hair into sponge rollers for the first time last week and the result was decidedly so-so. But practice makes perfect, so by the time I have these four girls raised I'll have to be better than I am now! As for cutting hair, I haven't gotten up the courage to try to trim Julianna's hair again after the uneven mess I made of it last time. Mary said that maybe she'll let me trim Jentrey's hair when I come down to visit so she can tutor me. She is brave and so is Jentrey. If I get bangs again I'll post a picture. I haven't had long hair and bangs since I was ten.
Clark is very busy trying to get things set up for the new practice. We haven't closed yet. We don't even have a date yet, but it should be in the next couple of weeks. The idea of owing our own practice is overwhelming and exhilarating! It's like when you go from renting a house to owning. Clark is big on lists and since all this has happened with the new practice his to-do list has become out of control. I'm trying to help where I can, but there's a lot I can't do. Last week I got to see the new practice for the first time and it was awesome. It's only a few years old so everything is nice and new and more or less ready to go. I am so glad he's not having to start from scratch. It would be so much more work!
Here is Jocelyn being her cute, silly self . Please ignore the colossal mess and focus on the cute baby.
Halloween is in a few days and I still have a few odds and ends to do for the kids' costumes. Jocelyn is being a pink octopus, using Leila's hand-me-down costume, Russell wants to be Frankenstein, Leila a witch, Julianna an angel, and Evie a mime. Russell still needs me to find something the makes him look like he has bolts coming out of his head (my back up plan is painting them on), and Julianna needs a white dress. We are supposed to go to a trunk-or-treat tomorrow night so I'm starting to get stressed. I'm sure it will all come together, though. It always does. Happy Halloween everyone! Wishing you happy haunting and that your little trick-or-treaters will have an abundance of Reeses Pieces for you to snitch and a shocking lack of Tootsie Rolls.
Since Evie has played the cello now for a couple of years, she was placed in the 6th grade advanced orchestra class at school this year, and she was able to participate in a concert with the 6th and 7th graders and the Meridian Chamber Orchestra (an audition only high school orchestra.) My favorite piece was spooky-sounding, and at the end the whole orchestra jumped up and said, "Boo!" Cute stuff. I love that Evie plays the cello. It's a beautiful instrument and I love the look of concentration Evie gets when she plays. She had the opportunity to play "Search, Ponder, and Pray" during the Primary Program this year, and Clark and I were really proud of her. Julianna is now taking violin lessons and we had fun during the concert noticing which performers were "collapsing their wrists," something that Julianna struggles with a lot. The performance was just short enough that Russell and Leila sat through the whole thing and actually seemed pretty interested. Jocelyn was occupied eating every last mint from my little box of mints, after which she honored Julianna, Clark and myself by dividing her time between each of our laps. Towards the end of the performance she began "conducting" with both of her arms, and I thought she was quite good.
I'm thinking about cutting myself some bangs. Or, actually, I'm thinking about having someone else cut some bangs on me. I know some people cut their own hair, but I've never been particularly gifted when it comes to anything to do with hair. I've been trying to learn how to french braid, and I think I'm getting better. I tried to roll Leila's hair into sponge rollers for the first time last week and the result was decidedly so-so. But practice makes perfect, so by the time I have these four girls raised I'll have to be better than I am now! As for cutting hair, I haven't gotten up the courage to try to trim Julianna's hair again after the uneven mess I made of it last time. Mary said that maybe she'll let me trim Jentrey's hair when I come down to visit so she can tutor me. She is brave and so is Jentrey. If I get bangs again I'll post a picture. I haven't had long hair and bangs since I was ten.
Clark is very busy trying to get things set up for the new practice. We haven't closed yet. We don't even have a date yet, but it should be in the next couple of weeks. The idea of owing our own practice is overwhelming and exhilarating! It's like when you go from renting a house to owning. Clark is big on lists and since all this has happened with the new practice his to-do list has become out of control. I'm trying to help where I can, but there's a lot I can't do. Last week I got to see the new practice for the first time and it was awesome. It's only a few years old so everything is nice and new and more or less ready to go. I am so glad he's not having to start from scratch. It would be so much more work!
Halloween is in a few days and I still have a few odds and ends to do for the kids' costumes. Jocelyn is being a pink octopus, using Leila's hand-me-down costume, Russell wants to be Frankenstein, Leila a witch, Julianna an angel, and Evie a mime. Russell still needs me to find something the makes him look like he has bolts coming out of his head (my back up plan is painting them on), and Julianna needs a white dress. We are supposed to go to a trunk-or-treat tomorrow night so I'm starting to get stressed. I'm sure it will all come together, though. It always does. Happy Halloween everyone! Wishing you happy haunting and that your little trick-or-treaters will have an abundance of Reeses Pieces for you to snitch and a shocking lack of Tootsie Rolls.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Musings
It's the last weekend before some of my kiddos start school. School starting signals that Fall is soon upon us, and while that usually makes me excited for cooler weather and Fall holidays it seems like this year the Summer has passed by much too quickly and my children are getting entirely too grown up. In saying that, I fully realize that in comparison to my friends that have children in the midst of teenage-hood that my brood is still in the "early stages," but despite that I can't help but feel an acute sadness this year. I think that my feelings are such for a few different reasons. Reason number one, in two weeks I turn 32. I don't want to give the impression that I think that I'm over the hill already, but 32 is just one more step away from my twenties which, after all, I hung out in for ten years. I guess I haven't adjusted to the idea of being a 30-something as well as I thought I had. Another year is almost over and while I thought I'd have life pretty much figured out by the time I was in my thirties, the hard realization has come that that's not going to be the case and I was naive to think that it was a possibility. While I've come a long way, I'm constantly reminded that I still have so much to learn and so far to go.
Reason number two, is that my "baby" Jocelyn is now a full-fledged toddler. She is 18 months old, says lots of words and makes her opinions known. Clark and I are pretty sure that Jocelyn's entrance into the world completed our family, so watching her grow out of babyhood is decidedly bittersweet, with the emphasis on the bitter lately. Luckily she still lets squeeze and cuddle her, at least most of the time.
Reason number three, yesterday I took my oldest baby, Evie, to register for middle school. We got her schedule, found her locker, walked to her classes, said hi to a few friends. Middle school was not my favorite time of life, and I have tried hard not to pass my anxiety on to Evie, but I still feel it for her. What if kids are mean? What if she feels alone? What if she gets overwhelmed and I'm not there to talk her through it? I know that all of those things will probably happen at one time or another, and that it's all part of growing up, but that doesn't stop me from worrying. Evie is such a light in our home, and I think my greatest fear is that somewhere on the path to growing up that light will be diminished or extinguished as I've seen happen to others I care about. But in my heart I believe that that won't happen--that Evie will always have that light; that she'll be able to keep it no matter what she faces, and that she'll be able to have the strength to avoid the things that might take it from her. Questioning myself and what I've done as a mother to prepare her goes hand and hand with all of those worries about what she might face. Have I done enough to prepare her so far? Did I screw up somewhere along the line, and will she or one of the other children pay the consequences for my mistake? Was I too lazy or too distracted to take care of something important? The worries never end. But I have the peace that comes with prayer and with knowing that my Father in Heaven is rooting for me. He wants me to succeed and will make up the difference for what I fall short in, as long as I'm doing my part. There's the kicker--when I look at myself long and hard to I really believe that I'm doing my part to the best of my ability? I sure hope so!
Reason number two, is that my "baby" Jocelyn is now a full-fledged toddler. She is 18 months old, says lots of words and makes her opinions known. Clark and I are pretty sure that Jocelyn's entrance into the world completed our family, so watching her grow out of babyhood is decidedly bittersweet, with the emphasis on the bitter lately. Luckily she still lets squeeze and cuddle her, at least most of the time.
Reason number three, yesterday I took my oldest baby, Evie, to register for middle school. We got her schedule, found her locker, walked to her classes, said hi to a few friends. Middle school was not my favorite time of life, and I have tried hard not to pass my anxiety on to Evie, but I still feel it for her. What if kids are mean? What if she feels alone? What if she gets overwhelmed and I'm not there to talk her through it? I know that all of those things will probably happen at one time or another, and that it's all part of growing up, but that doesn't stop me from worrying. Evie is such a light in our home, and I think my greatest fear is that somewhere on the path to growing up that light will be diminished or extinguished as I've seen happen to others I care about. But in my heart I believe that that won't happen--that Evie will always have that light; that she'll be able to keep it no matter what she faces, and that she'll be able to have the strength to avoid the things that might take it from her. Questioning myself and what I've done as a mother to prepare her goes hand and hand with all of those worries about what she might face. Have I done enough to prepare her so far? Did I screw up somewhere along the line, and will she or one of the other children pay the consequences for my mistake? Was I too lazy or too distracted to take care of something important? The worries never end. But I have the peace that comes with prayer and with knowing that my Father in Heaven is rooting for me. He wants me to succeed and will make up the difference for what I fall short in, as long as I'm doing my part. There's the kicker--when I look at myself long and hard to I really believe that I'm doing my part to the best of my ability? I sure hope so!
Evie, back in March
I'm so grateful for my children! They teach me so much. I just hope that my learning curve isn't too much to their detriment. And even though I may feel a little melancholy as we start a new school year, I think it's only because I love my kids so much. It's hard to send them off into the world. Our Father in Heaven knows all about that, and I take comfort in the fact that I know He understands.Saturday, May 21, 2011
Evie is Eleven!
Yesterday my firstborn turned eleven. Can I really be old enough to have an eleven year old? It would seem so. The day started off with me singing happy birthday to a large-ish, blanket-covered lump on Evie's bed. She sleeps with the covers completely covering her head, reminding me of her Daddy who prefers to sleep with a pillow over his head. She usually wakes up with a groan, but not yesterday. She's been so excited about her birthday, and complained all week that the days seemed to be dragging. The kids are allowed to invite friends over for a party only on even birthdays, so this year was a family year. Our Traditons: She got to choose her own kind of sugar-cereal for breakfast. She opted for Apple-Jacks. She had softball practice right after school, so she requested lemon cupcakes for her team. (Half of the first batch was eaten by Rosco, but luckily I had bought two mixes, so I was able to bake more--but that's a whole other story.) She decided to forgo the usual birthday cake and opted for pumpkin pie (just like her Mama!) and asked for homemade egg rolls and fried rice for dinner. Needless to say, I spent most of the day in the kitchen. But she's so worth it.
Here are some things about Evie:
She is a true and loyal friend.
Her favorite sandwich is ham or turkey with mayo and lettuce on a white hoagie bun. PB&J are not her thing, but she'll eat it if she has to.
She's a good sport, and will try just about anything I cook for dinner, although she is not a fan of whole wheat or brown rice (which I am constantly trying to put in everything.)
Evie at age 2 1/2 (Yes, she was a blonde little curly-head!)
She wishes she could dress like the kids on the Disney Channel. You know, layers, scarves, loud colors. One of her presents was a shirt with a matching vest and scarf. She was ecstatic.
She's is a wonderful big sister. She is responsible and caring. When she loses her temper she can be pretty hard on herself and last week she told me, "I'm afraid that I'm the worst big sister ever!" She's far, far from it!
Evie and Jocelyn
She is very creative and especially loves drama. She's great at organizing plays and puppet shows.
She's a peacemaker. She can't stand it when her friends are arguing and will bend over backwards to make everyone happy, often at her own expense. In fifth grade this year she's beginning to realize that she can't make everyone happy and is trying to find a balance. I'm not sure I've really grasped that concept completely in my own life, so I think she's ahead of the game.
She has the best, quirkiest sense of humor. She great to giggle with.
She's very musical. She's played the cello for two years now. Another fun fact: She enjoys making little videos with her ipod nano, and sings her own "theme music." She's made her own theme music since she was little.
She's growing up! This was the first time her birthday wish list consisted of clothes, lotion, and earrings over toys. I think I might cry just thinking about it.
She has a sweet testimony. She really tries to do what is right each day. I admire her a lot!
Our beautiful Evie
Here are some things about Evie:
She is a true and loyal friend.
Her favorite sandwich is ham or turkey with mayo and lettuce on a white hoagie bun. PB&J are not her thing, but she'll eat it if she has to.
She's a good sport, and will try just about anything I cook for dinner, although she is not a fan of whole wheat or brown rice (which I am constantly trying to put in everything.)
She wishes she could dress like the kids on the Disney Channel. You know, layers, scarves, loud colors. One of her presents was a shirt with a matching vest and scarf. She was ecstatic.
She's is a wonderful big sister. She is responsible and caring. When she loses her temper she can be pretty hard on herself and last week she told me, "I'm afraid that I'm the worst big sister ever!" She's far, far from it!
She is very creative and especially loves drama. She's great at organizing plays and puppet shows.
She's a peacemaker. She can't stand it when her friends are arguing and will bend over backwards to make everyone happy, often at her own expense. In fifth grade this year she's beginning to realize that she can't make everyone happy and is trying to find a balance. I'm not sure I've really grasped that concept completely in my own life, so I think she's ahead of the game.
She has the best, quirkiest sense of humor. She great to giggle with.
She's very musical. She's played the cello for two years now. Another fun fact: She enjoys making little videos with her ipod nano, and sings her own "theme music." She's made her own theme music since she was little.
She's growing up! This was the first time her birthday wish list consisted of clothes, lotion, and earrings over toys. I think I might cry just thinking about it.
She has a sweet testimony. She really tries to do what is right each day. I admire her a lot!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thanksgiving
We had a great Thanksgiving! Clark's brother Ellis drove up from Utah and brought a friend, Collin, who we've known for a long time. Board games, lots of food, and just hanging out made for a great weekend. Jammie took all these pictures and made them into this cute collage. She's so talented at it! If you click on the picture you can see it a lot bigger.
I don't think people look at this blog any more since I rarely update it, but I'd still like to express my thanks to God and to all those who enrich my life so much. All the people in the pictures above make me feel so blessed. The kids teach me so much everyday, and, although I'm kind of a slow learner, they love me and accept me and I hope I do the same for them. I hope I can be the kind of mom they deserve. I'm so grateful for Clark. For all his hard work over the course of our marriage and the sacrifices he's made. When we were dating I knew that this was a guy that was going places and I wanted to be along for the ride. I could also tell that he was someone who I could have fun with no matter what, and that has been a blessing in my life. I'm grateful that he honors his priesthood and that blesses my life and the lives of our children so much.
I'm grateful for my sister, Rebekah, and the opportunity we have to have her here as part of our family. I'm so thankful that she is healthy and happy and is determined to stay that way. I love and admire her so much. Even though we are ten years apart in age we've been able to become great friends. It's a friendship I will always cherish. I'm so lucky to have a sister-friend right here in my own house. I'm grateful for the times she's pitched in when she can see I'm overwhelmed and for all the laughing and singing. I'm logging all these memories away so that one day when she's not living with us anymore I can think about them and remember how lucky I was.
And I'm so thankful for Russ and Jammie. They are a testimony to me that God knows us. He knew that Russ and Clark were two peas in a pod and were meant to end up near each other. He blessed me with an amazing sister-in-law who is also a best friend. I feel the blessing of our relationship with them on a daily basis. I'm grateful to them for sharing their experience of the journey of adoption. They will make amazing parents.
I'm thankful to my Savior for never giving up on me, even when I give up on myself. I sometimes forget that He's there, just waiting to lift me up if I just reach out to Him. I know He's there and that He loves me. This knowledge blesses my life more than I can express. It gives me the strength to go on--to start over when I feel like I'm never going to get things right. He has turned trials and mistakes in my life into my greatest joys. He's blessed me with amazing people all around me and many more that are just a phone call away. He's blessed me with the gospel in my life and the incredible opportunity to teach it to my children. He's blessed me with a partner who I get to be with for eternity. How lucky am I? Now the trick is trying not to forget it!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Babies Don't Keep
You may have heard this one. I love it, and think of it often.
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton
Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.
Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo
The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew
And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.
The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.
- Ruth Hulbert Hamilton
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sweet Deal
I always thought I'd be a great scrapbooker, but over the years I've realized my heart is just not in it. It takes tooo much TIME! But I love the photo books you can buy online at sites like shutterfly and snapfish. You can put them together in a day or so, and viola, your whole summer is logged away. Anyway, for those of you who are like me winkflash.com is a site similar to shutterfly and snapfish, though a little more basic. They are having their flat-rate sale until the 29th of this month. It's $19.95 plus shipping for 8X10 100 page book. You have to plug in the code FLATRATE when you check out. Happy Shopping!
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