Top Ten Reasons Why I've Decided to Keep My Kids

I've been entirely too negative lately. I shouldn't write about my frustrations with Macy two seconds after I throw her in bed (figurative on the word "throw"). I really do love my kids, and they bring me an immense amount of happiness. Here are my Top 10 (for today) in no particular order:

10: There is NEVER a dull moment. I assure you that I fall asleep quickly every night. I put Macy and Paige in the bath tonight while Austin and Greg were at the doctor getting the cast removed (Hallelujah). When Austin got home, I asked him to get in and get washed (now that he no longer needs our help to keep the cast dry). I was helping Macy pick up her room when I hear Austin hollering for me. I walk in and see this:

9: They crack me up! Is Macy not the funniest kid on the planet! That is one thing that I LOVE about 4-years-old. She is absolutely hilarious (see side column)! I think her little lisp makes everything she says even funnier. 

8: They really do love each other. Austin and Macy are Paige's favorite people! She says "Austee" and "Ceecee." She loves to show them things, and she still squeals with delight when she sees them first thing in the morning. When she wakes up and they aren't at home, she holds her hands up, starts looking for them, and asking for them. Austin and Macy are still smitten with her (most of the time). They love helping her, responding to her, playing with her, teaching her new words, and making her laugh. Warms a mother's heart!

7: Zerbets. Yesterday morning, I held Family Prayer alone because Greg had gone to world already. After prayers, Austin gave me a kiss on one cheek and a zerbet on the other cheek. (This is a common "trick" they play on us. They tell us that they are going to give us two nice kisses. The first one is nice, the second one is always a zerbet. We act surprised every time, and they laugh hysterically every time.) When Austin was done, Macy did the exact same thing. Paige had been watching intently. She walked up to me and blew on my cheek and laughed hysterically. What a great moment!

6: Bedtime. My crowning achievement of parenting. My kids go to bed wonderfully! We have a routine, and we stick to it religiously. Kids are in bed by 8:00 (Austin gets to read to himself until 8:30). The best part is that Austin does a lot of it himself now. Heaven! We always go in to say "Goodnight" and give him a kiss. Our Routine: Jammies/Pick up Room/Set Out Clothes for School (usually includes a "shoe hunt")/Teeth Brushed/Read Story/Pray/Lights Out, Music On (they all have their own "bedtime CD"), and Nightlight On

5: Stuffed Animals. When Austin was a baby, I thought it was so stupid that people kept giving us stuffed animals. We keep them in a 3-foot basket, and I swear they multiply on their own. But, my kids are stuffed animal fanatics. They are seriously life savers. They seem to equate comfort. Austin still has a stuffed dinosaur and little dog in bed with him every night. Macy sleeps on a ragged old "cat" pillow. And Paige will not go down without her bear (a specific one), "gog" (dog"), "kiggy" (kitty), and "baby." Sometimes, she also insists on a very large tiger or "roar" as she calls it. She has to have all of them (yes, all of them) in her arms and she just squeals with delight. She frequently carries them around the house and often trips because her arms are so full.

4: Girls & Their Shoe Fetish. Macy and Paige have a thing for shoes. Macy went to her first day of school in what else, her hot pink cowboy boots (it was only about 98 degrees that day). Loved it! Paige will come get my finger, lead me into her room, point to her shelf, and beg for "soos" (shoes). Today, I looked over and she had found some of her shoes in the diaper bag and she put them on herself. They were done up and everything. Shoes are so important to Paige that she won't rest until everyone in the family is wearing them. It is not unusual for us to be sitting on the couch and feel her little hands on our feet, trying to put shoes on us (usually backward). Paige brings me my bright red high heels several times a day (Macy has been known to bring me these particular shoes as well). She brings me one shoe, toddles all the way back to my room and into my closet, and brings me the match. She really does bring the red heels 90% of the time, but it doesn't matter which pair of shoes she chooses, she always brings me the right match. If you drop by, don't be surprised to find me in my scrubbies and red high heels, courtesy Paige.
3: Individuality. They are all their own, unique little spirits. They are all so different, and different things work well with different kids. For instance, I went to three classes of BYU Education Week last Friday and received an answer to one of our struggles. I took a class on teaching your children how to recognize the Spirit. The teacher was talking about the need to really get to know each child to figure out what works for them and what will inspire them. As an example, she spoke about her first son (she had four, bless her) being a morning person and working with that. It hit me like a ton of bricks: Do Austin's homework with him in the morning! We have been struggling with focus at 5:30 in the afternoon. I have been letting him play right after school, then he does homework while I make dinner. It usually ends in both of us completely frustrated. When I realized that he is at his best in those early hours, it has been amazing! The first day, he did all of his homework in 14 minutes. Talk about a blessing of peace!

2: Autonomy. I've come to the realization that Heavenly Father is never going to send me a "calm" child. All of my kids have a very real "Do it myself" attitude, and I really am grateful. Paige absolutely refused to eat without a utensil, and you can forget about feeding her. She's actually getting pretty good. The other day, I caught her sitting in the rocking chair, baby on her lap, feeding baby a bottle. Today, I walked in and saw her on the couch "reading" a book. She also looks at me and says, "No" while shaking her finger. Then she proceeds to look me in the eye and do the thing she knows is wrong. Her finger shake is so adorable that I almost forget that she threw the cup of juice on the floor or opened the diaper to let the poop fall out. Austin has been doing his hair by himself this past week. Apparently mohawks are back "in." And I think he's gone through an entire bottle of hairspray this week alone. Macy's shoes are on the wrong feet 99.9% of the time. But, hey, she does it herself!  Drives my dad and husband crazy! And she recently learned to make her own peanut butter and jam sandwiches. It is well worth the mess to watch her strut her stuff because she made her own lunch. Love it!

1: Manners. My kids really are polite (most of the time). "May I please," "Thank You," "You're Welcome" are required phrases at our house. Even Paige says "Der Go" ("There You Go") and "Dank Do" ("Thank You"). We're working on "Peas" ("Please"). Austin is always the gentleman, and can always be found holding the door for anyone, but especially women with young children or babies. He gives hugs to everyone, and has been known to make old ladies tear up on more than one occasion. Whenever we leave a family function, he makes sure he tells everyone "goodbye" individually. Macy and Paige are the greatest snugglers. Macy just likes to be close to people, and Paige will give you the neck squeeze out of the blue.

BONUS: Music. My kids all love music, which is such a blessing. If Austin had a more dedicated teacher, he would be even further along in piano because he picks it up so well and he loves to play. Macy is my little singer, and we often sing duets while we blow-dry her hair. Her favorites are: You Are My Sunshine, Tomorrow (from "Annie"), Mr. Sun, Show Me the Way to Go Home, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Popular (from "Wicked"), I Am a Child of God, and Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah. I often find her singing to herself in her room. Paige loves, loves, loves "popcorn" songs (from church and the Barenaked Ladies Album). At the Ward Campout, we put them in their sleeping bags, and I sang quietly to them for a half an hour. I have my "standard" songs that I've sung to them since they were newborns, and it is like magic! We visited my grandparents today, and my grandpa got out his guitar while Macy and I serenaded him. They ate it up, and so did Macy (he gave her a microphone).

A few weeks ago, Greg and I were fasting and praying about what to do with Austin, and my heart was heavy. Sweet Andrea Kesler got up and bore her testimony. I knew immediately that it was my answer, even though it wasn't the answer to the question: What should we do about school?  This was what she read:

Doctrine and Covenants 86:9

 

“What does the Lord mean by the expression ’hid from the world with Christ in God’? He means that according to the plan of salvation you were reserved or held back in the heavens as special spirit children to be born in a time and at a place where you could perform a special mission in life….

 

“From the time the earth was originally planned, God the Eternal Father knew that in the last days Satan would become desperate. As the second coming of Jesus Christ approaches, Satan is doing everything in his power to destroy the work of God. He is using every artifice he can imagine to destroy the plan of salvation. He is raging in blood and horror on the earth. But God knew what Satan would attempt to do in these days and devised a plan to meet that challenge.

 

“God reserved for these days some of His most valiant sons and daughters. He held back for our day proved and trusted children, who He knew from their premortal behavior would hear the voice of the Shepherd and would accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knew they would qualify themselves to receive the priesthood, that they would use the holy priesthood to limit Satan’s destructiveness and make it possible for God to complete the work He had planned for the saving of His children." -Theodore M. Burton, Ensign, May 1975

I've always been bothered when people speak of "The Chosen Generation." Honestly, how am I more faithful than Eve, Sarah, Sariah, Esther, Mary, Emma Smith, Alma the Younger's mother, the pioneers that crossed the plains, my own parents and grandparents, etc. But, what I got from this quote was that I have to trust in the Lord and trust in the spirits, the souls, of my children. I need to stop worrying so much! They do have the strength to withstand the evils of the day. I need more faith. I need to focus more on their positive strengths, and enjoy this time of my life. I know I will miss it when it is gone, and they do have such amazing qualities! I love you guys!