Pleasant

I told my husband yesterday that I promise to be in a good mood all week long. I was quite grumpy last week, and pretty short with Greg. I was pretty upset with Austin for a couple of days, and it is always stressful to have him home (he had Wed-Fri off of school). There is just a lot more contention in our home. He isn't entirely to blame, Macy has to take her fair share of the blame as well. They just seem to fight ALL the time. I think if I was granted one wish, it would be that the kids would stop picking on each other, bringing each other to tears (or screams), and just be nice to each other! I was also stressed out with church stuff and the fact that Paige is turning one. I'm just not ready for her to grow up.

When I was extremely frustrated with Austin, Greg turned to me and asked, "What are you really upset about?" I tried explaining that I really was just frustrated with Austin and his attitude toward school. He continued to push, "Are you sure it isn't anything else?" (This was my BIG mistake and eventual downfall) I said, "Like what?" Greg replied (in his 'I'm walking on eggshells voice'), "Maybe because you're doing so bad on your diet? Or because the playroom's a mess?" (He said some other stuff, but I wasn't listening anymore.) My reply: "NO...I wasn't upset with any of this stuff, but I am now!" It was a very mature, adult conversation.

Anyway...I make a vow to be pleasant and patient all week. I can do it! It's only one week! When I told Greg, he laughed and told me that I shouldn't make promises that I can't keep. The reality is that I know if Greg could have one wish granted it would be that my temper would magically disappear. I really do need to work on this more consciously to help our home be a happier place.

What Emily Means...

You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. And you'll knock down anyone who gets in your way! You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I think my husband would pretty much totally disagree with the friendly, charming, happy part (especially the past few days). What do you think?

10 Things About My Mom

We are reading "Because of Winn Dixie" for book club this month, and I liked it so much, I decided to read it out loud to my kids. It's pretty cute (so far). The book is about a girl whose mother left when she was three. At one point, she asks her dad to tell her 10 things about her mom because she is 10 years old - one thing for every year. I thought it was a cute idea, so I thought I would tell you 10 things about my mom (don't worry...I won't tell you one for every year of my life, even though I probably could come up with 31 things quite easily).

1. My mom loves chocolate. She probably loves chocolate more than any person I've ever met. Chocolate in any form makes her happy.
2. My mom has the loudest sneeze of any person on the planet. If you aren't prepared for it, you actually jump because it frightens you.
3. My mom is very emotional and cries whenever she is touched (which is often). Her nose gets red and she gets a little drip on the end of her nose when she cries.
4. My mom has amazing faith. She firmly believes that if you pray about anything, you will undoubtedly get the answer. She believes that if you ask for something in faith, the Lord will tell you exactly what to do. She gets nervous to pray or speak in public though, and she has a hard time "finding the end of the prayer" (as my dad would say).
5. When I was little, my mom always had her fingernails painted - usually red. She has beautiful hands, and I distinctly remember bottles of nail polish in the refrigerator. I love the sound of glass nail polish tinkling together.
6. My mom cannot hide it when she is disgusted with someone. She crinkles up her face, shakes her head, and puts on the absolute worst fake smile. She is also extremely short with that person. And she usually makes a "bleahhh" sound when the person walks away.
7. My mom loves to analyze things. She thrives on deep, meaningful conversations. (This came in extremely handy in High School and College because she would willingly stay up with me and talk through everything.)
8. My mom is a night owl. Her most effective hours are between 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. She also loves to sleep in. I remember Saturday mornings when she would stay in bed until 10 in the morning. It was probably because she was up all night enjoying the peace (and quiet).
9. My mom likes to pick out her own gifts. She loves to go to her closet and say, "Do you want to see what Dad got me for my birthday?" She shows it to us and says, "Isn't he going to be surprised." Then, she puts it back in the bag so my dad can wrap it up.
10. My mom is never happier then when she is on a beach somewhere in the world...Hawaii, Lake Powell, Mexico, etc.

Bonus #1: My mom is a dare devil. She likes thrilling things and loves to try new things. She is also very determined. If she decides that she's going to do something, nothing can stand in her way from installing sprinkling systems or a tile floor to scuba diving.

Bonus #2: I have never doubted that my mother loves me (or any of her children). I know there have been times she's been disappointed or disagreed with me, but I feel incredibly safe with her. She is extremely accepting and loving and sees the best in all of us.

My dad's favorite picture of my mom:

My parent's engagement photo. I think I love this because they are holding a flower that is apparently the only flower growing out of the grass. It makes me smile every time!

Parent/Teacher Nightmare

I hate Parent/Teacher Conference. I absolutely despise it. And my son is only in first grade. This was even a Celebration of Learning, and I still walked away completely disgusted. They have been studying frogs and life cycles, so this was kind of their culmination event. It was actually quite cute.

First, the kids showed the parents what they've been working on. This is what I see: illegible handwriting (he loves to make the "tails" of the g's and y's wrap around the entire page) filled with incomplete sentences and sloppy lettering; tests with scores of 70% in reading (he reads on a Q level - about 4th grade), but he's just too lazy and doesn't concentrate to get the answers correct; poor math test scores, even though he can add and subtract three digit numbers, tell time on a clock, and does his entire week's math homework Monday night in about 10 minutes because "math is his favorite subject" - again, just lazy, sloppy, and unwilling to concentrate; an entire folder of unfinished assignments; etc.

Their final project was to "publish" a book on frogs. They had first and second drafts, and the hard-back book was supposed to be the "finished product." Apparently, Miss Karen couldn't get Austin to write (what is up with that - he simply refuses when a teacher asks him to do something), so he did his entire project the last few minutes of school today. The drawings are sloppy and "quick," and he did the cover of the book on the way to the event tonight with a red sharpie. All of the other kids had intricate drawings of different kinds of frogs, the life cycle, etc. on the covers of their books. What the hell?!? We are not teaching him to "get by." We are not teaching him to be as sloppy as you want and expect praise. I am so frustrated right now I want to scream! He's in first grade and already he's trying to take the easy way out.

The rest of the program was a video of all the kids doing an interpretive dance of the life-cycle of a frog. It was adorable, and Austin spent the entire time on the floor. Then, it came time for their puppet shows. Austin chose to make a Poison Dart Frog puppet. When it came time to give his part, he did it in some silly, baby voice that you couldn't even understand (even though he had the part memorized).

To end the program, they sang some frog/amphibian songs. Funny...all the other kids in the class managed to stand and sing, but Austin had to kneel down and pretend to hop around. What is wrong with him?!? Ever since he was three, I have always walked out of these things immensely embarrassed and feeling like the worst parent on the planet. Sometimes, I want to home school him so I don't have to submit myself to being in public with him and letting other parents see him. I hate being embarrassed of my own child! What's wrong with me?!?

I'm sitting here contemplating all the different ways I can have him "make it up" this week (he's out of school on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday). It would be one thing if this was his best work. If 70% was really his best, I would be fine with it. But, it absolutely isn't. He is capable of so much more! Should he re-write his book, and this time put in the correct amount of time and effort? Should he have to write something for me every day because he "refuses" to do it at school? Is he just a spoiled, rotten little brat? Should I take away a bunch of his "stuff" because he obviously doesn't think he has to work for anything? I am fuming right now!

With Miss Karen:With Miss Rachael:

Singing (this was before he was crouching on the floor):

With his Poison Dart Frog puppet:

Poor Little Babe

I have not slept much the past two nights because Macy has been sick. It started out on Sunday with her complaining that her legs hurt, her fingers hurt, her mouth hurts, her eyes hurt, etc. She had a restless night that night, but last night was much worse. She had a fever by dinnertime. At bedtime, I gave her the last of the Motrin. She was up maybe 8 times (no exaggeration). I didn't have any more Children's Tylenol, so I gave her a stronger dose of Infant Tylenol - it didn't work. Finally, at about 3:45, Greg got in bed with her because she was breathing so fast and her heart rate was so accelerated that it scared him. We were finally able to drift off to sleep at about 4:30. I got up around 6:30 and ran to Walmart for the real Children's Motrin and Tylenol. This morning, she ate some yogurt and toast for breakfast. She seems to do much better as long as I keep the medicine in her. She did request a nap today, so she must be pretty wiped out.

We have been blessed, though. Except for some minor stuffy noses, we haven't been sick this year. Hopefully, it will pass quickly.

I'm Totally Blowing It!

I was sooooo good about the diet for the first two weeks. Since Wednesday morning, I have completely blown it. I've officially fallen off the wagon. I guess it's time to get on again.

Chocolate cake, chocolate-covered berries, chocolate raspberry trufflescorned beef (that was Meagan's cooking classes fault and it was amazing), lemon cheesecake (again...Meagan's fault - I don't even LOVE cheesecake, but Meagan's cooking is unreal), finishing Macy's ice cream conecandy, pita chips, BREAD

Also...has anyone noticed that my goal to finish 1st Nephi has been up for well over a month. Yikes! I'm not doing too hot on that one either.

I've repented and I'm ready to do better. Why am I so horrible at will power!?!

A Few Milestones

WARNING: This post contains A TON of pictures. I just couldn't pick just a few.

Paige has decided to walk. She's actually been taking steps since about the middle of January. It started out with just one or two, and then a fall. For the past few weeks, she'll walk to and from furniture (from chair to chair, or couch to table - as long as she has a destination). Sometimes, she'd let go of something and start walking (maybe 5 or 6 steps) and realize that she was walking, stop, carefully get back into crawling position, and take off. But...this week she decided that she can do it. She walks everywhere! She also loves to carry things like her baby, an empty bottle, a water bottle, etc. She tucks it under her right arm and off she goes. However, she refused to hold anything when the camera was out.

Action Shot (notice the baby doll that she was carrying, but dropped as soon as she saw the camera.):

Love that tongue, baby!

I remember my mom telling me that when her babies started to walk, she was finally able to start to let go of them a little - she didn't feel completely "connected at the hip (or breast)" with her newborn anymore. It's true, and a little sad really. But, this stage is just a blast. Even though I didn't necessarily choose to have my kids three years apart, this is one of those hidden blessings. Just about the time when your other "baby" is growing up, becoming an expert at back-talk, and wanting to be everything "grown up," I have the most funny, curious, happy little toddler to brighten my day.

When Paige wakes up, she just talks to herself in her crib and starts her music on her mobile. She squeals with delight whenever she sees any of us. She gives "loves" (sweet hugs) and kisses (she says "Mmmmm..." and then licks your cheek or touches your cheek with her lips). She loves her baby, going up and down the stairs, and food! She's my greatest eater (and she never complains or says "I don't like that" before she even knows what we're having for dinner). She loves the bath and splashing. She loves her shoes and tries to put them on her feet. She lives for emptying the Tupperware drawer, the silverware out of the dishwasher, or all of the books off the bookshelf. She loves taking the magnets off the fridge and putting them back on. She loves to look underneath things (tables, beds, the refrigerator). It is hilarious to watch. She gets her entire body down on the ground and peers underneath to find things. She climbs up to the piano, reaches as high as she can, and plinks the keys. She sings "ABC's" and "EIEIO" - not really, but she makes the inflections. She claps, jumps up and down, and squeals when I put on Baby Einstein Neighborhood Animals. I could go on and on (obviously). We just love her to pieces!

Giving "loves" to her baby:

Austin finally learned how to tie his shoes (he will be seven in July). He needed new school shoes, so I bought him some with laces. He wanted the ones with Spiderman that light up and have wheels. But, I promised him he could pick out any sandals he wants this summer, but I get to pick school shoes (mostly because I was trying to get him away from velcro). This is the third pair this year - he is so tough on his shoes (the first one didn't really count - I went way too cheap). Anyway...it took a couple of days, but he learned and he is doing great! Now if we can only teach him to ride a bike. :)Macy is just Macy. She's 3 going on 15, complete with all the hormones, mood swings, tender feelings, and short temper. We still love her, and I guess we'll keep her...for now.

Macy's Stay in Bed Chart

Speaking of creative...Macy is making me crazy by sneaking into our bed at night. She goes to Greg's side, so I don't even know until I wake up with Greg right next to me and I have about a foot of space before I fall off (and we have a King-size bed). It's really affecting my sleep, which definitely affects my patience and functioning levels. So, I came up with this chart for Macy. I went to Walmart and purchased a $4.00 tea set (this is her latest craze). Every morning, we are going to put a sticker on her chart. If she stays in her bed ALL night long, we put a sticker on one of the smiley faces. If she gets in our bed, we put a sticker on one of the frowny faces. When she gets to seven, she either earns her tea set or we take away her Princess sheets. I don't like taking things away, but I don't know what else to do. I just can't have kids in my bed all night. We'll see.

Computer Coupons

This is my latest attempt to help motivate Austin. Remember about five months ago when Austin was having trouble bringing his coat/backpack/gloves/homework/etc. home from school? I made a reminder card, laminated it, and attached it to his back back. I then told him that he could earn 10 points a day if he remembered EVERYTHING. It was all or nothing. Then, I went to Walmart and bought a bunch of $3-5 toys. When he got to 100 points, he could pick one of the toys. When he got to $500 points, he could earn a new Kid Knex set (his favorite). It worked like a charm. I was suddenly not so obsessed when he forgot stuff because I put the ball in his court. (I love it when I use my Love and Logic.) It took him about six weeks to get to 100 points the first time. Now, he's about 30 points away from 500 and it isn't even an issue anymore. So...I decided to use this premise to get him to improve his behavior at school.

He was doing so much better, then the past few weeks, he's taken a nose dive again. To help him, I came up with Computer Coupons. I made several of these in fun, bright, different colors and laminated them. I gave these to his teacher. Then, I made a new "reminder" card and attached it to his backpack. If he does everything on the card, his teacher hands him a Computer Coupon at the end of the day. This gives him the right to play computer games (like Zoo Tycoon or Lego.com) that evening. I didn't put a time restriction because every evening is different.

We'll see...I'm not expecting a miracle, and it may be like the point system - it may take him several days to earn one. But, once he catches on, I'm hoping we will see some improvements. You know how they say mother's need to be loving and nurturing...they really should add creative. These kids definitely keep me on my toes!

I Did It!

I stuck to the South Beach diet for 2 weeks (for those of you who aren't familiar with it, the first two weeks are pretty strict - only meat, eggs, some cheese, and vegetables). My cheating was VERY minimal (I had one bite of cake on my sister's birthday - and it was an actual, normal bite). I actually thought the food that you get to eat is pretty good, the really hard part is everything you CAN'T eat. Anyway...I lost 5 pounds the first week and 1 pound the second week. I'm a little disappointed in that "1"; I was hoping to be 130 at the end of two weeks. I did put on some pre-pregnancy pants today and they went on very easily (not too big, not too small). That felt good. I'm thinking that 120 is pretty unrealistic. I'd like to get down to 125 though. I think all of my old clothes will fit at that weight. We'll see. I'm pretty sure that it will take me the next several months to lose those 6 pounds. I'll still stick to the diet, but I'm not going to be as strict as I have been. If I'm at a party, I'll have a small piece of cake.

(Look how easily I'm talking about weight.

It's therapy - working through my craziness.)

Isn't it funny...

how 40 degrees in February feels warm (practically balmy), but 40 degrees in September feels cold (downright freezing).

Lessons from the Scriptures

I had an epiphany today. You know how you read the scriptures and you are familiar with a story, but something totally new sticks out as if it hadn't been there all those other times that you've read it? I think that is the magic of the scriptures, and it happened to me today.

We were reading in Alma about when the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's want to live with the Nephites for protection. (Remember: They were the converted Lamanites that buried their weapons and covenanted with the Lord never to fight again. As a result, they were getting slaughtered by the other Lamanites and Amalakites. They needed somewhere to live that was safe.) Knowing that they had once gone to war against the Nephites and unrighteously killed and hurt many of their people, the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's said that they were willing to be the Nephite's slaves until they could forgive them. That's a pretty good lesson about repentance. It isn't enough to be sorry, we have to be willing to do whatever we can to make it right. I was touched by the humility of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's and their continued desire to do what was right.

However, the overwhelming lesson to me was the Nephites response. They not only gave land to the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's, but they positioned their army to offer protection to the People of Ammon (new name) in the case that the Lamanites and Amalakites attacked.

That is the story, but as I thought about it, I was so moved. Sometimes, I just read the words. But, I wondered what it would be like for someone, or a huge group of people, who had personally attacked and damaged my family to tell me that they had repented, come to Christ, and now needed my help. What if someone killed my husband and forced me to be the sole provider for my family? What if someone hurt or killed one of my children? What if someone came in and brutally destroyed my home and took my possessions? How easy/difficult would it be to forgive? How easy/difficult would it be for me to believe in their "change of heart" and trust them after they had hurt me? How amazing that these Nephites not only forgave with a fullness of heart, but helped these refuges with a place to live and offer the protection of their own army.

It just made me ponder a bit on why it is so difficult for me to forgive? I should obviously try to be more like these Nephites, and accept people for their word, forgive, and (possibly the most difficult of all) reach out with love to help.

Hmmm......

Kind of Creeping Me Out

Macy has become obsessed with death. She talks about it almost daily. It's been going on for about three weeks now. She isn't necessarily scared or worried about it, but she is very curious. I try to be very matter-of-fact and nonchalant, but it's really starting to freak me out a little. She asks me if she is going to die (or me, Paige, Grandma, etc.). I tell her that we are all going to die. Sometimes she asks why, and I tell her that it is just a part of life; we are all born, and we are all going to die. Sometimes she asks where she'll go, and I tell her to live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Then, she asks if she'll live again. I always tell her that she will be resurected. This is our conversation today while we were in the car, driving to dance class:

Macy: Mom, am I going to die and then live again?
Me: Yes.
Macy:...just like Jesus.
Me: Yes. You will be resurrected just like Jesus.
Macy: Is Jesus going to die again?
Me: No. You only die once.
Macy (after a few seconds of silence): Mom, I want to see Jesus.
Me: So do I.
Macy: No. I really, really want to see Jesus.

Am I handling this wrong? I thought that if I was just very direct, the questioning would go away. It's kind of starting to get to me.

Kids are Hilarious!

I love teaching piano (most of the time). I really enjoy the kids that I teach. Yesterday, Maddie came to piano and I had Paige in the room with me. Maddie is Jen's oldest and she is adorable. She is very social and speaks very fast and energetically. But, she is so genuine. This is our conversation when she walked in the door:

Maddie (looking at Paige): What's your favorite part about being a mom?
Me (thinking, and a little taken back by such a big question): ...
Maddie: I know! I bet it's having kids.
Me (amused): You're right! That is my favorite part. Doing laundry is definitely NOT my favorite part.
Maddie (continuing with her thought): Can you imagine what it would be like if you didn't have your kids. It would be so boring. I mean, it would just be you and your husband and no kids. (Laugh) That would be soooo boring! (Laugh)

I laughed about this for hours. I love the perspective of little kids.

Happy Birthday Madeline!

It is my baby sister's 19th birthday today. (She is almost 6 feet tall, so I think it's funny to call her my "baby" sister. Obviously, the genetics did not get evenly divided. She just kind of hogged all the height and left me with a miserable 5'2".)

Anyhoo...Madeline is going to Utah State and wants to be a nurse. She is beautiful with pristine skin and gorgeous long, flowing hair. She is very tender-hearted, intuitive, and easy-going. She is a great friend, lives for shopping and texting, and loves, loves, loves shoes! She is so happy, and brightens any situation. And...She can burp like a sailor (followed by uncontrollable giggles of pride.) We all wish you an amazing birthday! Last year as a teenager. Yikes! Live it up!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE LOVE YOU!