Family Home Evening

Tonights topic: How to show respect in the bathroom. I think we'd all agree families are about teamwork. The ideas of mutual respect, the golden rule, and basic courtesy all apply, especially in the bathroom. Lately I have been freuquently coming upon the scene and others like it, as seen in the above picture. Tonights lesson will cover these main points:
- flush toilet after use
- if you have had trouble with your aim, wipe up the mess, please
-do not leave faucet running (this one is for Annie as she recently flooded the bathroom by this mistake)
-rinse toothpaste down the drain. And also make special efforts not to get toothpaste all over clothing. It stains.
-Don't leave people stranded replace toilet paper roll when empty.
-Last, but not least, bathroom time is private time. We don't all need to be in the room when I shower, and so forth.
I know my children are young, but it is never too young to start with these general rules of bathroom courtesy. I think you'll all agree we will be a happier family, if abiding by these principles.

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Daylight Savings.

I have always loved Daylight Savings. As a kid it meant, staying up later, playing night games with neighborhood kids, and best of all, SUMMER BREAK!
As a mother I love it for all the same reasons. Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with a couple of friends I grew up with. The kids played and we chatted. The topic came up of the time change; we all agreed, it threw our nighttime routines off. Bedtime seems to be coming an hour later for all of us. While during the summer months I am ok with this, for now I need some tips on how to stay on schedule with these wonderfully longer days. So what do you do to stay on track? Here's to Daylights Saving and the promise of warmer weather!

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Finding Solace

I like to walk or run at the cemetery, depending on the number of kids I have with me. I remember someone once saying to me this was a little weird. I'm not alone in my love for getting my exercise here. There is often many a jogger or walker. I have loved going to the cemetery for as long as I can remember. I use to ride my bike there while my mother jogged. My childhood friend, Natalie, and I would go running here. She was a good sport, as it wasn't her favorite place to run. When I was pregnant with Anna, me, Lex and Andrew would walk here. I kept hoping it would put me into labor.
For some reason I find solace and comfort at this place. I notice headstones, flowers, windmills, inscriptions and the likes. I'm always drawn to the ones of babies; even as a kid. I think about life, am reminded that it can be fleeting; as I contemplate my day, and my life I find peace. The added bonus, I am outdoors getting my exercise. Maybe the love comes from the tradition of walks here after Sunday dinners. I don't know but I love it.



Lexie and Anna with the stone puppy. We always give him a bone(a pretend one).

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Vanity Plates

So I'm not sure if you can read these plates but "FLTRN" or flight RN. When I see vanity plates I wonder why? They always seem to be associated with the medical profession. ERRN. It sort of reminds me of highscool. Hey everybody look at me, don't you think I'm cool? It is probably just that I'm jealous of the passion they have foro their work. I'm an RN, but I don't get this buzz from it. I mean I'm grateful for a job, especially right now, but for me it is a means to am end and I'm always racking my brain for some way to earn more in less time. Aren't we all. So I guess good for all you people who are so taken with your jobs and no offense to anyone with vanity plates, they just make me laugh and I'm always straining to read them.

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The Best of the day

I think I've mentioned the Best of the day tradition I got from a family in our old ward. We don't always do it everyday it is more of one of those things that when we remember the kids seem to really enjoy. We haven't done it in a while but I wanted to do a blog of my best of the day. The following two items have brought me great joy and much laughter and a little sadness:

Drum roll please: This is the hairstyle Andrew will be sporting to school tomorrow, ikes

I know the eyes are not helping the look but this was the best shot I got before sending him BACK to bed, where you could see the damage. I had put the kids to bed and was upstairs having a moment to myself. I knew they were talking and playing but I thought they were staying in their room and being quiet so I didn't care. Then Andrew came up with his hands over his head. For some reason I didn't think anything of it till he took them off and said," Do you like it?" No, not really, was my thought. I went from anger, to sadness, to this is hilarious in a nano second. The real humor hit when he and Lexie realized it wasn't a good look. I had sent them to bed as I was texting the photo to my fam, and I over hear Lexie saying, "I don't like it. Maybe you can where a hat to school tomorrow so no one sees it." She is four how does she know it is bad? Oh who am I kidding, look at the picture of course she knew it was bad. It wasn't till after Andrew processed this comment that he said he didn't want to go to school tomorrow. I know I''ll just have to buzz or Bic the rest off but I just don't want to. It will take forever to grow back; I suppose that is better than the alternative, sporting a bald patch on the front of your head for the next several months. Why I ask, why?? I could've sworn he did it with a razor but nope just a little pair of scissors from my mom's sewing drawer. At first I could only find one little lock of curls. My sister Nicole, who called me immediately, said, "there has to be more, THAT is more than a lock of hair." I found them in front of the mirror in his room. What to do with this boy? Lexie got in some trouble too, for not getting me when she knew Andrew was doing something naughty.

My second best thing for today: So I talked to Nicole several times today. Well I think just 3 times and every time she was on her way to Target. Guess how many Targets she went to today? She is going to write her own blog about this but I've laughed so hard it had to be included in the list: 6. Yes that is right, six different Targets. I was laughing hard when I thought it was only 3. She then later confessed to 6. Can we say C-R-A-Z-Y. She was in search of something, which like I said she will blog about. It was some decorating accessories for Lucy's room, I think. I suppose, this is why her house looks so great. Not only does she have an eye for decorating, she will also spend all day working to achieve the look in her mind. I love you Nicca thanks for a good laugh.

I finished the evening out watching some 30 Rock. I'll have to admit, when I first saw this show, I didn't really get it. It's grown on me and I think it's hilarious. When I happened upon it on the ON Demand I had to watch. Hadn't seen it in awhile and it was a good way to finish the day out. Life is good and funny. So do you think Andrew should have to sport the look at school for a day to learn a lesson??

Simple Faith

Lexie, Andrew, and Anna March 2, 2010

It is funny the little teaching moments that will come to you throughout the normal doings of day to day life. Today the weather is good. We picked Andrew up from school and the kids went straight outside to play, as I prepared lunch and chatted on the phone with my sister. I love days like this; moments where in this instant life is perfect, and you are doing exactly what it is you want. For me this was one of those moments, and I was being a mom. As the afternoon unfolded it proved to be a magical one, where I got a moment to myself as the kids explored the wonders of the outdoors. As I fixed lunch, Lexie came walking up the deck stairs carrying, to my dismay, a dead bird. We first had a teaching moment about not touching dead animals with bare hands, germs and the likes, and then later as the fascination with the bird continued one about the resurrection. We ate our lunch outside and the bird talk continued. Lexie said it would be dead forever, and I told her one day when Jesus came again it would be resurrected. They then asked about Grandma Truman, my grandmother. Would she be resurrected? What about Grandpa, and so forth. Later my Dad came out to see what they were doing. They were covering the bird with dried leaves to protect it. Grandpa told them to put the bird in the garbage can, it was dead and Lexie replied with simple faith, and utter belief in her words, "the bird would be resurrected." I think she thought maybe tomorrow this would happen, I don't know. Is this what it means to become as little children? My guess is yes. They don't spend time analyzing everything. They take it on faith and know things to be true. They are happy in the moment, burying a bird and would do it all afternoon. I am so grateful for these children in my life. They are so lucky to have each other, and I'm so lucky to have them. Even though life is not perfect, things more often than not do not go as planned, life is good and full of many blessings. The trick is recognizing them, appreciating them, and letting the rest of the crap go. So that will be my goal and don't you think they are darling?

P.S Ward's don't worry we covered the topic of germs and made sure everyone washed there hands very well.