Disaster In Da' House

Don't you just love those moments as parents when you know your kids are wreaking havoc throughout the house, but they are having so much fun that you can't tell them to stop? Right now Arden and Maile are enthusiastically emptying their drawers and toy chest and putting all their clothes and belongings into baskets, which they are moving into another room. They are also gathering every pillow, blanket, sheet, and quilt they can find, with the intent of blockading their doorway so they can no longer sleep in their room. Their plan is to set up a tent in the study and sleep and live there.

I'm already having nightmares about the cleanup and it's not even night time.

Just overheard: Arden to Maile: "Mom says we have to clean this up by Saturday." (Their original plan was to leave it until they were 18.)
Maile: "How come?"
Arden: "I don't know, she's just weird that way."

All That You Do...

Yesterday was one of those days where I was lucky I didn't strangle my children. It seemed like they were bickering with each other and whining at me most of the day. I was cranky too, because it was grocery shopping day and I don't particularly like shopping--I feel like I pretty much waste half my day. I know we need to eat though!
Usually when the kids are cranky, I pretty much assume that it's more or less my fault because I am not being creative or engaged enough with them. If I take time to sit down with them and really give them some good attention, they usually are just fine.

It occurred to me that part of my problem is that I try to do too much at the same time to the point where I don't give many important things in my life (my kids!) their due time and concentration before jumping to something else. I'm not saying multitasking is bad--Mom's HAVE to be able to do that--but I think maybe I do it too much.

I remember a particular family home evening my parents did back when I was a kid. My Dad had somehow sawed some coins in half, and Mom had torn a dollar in half. They stuck these "half" pieces of money on a poster with a little poem that read, "All that you do, do with your might. Things done in halves, are never done right." They were teaching us the importance of not doing "halfway" jobs. I think it applies to many things in life. If I'm going to take the time to do something, I need to devote my whole attention at that moment to what I'm doing, rather then jumping from thing to thing, or thinking of all the other things I could be doing.

Of Palm Leaves and Chocolates

I definitely miss having Enoch around!

 

Dear God

Dear God
~Author unknown

Dear God~
So far today I've done all right.
I haven't gossiped.
I haven't lost my temper.
I haven't lied or cheated.
I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent.
I'm very thankful for that.
But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed;
and from then on,
I'm probably going to need a lot more help.
Amen.

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep--A Tired Mother's Prayer
~author anonymous

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.
I pray I find a little quiet
Far from the daily family riot

May I lie back--not have to think
about what they're stuffing down the sink,
or who they're with, or where they're at
and what they're doing to the cat.

I pray for time all to myself
(did something just fall off a shelf?)
To cuddle in my nice, soft bed
(Oh no, another goldfish--dead!)

Some silent moments for goodness sake
(Did I just hear a window break?)
And that I need not cook or clean...
(Well heck, I've got the right to dream)

Yes now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep,
But as I look around I know...
I must have lost them long ago!

Of the Bubonic Plague and $100

Time for some fun "kidisms."

We pay high compliments to each other in this household.

Maile to Arden: "Arden, you look as cute as a chicken!"

Our kids' prayers are always so heartfelt and sincere.

Maile in a prayer at Uncle Tab and Aunt Carolyn's house: "Please bless Tab and Carolyn that they can stand it."

Our children are also smart.

Maile to Arden: "Hey Arden, I have an idea. How about I play while you work?"

AND we have taught them excellent business principles.

Arden to Maile--they were selling small ziplock bags of popcorn to the neighbors for .10 a bag: "Maile, how about I get the first $100 and you get the second $100."

They are very loving, as well.

While discussing the bubonic plague in England with them, I tried to illustrate how many people died (3 out of every 4) by telling them it was like Arden, Dad, Enoch, and Leila dying from just our family. (A little off, I know--it was easier that way!) Maile piped up and said, "Mom, how about you die instead of Dad, 'cuz I like Dad."
Thanks child. I love you too.

We haven't heard many quotes from Leila yet, for the simple reason that she can't really say more then a couple words, but here is a little update for her.

She is not walking yet. Our upstairs neighbor--a big, tough black guy--affectionately calls her "Crawly Crawly" and is always telling me she should be crawling already, and asks why she isn't. I told him we would be sure and have him down to our house for a demonstration and celebration as soon as it happens! Personally, I am not encouraging Leila walking, because I know once she walks, well, it won't be walking, it will be running, then I will have to be doing a lot more running as well!

She has also picked up this awful, loud screech, which she likes to demonstrate in the middle of church.

She loves baths, so much so that the other day after I had gotten her bathed and dressed for bed, she went back into the bathroom to puddle in the water while Maile finished her bath. She got so enthusiastic in her splashing, she flipped right over the edge of the tub into the water, fully clothed! She got a second bath that day.

We love our little ones and find so much joy from their (mostly) delightful little personalities.

Of Dealing with Trials in the Lord's Way

This being Sunday, I thought I'd share some notes I'd taken from one of our Relief Society lessons. It was a lesson from probably nearly a year ago, back when we were in Rexburg, but it was really meaningful to me at the time, and brought me a lot of comfort. We had been trying everything we could think of to get our house sold, and it was getting to the point where it was getting to be very stressful, knowing we would be moving soon. On top of that, the bills from Leila's birth and prenatal care had continued to flood in, along with the attendent calls to insurance to clear various things up, doctor's offices, etc., AND Curtis in the midst of trying to start a company. It was a stressful time, which we are glad is over!
I wish I had more then my little edited "jottings down" to share, but hopefully my notes at least it portray the main idea.

On Dealing With Trials

1. FRET NOT
Do what we can and then don't worry. Worry makes it so that we can't enjoy the moment.

2. TRUST IN THE LORD
He loves us, His children, more then we can comprehend.

3. DO GOOD
We are followers if Christ. Our actions serve as a living testimony of our discipleship.

"As we are to those in need, so will our Father in Heaven be to us."
~Joseph B. Worthlin

4. IN TIME the Lord will bring about answers to your prayers, sometimes in ways you could never possibly have imagined.

We need to be completely humble and willing to do whatever it is He wants us to do.

If we know our desires are righteous, pray with confidence.

5. COMMIT THY WAY UNTO THE LORD
Cleave unto light and truth.

6. REST IN THE LORD
He has his own timetable, and we may not like it or understand it, but His timing is always perfect.