24

No, I’m not talking about the TV show. I’m talking about my age, as of 3 am this morning.

Yes, it’s true – today is my birthday. It came quietly, and it’s going to go quietly, like any other day this year – mostly because no one really knows where I am, and the only people I have around me are my 3 year old, and my 1 year old. Birthdays don’t mean a whole lot to them. I did tell Vince it was my birthday today, which seemed to make him happy. And then I asked him how old I was... that stumped him.

I plan on picking up a cake and candles later today, and for dinner we’re going to fire up the grill (if it would stop raining... just perfect... a rainy birthday).

Anyway, a friend suggested that I blog a “self portrait” for my birthday. Now, I don’t think I’m particularly interesting, and I don’t even really know what “self portrait” means – so I’ve posted a picture of me, and maybe I’ll talk about the significant things that have happened to me since my last birthday.

- We’ve moved... three times...
– Russ finished a 18 month long Chinese course (thank goodness)
– I started tutoring for tutor.com
– I chopped off all my hair (twice)
– we got two little puppies, who have been a blessing and a curse...
– we found a house (cross your fingers)

Basically it’s been a stressful year, and hopefully the stress level will go down as 2010 comes to a close... not likely, but we’ll cross our fingers for it...

Canine Candids

pictures of the kids with the puppies at 6 weeks old
(the breeder’s husband was taking pictures of the puppies that hadn’t sold yet, and offered to take these pictures of our puppies with the kids)

Joseline: “Mamãe! Save me!”
Lucy: “What did I do?”

That’s better! Best friends in the making! Me with a little puppy head in my lap.

Their favorite place – the A/C vents – especially in hot Arkansas

Lucy’s favorite game is soccer. Doc likes fetch (when Lucy doesn’t steal the thing he’s fetching – she likes to run after stuff, but doesn’t like to bring it back to me... mostly she likes to pester her brother)

Left: Lucy (I think) panting after running around outside
Right: Doc and Lucy sleeping in the car on the way to their Vet appointment

Doc sleeping on my computer desk while I Skype with Russ

Joseline loving on Жесткий. I think it’s pronounced something like “Schoitska” – but the a is like a a/e dipthong type sound? Maybe. I’ll have Russ come in and give you the phonetic spelling. Жесткий mostly enjoyed playing with the puppies. Mostly.

Vincente playing with the puppies around 8/9 weeks old

Lucy stopping a soccer ball. She is really good at this. I want to take her out to a big field and kick the ball as hard as I can and see if she can stop it. If she can catch it, she can stop it. I want to teach her to play soccer. That would be hilarious.

Monday Musings -- What Was I Thinking!?

Day 1 of new puppies is almost over.

It is bordering on nightmare for me.

I imagine it would be easier if I only had one, or if both puppies were quick with the pottying business.

The problem is, Doc doesn’t want to potty on the grass. Pee on the driveway? Sure. Poop in the kitchen? Absolutely. Pee or poop on the grass? Not on your life.

He finally went poop outside today. Neither of them have pooped in their crate, but I think Doc has peed in there a few times.

I have to take them out to potty one at a time right now, because otherwise they just want to play. It might be easier if my arms were longer (and I could keep them apart) but they just want to roughhouse. Lucy will do her business, in fact, the first time I took them out, she was just too excited to go pee, so she didn’t really go (plus, she hated the leash and spent most of our first few trips out to potty pulling at the leash). Doc seemed to be more relaxed about the leash, but he would not even walk on the grass, let alone go pee on it once he was there. Now that Lucy has discovered when she pees or poops on the grass I shower her with praise and loving, we walk outside, I tell her “Faz” (the command for - “do it” in Portuguese... yes, we speak Portuguese to the dogs, too) and she basically pees on command.

Editors note: This post was actually written on Saturday, August 14 – the day I found out my brother passed away. This was written a few hours before his passing, and I’m pretty sure the reason I didn’t finish (or post) it was because I got the call from my dad telling me to change my flight and get out there as soon as possible.

Looking back, those first few days (weeks) of having the puppies were like a nightmare for me. But the puppies are so well behaved now, and such a source of entertainment for the kids, that I can’t help but think it was worth it. All the work, the stress – and it’s not over, because we’ll have to adjust them to a new house – but it was worth it, and will be worth it. These puppies are great, and I’m glad we have them as part of our family now.

Reverent Reflections

Last night after dinner I was playing an iTunes mix – just a bunch of random stuff, 99 Luftballons, Dust in the Wind, Brand New Shoes, Falling Even More in Love With You, Letting the Cables Sleep, You and Me, Piano Man, The Times They Are A-Changin’, This Side, She’s Got a Way, and the last one we danced to – Dacing’ In the Moonlight.

Of course, my precious kids started dancing, and I snapped some video clips of the joyful, carefree moment. It was beautiful. And I thought of how much I love my children, and I how glad I am to have them.

A memory came to me of watching home videos with my family in Seattle after my brother passed away. I remember watching him as a little three year old, singing songs into the microphone – carefree and joyful. I watched as he played with his little baby brother, Wayne, and as he opened presents on Christmas morning, and as he rode his bike up and down the streets.

I couldn’t help but think about my parents being in this exact same situation, 20 something years ago. Watching their babies play and dance – catching it on tape because it was so precious.

Then it hit me – the pain my parents must have felt as they watched their son slip away. How they must have felt as they recorded those moments years and years ago – never knowing, never even anticipating that their oldest son would precede them in death.

I cried as I realized that every moment with my children is fleeting. Any moment they could be taken from me. God’s will is bigger than me, and I can’t stop Him from taking them from me, if He wants them. For a moment it was scary – in fact, it was downright frightening. Especially because the one person who would understand what I was seeing as our children danced is not available for shoulder-offering. I know he would offer his shoulder, if he were here. And we would probably sob together.

So I danced with them.

I twirled and spun and leaped and sang and kissed my babies and hugged them because for all I know, they may not even wake up tomorrow. Of course, I hope they will, and I don’t imagine they won’t.

But what if they don’t, and I didn’t dance with them? I would regret for the rest of my life not dancing with them last night.

Every moment I have with them is so precious, so fleeting, so sweet and special to me.

Then comfort. Comfort because I know that even if they are taken from me – even if Heavenly Father calls them home – because I made covenants with Him, I can have them again when I leave this world.

I feel so blessed to have the knowledge I have of eternal families. Nothing could make me feel more right – more safe – more comforted.

As I danced and held those sweet babies, I felt the Spirit testify of that truth.

And the pain went away,
and all that was left was peace.

Who Needs a Pool?

...when you have a bucket of water.

For those of you who aren’t aware of what the summer is like in Arkansas, picture this...

It’s more humid than a sauna (no, really).  And the sun is shining directly on you. And you’re not naked or in a bathing suit or a towel... you are fully clothed.

Yuck. Double yuck. Triple yuck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    “In June of this year, the coolest lows were in the upper 60s and the coolest highs were still in the upper 80s.” (see here)

     even the kids think it’s crazy hot outside

August is always the worst, with highs in the 100’s nearly every day, and 40-50% humidity

For comparison –
the average relative humidity in Little Rock?
Am: 85% – PM: 53%
the average relative humidity in SLC?
AM: 54% – PM: 23%
There you go. I really wasn’t kidding when I said it was worse than a wet sauna,
which has relative humidity between 20-30%

bobbing for ... toys? 

nah, just getting nice and wet  one of the hazards of outdoors play – foliage stuck to your skin

Need I say more?

A pass to a nearby pool is an absolute necessity in AR in my opinion. Or a bucket of water on your front porch. Or a bucket of water for the days the pool is closed, or before it opens. Or after it closes.

Don’t forget the sunscreen.

PofE – “We write according to our prophecies”

And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

~2 Nephi 25:26

A few weeks ago, I posted about my goal to write in my journal more often. Really, it was a goal to have a habit changed by the end of September. The habit change was to write in my journal every day.

Here’s my progress:

The week of Aug 29-Sept 4, my goal was to write in my journal twice. I wrote in my journal once.

The week of Sept 5-11, my goal was to write in my journal four times. I wrote in my journal three times.

The week of Sept 12-18, my goal was to write in my journal five times. As of Sept 17, I have written in my journal three times. If I write tonight and tomorrow, I’ll make my five days.

Next week my goal is to write in my journal six times. I think I can handle that.

This morning for scripture study I studied that scripture at the top (2 Nephi 25:26) - you can find it on my scripture study blog.

A Monkey, A Butterfly, and A Princess

For some reason, wearing an apron with monkeys on it makes you a monkey.

When my mom left for California for a sibling family reunion with her brothers and sisters, I headed to Joann’s with twin 4-year-olds, a 3-year-old, and an 18-month-old in tow. The preschoolers picked out fabric for the aprons, I picked out the coordinating fabric for the edging, and off we went home for lunch.

A few days later, the kids had a movie marathon while I spent close to 5 hours sewing 3 aprons. I was kind of making them up as I went along, which was why it took so long.

I did Vince’s first, since it was kind of simple. 

Then I tackled the girl’s aprons. KayLynn chose princess fabric. And wearing princess fabric makes her a princess. So says Vincente. The second apron went faster than the first, since I kind of already knew how to do it.

I absolutely adore the way the butterfly apron turned out (which is only pictured in the group shot at the top). The colors are gorgeous together – the yellow just so happy!

I wanted to add pockets (and may still add a pocket/s to Vincente’s, and maybe to Joseline’s when I make hers). I like the strap across the middle on the girls’.

The next day (because we spent all the time making aprons!) we made sugar cookies. I’m not a big fan of sugar cookies, but they are the best for little kids to make because they can do the cookie cutters – more fun for them. And then if you frost them, even better! Which we didn’t, because I already had a big enough mess to clean up from the cookies along with everything else going on in my life.

Mostly I’m proud of myself that I made aprons while watching 4 under 5 (granted the TV did most of the watching...).

Why did I subject myself to such stress and torture? Well, the stress was negligible, considering all the stress I was already under – and if I hadn’t made the aprons, I would have been sitting around on my duff all day doing absolutely nothing and feeling worthless at the end of the day. That kind of behavior can wear on a person.

When I get back to UT, a friend and I will make these aprons, and I’ll be sure to take pictures and post a pattern/tutorial for all you folks out there who want to be crafty and make aprons, too!

Wednesday Wanderings – Sierra Vista Public Library

Story time was a bust... that is, it didn’t happen. Which was odd, because a lot of families were there. Next week I’ll call on Monday and double check.

The library is really pretty, and larger than I expected for such a small town, but I imagine that it serves all the surrounding, smaller towns as well.

The children’s section is nice, with puzzles, fun couches, and “audio book listening area” with tape/CD players and headphones, and several rows of children’s books. We didn’t stay long, because there were so many people there and no story time happening that Vince got a little rowdy. But we did check out a few fun books:

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson about a little mouse who “makes up” this scary sounding monster called a “Gruffalo” in order to scare off all the other animals who might want to eat him (a fox, and owl, and a snake) then finds out that the Gruffalo is real, and his favorite food is mice. You’ll have to grab the book to find out how it ends (I promise, it’s a happy ending – totally G rated – no mice are eaten by anything). It’s really cute, and the rhyming is really good. An interesting tidbit is that the author originally intended the Gruffalo character to be a tiger, but when tiger didn’t fit in with the rhyme, she made up this Gruffalo creature to be the title character. I have to admit – it is a really funny story. You’ll get a kick out of it.

 

Children’s Classics to Read Aloud selected by Edward Bishen. It has excerpts from lots of different classics – The Hobbit, Charlotte’s Web, The Emporer’s New Clothes, among others. They are a little above Vincente’s level of attention, but we’re reading them anyway. He actually did okay sitting through a story about Mr. Toad, and he was okay listening to Charlotte’s Web. I figure it’s a good way to start introducing him to really good literature. And an alternative to picture books and movies all the time. There are pictures (a single picture) included with most of the stories, so that’s nice when he starts loosing interest. I hope to start reading the classics aloud as a family when we move to our new house and have all our books again.

We also checked out a book about dinosaurs, a fun one with a Bear in a Square, and a few board books for Joseline. It feels weird not to have all our books with us – and we haven’t been reading a lot lately because of our lack of literature! But the library will keep us in books for the next few weeks until we can open up our boxes and boxes of books at home in Utah!! It’s seriously going to be like Christmas!!

Now, for the ratings:

Ratings:

Value – five stars because, well, it’s free! And you can get a card with an active duty military ID, even if you don’t have proof of residency (although we had proof of residency). It’s a really nice facility, and there is a little cafe in the front (which we didn’t check out, but maybe will one day).

 

Location – four stars because it’s kind of out on the outskirts of town, and in my opinion, a library should be smack in the middle of town. Okay, so it’s not a big deal because the city is only about 4 square miles anyway – but still. It should be in the middle of those 4 square miles.

 

Fun Factor – four stars because kids hate being quiet (although that’s the nature of a library) but four instead of less because there are lots of fun “quiet” activities provided for the kids over in the children’s section. Not to mention the very large selection of children’s literature (including an entire wall full of board books – and when I say wall, I mean, like a 15 ft long section of wall, 5 or 6 shelves full of board books).

How Many Pancakes...

...does it take to fill three bellies?

Well, apparently only seven. But I made... hmm... 20?

I underestimated the filling power of
whole-wheat-chocolate-chip-cinnamon-banana pancakes.
Yes, they were delectable.

I figured I had to add stuff to them
since I cheated and used Krusteaz mix.
(the only time I use mix is camping)
Hopefully they keep well...
I’m worried because they have bananas in them,
but maybe if I stick ‘em in the freezer?

Or maybe someone wants to come over and finish them off for me

Update 9/17/2010: By popular demand, the recipe.

What Has Been

I was getting all my photos off of my iPhone in preparation for an update (which I still haven’t been able to get to work... darn iTunes...) and I realized that I haven’t been blogging in a while, but life has still been going on.

I want to post all of the pictures all at once, but that would be a blog post with too many pictures. So, I’m going to give you some highlights, and then tomorrow after church while the kids are napping (cross your fingers) I’ll try to wade through everything... whoa. It’s a LOT of stuff....

some sewing of aprons 

playing in buckets full of water

this sweet face (and another one just like it)

a lot of free play

  outside free play!

and so much of this

it makes me want to lay down and do nothing right this minute

But you’ll get it all in blogged form with nice layouts and full narratives starting tomorrow. I’ll probably “program” them to post for my Tues/Thurs “this life” posts so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Also, Wednesday Wanderings comes back this week with a review of the Sierra Vista Public Library! (story time on Tuesday mornings! Hooah! And I also found out that the post has a Family Fitness Center – so we’ll be checking that out on Monday – and it will probably make an appearance on the blog next Wednesday).

It’s good to be back in full swing – getting used to another new normal (it feels like my normal changes each day... of course, the only constant thing is change, so that makes sense!)

Speaking Dog

Now that we are in a house with a fenced yard and a open, spacious floor plan, I feel like I’m better able to work with the puppies. Teaching them that I am the alpha figure and they don’t so much as breathe without me saying it’s okay. I think I like having dogs because I can have complete control over them... unlike children who have agency and will do whatever they want to do despite my commands and instruction. I can get the dogs to sit, but can’t get my kids to sit? Maybe I was meant to be a dog... I speak dog a lot better than I speak kid.

 

 

 

 

Lucy and Doc. Lucy wanted desperately to eat the camera.

Today (and probably for the rest of the week) we’ll be working on “lay down” and “don’t eat something off the floor unless I say you can.”

Practicing “sit, stay”

So far both are going reasonably well. Well, you know, as good as can be expected when your puppies are only 13 weeks old and have spent most of the last several weeks of their lives in a small crate or tied to a dog run without much human interaction (due to our lack of fenced yard and my inability to leave my children inside my parents house without supervision).

Practicing “lay down, stay” – I still have to show them what “lay down” means every time, but they will “stay” laying down after I get them there... except Doc who is too giddy to stay doing anything for long... dumb dog. Look at those paws on Lucy! She’s going to be a monster!!

At this house, the kids hang out in the kitchen/living room which are relatively child-proof, and I can see them through the big sliding glass door in the kitchen. The shaded porch in the back is the prime spot for training, and I can stick the puppy not in training inside the crate with a blanket on top so they don’t freak out about not being with their littermate. 

Practicing “don’t eat it until I say you can” – basically I lay a treat down in front of them and make them “sit, stay” until I tell them to get it. If they start sniffing the ground, that’s a no-no “tsch” and they get fingers in the face. They’re doing really well. Except once I tell them they can eat the treat, then they are constantly sniffing the ground to find more treats... so, we’ll be working on this a lot more. I was impressed that they waited at all

As a little bit of a funny story... I dreamt last night that we give the puppies m&ms for a treat. Must have something to do with how we potty trained Vince with m&ms. Sometime in the dream I realized that m&ms were chocolate, and I started freaking out, trying to find the puppies and make sure we hadn’t killed them with m&ms. I promise I will never feed my puppies m&ms. Cross my heart and hope to die.

Late Monday Musings

I haven’t been blogging for a little while due to our little cross country move. Well, we made it! Thanks to my sweet husband who gave up his entire Labor Day weekend vacation to drive two cranky kids, to sleepy puppies, and his semi-cranky wife across the country.

We’re here in our little furnished house. It’s pretty nice. Comfortable. Nice backyard (the puppies are currently out there hanging around – and chewing up the garden hose... don’t worry – it’s been added to my shopping list... darn dogs).

As soon as I’m done sitting around doing nothing, I’ll post some pictures and things.

Vacation is sure nice.

Chop-chop again

I chopped off my hair again – because I can, because my hair grows so fast. By next summer it will be past by shoulders. I promise. Even if I get it trimmed in a few months.

Monday Musings – Vacation

I need  a vacation.

Badly.

Thankfully we found this house to live in down in Arizona and we’ll be staying close to post. We’ll get to see Russ a little, and have a backyard, and there are some fun things to do in Arizona. I have declared September as the month of perpetual vacation.

We’ll also be closing on our house in September, which will be the crowning glory of this summer (along with Russ’ graduation).

It’s been a long summer and I’m just glad it’s almost over.

Looking back, I’m trying to figure out what good things came out of this summer. A lot of things, I’m sure. I learned a lot. I mean a lot. It has been really good for me. I don’t know that I grew a lot this summer, but I think this summer has planted the seeds for growth for the next several years.

I have met a lot of really neat people, and I have been on the receiving end of some really great service and blessings.

I have become stronger – I can run nearly 6 miles without a problem, and I could probably do more than that, but I’ve put running on the back burner right now.

I wish I could say that my testimony has been strengthened, but I think it has been mostly stagnant. I think I will spend the next few days working on that. Throw myself into prayer and the scriptures. Figure out what Heavenly Father wants me to be doing right now (rather than just “waiting” for the summer to end). That kind of thing. I’ll definitely let you know how it goes.

By the way, if you haven’t yet, go here and create your Mormon.org profile – and share the mormon.org website with anyone and everyone!

PofE – Line Upon Line

I think that maybe I was expecting too much of myself when I made my first Pursuit of Excellence Goal.

Mosiah 4:27 says:

And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order.

The phrases “line upon line” and “precept upon precept” are found countless times through the scriptures. It’s as if Heavenly Father is trying to tell us something!

Now, first of all, most of my “goals” are not really goals – they are habit changes. There will be no “end” – I won’t exactly “acheive” something – it’s more like I’ll be getting to a point where I have changed my habits for the better.

I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Simple Mom, and she wrote about the kaizen method of habit change. It has that “line upon line” feel to it, and I think I will give it a try.

So, since I keep failing miserably in achieving my goal of writing in my journal daily, I am going to make a goal that by the end of September (by September 30) I will be writing in my journal daily.

My steps will be this:

1. The week of August 29-Sept 4, I will write in my journal two days.

2. The week of Sept 5-11, I will write in my journal four days.

3. The week of Sept 12-18, I will write in my journal five days.

4. The week of Sept 19-25, I will write in my journal six days.

5. The week of Sept 26-Oct 2, I will write in my journal seven days.

So, by the end of September I will be writing in my journal daily. This feels like a more manageable way to change my habits and develop newer, better habits – by moving “line upon line.”

Change of Plans

Remember this list?

Well, this happened, and that list basically went right out the window.

 

So instead of all those goals, I basically have one for the rest of the summer (and September, in case you don’t still count that as summer):

survive

That’s it. I’ll worry about thriving when I get to Arizona and I’m with my sweet supporter and confidant.

I may try to run a half marathon in Arizona, but it’s more likely that I wait until October and run the Provo Halloween Half Marathon.

For the next two weeks while I’m still here in Arkansas, I will take it easy, run if I can, not run if I can’t, continue my yoga practice, maybe play some more violin, and enjoy spending time with my kids and those sweet puppies (did I mention how sweet and good those puppies are? Well, they are).

Maybe I’ll even get started on Joseline’s quilt. I’ll definitely work out the design for Vincente’s quilt.

I’ve been a little frustrated at the need to change my plans (I am a serious planner... like, probably OCD about having plans. Ask my husband, I wouldn’t even consider marrying him until he had a 10 year plan). I think I married the right guy, though, because Russ is always talking about how you shouldn’t plan stuff because you never know what’s going to happen and life may change. I say you should plan stuff, because otherwise you’re like Alice in Wonderland.

So Russ and I have been great for each other – since we’ve been married, he’s been a better planner, and I’ve been more flexible. Which means although I was a little frustrated, I moved on without too much hesitation.

And now here I am – with new plans for the future.