Unreasonable

I know it is unreasonable.

.... and unfair.
.... and immature

But I am still just mad at my toddler.  Mad.  Disgusted. And entirely put out.

Then he smiles at me. 

 "No... don't even try to be cute.  We are not friends."

Then he has the nerve to start doing that totally cute babbling thing. 

"As if that'll work..."

Then he climbs onto my lap and rests his head on my shoulder.

Ohhhh.....too powerful..... cannot.... resist......

So... I have decided that I will forgive him just this once.  But next time... he will not be getting off
so easily.  Because starting my day at 4:30 in the morning is not in the game plan.

Officially Adorable

My sister in law, Alaina, loves babies.  She can smell a baby from a mile away and she will find him and hold him.  And she will charm him.  Make him smile or sleep when no one else can.  She has this thing with babies. 

I, on the other hand... have a thing for toddlers.  Not a talent, per se but I'm just drawn to them.  I love 'em.  And lucky me... I now  have one.  He's always been cute and lovable and sweet, but he has now entered this new stage and is officially adorable.

I love watching his little personality start to emerge.  I love how he explores things.  How a dishwasher, a shoe closet or a bookshelf suddenly become fascinating. 

It delights me when I see language starting to emerge.  When, for the first time, he is able to communicate something and I get it and we connect... for a moment... we understand each other. 

I love that he has learned that a hug or a kiss can get him whatever he wants. 

 He wants to do everything his big brother and sister are doing.

I love the way that he comes to me and puts his arms up, asking to be picked up.  Then he'll grab my shirt and start pushing and pulling it, trying to guide me to what he wants.

He imitates everything.  Anytime I start cooking, he'll immediately go to where we keep the stool and start to tug and grunt until I get it out for him.  He'll then push it around until he gets it where he wants it and he'll climb right up.  If I am washing dishes... he is beside me with water splashing.  If I am stirring, then he needs a spoon as well.  If I am using the blender, he hates it, but he'll still stand next to me and yell until it is over. 

Everything, everything about this kid is adorable. 

Well... almost everything.

Hickor'nut Spirit

Lately I have been on this kick of re-reading some of my favorite books. I'm in the middle of this one right now and remember why I like to so much.  It is an autobiography of a boy who's parents both died and so was raised by his Indian Grandparents.  Every culture of course has its unique aspects, but I love to find the ways that we are all the same.  Truth is  truth and although people may explain it differently or  use different imagery... when truth is spoken... it tends to resonate.  It is  universal regardless of the cultural context.  

I love this truth taught to Little Tree by his Granma:

  

Granma said everybody has two minds.  One of the minds has to do with the necessaries for body living.  You had to use it to figure how to get shelter and eating and such like for the body......  She said we had to have that mind so as we could carry on .  But she said we had another mind that had nothing atall to do with such.  She said it was the spirit mind.   Granma said  if you used the body-living mind to think greedy or mean; if you was alays cuttin' at folks with it and figuring how to material profit off'n them.... then you would shrink up your spirit mind to no bigger'n a hickor'nut. .... 

In such case, you lost your spirit complete.  That's how you become dead people.  Granma said you could easy spot dead people.  She said dead people when they looked at a woman saw nothing but dirty; when they looked at other people they saw nothing but bad; when they looked at a tree they saw nothing but lumber and profit; never beauty.  Granma said they was dead people walking around.  

Granma said that the spirit mind was like any other muscle.  If you used it it got bigger and stronger.  She said the only way it could get that way was using it to understand, but you couldn't open the door to it until you quit being greedy and such with your body mind.  Then understanding commenced to take up, and the more you tried to understand, the bigger it got.  Natural, she said, understanding and love was the same thing.  


I see right out that I was going to commence trying to understand practical everybody, for I sure didn't want to come up with a hickor'nut spirit.

See what I mean??  Truth.  Reminds me of  Mosiah 3:19 and 1 Corinthians 2:14.    

Beautiful.  And who wants a hickor'nut spirit anyway?

Problem Solved

  

 Oh yeah..... that's what I needed.

2010 in Review

A tradition that seems to be sticking.  Here is my year in review for 2010.

What did you do in 2010 that you have never done before?

I made a baseball cake.  I bought a house.  I hosted Thanksgiving dinner at my home.  I took my kids to Disneyland.  I visited Bryce Canyon and Arches.  I lived in Texas.  Along with that..I survived humidity beyond anything I have ever known, it also means that I wore shorts and flip-flops throughout December.  I sent my kid off on a school bus.  I made a "homemaking binder" including a cleaning schedule and have stuck to it for about 3 months.  I killed a lot of cockroaches. I tried "gumbo" and liked it.

Did you keep your news years resolutions and will you set more for next year?

Yes and no.  I did good for about 6 months.. then seemed to forget.  Now I don't even remember what I set.  I'm going to write a few here because next year I will not be able to use that as an excuse.

1.  read to Sam everyday
2. exercise at least 2 times a week
3. MONTHLY temple attendance 
4. Complete at least 1/2 of my Personal Progress goals (I serve in the Young Women's program)
5.  I'd also like to set a goal that has something to do with this post that I really liked.  It's about learning to speak more positively to and about everyone in my life, including myself.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
My brother had is baby sealed to him.  My cute neighbor had a baby only a few days ago.  Kenny and Ann..... probably a few more.  Last year there were 4 births in mine and Aaron's  immediate family and at least a dozen good friends that gave birth.  I can only think of a handful this year.  An off year I guess.

Did anyone close to you die? Aaron's Uncle Lynn.

What county did you visit? None but the good ole' US of A.

What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010? A full night of sleep.  Ha.  I'm just kidding.  I feel that I want to take on something more in my life.  I haven't decided what yet... a hobby, a service project.  Starting a preschool is on the possibility list.... 
What dates from 2010 will stay etched in your memory and why? June 26th moved to Texas.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Okay things that seem dumb... but I am doing mucho better at keeping a clean house.  FAR from perfect, I know, but I am doing pretty dang good at sticking to my little mini cleaning schedule.  Also... cooking from scratch... and just cooking better, healthier meals more often.  I worked hard on a specific relationship in my life and it has improved a lot.  I feel good about that. 

What was your biggest failure?  Having too many excuses for NOT going to the temple after we moved to Texas.  Lately I've come to see a few things that I  have inadvertantly taught my kids...   I need to work on "unteaching" a few things.

Did you suffer illness or injury? no.

What was the best thing you bought?  I'd have to say our house.  Atleast I'd better say our house since it is definitely the most expensive thing we've ever purchased. 

Whose behavior merited celebration?  My brother has gone through some really hard times this year.  I admire his determination to keep going and turn to the right sources for help.  My kids are awesome.  I think they did a lot of things this year the merit celebration.  But maybe I'll save all of that for another post. 

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?  I don't think I want to list people,  but generally speaking I am saddened to see the view of families in society continue to crumble until it means almost nothing. 

Where did most of your money go? Mortgage.  Mortgage. Mortgage. 

What did you get really, really, really excited about? A camping trip, visitors, trips to the beach.

What song will always remind you of 2010? I feel like such a dorky mom... but the songs that come to mind are just ones that my kiddos liked this year.  Rubber Ducky, Picture a Christmas, Jingle Bells (batman smells robin layed an egg.)

Compared to this time last year are you richer or poorer? fatter or thinner? happier or sadder?  Now that we really and truly own a home I feel like we no longer fall into the "poor student" category.  We're really poorer though because we spent our money buying a home.  My size has remained the same and my level of happiness is probably the same.  The older I get the more hardship I see.  I can't help sometimes but to wish to be young again where people didn't have problems and life was easy.  At the same time.... I've found that as I see more and more of those hardships... I am more capable of truly appreciating those good, peaceful happy things that cross my path.

What do you wish you'd done more of?  I kind of don't feel like this has been a great year for personal growth.  With three young kids I kind of felt like surviving was enough from day to day.  But I wish that I had demanded more of myself and tried to really learn and develop some new talents. 

What do you wish you'd done less of? Been sarcastic. 

What was your favorite TV program?  He-man.  Don't think I'm kidding.  You can watch it on Hulu.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? no 

What was the best book you read? Family Feasts for $75 a week.  I love this book.  It is half-way a how-to book and half way a recipe book.  I make so many things from scratch now and find it so much easier than I once thought it was.  Saving some $$ as well is nice. , Bonds that Make us Free and I also read Shannon Hale's Goose Girl series again and count it among my favorites.

What was your greatest musical discovery? Mo-tab.  I finally decided this year that they are awesome.

What did you want and get? A house.

What did you want and not get? Time to myself.  That didn't happen. 

What was your favorite film of the year? I really like "Letters from Juliet."  I know it is kind of a cheesy romance, but I don't know... I just liked it.  Oh yeah and "Avatar" was amazing.  It came out in 2009 but I didn't see it until 2010 so I'm counting it.  Also our whole family really liked "How to Train Your Dragon."

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you? I turned 31. I think it was really just a simple day, but I enjoyed it.  Both Lizzy and Andrew wrote these cute birthday songs for me and a friend babysat while I went shopping.  Then after Aaron came home we had a little party.  It was sort of a nice quiet day.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? It's the same thing I say every year... but it would have to involve those in my family that I would like to see have those good things in their lives that they so much deserve.

What kept you sane? Aaron.  Without family around as much, I rely on Aaron a lot more.  He has to listen to be blab so much more and he has been a peach about it.  Other sanity savers... naps, chocolate, phone calls with family and friends.

Life Today

Andrew:

Favorite color:  Blue


Favorite book: paper books (the kind of books with paper inside.)

What I like to do more than anything is: Draw

Game: Chinese checkers
Toy:  He-man and a slide.
Movie: How to Train your Dragon.
Song:  Rubber Ducky
Breakfast food: Cereal
Dinner: pizza
Other kids think that I am:  alarious  (he means hilarious.)
What do you like about your Mom?  i like her so much.  I love her.  And I have a crush on you.
What do you like about your Dad?  I love him.  he is nice to me.

What do you like about Sam? I can play with him.
What do you like about Lizzy?  I can play with her.
What do you like about yourself?  I can play by myself.
When I grow up I want to: be a doctor.
I like learning about: school
I want to go to: the moon
If I had one wish it would be to:  fly

Lizzy

Favorite color: Green, pink and purple but mostly green

Favorite Book: Princess books and Junie B.
Game: I play a puppy game at school at recess.
Toy:  Princess Tiana set.

What I like to do more than anything is:  Be with my family and read.
Movie:  "Tangled" and "How to Train Your Dragon" 
Song:  Joy to the World
Breakfast food : cereal and eggs
Dinner : spaghetti
Other kids think that I am: nice
What do you like about your Mom? She is really nice and funny.
What do you like about your Dad?  He's really nice and funny.
What do you like about Sam? He is cute and funny.
What do you like about Andrew?  He's a maniac.

What do you like about yourself?  That I can read so well.

When I grow up I want to: be a music teacher at Silverlake Elementary.
I like learning about:  Princesses.

If I had one wish it would be:  to go talk to Barbara Park and tell her that I like her books so much.
I want to go to: the library everyday.
 

Sam: as answered by Mom

Favorite color: I don't know.
Favorite book: Where is Baby's Bellybutton?
What I like to do more than anything is: Climb
Game: peek-a-boo
Toy: Zhu-zhu pet or a giant box
Movie: Baby Einstein
Song: Eensy Weensy Spider
Breakfast food: rice pudding, cereal, eggs
Dinner: nothing
Other kids think that I am: cute
What do you like about your Mom? she feeds me
What do you like about your Dad? Climbing on him.
What do you like about Andrew? He plays with  me.
What do you like about Lizzy? Everything.
What do you like about yourself? I am all powerful at my home.
When I grow up I want to: stop wearing diapers.
I like learning about: what is outside.
I want to go:  anywhere outside.
If I had one wish it would be to: eat all the sweets I want.

Vacation Time

Amidst all of the celebrating and holly jolly joy and presents and Santa and Happy New Year there is one simple thing that makes it all so much better. 

His name is Aaron.

Last year as an intern Aaron worked ALL THROUGH the holidays.  I mean everyday.  Christmas day, New Years Eve, everyday. 

So this year... I am just glad to have him home with us. 

We'll take every minute we can get.