Another Year Gone

Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it. ~Russel Baker

Preschool is over and Lizzy has less than 2 days of school left now.  My thoughts on the subject include a bit of everything.

 "YIPPEEE... it's summertime!"

"Oh no... what are we going to do ALL summer?"

"I can't wait for our trip to Utah (being in Utah)."


"I am dreading our trip to Utah (the trip)."


"Hurray... the pools are open!"

"Oh... how can we endure the humidity?"

"Could Lizzy possibly be on her way the 2ND GRADE?"

  (Lizzy receiving recognition at her assembly for her many accomplishments.  I'm especially proud that she was one of the fastest runners in her grade this year. She didn't get that from me.)

"Didn't Andrew look cute in his graduation robe?"

"Is it time to spring for a swimming pool to play with in the backyard instead of our cooler?"

How many trips to the beach can we fit into one summer?

(We've got a good start already).

Happy Summer!

Happy Birthday, Happy Easter and Happy Saturday Afternoon

April and May seem to always be busy.  Busy, busy busy.  My blog has suffered and so now I'm playing catch-up.  Please forgive this scattered post.

Happy birthday Aaron.

 I love sidewalk chalk.

 Our friends hosted a great Easter event.  Here are the kids about to set out on their hunt.

Journal Entry July 20, 2010

I keep a journal where some of my more private thoughts are housed.  I've never shared from it before, but I recently re-read this post and thought that it may be worth sharing.  I need this reminder again and maybe someone else out there does as well.

It's also funny that I wrote this because I don't remember feeling quite so bleak during the move.  I guess this was a dark moment or something....



July 20, 2010


I’m a Texan now. Yes. I live in Texas. It’s been a mighty change. You might say. So here I am, and I’ve decided that I’m almost finished pitying myself and feeling sorry for how lonely and unloved I am here in lonely, hot, buggy, flooding Texas. I have been praying and praying lately…. Just for strength, or knowledge about how to become happy again. This morning, kind of like a revelation, I received the answer and it is mind boggling. Sit down because this is going to knock you over. The answer is….


WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.

It seems that I have heard that somewhere before, but it feels all new to me. So here is what I want:


I want to be loved.


I want to have friends.


I want to be respected.


I want to have a spirit of peace and calm surrounding me.


I want to have my kids listen to me.




So here is what I need to do.


Give love.


Be a friend.


Respect others.


Seek for the Spirit.


Listen to others.


It is so easy. But so often I, and I suspect others, try to get what they want by demanding it, or pleading for it and then being so hurt when we are not respected. But now, in retrospect, I can see how this has happened. As I have been stressed and overwhelmed with this move and our new home, I have become more impatient with the kids. I have stopped taking the time to talk to them and listen to them and respect them for the unique and special individuals that they are. And then I am baffled when they do not respect me or listen to me or show me the love that I want. Of course this is not all so bad as I am writing here… we are generally speaking a happy little family, but things have just been a little bit ‘off’ lately. I feel that this is the course for getting back ‘on’. Isn’t it wonderful how something so simple can be learned again in a new and exciting way. I really feel excited. And filled with hope. Hope is a very good thing.

Personal Chef

I know you all wish that you had a personal chef to help you everyday, but I'm sorry... he's mine.

Spring Break and Being a Nice Mom

Spring break.    It has come and gone already.  We enjoyed our break so much.  Most of the time, we just stayed home and enjoyed being home, but Aaron took off the last few days and we found a few fun things to do on those days as well. 

We went to the Houston carnival and rodeo one day.  It was fun... but...

1.  Does anyone else have trouble shelling out $3-5 for each ride?  Seriously.  We may be cheap,  okay... we ARE cheap, but I feel physically ill when I see how much things cost there.  Not just because they cost a lot, but because they are not worth it.  Is there such a thing as a $7 corn-dog that is actually worth $7? 

2.  As a result we spent our carnival trip trying to guide the kids toward the cheap rides, the free livestock show and away from the $15 toys.  That means far too many times that day, I used the grumpy mommy words.  No.  Nope.  Sorry... not today.  No way.

 

We had fun.  Really we did. But I much more enjoyed our camping trip the next day, in which I could say YES!!  I like it when I can say "YES". 

 Yes.  You can tie Daddy to a pole and pretend that you captured him.

 Yes.  You can spend the morning fishing.  Just take the kids with you.

 Yes.  You can play in the mud and get really dirty.

Sure.  Invite the neighbors over and pile in the hammock.

 

 Yes.  You may certainly spend the entire afternoon climbing a pole.  If you want to.

 Yes again.  Canoeing is a yes. 

Yes.  You can sit around watching the moon move across the lake.  Because we would all be happier people if we sat by a moonlit lake a little more often.

Yes.  You may scream and yell every time you catch a fish.  Because frankly... it was awesome that you caught 10 fish in one morning.

 

And yes.  You may even play in alligator infested water.  Now aren't I a nice mommy?

I wish I had taken a picture of our friends that we played with all weekend.  After we finished putting up our tent we looked around and realized that we had set up camp right next to some friends from our church.  It was awesome.  We had so much fun playing together.  They have the cutest kids in the world and Lizzy decided that next time we go camping, we are calling these guys  first.  They were the ones who taught me that there are alligators in all lakes in southern Texas.  And I guess people down here are cool with that.  So... I wasn't kidding that there was a little alligator swimming around right behind where Sam and I were playing.  I guess I'm not Texas enough to be totally calm about it.  We did move away from the shoreline after I saw the little guy.  But other campers nearby were swimming out into the lake and didn't seem to mind it. 

Overall it was a get diry, have fun, eat too much candy, be loud and have fun type of weekend.  It was a "yes" weekend.    I loved it.

Smart Kid

Sam isn't talking a whole lot yet, but he is certainly very capable of making me understand what he wants.  For example...a few days ago I was cleaning out my pantry and I dropped this on the floor:

Sam got super excited and started jabbering away.  I didn't pay a lot of attention as he toddled off in a big hurry carrying his discovery.  A few minutes later he came back also carrying this:

He then ran away again and came back this time with a spoon. 

After getting my attention (which he does by yelling at the top of his lungs).... he showed me what he wanted.  He put the package of noodles into the pan and then used the spoon to pretend to stir them.

Okay.  I get it buddy.  I get it.  Ramen noodles for lunch it is.

Stuff to Talk About

I once had a roommate who was beautiful and had a date like EVERY SINGLE weekend.  She dated a lot, but seemed to go through guys quickly.  None of the guys lasted very long, even though, to me... they seemed ideal.  One day I learned just what it was that she was so afraid of.  It wasn't commitment, or that she was super picky... it was that they ran out of things to talk about.  Even after meeting THE ONE she got scared for awhile.  She felt good about things, but continued to be afraid.  WHAT IF WE RUN OUT OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT??? 

I think I just laughed at the time, but the thought kind of stayed with me and I have remembered that many times since.  Really... it would be horrible to run out of things to talk about.  What if 3 years into your marriage... you pretty much exhaust every topic and can't think of a thing to say to each other??  That would be awful.

But I got married anyway and after Lizzy was born I quit my job and stayed home to take care of my baby.  Then the issue re-surfaced.  Because at the end of the day, I sometimes couldn't think of anything exciting to tell my hubby.  I didn't think he wanted to know how many times she'd pooped that day or what I had managed to clean while she napped.  My life seemed DULL.  So... I started watching the news, took a class, made some friends and somehow we made it through.

My point is... that it all seems funny to think about NOW because life gets busier and busier and now we don't have enough time to talk about what we NEED to talk about.  Now I find myself having too much to tell him and often forgetting much of it.

So here are a few things we've talked about or that I need to remember to discuss with hubby sometime soon:

1.  What are we doing for spring break?  Are we going to Kemah tomorrow or to the rodeo?  Where are we going camping?  What food should I pack?

2.  What should we do about Andrew?  It has been a week and he still looks like this.

3. Don't worry, I got Sam into the dentist and they said that although it is unusual to see a tooth knocked out so completely at only 18 months old... he should be fine but will need a fake tooth  once his molars come in. 

4.  You need to stop buying snacks at work because we are WAY over budget this month.

5.  Sam stuck a credit card into the CD player in the van and now it doesn't work. 

6.  Don't forget to pick the kids up from the neighbors tonight because I am chaperoning the Young Women to the temple today.

7.  I sent cards to your 3 cousins getting married this month... don't worry I signed your name.

8.  How should we spend our tax return $$?

9.  I bought a zoo membership on a whim and we have been having a great time... you don't mind do you?  (ummm... over budget..... I know.)

10.  Guess what... Lizzy practiced the piano today with NO ARGUING.  It was a miracle.

11.  What do you want for your birthday?  It is coming up you know.

12.  Since I won't be home tonight and tomorrow is St. Patty's day... could you maybe help the kids set out the paint to catch the leprechauns... like we do every year?

And last but not least...

13.  After I get home tonight... do you maybe want to just sit together silently for awhile and not talk about a SINGLE SOLITARY THING? 

Okay then.  Love you.