Well, today as you may gather, I went to my second funeral in two weeks, this time it was for an older woman who I briefly visit-taught and I was asked to play the flute for a special musical number. It doesn't matter why you are at a funeral, it is just a very emotional thing. When I got home I told Erick that I knew I still had a lot that I needed to do housework-wise, but that I felt I had been working all day because I was so emotionally drained. The funeral was actually beautiful, the speakers all were wonderful and it was a very spiritual experience. I sat up on the stand and could see out into the audience and the thing that really struck me was that the people who were crying the most were the oldest people there. People that were in their late 70's and on into their 80's. Not to be too assuming, but I imagine it's emotional when a life-long friend passes away, and just knowing that one day, it will be you there. Or it could have been something else entirely.
I couldn't help but think about the other funeral I attended, the one for sweet sister Simms who taught my Sunday school class growing up, and died far too early. I just thought about so many things. The thing that touched me from these two funerals of wonderful mothers was how much they were truly loved by their children. They never mentioned any big thing that their mom's did for them, it was the little things like going out for breakfast or patiently listening that were important to these children. It was the unconditional love that made each child feel special and beloved that made the difference. What a good example for me, someone who is still at the beginning stages of parenting.
I also wondered if those people who die really do still watch after us. I haven't suffered too many close losses yet, but I always think about my Aunt Alta who died when I was 17. She was strongly single and busy as a bee until she died at 97 years old. She drove her car until she was 96 (I think). I've heard how she was stubborn and strong-willed (which might have had something to do with her single status), but that just made her better in my eyes as a child. When she would visit we would always do a whirlwind of activities that always included shopping, movies, ice cream and more, all at her suggestion and expense. I just remember we always had so much fun with this 90 year old lady. I remember her kindness and feeling that feeling that she loved me no matter what. That's probably why I still have a hard time talking about her without crying even 10 years later. The one special moment that I always remember was when I was probably 14 or so. We were visiting at her house in Utah, and I was stretched out on a couch reading a book. She turned on a lamp so I could see better and then I sat up so she could sit down, and she sat down and told me to put my legs right back up where they were before. So I put my legs up on her lap and she rested her arms on them. I don't know about you, but when I was 14 I don't remember that many people going out of their way to be kind to me. The world is a tough place with lots of expectations for teenagers, but she did not have any expectations. She joyed in just being with me and the other kids. I could feel this joy, and it just felt so good. And now, as an adult, on a few distinct nights that have been hard ones, the ones where Erick's at a late meeting, or out of town, where I've been at the low-end of self-esteem and so tired, likely due to a fussy newborn or who knows what, right when I crawl into bed by myself I swear I can feel her saying to just put my feet up in her lap. I can feel her there just loving me. And it helps.
So after I thought of all of this, I then had to get up and play the flute, which I was not too excited about at this point, but I did it, and honestly, it's the best I've played in years.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Missed a day but I'm back on the wagon!
So I didn't write last night, but with good reason. Cash had to go to the doctor due to the fact that he wouldn't stop screaming so I figured he probably had an ear infection and he did along with pink eye in both eyes. So, a $15 copay and $50 in prescriptions later we were home and slightly happier. My sister Emma and her fiance Travis also drove up which ended up being great because they watched the other kids so I could go to the doctor and Erick could go to a meeting. Anyways, I wanted to tell a little story about my day yesterday.
Bryant is a messy boy. That's all there is to it. I can fold his clothes and place them on his steps and he'll just take them up to his room and throw them on his floor in a heap or maybe just go ahead and toss them directly into his dirty clothes hamper. I have known I need to do a real cleaning of his room for a while and yesterday I finally worked up the courage, so after I put him on the bus, I took a trash bag and went up to his room which is a room we actually made from a large unused attic, so it has its own set of stairs, and it's just out of the way, so I don't venture up there too often. So I go up and see the mess before me that includes every article of clothing Bryant owns, every shoe, books, school papers. His sheets are somehow no longer on the bed but on the floor, which means he's been sleeping on a bare mattress. It is a sigh-inducing sight. So I get started, organizing the book shelf, figuring out which clothes are clean and which are dirty, hanging up the nicer clothes, picking up trash, and on and on. The bed is the fun part. It is shaped like a landcruiser and the mattress is placed down in the frame so there are lots of nooks and crannies. I pulled out about ten pairs of underwear, books, dirty socks, undershirts and more. Finally, after two hours, the room was clean, organized, and ready for human habitation again.
So I decided to be mean to Bryant and trick him after school. As soon as he came home I demanded that he go clean his room immediately and there would be no snacks, drinks, or anything until he did. So he got upset and went up to his room. He then came back down stairs and said "Um, mom, there's been a mistake, my room's already clean" He was struggling to grasp the reality of the situation so I said, "and who do you think cleaned that room?" He said "You?" and I said yes. I reminded him that I love him and he said thank you. This of course did not stop him from casually tossing his book bag, shoes and dirty socks into the middle of his floor. We have work yet to do!
Bryant is a messy boy. That's all there is to it. I can fold his clothes and place them on his steps and he'll just take them up to his room and throw them on his floor in a heap or maybe just go ahead and toss them directly into his dirty clothes hamper. I have known I need to do a real cleaning of his room for a while and yesterday I finally worked up the courage, so after I put him on the bus, I took a trash bag and went up to his room which is a room we actually made from a large unused attic, so it has its own set of stairs, and it's just out of the way, so I don't venture up there too often. So I go up and see the mess before me that includes every article of clothing Bryant owns, every shoe, books, school papers. His sheets are somehow no longer on the bed but on the floor, which means he's been sleeping on a bare mattress. It is a sigh-inducing sight. So I get started, organizing the book shelf, figuring out which clothes are clean and which are dirty, hanging up the nicer clothes, picking up trash, and on and on. The bed is the fun part. It is shaped like a landcruiser and the mattress is placed down in the frame so there are lots of nooks and crannies. I pulled out about ten pairs of underwear, books, dirty socks, undershirts and more. Finally, after two hours, the room was clean, organized, and ready for human habitation again.
So I decided to be mean to Bryant and trick him after school. As soon as he came home I demanded that he go clean his room immediately and there would be no snacks, drinks, or anything until he did. So he got upset and went up to his room. He then came back down stairs and said "Um, mom, there's been a mistake, my room's already clean" He was struggling to grasp the reality of the situation so I said, "and who do you think cleaned that room?" He said "You?" and I said yes. I reminded him that I love him and he said thank you. This of course did not stop him from casually tossing his book bag, shoes and dirty socks into the middle of his floor. We have work yet to do!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
New Post! On the down side, this is a post about scrapbooking.
Well, it's been a while since I wrote something you know, for the public, and I saw how my little, baby sister (okay, I'm just saying that because she's getting married), anyways, my super, grown-up sister, Emma wrote in her blog every day for a month and honestly it looked like fun. No pictures, just thoughts. I can do that. I can also add pictures but just not tonight because it's already past my bedtime and I have to be up at 6:00am and who knows how many times in between!
So today, I had some dear friends over and we scrap-booked. For those of you who knock scrap-booking, I'll have you know that there is nothing so cathartic and relaxing as creating things for and about people you love. I am actually not a creative person in any way shape or form. But just the fact that I plunk my buns down once a month and force myself to work on my scrap-booking has produced some pretty neat stuff from this not-so-creative mind. Which I like. Actually, my friend April and I have been meeting once a month (sometimes skipping a month due to the birth of a baby or something along those lines...) for THREE years. How cool is that? And because of this monthly meeting I have been able to mostly keep up with all of the kid's books. And I bet you can't guess which books are my kids' favorite books to read and look at? Why, their books that are just about them of course! Their albums are covered in kid finger prints and smudges and are already kind of worn, but they know that they are special and loved. And the pages are safe because they are all in page covers so I can get new albums someday if I really need to.
Today I actually focused on making mother's day cards and I'm going to be honest with you. I made the most beautiful cards I have ever made and am a little upset with myself that I did not take a picture of the card I'm sending my mother-in-law because it is so darn pretty! Sorry to ruin the surprise Janette if you read this, but I love your card so much, it was hard to send it! Unfortunately though, I was holding April's baby while she was mailing her card in my mailbox and I helped her load her stuff into her car and by the time I ran into my house and grabbed the card to mail it the mailman came! In TWO minutes from the time she put her card in to when I came back out he was there and gone. So the card might not make it quite in time, but hopefully the prettiness of the card will make up for it. Such is life.
So today, I had some dear friends over and we scrap-booked. For those of you who knock scrap-booking, I'll have you know that there is nothing so cathartic and relaxing as creating things for and about people you love. I am actually not a creative person in any way shape or form. But just the fact that I plunk my buns down once a month and force myself to work on my scrap-booking has produced some pretty neat stuff from this not-so-creative mind. Which I like. Actually, my friend April and I have been meeting once a month (sometimes skipping a month due to the birth of a baby or something along those lines...) for THREE years. How cool is that? And because of this monthly meeting I have been able to mostly keep up with all of the kid's books. And I bet you can't guess which books are my kids' favorite books to read and look at? Why, their books that are just about them of course! Their albums are covered in kid finger prints and smudges and are already kind of worn, but they know that they are special and loved. And the pages are safe because they are all in page covers so I can get new albums someday if I really need to.
Today I actually focused on making mother's day cards and I'm going to be honest with you. I made the most beautiful cards I have ever made and am a little upset with myself that I did not take a picture of the card I'm sending my mother-in-law because it is so darn pretty! Sorry to ruin the surprise Janette if you read this, but I love your card so much, it was hard to send it! Unfortunately though, I was holding April's baby while she was mailing her card in my mailbox and I helped her load her stuff into her car and by the time I ran into my house and grabbed the card to mail it the mailman came! In TWO minutes from the time she put her card in to when I came back out he was there and gone. So the card might not make it quite in time, but hopefully the prettiness of the card will make up for it. Such is life.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
New Year, Let's do it.
Okay, I feel the need to share my New Year's Resolutions. Maybe that will mean that I am a little more likely to keep them. Okay, here we go:
So a young woman in our ward gave her testimony and said how the pride cycle always caught up the the people in the book of mormon and was their downfall. Then she said, "how about this year we don't do the part where we forget about God". That is resolution # 1. Keep my relationship with God #1.
2. Have dinner on the table by 5:30. I think this could change my life. Children seem to behave better when they have an early dinner.
3. Spend alone time with each child each day. Sometimes it doesn't happen, but this year it will!
4. Keep up with the laundry (boring, but laundry makes my world go round).
5. Wow, I really don't have a lot of resolutions. I guess I just want to be all around more put-together this year. Last year I was pregnant and tired, and then a very tired, always-exhausted new mom. I felt like a failure constantly because I just couldn't keep up with all the demands in my life, but I kept putting one foot in front of the other. Now, it's time to rise to all of my responsibilities and do better at being a wife, mother, and housekeeper. I guess my new year's resolution is to be me, but more amazing. Cheers~!
ps. I chose this particular version of our Christmas picture because this is what it's really always like around here! Kids in constant motion, and parents trying to hold it together!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Bryant Story
I quickly stopped by the library the other day while Erick was watching the kids. I decided to pick a couple of books for each kid and made my way home. I put the books on the kitchen table and resumed with the normal things of the day; cleaning, picking up, putting away, rocking baby, changing diapers, etc. Cora and Cash were both napping and I came back into the kitchen and Bryant was reading one of the books I had borrowed for him, A Dog Like Jack ; which to the naked eye appeared to be a cute story about a boy and his dog.
Well, then, Bryant looked up at me and said "This is where they buried Jack, Mom." And pointed to a picture of a very sad family standing around a freshly covered dog grave. I almost yelled "What!" This was not what I expected.
I said "What on earth is this book about" wondering what on earth happens to this dog...does he get run over? How sad is it? Why is this book in a library where a FIVE year old can get it, or a five year old's mom can get it? Bryant calmly looked up at me and said "the dog just got old and died Mom, and this is where they buried him."
"Oh." I said.
I then proceeded to continue my previous tasks and thought Bryant sure was handling death pretty well. A few minutes later Bryant asked me if I would read the book to him. So I did. It was pretty sweet and pretty sad, and obviously meant to help children recover from the loss of a pet. As soon as I finished reading Bryant the book, he looked up at me a little teary and said "Mom, I'm going to miss you when you die."
This obviously is shocking to hear. I said kind of loud "I'm not going to die! At least any time soon!"
To which he replied "but you're 27!"
I then explained to him that grandpa is 56 and his mommy (Nana) is still alive and that I was going to live until he was well into his 50's and maybe even 60's (this is one of the reasons I had kids early!). He was comforted and said, "Mom, when I'm a daddy, can you come visit me all the time?" I laughed a little to myself, because who knows if he'll want me around in 20 years, but for now I said "of course I'll visit you all the time!" And I gave him a huge kiss! And he gave me a big hug. What a nice moment we had.
Friday, September 10, 2010
A Thing of Beauty
I am feeling a nagging feeling to express myself today. In days past when I would feel this way, I would pull out my journal and write for a while until I felt I had fulfilled this need. Today, I am coming to my blog. Cora and Cash's rooms are right next to each other. In one room I cuddled with my precious three year old daughter before nap time and told her that I loved her and she said she loved me back. I combed my fingers through her hair which is the same color as mine, and rubbed her little back. I looked at her adorable face; full of brightness. Then I went into Cash's room where I had left him lying down. He was cooing softly in his adorable little clothes. Smiling, and full of love. I thought of my little fire-cracker Bryant who is at school, probably having the time of his life as he does every day; but he always wants a hug from mom before he leaves for the day. And even though tomorrow is Saturday, he'll probably be up by 6:30. These children are the loves of my life. Erick and I created them!
Shortly before this I read a heart-breaking story about a Mormon family that lost an 18 month old daughter in an accident. After her death, they went back to the scene of the accident and along with the sadness they felt, they also felt peace. As all of these feelings from the story I just read mingled with the feelings of love I have for my own children, I had many thoughts.
Mainly, I thought about where happiness comes from.
I think the path to understanding happiness is a long one, and I at least think I am on the right path. The truth is that everything could change at any time. But I am grateful to know that some things are eternal. I believe family can be eternal. I believe happiness can be eternal. I know that many people that do not believe in God think that those who do believe do so because it is comforting to know that there is someone in charge, someone who is always there for us. So how do I know that He is real and that there really is someone there for us and that I'm not just a sucker who needs to feel comforted?
These are the thoughts I pondered. Here are some of my answers:
Peace. The peace that comes in the midst of terror, destruction, evil, bad, confusion. I have felt this peace. I have felt peace when I shouldn't feel peace. I have felt peace when I should have been afraid. I have felt peace when I have been in the depths of despair. I have felt peace in the midst of all sorts of lows. And I can tell you, it came from God.
Clarity. The clarity that comes in the midst of panic. Knowing what you should do when things are crazy. Knowing the answer to a problem you should have no clue what to do about it.
Children. Children have been the most amazing teaching tool in my life. Children more than anything have led me to the knowledge that God is real. Even babies. Especially babies. I still remember one night when Cora was an infant, I was feeling very upset, unstable, and unhappy. I had a feeling that I should just go hold my sleeping baby. So I did. The wonderful thing about babies is their capacity to love. When they start to open their eyes and look around the world, the first thing they really do other than eat and sleep is love. I felt the love from my little baby and I felt a knowledge of my divine worth swell within me. I went into my room and I saw myself in the mirror, and I knew I was beautiful because I am a mother. As I have had many experiences with my children; knowledge of God has crept into my soul and cast an anchor there. And one of the most powerful things I know about God is that He is Eternal. He is forever. This one tribute of God is important to me because everything changes. I tend to not like change. As I have dealt with the many changes of the last few years; having an Eternal Father to turn to has been the best thing in my life. These special times I have had with my children have been testimonies to me of God's divinity and mine. And I know it could all change in an instant, but God would still be there. And that is what I need.
Husband. I have probably learned as much about God from Erick as I have from our children. He always seems to come in with extra energy exactly when I am running out. On the nights when I feel like I should go up and spend one-on-one time with the kids before bed but am to tired to, Erick always seems to be there and before I know it he's talking with them and doing exactly what needed to be done. He is kind, respectful, he is soft-spoken, he is there when I need him and he mostly just wants me to be happy. How does all of this teach me about God? Well, it didn't all start out this way. We've always had an excellent marriage, but as the years have gone by, and as we've prayed together, studied together, served together, sacrificed together, I can tell we've both been refined (and are still in that process). But more and more, as I've seen my husband serve others and grow in his testimony of God and the gospel, he has become an amazing man right before my eyes. He is always changing, and always for the better. I can only hope he has noticed some good things about me in the last eight years as well!
Forgiveness/Repentance. All I can say is that I have learned that God is real. Burdens are lifted, grace is extended. It is true. Following those simple steps of repentance many times has done miracles in my life. The two words "I'm Sorry" are words that can change everything. They can erase years of hard feelings in those who are willing and ready to forgive. I'm not afraid to say "I'm sorry" any more. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm wrong. I know that things can get better.
Divine Nature. This really is happiness. When I finally realized that I was basing my happiness on what other people thought of me, I knew that's why I wasn't really happy. My emotions were always up and down because I felt that I had to be a certain way or act a certain way to be important. If things didn't go the way I thought they should I would be upset for days. If I didn't get to spend a certain amount of time with Erick, I would be upset for a long time. If I didn't feel like I was needed; I didn't feel important. Then I realized it was all wrong. I knew in my heart that this was not how happiness worked. I reached a point where I wondered if I would ever be truly happy and not have to suffer from a constant up and down of emotions. Where was my peace? In one evening, I had an incredible epiphany. I realized that happiness could only come from one place. I realized I and everyone else is important simply because we are all children of God. I realized that being a Child of God is important. It means that Heavenly Father loves me. It meant that He is there for me every single time I need Him. Which is exactly what I need.
That was several years ago. And I can tell you, that ever since the knowledge of my divine nature truly pierced my heart; I have never turned back. I have not given in to the cheap notion that other people will make me happy. They won't. I believe that when we have the foundation and knowledge of our divine nature we can then experience true love and happiness by serving others, being kind, and living our lives together, but it starts with that testimony of our Father in Heaven.
So, am I happy? Am I at peace? Yes. Is my life perfect? No. In fact, it is pretty crazy a lot of the time. How can I say I'm happy when it's obvious things in my life are not always great? Well, like I said, God doesn't change, and I'll always be his daughter. That is happiness for me.
Shortly before this I read a heart-breaking story about a Mormon family that lost an 18 month old daughter in an accident. After her death, they went back to the scene of the accident and along with the sadness they felt, they also felt peace. As all of these feelings from the story I just read mingled with the feelings of love I have for my own children, I had many thoughts.
Mainly, I thought about where happiness comes from.
I think the path to understanding happiness is a long one, and I at least think I am on the right path. The truth is that everything could change at any time. But I am grateful to know that some things are eternal. I believe family can be eternal. I believe happiness can be eternal. I know that many people that do not believe in God think that those who do believe do so because it is comforting to know that there is someone in charge, someone who is always there for us. So how do I know that He is real and that there really is someone there for us and that I'm not just a sucker who needs to feel comforted?
These are the thoughts I pondered. Here are some of my answers:
Peace. The peace that comes in the midst of terror, destruction, evil, bad, confusion. I have felt this peace. I have felt peace when I shouldn't feel peace. I have felt peace when I should have been afraid. I have felt peace when I have been in the depths of despair. I have felt peace in the midst of all sorts of lows. And I can tell you, it came from God.
Clarity. The clarity that comes in the midst of panic. Knowing what you should do when things are crazy. Knowing the answer to a problem you should have no clue what to do about it.
Children. Children have been the most amazing teaching tool in my life. Children more than anything have led me to the knowledge that God is real. Even babies. Especially babies. I still remember one night when Cora was an infant, I was feeling very upset, unstable, and unhappy. I had a feeling that I should just go hold my sleeping baby. So I did. The wonderful thing about babies is their capacity to love. When they start to open their eyes and look around the world, the first thing they really do other than eat and sleep is love. I felt the love from my little baby and I felt a knowledge of my divine worth swell within me. I went into my room and I saw myself in the mirror, and I knew I was beautiful because I am a mother. As I have had many experiences with my children; knowledge of God has crept into my soul and cast an anchor there. And one of the most powerful things I know about God is that He is Eternal. He is forever. This one tribute of God is important to me because everything changes. I tend to not like change. As I have dealt with the many changes of the last few years; having an Eternal Father to turn to has been the best thing in my life. These special times I have had with my children have been testimonies to me of God's divinity and mine. And I know it could all change in an instant, but God would still be there. And that is what I need.
Husband. I have probably learned as much about God from Erick as I have from our children. He always seems to come in with extra energy exactly when I am running out. On the nights when I feel like I should go up and spend one-on-one time with the kids before bed but am to tired to, Erick always seems to be there and before I know it he's talking with them and doing exactly what needed to be done. He is kind, respectful, he is soft-spoken, he is there when I need him and he mostly just wants me to be happy. How does all of this teach me about God? Well, it didn't all start out this way. We've always had an excellent marriage, but as the years have gone by, and as we've prayed together, studied together, served together, sacrificed together, I can tell we've both been refined (and are still in that process). But more and more, as I've seen my husband serve others and grow in his testimony of God and the gospel, he has become an amazing man right before my eyes. He is always changing, and always for the better. I can only hope he has noticed some good things about me in the last eight years as well!
Forgiveness/Repentance. All I can say is that I have learned that God is real. Burdens are lifted, grace is extended. It is true. Following those simple steps of repentance many times has done miracles in my life. The two words "I'm Sorry" are words that can change everything. They can erase years of hard feelings in those who are willing and ready to forgive. I'm not afraid to say "I'm sorry" any more. I'm not afraid to admit that I'm wrong. I know that things can get better.
Divine Nature. This really is happiness. When I finally realized that I was basing my happiness on what other people thought of me, I knew that's why I wasn't really happy. My emotions were always up and down because I felt that I had to be a certain way or act a certain way to be important. If things didn't go the way I thought they should I would be upset for days. If I didn't get to spend a certain amount of time with Erick, I would be upset for a long time. If I didn't feel like I was needed; I didn't feel important. Then I realized it was all wrong. I knew in my heart that this was not how happiness worked. I reached a point where I wondered if I would ever be truly happy and not have to suffer from a constant up and down of emotions. Where was my peace? In one evening, I had an incredible epiphany. I realized that happiness could only come from one place. I realized I and everyone else is important simply because we are all children of God. I realized that being a Child of God is important. It means that Heavenly Father loves me. It meant that He is there for me every single time I need Him. Which is exactly what I need.
That was several years ago. And I can tell you, that ever since the knowledge of my divine nature truly pierced my heart; I have never turned back. I have not given in to the cheap notion that other people will make me happy. They won't. I believe that when we have the foundation and knowledge of our divine nature we can then experience true love and happiness by serving others, being kind, and living our lives together, but it starts with that testimony of our Father in Heaven.
So, am I happy? Am I at peace? Yes. Is my life perfect? No. In fact, it is pretty crazy a lot of the time. How can I say I'm happy when it's obvious things in my life are not always great? Well, like I said, God doesn't change, and I'll always be his daughter. That is happiness for me.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
These Days (boring update)
Bryant started school last Wednesday. He has now been to seven WHOLE days of school. Wow. Can I just say that it feels like he's been going for forever? And honestly, it seems to be going well. For those of you who know Bryant, he is a very social, quick-thinking, intelligent, and busy child. And if you don't keep him busy, he will bug you until you give him something to do!
So Bryant went to school and he only cried the first night when he said that he missed being away from me all day long. I then explained to him that he is actually only gone 7 hours a day and that leaves him 17 whole hours at home per day. So technically he is still home much more than he is ever at school. Of course I didn't bother to point out that 11 of these hours are spent sleeping. This information calmed him down, and he has honestly been fine about it ever since. We get up at 6:15 every morning, I make him his lunch, he gets dressed, and I walk him to the bus by 6:50. I have not been up this early since high school. Seriously. I have to go to bed by 9:00 so I can handle the baby waking up a few times at night and still get enough sleep in by morning. I hate giving up my nights, but I love being there to send Bryant off in the morning. The bus is also so much easier than waking Cora (who's usually out until 8:30) and Cash, and loading them in the car to save 30 minutes.
Two days ago the bus came a little early so I told him to run for it. He did and got on the bus, but stood on the steps until I caught up and gave him his good-bye hug. Luckily our bus driver is very nice (she's in our ward at church so we know her), and she didn't mind waiting. It's like I have a boy who's half way grown up. He's a big boy off to school on his own, but he still needs a hug to get him on his way. When he arrives home, he's tired, but pretty happy. Each day of kindergarten so far though he has been sent back to his desk or out of the line at least one time for talking, and each day he PROMISES to try harder. At least today it was only once and not three times! Next week the teacher's discipline system of colored cards starts and we'll really get the full picture of what's going on!
Here at home things aren't so bad! Cora is enjoying being the big fish in the little pond. She's talking more, asking to invite friends over, and really flourishing even more than before. She and Bryant also seem to play better when he comes home since they've had some good time apart! We also have a friend's daughter come play four days a week for a couple of hours a day while her mom's in class and it seems to be going pretty well. I'm putting her in gymnastics next month so she'll have something special of her own to do. Cash pretty much goes with the flow and sleeps, plays and enjoys being held. He's a great little baby. So that's that. Things are great, I love kindergarten, Bryant loves kindergarten, Cora loves being at home yada, yada, yada.
So Bryant went to school and he only cried the first night when he said that he missed being away from me all day long. I then explained to him that he is actually only gone 7 hours a day and that leaves him 17 whole hours at home per day. So technically he is still home much more than he is ever at school. Of course I didn't bother to point out that 11 of these hours are spent sleeping. This information calmed him down, and he has honestly been fine about it ever since. We get up at 6:15 every morning, I make him his lunch, he gets dressed, and I walk him to the bus by 6:50. I have not been up this early since high school. Seriously. I have to go to bed by 9:00 so I can handle the baby waking up a few times at night and still get enough sleep in by morning. I hate giving up my nights, but I love being there to send Bryant off in the morning. The bus is also so much easier than waking Cora (who's usually out until 8:30) and Cash, and loading them in the car to save 30 minutes.
Two days ago the bus came a little early so I told him to run for it. He did and got on the bus, but stood on the steps until I caught up and gave him his good-bye hug. Luckily our bus driver is very nice (she's in our ward at church so we know her), and she didn't mind waiting. It's like I have a boy who's half way grown up. He's a big boy off to school on his own, but he still needs a hug to get him on his way. When he arrives home, he's tired, but pretty happy. Each day of kindergarten so far though he has been sent back to his desk or out of the line at least one time for talking, and each day he PROMISES to try harder. At least today it was only once and not three times! Next week the teacher's discipline system of colored cards starts and we'll really get the full picture of what's going on!
Here at home things aren't so bad! Cora is enjoying being the big fish in the little pond. She's talking more, asking to invite friends over, and really flourishing even more than before. She and Bryant also seem to play better when he comes home since they've had some good time apart! We also have a friend's daughter come play four days a week for a couple of hours a day while her mom's in class and it seems to be going pretty well. I'm putting her in gymnastics next month so she'll have something special of her own to do. Cash pretty much goes with the flow and sleeps, plays and enjoys being held. He's a great little baby. So that's that. Things are great, I love kindergarten, Bryant loves kindergarten, Cora loves being at home yada, yada, yada.
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