Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
I Think I Might Be Lazy
... to the core.
I wrote this last year for Nicole's blog.
I wrote this last year for Nicole's blog.
bake bread
buy gum drops
exercise every day
You guessed it! This is not my to-do list! I read this to-do list on some random blog and have seen many like it on my travels through the blogosphere. I don't know what to say other than... well, I'm just in shock. Buy gum drops? Bake bread? Who are these people that bind books, throw parties and do letterpress? (ever feel like you're the only fool who doesn't know what the hell letterpress is?)
I'll tell you who they are. They are the same people who were busy entering the science fair in sixth grade while I was busy popping out of cupboards, playing mean pranks on teachers, flushing hair down school toilets, or sitting in the principal's office and/or detention. These are the Moms that make cute cupcakes, arrange play dates, volunteer for the PTA, and sew their daughters' Easter dresses.
These are my very own friends! Ciara, with her online college classes, RS enrichment, and co-op preschool. Nicole, with her grown-up job, cake class, and community photography class. To my dear friends with your energy, drive, ambition and whole-headedness: let me tell you how it goes down at my house.
Setting the scene: it's monday morning. Brandon has the day off and has decided to take Anika to the park at 9 a.m. So what do I decide to do with my alone time? Well of course- climb back in to bed with a cadburry egg, crack a can of diet coke, and watch a movie on HBO. Not until 11 a.m. did I climb in the shower. I like to shower in the dark. It helps me ease in to the day nice and gently, similar to a dimly-lit water birth.
Once swaddled in my bathrobe I go upstairs to put on my make-up in the natural light. This consists of my hands fumbling around my face until they locate some semblance of an eye socket. Once I'm sort of sure of where they should be I proceed to draw eyes on my face. You know, so I have something to see with.
I'll leave the details of the rest of my day to your imaginations. But you guessed it- I don't typically bake bread. I buy it. I buy frozen pizza too. I throw one in the oven just in time to greet hubby with a kiss, fetch his slippers and mix his martini. Phew! What a long day! I just love yogalates in pearls!
Sometimes I wonder what is wrong with me. I certainly didn't get this from my Mother. She provided us candlelit breakfast every morning and re-upholstered our furniture. She was always on the go! Where did I get my half-assedness? I feel like it's all I can do to just survive a day. I don't feel I'm thriving as a young 28 yr. old mother should be. How do my friends do it? Ritalin?
However, I do keep my home immaculately clean. Again, it's not something to be proud of but rather a manifestation of a personality disorder. No wire hangars!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Practice Makes Perfect
This was another item I wrote months ago from the prompt-blog. I think the prompt was don't do anything for your kids they could do themselves.
Don't do anything for your kids that they could do themselves.
This brought an instant smile to my face. And lots of memories. I would not doubt if the mother who first said this was my own.
The first memorable incident was when my Mom decided I was old enough to order for myself at restaurants. We were at a McDonalds and I was horrified. I remember staring at the girl behind the counter (Staring up. I must have been 4 or 5.) and then back at my Mom who was saying, "Well honey, if you'd like to eat something, you'd better order." I didn't order. I just couldn't. So I didn't eat. This happened at a few more family outings before I realized my Mom meant business. No one meant more business than my Mom. If she said I had to order my own food if I wanted any, she sure as hell meant it.
After a few eating-out meals spent hungry, I started ordering my own food. It made me so proud. Isn't that the idea? Instilling self reliance and CONFIDENCE in our children?
The next really memorable item was nail clipping. I can remember the exact moment. And the words spoken... "It's time you learn to do this yourself, Alana. I know it's hard to use your left hand. But practice makes perfect. You'll see." I was mad. I was seven. If my Mom loved me she would help me clip and paint my right hand. If I had a nickel for every time in my life my Mom said to me Practice Makes Perfect. I am forever capitalizing that phrase.
As I grew into an adult I realized just how much confidence my Mother gave me. I grew into someone who feels self-assured in all situations. I can hold my own ground in any battle. I feel like I could do anything in the world if I wanted. All thanks to my Mom.
As I grew into a Mother I realized just what a pain in the butt all this teaching can be. It really is easier to do everything for them. (Would it not have been easier to just yell happymeal for me? Certainly easier than watching me squirm, then starve?) But doing everything for them is selfish. It's so funny to watch a toddler try to put on their clothes or take them off. The moment they don't know how to pull down their own pants is the moment you realize holy guacamole! somebody taught me how to pull down my own pants! AND climb up on the potty and go all by myself! (I can't tell her how many times that potty thing has come in handy.)
I love nothing more than watching my little girl gain confidence in herself. Seeing her accomplish things all on her own helps me gain confidence in myself -my parenting, and we both beam with pride.
You can imagine my delight when my now- 69- year-old mother came to me a few weeks ago and asked me to paint her toenails. I gave her the whole speech, memorized from a lifetime of listening to it... "Mom, I know you can't see your toes very well without your glasses but if you start relying on others to do these things for you now, you're going to slip into old age... Practice Makes Perfect."
Don't do anything for your kids that they could do themselves.
This brought an instant smile to my face. And lots of memories. I would not doubt if the mother who first said this was my own.
The first memorable incident was when my Mom decided I was old enough to order for myself at restaurants. We were at a McDonalds and I was horrified. I remember staring at the girl behind the counter (Staring up. I must have been 4 or 5.) and then back at my Mom who was saying, "Well honey, if you'd like to eat something, you'd better order." I didn't order. I just couldn't. So I didn't eat. This happened at a few more family outings before I realized my Mom meant business. No one meant more business than my Mom. If she said I had to order my own food if I wanted any, she sure as hell meant it.
After a few eating-out meals spent hungry, I started ordering my own food. It made me so proud. Isn't that the idea? Instilling self reliance and CONFIDENCE in our children?
The next really memorable item was nail clipping. I can remember the exact moment. And the words spoken... "It's time you learn to do this yourself, Alana. I know it's hard to use your left hand. But practice makes perfect. You'll see." I was mad. I was seven. If my Mom loved me she would help me clip and paint my right hand. If I had a nickel for every time in my life my Mom said to me Practice Makes Perfect. I am forever capitalizing that phrase.
As I grew into an adult I realized just how much confidence my Mother gave me. I grew into someone who feels self-assured in all situations. I can hold my own ground in any battle. I feel like I could do anything in the world if I wanted. All thanks to my Mom.
As I grew into a Mother I realized just what a pain in the butt all this teaching can be. It really is easier to do everything for them. (Would it not have been easier to just yell happymeal for me? Certainly easier than watching me squirm, then starve?) But doing everything for them is selfish. It's so funny to watch a toddler try to put on their clothes or take them off. The moment they don't know how to pull down their own pants is the moment you realize holy guacamole! somebody taught me how to pull down my own pants! AND climb up on the potty and go all by myself! (I can't tell her how many times that potty thing has come in handy.)
I love nothing more than watching my little girl gain confidence in herself. Seeing her accomplish things all on her own helps me gain confidence in myself -my parenting, and we both beam with pride.
You can imagine my delight when my now- 69- year-old mother came to me a few weeks ago and asked me to paint her toenails. I gave her the whole speech, memorized from a lifetime of listening to it... "Mom, I know you can't see your toes very well without your glasses but if you start relying on others to do these things for you now, you're going to slip into old age... Practice Makes Perfect."
Monday, February 22, 2010
Speaking of...
Anika says her prayers with me everyday. She used to just repeat what I say but lately she insists on doing it all by herself. Her prayer is identical everyday. The times we prayed for a bike must have really stuck. Here it is, word-for-word:
Dear Heavenwy Fader,
fank you for dis day.
bwess daddy on his gween car.
jake on his bike.
name of jesus christ,
amen.
Dear Heavenwy Fader,
fank you for dis day.
bwess daddy on his gween car.
jake on his bike.
name of jesus christ,
amen.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Pray, He Is There
Some of you have heard by now of my little psychotic episode last night. In essence, it was a bad dream that left me thinking someone was going to die. Surely, we all have lingering post-traumatic stress from the last few horrifying years. I was nearly having a panic attack. I couldn't decide if it was real or if I needed a psychiatrist.
So I did the only thing I could. I prayed. I felt comforted and peaceful enough to go back to sleep but still awoke with plenty of anxiety. I hardly slept so I didn't make it to sacrament meeting at 9 but went at 10 to teach primary. During the primary hymns I felt the most powerful comfort. It was so real and tangible and came directly to me out of nowhere. Peace, joy, comfort, LOVE. (ah, yes, I remember you guys...the fruits of the spirit... I've missed you.) I knew everything was fine. This almost shocked me. It has been a long while since I really thought about how real God is.
Comparable is my shock each time spring comes. When I see those first green shoots of grass in the desert it's like Whoa! What? It's really happening again? A miracle! I've been so lazy about my spirituality and powerful moments like the one today have been far-between. It gave me the same shock. Whoa! What? God is really real and really does hear my every prayer! A miracle!
We went into our little CTR 5 classroom and our lesson happened to be My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me. He is real. And cares. What a shocker! Why do I have to keep re-realizing this over and over in my life?
When I was twelve, living on Arbon, I had the most horrible, freaky, evil dream. I woke up and did the only thing I could... prayed. When I finally fell back asleep I had the most amazing, beautiful dream. I was walking with Jesus barefoot on the grass. There were other children around and I was walking behind everybody. I was aware of a big, white, temple sort of building near us. But the feeling! Oh, the feeling! It was absolute peace and joy and LOVE and comfort. I have remembered it vividly all these years and have always known it was a direct answer to my prayer- comfort just for me.
Here I am, nearly thirty years old and still having bad dreams. And Heavenly Father still comforts me as well as when I was twelve.
Do you guys remember this song from Primary? The words are always going through my mind.
I love you guys!
Pray, He is there!
So I did the only thing I could. I prayed. I felt comforted and peaceful enough to go back to sleep but still awoke with plenty of anxiety. I hardly slept so I didn't make it to sacrament meeting at 9 but went at 10 to teach primary. During the primary hymns I felt the most powerful comfort. It was so real and tangible and came directly to me out of nowhere. Peace, joy, comfort, LOVE. (ah, yes, I remember you guys...the fruits of the spirit... I've missed you.) I knew everything was fine. This almost shocked me. It has been a long while since I really thought about how real God is.
Comparable is my shock each time spring comes. When I see those first green shoots of grass in the desert it's like Whoa! What? It's really happening again? A miracle! I've been so lazy about my spirituality and powerful moments like the one today have been far-between. It gave me the same shock. Whoa! What? God is really real and really does hear my every prayer! A miracle!
We went into our little CTR 5 classroom and our lesson happened to be My Heavenly Father Watches Over Me. He is real. And cares. What a shocker! Why do I have to keep re-realizing this over and over in my life?
When I was twelve, living on Arbon, I had the most horrible, freaky, evil dream. I woke up and did the only thing I could... prayed. When I finally fell back asleep I had the most amazing, beautiful dream. I was walking with Jesus barefoot on the grass. There were other children around and I was walking behind everybody. I was aware of a big, white, temple sort of building near us. But the feeling! Oh, the feeling! It was absolute peace and joy and LOVE and comfort. I have remembered it vividly all these years and have always known it was a direct answer to my prayer- comfort just for me.
Here I am, nearly thirty years old and still having bad dreams. And Heavenly Father still comforts me as well as when I was twelve.
Do you guys remember this song from Primary? The words are always going through my mind.
I love you guys!
Pray, He is there!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Feb 13
^Elephant Arch
As you can see, it's really warming up here in the desert. It's been in the low 60's for a week and I think it's the perfect weather. We have been going out a lot to make use of it. Soon, it will be too hot to even walk to the car.
Feb 12
Emmet was trying to push Anika up the hill and then decided to just pull her down the hill.
This next photo looks like another Alana goofy face.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
More Photos... Why Not?
^What kind of weird face is this? It reminds me of me.
Look how blue that sky is!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Johnson Canyon
^At one point, Anika chased Emmet as fast as she could so she could get his apple. "I wanna get that apple!!!"
^This is the kids being "wild". Emmet was on a rock growling and Janna said it was an "Emmet in the wild". Anika said, "I wanna be wild!"
You have got to love those two little stinkers, Charlie and Lola.
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