I've felt incredibly blessed this year. I know that the Lord is watching out for our family, and I'm so grateful for the peace that brings into our lives. I hope you all have a great year!
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
My Annual Christmas Post
It's been forever, and I don't know that I even got a Christmas post up last year. I wanted to update all my friends and family about us. This has been a year of ups and downs. Lots of blessings and peace to help us through. So here are the basics about each person.
Rob--He's still working at NCSSM. It keeps him busy with random stressful emails and work meetings at odd times of the day. He is still serving as 11-year-old scout master. He's had a calling in scouts as long as Beth has been alive, so we are looking at fifteen years. He loves board games and video games and just relaxing at home. His job lets him work from home once or twice a week, which is great. I love having that time with him.
Mim--I've had a busy year. I'm still freelancing from home. I work as a search engine evaluator, freelance writer for The Balance and I teach for the Pathways program through BYU-I. I love teaching there because I get to incorporate the gospel into my lessons and the program really is making a difference in people's lives. I'm currently serving as a temple coordinator for the ward. I am also juggling having three kids in three different schools. Not something I'm a huge fan of.
Elisabeth--Beth started high school this year. It's been a big year for her. She was diagnosed with a widening of the aortic root this year. It was stressful for her because she's old enough to worry about things. Fortunately, it is mild, and all it means is that she has to get checked each year so that they can do something if it starts to get worse. She just turned fifteen and finished driver's ed, and soon will have her permit (which I am totally not ready for).She's likely going to do Wintergaurd this year and she's making friends in high school. She also got braces this year.
Caleb--Caleb started middle school this year and has been a champ at the transition. He rarely fights us with his homework anymore and although he is super ready for the break, I'm really proud of him. He is playing drums in band and has made some great new friends in middle school. He is about to turn twelve and get the Priesthood so big transitions for him.
Jacob--Jacob is plugging along in fourth grade. He loves video games and wants to start a channel where he posts the games he plays with commentary. He also wants to design video games when he wakes up. He's discovered Anime (which we closely monitor). He is our board game champ, and often beats Rob in strategy games. (They are the ones that will play together the most.)
Charlie--We got Charlie last year for Christmas--which is a shocker since I swore we'd never have a dog. He loves to run around with me to pick up the kids and drop them off for school. Two nights ago, Rob woke up to find him at the computer madly typing away. The computer turned on, but Charlie couldn't figure out the password. We think he was looking for something on the desk, but it made Rob laugh.
I've felt incredibly blessed this year. I know that the Lord is watching out for our family, and I'm so grateful for the peace that brings into our lives. I hope you all have a great year!
I've felt incredibly blessed this year. I know that the Lord is watching out for our family, and I'm so grateful for the peace that brings into our lives. I hope you all have a great year!
Monday, July 13, 2015
Visit from Nana and McKayla
At the end of June, my mom and my niece McKayla came out for a visit. The kids were super excited to get to spoil and spend time with McKayla. She's just four years old and was super sweet and pretty shy.
We kept busy that week with a lot of different activities. We were planning on going to the beach on Friday, but that got postponed because McKayla didn't feel too well. So then we tried to play miniature golf but they were closed. Instead we ended up at 5 Below and the kids each got to pick something out. It was a good day overall. When we got home the kids did Play Doh with McKayla and then we went and saw Inside Out. I cried during that movie which is really saying something, since I don't cry that often (more as I get older.)
Then on Saturday we headed to the science and history museums. It was fun. McKayla loved the butterfly room and hated the dinosaurs, and the kids had fun showing everything off to her. My mom loved the history museum but didn't get to spend as long there since the kids were tired. That night Rob and I went out to celebrate our sixteenth anniversary. Time sure goes by fast.
We headed out to the beach on Monday and had a great time playing and relaxing. We didn't let our kids take their boogie boards because of the increased number of shark attacks in North Carolina. It was a nice trip. The water was fairly calm and the kids had fun playing in the sand and water. It was a good day trip overall. Fortunately, we didn't see any sharks this visit.
On Tuesday we headed to the park to squeeze in some extra time with McKayla and Nana before they left. At the park tragedy struck. The kids found an abandoned kitten and we tried to rescue it, but it wouldn't let anyone get close enough to it to grab it. Rob ended up with poison ivy. And the kitten disappeared into the del undergrowth. When we found it at first, it was so weak, and we could tell it wouldn't make it another full day out there by itself. But it disappeared and even though we looked for a good long while we couldn't find it again. (Just a side note: If you are going to have animals get them fixed or find homes for your kittens and puppies. I'm not an animal person, but it just makes me so angry to think of someone dropping kittens off like that to starve. Don't do it! Not that any of my friends or family would ever do such a thing.)
Anyway it was a great visit and we were super glad for the chance to get to know McKayla better and to have Nana out after her heart attack. It's good to see that she is doing better overall.
Take care!
We kept busy that week with a lot of different activities. We were planning on going to the beach on Friday, but that got postponed because McKayla didn't feel too well. So then we tried to play miniature golf but they were closed. Instead we ended up at 5 Below and the kids each got to pick something out. It was a good day overall. When we got home the kids did Play Doh with McKayla and then we went and saw Inside Out. I cried during that movie which is really saying something, since I don't cry that often (more as I get older.)
Then on Saturday we headed to the science and history museums. It was fun. McKayla loved the butterfly room and hated the dinosaurs, and the kids had fun showing everything off to her. My mom loved the history museum but didn't get to spend as long there since the kids were tired. That night Rob and I went out to celebrate our sixteenth anniversary. Time sure goes by fast.
We headed out to the beach on Monday and had a great time playing and relaxing. We didn't let our kids take their boogie boards because of the increased number of shark attacks in North Carolina. It was a nice trip. The water was fairly calm and the kids had fun playing in the sand and water. It was a good day trip overall. Fortunately, we didn't see any sharks this visit.
On Tuesday we headed to the park to squeeze in some extra time with McKayla and Nana before they left. At the park tragedy struck. The kids found an abandoned kitten and we tried to rescue it, but it wouldn't let anyone get close enough to it to grab it. Rob ended up with poison ivy. And the kitten disappeared into the del undergrowth. When we found it at first, it was so weak, and we could tell it wouldn't make it another full day out there by itself. But it disappeared and even though we looked for a good long while we couldn't find it again. (Just a side note: If you are going to have animals get them fixed or find homes for your kittens and puppies. I'm not an animal person, but it just makes me so angry to think of someone dropping kittens off like that to starve. Don't do it! Not that any of my friends or family would ever do such a thing.)
Anyway it was a great visit and we were super glad for the chance to get to know McKayla better and to have Nana out after her heart attack. It's good to see that she is doing better overall.
Take care!
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Summer Fun Check
We've been out of school for almost two weeks. it got off to a rocky start wight he kids claiming boredom the second day of summer vacation. Ack! I can't handle it. Definitely going to be an adjustment. It's a bit tough right now because we are operating with one car, and we can't do a ton of stuff. Plus it got hot, really fast, several days as high as 100 with the super humidity that comes with living in the south. Yikes.
But things are looking up a bit. This last week, we had several water balloon fights. Caleb informed me that the fun part of the water balloon fight is filling up the balloons. That made me happy because I don't have to do anything. On Saturday Rob got to participate in it and he got soaked!
Lots of video games, and television shows. Beth is reading a lot again (makes this book lover happy.) And the kids are staying up late, late, late. and they are sleeping in pretty late too. It's so quiet in the mornings. And super noisy at night. Beth's been loving the thunderstorms that are rolling in every night. She told me she missed hearing the thunder.
This summer I'm focusing more on the independence of my kids. I want them to fix more of their snacks, do a few more chores. Basically to become more independent then they currently are.
Case in point: Beth wanted a snack last night after dinner. I told her she was free to make herself one. This was the conversation that followed.
Beth: You know that thing we have to read a lot at church. The one that says you need to nurture your children.
Me: Yes.
Beth: I'm pretty sure that nurture means that you need to feed me.
Me: It means that I teach you how to take care of yourself.
Beth: I think it means that you need to feed me.
It made me laugh, and at least she's getting something out of the all of the discussions on the Proclamation to the Family.
My mom's coming to visit the next week, so we should have some more adventures and fun. Hope you all are enjoying your summer and having fun!
But things are looking up a bit. This last week, we had several water balloon fights. Caleb informed me that the fun part of the water balloon fight is filling up the balloons. That made me happy because I don't have to do anything. On Saturday Rob got to participate in it and he got soaked!
Lots of video games, and television shows. Beth is reading a lot again (makes this book lover happy.) And the kids are staying up late, late, late. and they are sleeping in pretty late too. It's so quiet in the mornings. And super noisy at night. Beth's been loving the thunderstorms that are rolling in every night. She told me she missed hearing the thunder.
This summer I'm focusing more on the independence of my kids. I want them to fix more of their snacks, do a few more chores. Basically to become more independent then they currently are.
Case in point: Beth wanted a snack last night after dinner. I told her she was free to make herself one. This was the conversation that followed.
Beth: You know that thing we have to read a lot at church. The one that says you need to nurture your children.
Me: Yes.
Beth: I'm pretty sure that nurture means that you need to feed me.
Me: It means that I teach you how to take care of yourself.
Beth: I think it means that you need to feed me.
It made me laugh, and at least she's getting something out of the all of the discussions on the Proclamation to the Family.
My mom's coming to visit the next week, so we should have some more adventures and fun. Hope you all are enjoying your summer and having fun!
Friday, June 19, 2015
A Bit of My Testimony
The last few months I've been worrying about this and about that. General life worries, things that I felt like I didn't have much control over, or that I should have more control over. I have been praying for guidance, for peace about things and for the strength to get through. I woke up in the middle of the night (as I tend to do when I'm worried) and the words of a hymn popped in my mind. And I knew without a doubt that this was the Lord's way of whispering peace into my heart and mind. My favorite part of this experience is that the words were not a chorus or a first verse, but the third verse of How Firm a Foundation:
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
And I've had no troubles sleeping since that happened. I just felt like I needed to share with others and recognize God's love in my life, and that he does answer our prayers and watch out for us.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
An Update on the Caldwell Front
I haven't been blogging on a regular basis, in part because our family hasn't been having our regular Saturday adventures. I think it's likely the nature of your kids growing up and doing things with friends, with school, with church with Scouts on Saturdays. It's harder to hold onto that time we have together and it makes it infinitely more precious.
Not to mention that I'm usually plumb tuckered out by the time Sunday rolls around and I have time to blog. A Sunday afternoon nap often takes precedence over updating. Sad but so very true. The kids are doing well. Caleb and Jacob bought a four square ball with their own money a while ago, and so four square has become a very common activity, in the mornings while waiting for the bus and then in the evenings when they can barely see outside. It's not gotten super hot yet, which means it's still bearable to be outside. It's actually been cooler most of the spring (it's still warm, but like 80s warm instead of 90s and up).
Beth has started babysitting more and she adores it. She told me she likes to babysit because she gets to spend the time playing make believe, which she doesn't get to do with her friends anymore. Being in seventh grade will do that to a child. But she's great with kids and super responsible and happy to do it.
Rob and Caleb got to go on Caleb's beach field trip the first Friday in May. It was an all day trip with them getting to the school before 6:00 a.m and then home after 10:00 p.m. The next day they had a camporee which was another day of being gone from about 7:00 a.m until 10:00 p.m. Caleb had fun, but was cranky when I saw him. Rob was exhausted too.
The weekend before that Rob got to go to Merlefest with his friends and listen to some folk music. He had a lot of fun and found a new band. (new to him, they are actually well established older musicians.). Rob's been called as Caleb's Webelos leader and it's nice to see them working together on that.
Jacob is doing well. He does really well at school, and loves mine craft and youtube. He told me that he wants to start learning code today. So I think we need to find him a website. It's a must if he wants to pursue his dream career of designing video games. He has a knack for solving puzzles and such so I think it may be a good fit for him, even if it is super competitive.
I don't have much news about myself. I injured my thumb and I've been wearing a stupid plastic splint for the last month. Rob says it looks like Jason's hockey mask. It's likely arthritis, so nothing too traumatic, but it's still not healing. I go back to the doctor in the next week or two. That along with my familial tremor (you know the way I always shake) getting worse has made me think about my abilities and what exactly I'm going to be capable of accomplishing when I'm older. I'm already at a point when I won't eat in public anymore--I'm just too messy. And I think that I'm going to eventually need adaptive technology like voice recognition software. All of it makes me so grateful that I live now, where there is so much technology available to make life easier and to make dealing with this kind of thing much easier.
Today in Sunday school we had a lesson on thp Prodigal son and the lost sheep. I thought a lot about people I know who have been lost in one sense or another, and how there are always people who desperately want to to find them and help them. The world has become increasingly noisy, and I think it's so easy to lose your way or to become overwhelmed by the things that you have available to you. But most of all I thought about how much the Savior loves each of us, right where we are, no matter what we are doing or where we are headed. He is aware of us and watching out for us.
Hope you all have a great week.
Not to mention that I'm usually plumb tuckered out by the time Sunday rolls around and I have time to blog. A Sunday afternoon nap often takes precedence over updating. Sad but so very true. The kids are doing well. Caleb and Jacob bought a four square ball with their own money a while ago, and so four square has become a very common activity, in the mornings while waiting for the bus and then in the evenings when they can barely see outside. It's not gotten super hot yet, which means it's still bearable to be outside. It's actually been cooler most of the spring (it's still warm, but like 80s warm instead of 90s and up).
Beth has started babysitting more and she adores it. She told me she likes to babysit because she gets to spend the time playing make believe, which she doesn't get to do with her friends anymore. Being in seventh grade will do that to a child. But she's great with kids and super responsible and happy to do it.
Rob and Caleb got to go on Caleb's beach field trip the first Friday in May. It was an all day trip with them getting to the school before 6:00 a.m and then home after 10:00 p.m. The next day they had a camporee which was another day of being gone from about 7:00 a.m until 10:00 p.m. Caleb had fun, but was cranky when I saw him. Rob was exhausted too.
The weekend before that Rob got to go to Merlefest with his friends and listen to some folk music. He had a lot of fun and found a new band. (new to him, they are actually well established older musicians.). Rob's been called as Caleb's Webelos leader and it's nice to see them working together on that.
Jacob is doing well. He does really well at school, and loves mine craft and youtube. He told me that he wants to start learning code today. So I think we need to find him a website. It's a must if he wants to pursue his dream career of designing video games. He has a knack for solving puzzles and such so I think it may be a good fit for him, even if it is super competitive.
I don't have much news about myself. I injured my thumb and I've been wearing a stupid plastic splint for the last month. Rob says it looks like Jason's hockey mask. It's likely arthritis, so nothing too traumatic, but it's still not healing. I go back to the doctor in the next week or two. That along with my familial tremor (you know the way I always shake) getting worse has made me think about my abilities and what exactly I'm going to be capable of accomplishing when I'm older. I'm already at a point when I won't eat in public anymore--I'm just too messy. And I think that I'm going to eventually need adaptive technology like voice recognition software. All of it makes me so grateful that I live now, where there is so much technology available to make life easier and to make dealing with this kind of thing much easier.
Today in Sunday school we had a lesson on thp Prodigal son and the lost sheep. I thought a lot about people I know who have been lost in one sense or another, and how there are always people who desperately want to to find them and help them. The world has become increasingly noisy, and I think it's so easy to lose your way or to become overwhelmed by the things that you have available to you. But most of all I thought about how much the Savior loves each of us, right where we are, no matter what we are doing or where we are headed. He is aware of us and watching out for us.
Hope you all have a great week.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Winter, Winter Go Away
I've lived-in North Carolina for nearly 15 years. Most of those years, we've maybe had one snow storm, that would last a day, everything would melt and we would go happily on our way. One year about six years ago there were maybe two storms. Last year, we had two storms missed close to week's worth of school for each, but they were spread more apart. This year, we've had so many, and I'm so done. Two weeks ago we had an ice storm followed by a freezing spell so nothing melted and we missed four days of school. Then this last week we had an unexpected storm on Tuesday, we missed Wednesday while everything melted and then we had another storm on Thursday. And nothing has melted, and we had a freezing rain event today that canceled church. But the last week we also had some bug, first Beth, then Rob, then Caleb. Today I started with the cough and the aches and pains. It lasts about four days. And on Thursday, we are likely to get snow again. It's March.
March means spring. Not cold and snow. Come on!
Okay rant over. Other than me going a bit stir crazy and the bout of illness, we are doing well, being happy, and overall okay. Hope everyone else is having a great week!
March means spring. Not cold and snow. Come on!
Okay rant over. Other than me going a bit stir crazy and the bout of illness, we are doing well, being happy, and overall okay. Hope everyone else is having a great week!
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Fun Update
We are getting back into the swing of things after Christmas break. The kids went to a week of school and then we pulled them out for two days to go to Great Wolf Lodge. It was of course a lot of fun. Caleb was big enough to go on the Tornado finally. And he loved it. Jacob loved hanging out in the wave pool. All of the kids lips were blue the whole time, so even though it felt warm in there, it was a bit cold.
The best part of the trip was turning on Veggie Tales and singing along on the trip there. Although the kids have all outgrown the cartoon, the Silly Songs with Larry stand the test of time for fun things to sing along to. Then we listed to Fruit Salad by the Wiggles. And it was fun. On the way home the kids requested the songs again. Sometimes it is nice to see them still enjoying the things they did when they were younger.
The kids have the next two days off of school. Martin Luther King Day and teacher work day. Last week we had a two hour delay twice. I feel like school isn't happening so much. But the kids are enjoying the relaxed schedule.
This week Jacob turns eight. Tomorrow. And on Saturday Caleb turns ten. It's a bit disconcerting to have my baby turn eight. He gets to start cub scouts, and get baptized and all that stuff. Good times. We are being fairly mellow for birthdays this year.
Well that's our basic update! Have a great week!
PS I want to go around and take pictures of my house just because it's finally clean in every room. Usually I get one room really clean (like deep clean) and by the time I get the next one finished, it's a mess again. You won't trip on anything no matter where you go in my house right now. I'm super proud!
The best part of the trip was turning on Veggie Tales and singing along on the trip there. Although the kids have all outgrown the cartoon, the Silly Songs with Larry stand the test of time for fun things to sing along to. Then we listed to Fruit Salad by the Wiggles. And it was fun. On the way home the kids requested the songs again. Sometimes it is nice to see them still enjoying the things they did when they were younger.
The kids have the next two days off of school. Martin Luther King Day and teacher work day. Last week we had a two hour delay twice. I feel like school isn't happening so much. But the kids are enjoying the relaxed schedule.
This week Jacob turns eight. Tomorrow. And on Saturday Caleb turns ten. It's a bit disconcerting to have my baby turn eight. He gets to start cub scouts, and get baptized and all that stuff. Good times. We are being fairly mellow for birthdays this year.
Well that's our basic update! Have a great week!
PS I want to go around and take pictures of my house just because it's finally clean in every room. Usually I get one room really clean (like deep clean) and by the time I get the next one finished, it's a mess again. You won't trip on anything no matter where you go in my house right now. I'm super proud!
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Annual Newsletter 2014 Recap
Again this year, Christmas cards just didn't happen. But I did finally manage to make Jacob a Christmas stocking so he had one like the rest of the family. I call that a real win!
This was a busy year! We had a lot of fun, worked hard and made it through relatively unscathed. We are looking forward to another great year in 2015. It's hard to believe how fast everyone is growing up. I thought I'd post some pictures since I finally figured out how to get them off of Rob's phone.
News on Caleb. He is having a great school year, probably his best ever. He loves video games, especially Call of Duty. He is my most empathetic child, always watching out for the way that others feel. He earned his Bear award early this year, and is getting ready to move to Webelos next month.
News on Jacob. Jacob is in second grade and gets baptized in February. He's pretty happy most of the time. He's the one that likes to go to bed early and get up early for some quiet time to relax and chill. He's doing great at school, and loves playing and using his imagination.
The boys at the father son campout (I think).
We got to go visit my sister Sarah and her family in August. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the cousins. We did a lot, and visited the zoo. Went swimming. Hung with the cousins. Here's some zoo pictures.
News on Rob. Rob had fun with hammocks this year. He and all of the kids got one. They'd go hiking and hang out in the woods for a few hours in their hammocks. He also got to do his annual hike along the Appalachian Trail. He's still Cub Scout committee chairman and an instructional designer at NCSSM. He's very, very busy.
News on Mim. (No picture for me) I've had another busy year juggling working from home and being a mom. I love that I have the flexibility that I currently do, but the stress can be a bit much. I'm hoping to accomplish a lot this year, and I'm getting ready to make a sign to post my goals on my wall. Right now I'm a Beehive advisor, and I'm really enjoying that and working with Beth (except when I embarrass her).
This was a busy year! We had a lot of fun, worked hard and made it through relatively unscathed. We are looking forward to another great year in 2015. It's hard to believe how fast everyone is growing up. I thought I'd post some pictures since I finally figured out how to get them off of Rob's phone.
News on Beth. It's official, we have a teenager in our house. Beth is doing well this year. Another good year of middle school and she enjoyed Young Women's Camp. She is still aspiring to work in the medical field as a doctor of some sort, but she keeps going back and forth between different fields. She's thinking a lot about what works best with having a family. She's happy, and enjoys school and spending time with her friends. This picture was from her birthday celebration at Busch Gardens. It was a lot of fun.
News on Caleb. He is having a great school year, probably his best ever. He loves video games, especially Call of Duty. He is my most empathetic child, always watching out for the way that others feel. He earned his Bear award early this year, and is getting ready to move to Webelos next month.
News on Jacob. Jacob is in second grade and gets baptized in February. He's pretty happy most of the time. He's the one that likes to go to bed early and get up early for some quiet time to relax and chill. He's doing great at school, and loves playing and using his imagination.
The boys at the father son campout (I think).
We got to go visit my sister Sarah and her family in August. It was a lot of fun to hang out with the cousins. We did a lot, and visited the zoo. Went swimming. Hung with the cousins. Here's some zoo pictures.
News on Mim. (No picture for me) I've had another busy year juggling working from home and being a mom. I love that I have the flexibility that I currently do, but the stress can be a bit much. I'm hoping to accomplish a lot this year, and I'm getting ready to make a sign to post my goals on my wall. Right now I'm a Beehive advisor, and I'm really enjoying that and working with Beth (except when I embarrass her).
This was how Rob and I spent our New Year's Eve with the Avett Brothers and some good friends. It was a great show! Hope you all have a great new year!
Sunday, November 9, 2014
A Quick Update
It's been several months since I posted. So I thought I ought to try to share a new post before the craziness of the holidays sets in fully. It can get pretty hectic and I know that I'll be spending most of my Sundays trying to not be crazy.
If you love pictures and such Rob has them on his Google + account. Lots of fun to be had there with the kids hiking, corn mazes and cousins visits.
The school year has gotten off to a good start. In fact fist quarter is over, and we are getting down to a solid routine as far as that goes. The only thing is with the time change it is dark so early that it makes me incredibly cranky. I need sunshine or it really affects my mood and total disposition.
Beth is in seventh grade, and she is just sailing a long. She finally got an art elective at her school, and she rocked it. Where she goes to school the electives only last a quarter, and because she is in band, it is harder to get the electives she wants in addition to band. Her grades are good and she has lots of friends and interested boys and she is juggling everything pretty well. I'm super proud of her.
Caleb is doing fairly well overall. He got the teacher we wanted for him, and it's made a huge difference in his year. He still has a hard time sitting still and concentrating, but his teacher gets it and him. He can work standing up and wiggling, and isn't expected to sit still hardly ever. This means a happier Caleb and a happier family.
Jacob is having a good year. He's in an accelerated math program where he skipped a year of math and it's definitely been a transition for him. However, I think he is doing fine in the class. (I say think since I can't seem to communicate with his math teacher.) He's showing a bit more his attitude at school this year, but he also has two of his best friends in class with him. It's awesome to see him doing so well overall.
Rob is still at his job. He's juggling things, and he is the technical support for his campus with their learning management system. Which basically means he's dealing with emails and solving problems at all hours and especially right before assignments are due.
I'm plugging along. I'm still working from home, juggling that with being a mom. I've had a cough this fall that seems to lag on forever, but I think I might be about over it. Finally. I mean it hung on, and on.
If you love pictures and such Rob has them on his Google + account. Lots of fun to be had there with the kids hiking, corn mazes and cousins visits.
The school year has gotten off to a good start. In fact fist quarter is over, and we are getting down to a solid routine as far as that goes. The only thing is with the time change it is dark so early that it makes me incredibly cranky. I need sunshine or it really affects my mood and total disposition.
Beth is in seventh grade, and she is just sailing a long. She finally got an art elective at her school, and she rocked it. Where she goes to school the electives only last a quarter, and because she is in band, it is harder to get the electives she wants in addition to band. Her grades are good and she has lots of friends and interested boys and she is juggling everything pretty well. I'm super proud of her.
Caleb is doing fairly well overall. He got the teacher we wanted for him, and it's made a huge difference in his year. He still has a hard time sitting still and concentrating, but his teacher gets it and him. He can work standing up and wiggling, and isn't expected to sit still hardly ever. This means a happier Caleb and a happier family.
Jacob is having a good year. He's in an accelerated math program where he skipped a year of math and it's definitely been a transition for him. However, I think he is doing fine in the class. (I say think since I can't seem to communicate with his math teacher.) He's showing a bit more his attitude at school this year, but he also has two of his best friends in class with him. It's awesome to see him doing so well overall.
Rob is still at his job. He's juggling things, and he is the technical support for his campus with their learning management system. Which basically means he's dealing with emails and solving problems at all hours and especially right before assignments are due.
I'm plugging along. I'm still working from home, juggling that with being a mom. I've had a cough this fall that seems to lag on forever, but I think I might be about over it. Finally. I mean it hung on, and on.
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Summer Vacation Ohio Style
This last week we visited my sister Sarah and her family in Ohio. The drive was longer than I thought it would be. this may be because I drove the speed limit on my section, but it was very, very pretty, up through the mountains and in Virginia and West Virginia. I got to knock another state off of my list, since I had never been to Ohio, and all of the kids got to mark off two more since they hadn't been to West Virginia yet.
It was a great time hanging out. Beth, Caleb and Jacob adored the little kids. I think Beth was in heaven getting to play mama and play with Emily and Elsa in particular. We introduced Ethan to Minecraft (sorry Sarah), and the boys liked showing that to him. While we were there we went to a pool, to get ice cream and to the zoo. I think the zoo was Rob's favorite since there was an Australian section and we got to see animals he saw on his mission. My favorite animal at the zoo was the Red Panda. Beth and Caleb loved the baby gorilla, and I think Jacob liked his selfie with a lion. (It's posted on Rob's Facebook page if you want to check it out.)
The car trip back was a bit longer and had more comments along the lines of: "He's touching me!" "You're crossing the line!" "Make him stop." "I would rather be dead than in this car right now. I would rather be dead." (This one in particular made me laugh, I don't know why since it is such a negative thought. I don't think I'm as sympathetic as I ought to be.)
I still haven't recovered from vacation yet. I need to get back onto a schedule and get working.
The kids are mixed about going back to school. Beth keeps locking herself in her room when we talk about buying school supplies and while the boys seem pretty excited. We just got a new principal at the elementary school, and I think he's a better fit than the last one who lasted a year. So I'm a little anxious about that.
I need to share about the ketchup explosion that happened after church today. It went down like this. The kids love to dangle baskets of things down the stairs and randomly drop them. Every time they find a long piece of rope or a string, it happens. As I was making dinner, I heard the whispers. I knew they were starting. I told them to stop, and went back to cooking. Nothing too drastic has happened as a result of the hanging baskets. Some things slightly broken, the wall is a bit scuffed up, but nothing horrible.
Until today.
They got the full, brand new ketchup bottle and begin the process of lowering it and pulling it up. Until they dropped it. It's only a ketchup bottle, what's the worst that can happen? You ask. A little bit of ketchup on the rug? Not a big deal right?
If it was that, maybe. But no. It squirted about 20 feet up and hit the ceiling above the stairs. Splattered down that wall. Hit the ceiling above the landing, and squirted a ketchup trail across the ceiling in the living room, and hit the wall on the other side of the room. Ketchup trails on the carpet too. It's like the bottle exploded. But it is still quite full, so I would dread what would happen if it actually did.
Was it Jacob, my youngest that managed this astounding feat? No I heard screams, and running from my two oldest 12 and 9. Admitting that they should be grounded. That they didn't mean to do it. Yelling, running, hiding.
And that is why Rob mopped the ceiling that is 20 feet up, and wiped down the walls while I scrubbed the carpet. And why they will never play hanging basket again. (I was laughing the whole time. We don't get many of these moments anymore--my kids have outgrown them. Rob on the other hand was grumpier. (He didn't deal with the flour episode about 6 years ago that broke our vacuum.) But I think he'll laugh about it later.)
Have a great week!
It was a great time hanging out. Beth, Caleb and Jacob adored the little kids. I think Beth was in heaven getting to play mama and play with Emily and Elsa in particular. We introduced Ethan to Minecraft (sorry Sarah), and the boys liked showing that to him. While we were there we went to a pool, to get ice cream and to the zoo. I think the zoo was Rob's favorite since there was an Australian section and we got to see animals he saw on his mission. My favorite animal at the zoo was the Red Panda. Beth and Caleb loved the baby gorilla, and I think Jacob liked his selfie with a lion. (It's posted on Rob's Facebook page if you want to check it out.)
The car trip back was a bit longer and had more comments along the lines of: "He's touching me!" "You're crossing the line!" "Make him stop." "I would rather be dead than in this car right now. I would rather be dead." (This one in particular made me laugh, I don't know why since it is such a negative thought. I don't think I'm as sympathetic as I ought to be.)
I still haven't recovered from vacation yet. I need to get back onto a schedule and get working.
The kids are mixed about going back to school. Beth keeps locking herself in her room when we talk about buying school supplies and while the boys seem pretty excited. We just got a new principal at the elementary school, and I think he's a better fit than the last one who lasted a year. So I'm a little anxious about that.
I need to share about the ketchup explosion that happened after church today. It went down like this. The kids love to dangle baskets of things down the stairs and randomly drop them. Every time they find a long piece of rope or a string, it happens. As I was making dinner, I heard the whispers. I knew they were starting. I told them to stop, and went back to cooking. Nothing too drastic has happened as a result of the hanging baskets. Some things slightly broken, the wall is a bit scuffed up, but nothing horrible.
Until today.
They got the full, brand new ketchup bottle and begin the process of lowering it and pulling it up. Until they dropped it. It's only a ketchup bottle, what's the worst that can happen? You ask. A little bit of ketchup on the rug? Not a big deal right?
If it was that, maybe. But no. It squirted about 20 feet up and hit the ceiling above the stairs. Splattered down that wall. Hit the ceiling above the landing, and squirted a ketchup trail across the ceiling in the living room, and hit the wall on the other side of the room. Ketchup trails on the carpet too. It's like the bottle exploded. But it is still quite full, so I would dread what would happen if it actually did.
Was it Jacob, my youngest that managed this astounding feat? No I heard screams, and running from my two oldest 12 and 9. Admitting that they should be grounded. That they didn't mean to do it. Yelling, running, hiding.
And that is why Rob mopped the ceiling that is 20 feet up, and wiped down the walls while I scrubbed the carpet. And why they will never play hanging basket again. (I was laughing the whole time. We don't get many of these moments anymore--my kids have outgrown them. Rob on the other hand was grumpier. (He didn't deal with the flour episode about 6 years ago that broke our vacuum.) But I think he'll laugh about it later.)
Have a great week!
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Summer's Half Way Over!
I am proud to announce that Beth gave her first talk in church today. For Beth this is huge. She is very shy, and wouldn't even go to the front of the chapel in December to graduate from Primary. And here she is getting up and giving a talk. I'm super, super proud, and she did a great job.
She's getting ready to head off to girls' camp this week. I can't believe how fast she has grown up. It is a little bit crazy to think about all that she 's accomplished in the last year. I know I'll miss her, but she's excited to get a break from her brothers. (I think they might feel the same way.)
Jacob has turned into a chatter. He'll come sit next to me while I'm working and chat, and chat and chat. I love it even though it drives me crazy. His vocabulary is great, and I love the way he talks like a little adult with actually, quite, nearly, and other words that are not common for second graders to use in their every day conversations. He always has the most interesting observations to share. He likes to compare and contrast and explain logical conclusions that he has come to.
Caleb is currently obsessed with the Destiny beta. He is playing nonstop and I think driving his cousins a bit crazy with requests to play with him online. He is so active that the last week has been driving me a bit bonkers since we didn't get to a pool or a park. he just needs a chance to let all of his energy go.
Rob is busy with work, and getting stuff done. He worked from home on Thursday and kept turning to me and asking why the kids were in the room wanting stuff. It's hard to work from home with the kids home.
Summer is slipping by so fast this year. I hope you can enjoy the rest of yours!
She's getting ready to head off to girls' camp this week. I can't believe how fast she has grown up. It is a little bit crazy to think about all that she 's accomplished in the last year. I know I'll miss her, but she's excited to get a break from her brothers. (I think they might feel the same way.)
Jacob has turned into a chatter. He'll come sit next to me while I'm working and chat, and chat and chat. I love it even though it drives me crazy. His vocabulary is great, and I love the way he talks like a little adult with actually, quite, nearly, and other words that are not common for second graders to use in their every day conversations. He always has the most interesting observations to share. He likes to compare and contrast and explain logical conclusions that he has come to.
Caleb is currently obsessed with the Destiny beta. He is playing nonstop and I think driving his cousins a bit crazy with requests to play with him online. He is so active that the last week has been driving me a bit bonkers since we didn't get to a pool or a park. he just needs a chance to let all of his energy go.
Rob is busy with work, and getting stuff done. He worked from home on Thursday and kept turning to me and asking why the kids were in the room wanting stuff. It's hard to work from home with the kids home.
Summer is slipping by so fast this year. I hope you can enjoy the rest of yours!
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Summer Fun
I haven't posted much this summer. One of the reasons is that it is difficult to keep trying to work full-time when the kids are over the summer. Most people I know don't realize that I really do put in forty hours a week on work--mostly because I rarely bring it up. I'm blessed and incredibly lucky that I can work from home, even if it means juggling things are a little bit more difficult during the week. Especially with the kids home.
This summer started out hot. And so it looks like a pool summer. Plus for some reason my kids seem to feel that they've outgrown playgrounds and parks--for the most part. We have been to the pool several time this summer. Beth is insistent that she doesn't need sunscreen because she is so pale. The boys are swimming well enough to venture into the deep part of the pool without me, and swimming vests and floaties are a thing of the past. The older the kids get the easier it is to pack up and do something fun and exciting, with so much less hassle. But I still miss the absolute cuteness of a little baby or two year old (especially a two year old-- toddlers are the best!)
For the 4th, we went to the ward pancake breakfast, amid much complaining about the early hour of 9:00 am. Then we went to Monkey Joes, with Beth almost insisting that she is too old to go. And they kids had a blast. We were planning on going to see the fireworks at a shopping center (I know it sounds lame, but it was a compromise so we didn't have to deal with crowds.) When Greg and Heather invited us over to their house to see them. Our kids were ecstatic, and the show was great. Rob has it on his Google+ page if you want to see the fun. Complete with some videos.
July will consist of more trips to the pool. Hanging with some friends. Sending Beth off to girls camp--where they are enforcing a very strict dress code. (Beth wears longer shorts than the majority of her friends. Nearly to the knee, and yet we must go find some longer ones. Where? She doesn't want basketball shorts, jean shorts, and she is super skinny, at that awkward shopping size. Her current longest pair of shorts is an old pair of size seven capris that still fit her as shorts. If you have any ideas please leave a comment--maybe we'll go capri shopping in the kids section.) A short trip to Hickory for a friend's wedding. And then August will be even busier.
Hope you are enjoying your summer.
This summer started out hot. And so it looks like a pool summer. Plus for some reason my kids seem to feel that they've outgrown playgrounds and parks--for the most part. We have been to the pool several time this summer. Beth is insistent that she doesn't need sunscreen because she is so pale. The boys are swimming well enough to venture into the deep part of the pool without me, and swimming vests and floaties are a thing of the past. The older the kids get the easier it is to pack up and do something fun and exciting, with so much less hassle. But I still miss the absolute cuteness of a little baby or two year old (especially a two year old-- toddlers are the best!)
For the 4th, we went to the ward pancake breakfast, amid much complaining about the early hour of 9:00 am. Then we went to Monkey Joes, with Beth almost insisting that she is too old to go. And they kids had a blast. We were planning on going to see the fireworks at a shopping center (I know it sounds lame, but it was a compromise so we didn't have to deal with crowds.) When Greg and Heather invited us over to their house to see them. Our kids were ecstatic, and the show was great. Rob has it on his Google+ page if you want to see the fun. Complete with some videos.
July will consist of more trips to the pool. Hanging with some friends. Sending Beth off to girls camp--where they are enforcing a very strict dress code. (Beth wears longer shorts than the majority of her friends. Nearly to the knee, and yet we must go find some longer ones. Where? She doesn't want basketball shorts, jean shorts, and she is super skinny, at that awkward shopping size. Her current longest pair of shorts is an old pair of size seven capris that still fit her as shorts. If you have any ideas please leave a comment--maybe we'll go capri shopping in the kids section.) A short trip to Hickory for a friend's wedding. And then August will be even busier.
Hope you are enjoying your summer.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Wow! Major Catch Up!
So I haven't posted in awhile. A long while. it's been the hectic last month of school with testing, and concerts and church activities. I feel like we've been running, running running with no breaks. We haven't even made it to the beach yet this year, and it is almost too hot to go.
Rob found some crazy deal (we are paying less than $30.00 a month for unlimited talk and data 3G) and finally got a smart phone which means that he is posting updates of the photo and video variety on his Google+ account, and that means I should figure out how to port them over to the blog. Until that happens, you ought to follow him, I think he only shares photos with family and friends in his circles, so if you want to be added, just leave me a message and I'll make it happen. Lots of fun stuff on the feed like videos of the concerts from both Caleb and Beth, and silliness pictures, and video from the park.
None of it is edited, but it is there.
School lets out this week, and I can't believe that we another school year has slipped by. Beth survived sixth grade, and did really well overall. Great grades, and she made a good group of friends. The transition went as well as I could have hoped for. She decided to stick with the clarinet, and is having a lot of fun with it. Currently, she is reading the Twilight series, and I am getting regular updates of what has just happened in the books. The boys even watched the movie with her last night, in the hopes of seeing some werewolves and vampires fighting.
Caleb made it another year. He started clarinet too, and his band teacher really got them to do a lot. I'm so impressed considering their age. Music seems to help him focus a bit more, and it's great to see him enthusiastic about playing. He has found a comic book series that he really loves, and has subscribed to have it delivered. What makes it even cooler is that the dad of one of his friends is the line artist for episode (or book--I don't do comic lingo) 3 and 4.
Jacob is doing great. All I hear from his teacher is what a joy he is. He definitely knows how to wrap people around his little finger. I worried so much about him because of his Apraxia and all of the years of speech therapy that we had him in. He worked hard, and it is gratifying to see him excelling at school. He is doing great, and I think he'll keep doing great.
Rob is wrapping up one big project at work and starting out on another one. He is super busy and super stressed. In May he had pneumonia, again. (It's been a few years since the last episode.) It takes him awhile to recover and get his strength back, and part of me wants to tease him about being an old man, since he does turn forty this year, but then I really start to worry about him. I think he's finally doing better now though.
As for me, I'm trying to squeeze everything in. I'm switching to a mostly vegan diet and I'm feeling a lot better overall. I'll cheat every now and then to have something with cheese in it. I love cheese and that is honestly the hardest thing to give up. I also won't put anyone out for my change in habits, and so if I'm visiting I'll eat what is served. But I've switched to whole grains, and almost no sugar. I feel so much better. My happier news is that I've broken through my writer's block and my story is going in a good direction, and that makes me incredibly happy.
Hope you all have a good week.
Rob found some crazy deal (we are paying less than $30.00 a month for unlimited talk and data 3G) and finally got a smart phone which means that he is posting updates of the photo and video variety on his Google+ account, and that means I should figure out how to port them over to the blog. Until that happens, you ought to follow him, I think he only shares photos with family and friends in his circles, so if you want to be added, just leave me a message and I'll make it happen. Lots of fun stuff on the feed like videos of the concerts from both Caleb and Beth, and silliness pictures, and video from the park.
None of it is edited, but it is there.
School lets out this week, and I can't believe that we another school year has slipped by. Beth survived sixth grade, and did really well overall. Great grades, and she made a good group of friends. The transition went as well as I could have hoped for. She decided to stick with the clarinet, and is having a lot of fun with it. Currently, she is reading the Twilight series, and I am getting regular updates of what has just happened in the books. The boys even watched the movie with her last night, in the hopes of seeing some werewolves and vampires fighting.
Caleb made it another year. He started clarinet too, and his band teacher really got them to do a lot. I'm so impressed considering their age. Music seems to help him focus a bit more, and it's great to see him enthusiastic about playing. He has found a comic book series that he really loves, and has subscribed to have it delivered. What makes it even cooler is that the dad of one of his friends is the line artist for episode (or book--I don't do comic lingo) 3 and 4.
Jacob is doing great. All I hear from his teacher is what a joy he is. He definitely knows how to wrap people around his little finger. I worried so much about him because of his Apraxia and all of the years of speech therapy that we had him in. He worked hard, and it is gratifying to see him excelling at school. He is doing great, and I think he'll keep doing great.
Rob is wrapping up one big project at work and starting out on another one. He is super busy and super stressed. In May he had pneumonia, again. (It's been a few years since the last episode.) It takes him awhile to recover and get his strength back, and part of me wants to tease him about being an old man, since he does turn forty this year, but then I really start to worry about him. I think he's finally doing better now though.
As for me, I'm trying to squeeze everything in. I'm switching to a mostly vegan diet and I'm feeling a lot better overall. I'll cheat every now and then to have something with cheese in it. I love cheese and that is honestly the hardest thing to give up. I also won't put anyone out for my change in habits, and so if I'm visiting I'll eat what is served. But I've switched to whole grains, and almost no sugar. I feel so much better. My happier news is that I've broken through my writer's block and my story is going in a good direction, and that makes me incredibly happy.
Hope you all have a good week.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Easter!
Rob had Good Friday off, and seemed quite miffed that I didn't. But we still had a great time this weekend. Rob looked around for things to do on Friday, since we knew Saturday was going to be rainy all day. We ended up eating lunch at the Farmer's Market and then heading out to look at the old Yates Mill Park, which had the mill closed for renovations and ended up being rather a short trip. The kids (who had been there with school) insisted that the Oak View Farm was better and suggested we go there too. So we did. It was nice, the kids got to feed the goats and we looked at old buildings and a cotton field.
We had our Easter baskets on Saturday, and the kids got hammocks and candy, which is mostly gone. Yikes! It was a really rainy day. Really rainy, but we did dye eggs and chill. Caleb woke up at 4:00 am, but Beth made him stay in the room with her until it was light out at 6:30. I am so grateful for that! Needless to say , we had some crazy cranky kids around 6:00 pm on Saturday. Cranky!
Eater was nice yesterday. Everyone was pretty mellow and Rob managed to hang the hammocks on the patio. So the kids got a chance to enjoy them. It was nice to have a day that focused more on the spiritual part of Easter.
My favorite quote of the week was from Beth. She told me. "Mom, I'm still a kid inside this body of mine. I like to do kid things." Which made me happy.
This week's a bit crazy. Today is FHE, and is the easiest night of the week. Tomorrow, I've got Running club for the kids, parent teacher's conference for Jacob and a temple trip that are all scheduled for approximately the same time. Wednesday is Pack Meeting, which is stressful more for Rob, but still I have to get the whole family there, plus I have to pick up Beth from her field trip later than normal, which means picking up the boys from school. And then Thursday Beth has a band concert and the boys are headed to a father son camp out. I've been looking at this week for the last several wondering how we are going to survive it, but I think we'll manage.
Have a great week!
We had our Easter baskets on Saturday, and the kids got hammocks and candy, which is mostly gone. Yikes! It was a really rainy day. Really rainy, but we did dye eggs and chill. Caleb woke up at 4:00 am, but Beth made him stay in the room with her until it was light out at 6:30. I am so grateful for that! Needless to say , we had some crazy cranky kids around 6:00 pm on Saturday. Cranky!
Eater was nice yesterday. Everyone was pretty mellow and Rob managed to hang the hammocks on the patio. So the kids got a chance to enjoy them. It was nice to have a day that focused more on the spiritual part of Easter.
My favorite quote of the week was from Beth. She told me. "Mom, I'm still a kid inside this body of mine. I like to do kid things." Which made me happy.
This week's a bit crazy. Today is FHE, and is the easiest night of the week. Tomorrow, I've got Running club for the kids, parent teacher's conference for Jacob and a temple trip that are all scheduled for approximately the same time. Wednesday is Pack Meeting, which is stressful more for Rob, but still I have to get the whole family there, plus I have to pick up Beth from her field trip later than normal, which means picking up the boys from school. And then Thursday Beth has a band concert and the boys are headed to a father son camp out. I've been looking at this week for the last several wondering how we are going to survive it, but I think we'll manage.
Have a great week!
Monday, April 14, 2014
April, April, April!
This is a day late because I had one of those really tired days yesterday. I made it to church and a meeting, but sort of dragged the rest of the day. I never sleep very well close to a full moon. It makes me want tin vest in some blackout curtains, but then I know I wouldn't wake up well.
On the news front at home. Not much to report. It's spring and the yellow pollen has covered everything. The cars are tinged yellow, as are the roads. The bees are back, and seem to love hanging around our front door for some reason. The kids all make running dashes in and out of the house going as fast as they can.
Beth is gearing up for her spring concert this next week. She is loving the clarinet, but not her teacher as much. She's made a lot of progress, and I'm really proud of her. She's adjusted to the early mornings for the most part, and seems to be doing well at school. She got new electives this quarter and she's in a class where she's the only sixth grader. She's a bit nervous about it, but seems to be doing okay with it.
Caleb had a castle project that he had to do. He chose the Caldwell Castle and wrote a report on it. Then he built a model and took it to school. He did a great job, but I think he was relieved when everything was finished. He's also really enjoying the clarinet and plans on taking it again next year.
Jacob is his happy self. He will come to me and say that he is bored, but we are working on that. He loves video games, and any games and will spend hours playing. He played Infamous Second Son the past few weeks. (Rob was playing it too separately.) Jacob got ahead of Rob, and didn't have anyone to turn to to find out how to get through the tricky parts. He managed to beat the game and then started telling Rob how to beat things and he's really good at figuring out the puzzles. He's also has the patience to keep going and not throw the controller when he gets frustrated. He also beat Rob when they played chess this week. Rob said that he got trounced and Jacob was working two or three moves ahead of him. Jacob said, "Well Dad, I was looking at the whole board, you weren't."
It's been a great week, with fitting everything in that needed to get done. I'm so grateful for the Lord's hand in my life. I've felt it a lot more lately, and I can tell that the Lord has guided us so that we get the experiences we need as a family.
Have a great week!
On the news front at home. Not much to report. It's spring and the yellow pollen has covered everything. The cars are tinged yellow, as are the roads. The bees are back, and seem to love hanging around our front door for some reason. The kids all make running dashes in and out of the house going as fast as they can.
Beth is gearing up for her spring concert this next week. She is loving the clarinet, but not her teacher as much. She's made a lot of progress, and I'm really proud of her. She's adjusted to the early mornings for the most part, and seems to be doing well at school. She got new electives this quarter and she's in a class where she's the only sixth grader. She's a bit nervous about it, but seems to be doing okay with it.
Caleb had a castle project that he had to do. He chose the Caldwell Castle and wrote a report on it. Then he built a model and took it to school. He did a great job, but I think he was relieved when everything was finished. He's also really enjoying the clarinet and plans on taking it again next year.
Jacob is his happy self. He will come to me and say that he is bored, but we are working on that. He loves video games, and any games and will spend hours playing. He played Infamous Second Son the past few weeks. (Rob was playing it too separately.) Jacob got ahead of Rob, and didn't have anyone to turn to to find out how to get through the tricky parts. He managed to beat the game and then started telling Rob how to beat things and he's really good at figuring out the puzzles. He's also has the patience to keep going and not throw the controller when he gets frustrated. He also beat Rob when they played chess this week. Rob said that he got trounced and Jacob was working two or three moves ahead of him. Jacob said, "Well Dad, I was looking at the whole board, you weren't."
It's been a great week, with fitting everything in that needed to get done. I'm so grateful for the Lord's hand in my life. I've felt it a lot more lately, and I can tell that the Lord has guided us so that we get the experiences we need as a family.
Have a great week!
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Spring Break!
So, it's occurred tome that if I had a smart phone, I may actually be able to post pictures of the activities we did each week. But at the same time, I shake enough now that I don't know that any of them would actually ever be in focus. I'm glad that Rob's a photographer. It really takes the pressure off me.
On Monday, I took the kids ice skating. It was a lot of fund. They got going like old pros and had a blast the entire time that we there. It was so col in the rink and so warm outside. It was surreal. And we were all bundled up on the way to the rink and got a few strange looks--walking around with mittens and hats on in 70 degree weather.
On Tuesday, we went to Pullen Park, and got to hang out with our friends the Greenwoods. It was fun. Jacob got to practice his parkour. (He wants to take classes.) And Beth loved catching up with Brynn.
On Wednesday, we went to Bond Park, for a short time. The kids had fun, but the park was super crowded with really little kids. I think the park is more crowded because it was the first week all year that's been consistently warm and dry enough to spend some significant time outside.
On Thursday, we took it easy. (Thank Goodness!) And I was able to get some work done. The kids still had a good day. And Friday we went to Hickory for the weekend. The kids have had fun playing with their cousins, taking a quick dip in the lake and hanging out in (and fighting over) the hammock.
Spring break made me realize, I need to get a plan together to get things done over the summer. We will work it out though.
I've really enjoyed conference this weekend. I particularly liked the talk that Elder Oaks gave in the Priesthood session. Some of the talks made me worry for kids. The fact that it is not going to get easier and the chasm is getting wider. But my kids were born with strong personalities, and they have a strong sense of right and wrong. They are much better than I am at explaining our beliefs and standing up for themselves.
On Monday, I took the kids ice skating. It was a lot of fund. They got going like old pros and had a blast the entire time that we there. It was so col in the rink and so warm outside. It was surreal. And we were all bundled up on the way to the rink and got a few strange looks--walking around with mittens and hats on in 70 degree weather.
On Tuesday, we went to Pullen Park, and got to hang out with our friends the Greenwoods. It was fun. Jacob got to practice his parkour. (He wants to take classes.) And Beth loved catching up with Brynn.
On Wednesday, we went to Bond Park, for a short time. The kids had fun, but the park was super crowded with really little kids. I think the park is more crowded because it was the first week all year that's been consistently warm and dry enough to spend some significant time outside.
On Thursday, we took it easy. (Thank Goodness!) And I was able to get some work done. The kids still had a good day. And Friday we went to Hickory for the weekend. The kids have had fun playing with their cousins, taking a quick dip in the lake and hanging out in (and fighting over) the hammock.
Spring break made me realize, I need to get a plan together to get things done over the summer. We will work it out though.
I've really enjoyed conference this weekend. I particularly liked the talk that Elder Oaks gave in the Priesthood session. Some of the talks made me worry for kids. The fact that it is not going to get easier and the chasm is getting wider. But my kids were born with strong personalities, and they have a strong sense of right and wrong. They are much better than I am at explaining our beliefs and standing up for themselves.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Starting Spring Break
I missed posting last week. I had a long week and was tired and Rob was headed out of town for the week--camping. Anyway we all survived.
Kids update.
Last week Jacob got on a Journey kick. Journey is an artsy video game which is played online, and you help other people go through the game. Rob really likes. Jacob played it twice in hopes of becoming one of the guides so that he could help other people through. he watched videos to find the scripts and when that didn't work, he got Rob to advise him on where to go. Jacob always acts out the games that he is playing, and part of becoming a guide is that the robe color changes in the game. He started wearing a white t-shirt inside out to indicate that he had become a guide.
This week he has also decided that he wants to take parkour lessons. He has been climbing walls, jumping, and pouncing everywhere and watching YouTube for hints and tips and tricks. Hopefully he'll come out of this experience without anything broken.
Caleb has been doing really well lately. he really stepped up while Rob was gone and kept a level head. He is my most reluctant one to get up on school mornings, and he was up and dressed in time to drive Beth every morning. He also went to bed a lot easier. I know Caleb is just looking forward to good weather so he can run around outside and ride his bike. Today he insisted on playing the Clarinet for our home teacher for several songs. He's really improved over the year.
Beth is finishing up her third quarter of middle school. She is growing up so fast. I'm really proud of her, because she didn't initially want to go to the Women's broadcast, and i showed her the ad. Then she decided to go. She felt the spirit there so strongly that she thanked me afterward for taking her. it meant a lot to me. I know that Beth is really trying hard to do the right thing and to reach out to others.
Like I said we survived the week of Rob being gone. I missed having him home, but the kids did really well. They missed him too. rob came home tired, and decidedly not interested in going outside, which isn't like him.
Have a great week!
Kids update.
Last week Jacob got on a Journey kick. Journey is an artsy video game which is played online, and you help other people go through the game. Rob really likes. Jacob played it twice in hopes of becoming one of the guides so that he could help other people through. he watched videos to find the scripts and when that didn't work, he got Rob to advise him on where to go. Jacob always acts out the games that he is playing, and part of becoming a guide is that the robe color changes in the game. He started wearing a white t-shirt inside out to indicate that he had become a guide.
This week he has also decided that he wants to take parkour lessons. He has been climbing walls, jumping, and pouncing everywhere and watching YouTube for hints and tips and tricks. Hopefully he'll come out of this experience without anything broken.
Caleb has been doing really well lately. he really stepped up while Rob was gone and kept a level head. He is my most reluctant one to get up on school mornings, and he was up and dressed in time to drive Beth every morning. He also went to bed a lot easier. I know Caleb is just looking forward to good weather so he can run around outside and ride his bike. Today he insisted on playing the Clarinet for our home teacher for several songs. He's really improved over the year.
Beth is finishing up her third quarter of middle school. She is growing up so fast. I'm really proud of her, because she didn't initially want to go to the Women's broadcast, and i showed her the ad. Then she decided to go. She felt the spirit there so strongly that she thanked me afterward for taking her. it meant a lot to me. I know that Beth is really trying hard to do the right thing and to reach out to others.
Like I said we survived the week of Rob being gone. I missed having him home, but the kids did really well. They missed him too. rob came home tired, and decidedly not interested in going outside, which isn't like him.
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 16, 2014
I grow old... I grow old... I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled.
So that is the line that has been floating around in my head all week. Not that I'm really old. But birthdays have a way of making you step back and take stock of your life. It's funny how a poem that you read and studied and picked apart years ago will pop up at the strangest times. Words really have power. Since the poem was in my head, I looked it up online and read it again. And with the weight of my oh so many years behind me, compared to my college freshman and sophomore years when I really studied the poem, I've found a much deeper meaning in the poem than I did in the past. It still speaks to me, and I love the imagery Eliot evokes throughout the poem. Images still pop out at me years after I read it. If you have never read the poem, it's worth it.
This week the kids adjusted surprisingly well to the time change. They are growing up so much and getting more and more independent. Beth is waking herself up for school each day, and it's so much nicer in the morning now. Jacob loves getting up early in the morning and having a bit of time to chill out watching television before he goes to school. I think he looks forward to the quiet. He is usually the most agreeable about going to bed when I ask him to.
Not much happened this week. Rob and I were fighting colds most of the week, and Rob missed two days of work. I love having him home with me, even if it is a bit harder to be motivated when he is home, especially when he isn't working too.
We had stake conference this weekend, and ward conference next week. We have a new stake president, and I love hearing the new perspective and messages. Not that they've really changed--more that they are coming from different experiences and with a different way of sharing. It was also regional conference, so we had a broadcast from Salt Lake, and the talk that really stood out to me was self discipline. So many great quotes, and principles in that talk. I wish I could get a copy of it written down.
Anyway that was our week. Hope you have a great one!
So that is the line that has been floating around in my head all week. Not that I'm really old. But birthdays have a way of making you step back and take stock of your life. It's funny how a poem that you read and studied and picked apart years ago will pop up at the strangest times. Words really have power. Since the poem was in my head, I looked it up online and read it again. And with the weight of my oh so many years behind me, compared to my college freshman and sophomore years when I really studied the poem, I've found a much deeper meaning in the poem than I did in the past. It still speaks to me, and I love the imagery Eliot evokes throughout the poem. Images still pop out at me years after I read it. If you have never read the poem, it's worth it.
This week the kids adjusted surprisingly well to the time change. They are growing up so much and getting more and more independent. Beth is waking herself up for school each day, and it's so much nicer in the morning now. Jacob loves getting up early in the morning and having a bit of time to chill out watching television before he goes to school. I think he looks forward to the quiet. He is usually the most agreeable about going to bed when I ask him to.
Not much happened this week. Rob and I were fighting colds most of the week, and Rob missed two days of work. I love having him home with me, even if it is a bit harder to be motivated when he is home, especially when he isn't working too.
We had stake conference this weekend, and ward conference next week. We have a new stake president, and I love hearing the new perspective and messages. Not that they've really changed--more that they are coming from different experiences and with a different way of sharing. It was also regional conference, so we had a broadcast from Salt Lake, and the talk that really stood out to me was self discipline. So many great quotes, and principles in that talk. I wish I could get a copy of it written down.
Anyway that was our week. Hope you have a great one!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
No More Winter! Where the Heck Is Spring?
We missed another day of school to an ice storm. It didn't do much here, but I think they made the right call with no school on Tuesday. The kids are loving it, but I don't know how they'll feel when they are going to school in the middle of June, which is the solution to save Spring Break.
It's March, it's time for warm weather, flowers to grow and spring time. It's time to start wearing shorts, and to enjoy days of seventy degree weather that are absolutely perfect. It is time to embrace happiness and sunshine and even rainbows. Spring, it's time to bring it!
Rob went with the kids to visit his parents over the weekend. I got a house of quiet to myself. Every now and then I need that. The quiet, but also the not being responsible for everything else. I enjoy not cooking and not cleaning and not bathing the kids sometimes. I love my kids. They are great kids so kind and sweet and overall good natured.
I needed to brace myself for the week that Rob is going to be gone and I'll be flying solo. I'm not that great at that. I know I'll be a little crazy by end of the week when he comes back. I don't think I could handle it if he had to travel for work all of the time. Rob is going to be working on getting his Woodbadge, which is the equivalent of Eagle for scout leaders. It means he'll be gone camping for a week, and I'll basically be a single parent for that time.
This week I turn 36. Uggh! When did I get old, not that I'm really all that old. It's more like I look at my life and where I am, and where I thought I'd be at this age and I sigh. Still so much I want to accomplish and do. But then I look at what I have accomplished, and it does help to balance things out a bit.
We sang "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go Dear Lord" in sacrament meeting today, and it always makes me think. I love this song and I have since I first heard it. It's funny how different lines jump out at me at different times in my life. Today the thoughts were focused on the fact that I can serve Him from where I am. I don't have to be responded to a huge call from a mountaintop or on a mission (like that's going to happen right now) or with a huge calling. It doesn't have to be in a visible way, but I can still serve Him and be His mouthpiece, and His hands and His heart for someone else out there. I can still be the person that He wants me to be.
Continuing on a spiritual note, I just taught a lesson about Grace, and it is such an interesting topic that I really hadn't spent a lot of time focusing on before. I've seen the Lord's hand in my life again and again, and today was the first time that I connected it with Grace. It is through His grace that we are helped and strengthened.
As a parent I've realized just how unique every child is. Truly unique. It's a wonderful thing to see how their personalities and strengths and weaknesses are different. Each of my children have their own set of challenges and their own set of awesomeness. I'm sure you feel the same way about your kids.
Have a great week!
It's March, it's time for warm weather, flowers to grow and spring time. It's time to start wearing shorts, and to enjoy days of seventy degree weather that are absolutely perfect. It is time to embrace happiness and sunshine and even rainbows. Spring, it's time to bring it!
Rob went with the kids to visit his parents over the weekend. I got a house of quiet to myself. Every now and then I need that. The quiet, but also the not being responsible for everything else. I enjoy not cooking and not cleaning and not bathing the kids sometimes. I love my kids. They are great kids so kind and sweet and overall good natured.
I needed to brace myself for the week that Rob is going to be gone and I'll be flying solo. I'm not that great at that. I know I'll be a little crazy by end of the week when he comes back. I don't think I could handle it if he had to travel for work all of the time. Rob is going to be working on getting his Woodbadge, which is the equivalent of Eagle for scout leaders. It means he'll be gone camping for a week, and I'll basically be a single parent for that time.
This week I turn 36. Uggh! When did I get old, not that I'm really all that old. It's more like I look at my life and where I am, and where I thought I'd be at this age and I sigh. Still so much I want to accomplish and do. But then I look at what I have accomplished, and it does help to balance things out a bit.
We sang "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go Dear Lord" in sacrament meeting today, and it always makes me think. I love this song and I have since I first heard it. It's funny how different lines jump out at me at different times in my life. Today the thoughts were focused on the fact that I can serve Him from where I am. I don't have to be responded to a huge call from a mountaintop or on a mission (like that's going to happen right now) or with a huge calling. It doesn't have to be in a visible way, but I can still serve Him and be His mouthpiece, and His hands and His heart for someone else out there. I can still be the person that He wants me to be.
Continuing on a spiritual note, I just taught a lesson about Grace, and it is such an interesting topic that I really hadn't spent a lot of time focusing on before. I've seen the Lord's hand in my life again and again, and today was the first time that I connected it with Grace. It is through His grace that we are helped and strengthened.
As a parent I've realized just how unique every child is. Truly unique. It's a wonderful thing to see how their personalities and strengths and weaknesses are different. Each of my children have their own set of challenges and their own set of awesomeness. I'm sure you feel the same way about your kids.
Have a great week!
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Wondering Where the Week Went
It seems like time is just slipping by super fast. This week was pretty busy, because it was Blue and Gold Banquet, which is a big deal for the Cub Scouts. Rob's committee chairman and somehow we ended up doing virtually everything for the meeting. We set up the church, tables and everything else. By the time it was over, we were all exhausted and cranky.
Jacob has been giving social studies projects this year. Something that has started with Common Core. Basically he has to make a poster, write a report and give an oral presentation every quarter. It needs to be all his own work, and you can imagine what that means they are getting from first graders. His next one is due tomorrow, and I sort of forgot about it. The others we finished earlier. he was quite upset that we wen't done, and so we sat down and did the poster. Then he worried and worried about the written report until it was done. It is really refreshing to have someone that willingly does his homework AND Wants to do a good job AND who doesn't wait until 9:30 the night before to start. I'm hoping this happy trend will follow him throughout out his school years. We were already fighting the other two with homework by this point.
Study hall is working overall most days. Wednesdays are rough with activities, but it's doing fairly well overall. I highly recommend it. Now the next goal is to get really consistent with family prayer. We are a family of non morning people so that option is out. We're getting there.
Beth has her first trip to the mall without parents. She seemed to have a great time, and I really didn't worry. But ob worried a lot. He thinks it is too dangerous. But she was safe the whole time.
Caleb is doing well too. Right now he is playing Minecraft as happy as he ever is. he loves video games.
Have a great week!
Jacob has been giving social studies projects this year. Something that has started with Common Core. Basically he has to make a poster, write a report and give an oral presentation every quarter. It needs to be all his own work, and you can imagine what that means they are getting from first graders. His next one is due tomorrow, and I sort of forgot about it. The others we finished earlier. he was quite upset that we wen't done, and so we sat down and did the poster. Then he worried and worried about the written report until it was done. It is really refreshing to have someone that willingly does his homework AND Wants to do a good job AND who doesn't wait until 9:30 the night before to start. I'm hoping this happy trend will follow him throughout out his school years. We were already fighting the other two with homework by this point.
Study hall is working overall most days. Wednesdays are rough with activities, but it's doing fairly well overall. I highly recommend it. Now the next goal is to get really consistent with family prayer. We are a family of non morning people so that option is out. We're getting there.
Beth has her first trip to the mall without parents. She seemed to have a great time, and I really didn't worry. But ob worried a lot. He thinks it is too dangerous. But she was safe the whole time.
Caleb is doing well too. Right now he is playing Minecraft as happy as he ever is. he loves video games.
Have a great week!