11.21.15 Favorite Read Aloud Books

These are my two favorite read aloud books. Recently republished for general sale found on Amazon. We have completely worn out the original books. The missing and torn pages interupted favorite stories, and I was really sad that my younger set of chidlren would miss out on the good memories my older 6 have from time in these books.

This first book is a compilation of classic, aesop and beloved childhood tales. No Disney version here! From the Three Bears to the Velveteen Rabbit, to my personal favorite the little red hen this is a great book. The pictures are warm and charming, there are a lot of words to each story and they are not too simple. The stories aren't overwhelmingly long and the kids love them!

I love this Little Red Hen because her chicks help her with each stage. It is so cute. I have never seen this spin on any other version of this tale but it makes so much sense!!

A not classic story that has cute illustrations is the Birthday Cake Mix-Up. Love it. My older kids request stories they want me to read aloud to the youngers and they too crowd around remembering the warm story lines. Reading aloud is one of two really good parenting things I do with my kids. The rest are debateable and probably up for repentance review, but reading aloud, holding them close has made me relish motherhood.

The second book happened at my house in a lovely yard sale collection of books. I have read through this book hundreds of times with my insistent Livy who wants to hear all 30 nursery rhymes that I deem appropriate. I don't like the two cats from Kilkeny, or I do not like thee Dr. Fell... some are just not instructive. But this picture of Peter Piper and the rhyme is her favorite.

I often fall in the Elsie Marley line with all the children stewing about waiting for the feast!!!

Stories are great and priceless and so important to slow down, sit down, share some lap space and love those kiddos in my life. So we wore out copies number one and other versions with the same content and we are one to new versions. Life is good.

11.20.15 High Heels

My kind sister shared these fabulous shoes with my family. I'm not sure how she could let them go as she also has a precocious two year old daughter but nonetheless my girls have loved clopping around in them. I gave up heels about 5 years ago.

It is a good thing to be little and to grow. Today I am thankful for the little people who continue to bless my home. Who keep me slower and more careful with how much I load on our family. I am thankful for their continual desire to snuggle and be held. I am grateful that they demand we read books and sing songs. I am thankful for their cute smiles and observations on life. And I am thankful that they have each other to share their toddler-hood with. They dream, play, tussle, and explore together. And they are far better at racing each other driving the tonka trucks than I could be at this stage in life.
Best to you today.

11.19.15 Drone

This last weekend our local drugstore had a family fun night. Usually we shy away from these kinds of outings,  as large crowds of people with hands-on activities are just too overwhelming for me at this time. However there was a need for some helpers so I volunteered my super-duper daughters to be there. We cautiously entered the doors only to have one of our best family outings in quite a while.

The entire high school gym was filled with toys to try out. Kids could play and test out toys for the entire two hours. The little girls were enchanted with a hot dog stand and tent, and large stuffed animals. The girls helped with the photo booth and made craft projects. The boys got to practice flying drones, helicopters, and racing remote control cars and trucks knocking down cardboard block obstacles. It was super fun. The ceilings are high the halls are long and no one minded the crashes. This was an experience I always say no to. My parental admonitions in the car were "Be careful, I don't want to buy broken toys, be reasonable with what you do!!"

 The event turned out to be low key. Parents played guitar hero, visited and waited on the comfy bleachers.  The area was large enough, it was not crowded. We had a truly enjoyable time. (I did not do guitar hero but Addie did.)

One of the challenges was to fly a drone into a basket. These are tricky items much more maneuverable than they appear. So this was no small feat. Of course my very determined son decided he could accomplish that task, and did, and was the only one to do so. This resulted in his winning a drone!

Now our house is not as easy to fly about as the high school gym but it has merited many moments of enjoyment from the whole crew. Harold is so pleased, he didn't even shy away from these pictures.
This is one way we enjoy our safe haven at home. We play. I'm working on balancing the work and the necessity with the rest and recreation. I'm mostly working on my panicked attitude that we can't get everything done.

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't you're right!!!" This is my new motto. I am trying to think I can more often and not flattening my own tires with my negative assurance I can't. And with all learning it will take a while. Best to you today. 

11.18.17 A Mother's Job

One of the perks of being a Stay at Home Mom is the time to study and ponder. This can sometimes drive me about crazy with distraction however, I love to learn! I love to compare and compile thoughts from those wiser and more verbose than I. I love to know what is going on and to hopefully understand why. I don't dissemenate many of my thoughts here or to my children as they are often too jumbled clearly express. Yet, in the wake of all the terror in Paris and the continual threat of more upheaval coming I have been worrying and led to some thoughts that are bringing me peace.
I somehow stumbled upon this article Gratitude as a Saving Principle

One of the advantages of having lived a long time is that you can often remember when you had it worse. I am grateful to have lived long enough to have known some of the blessings of adversity. My memory goes back to the Great Depression, when we had certain values burned into our souls. One of these values was gratitude for what we had because we had so little. We had to learn provident living in order to survive. Rather than create in us a spirit of envy or anger for what we did not have, it developed in many a spirit of gratitude for the meager, simple things with which we were blessed, like hot homemade bread and oatmeal cereal and many other things.

As another example, I remember my beloved grandmother, Mary Caroline Roper Finlinson, making homemade soap on the farm. Her recipe for homemade soap included rendered animal fat and wood ashes. The soap had a very pungent aroma and was almost as hard as a brick. There was no money to buy soft, sweet-smelling soap. On the farm there were many dusty, sweat-laden clothes to be washed and many bodies that desperately needed a Saturday night bath. If you had to bathe with that homemade soap, you could become wonderfully clean, but you smelled worse after bathing than before. Since I use soap more now than I did as a child, I have developed a daily appreciation for mild, sweet-scented soap.

One of the evils of our time is taking for granted so many of the things we enjoy. This was spoken of by the Lord: “For what doth it profit a man if a gift is bestowed upon him, and he receive not the gift?” (D&C 88:33). The Apostle Paul described our day to Timothy when he wrote that in the last days “men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” (2 Tim. 3:2). These sins are fellow travelers, and ingratitude makes one susceptible to all of them.

I love that we have prophets to guide us and quiet our souls. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I love teachimg my children, as it is in those moments that the gospel becomes crystal clear to me. I love that we have been warned and prepared for such a day as this. While I am worried and I too wonder if I am ready enough I know that we will be blessed if we keep the commandments and fear not. 

I acknowledge with great gratitude the peace and contentment we can find for ourselves in the spiritual cocoons of our homes, our sacrament meetings, and our holy temples. In these peaceful environments, our souls are rested. We have the feeling of having come home. 

As a mom it is a challenge to make our homes a peaceful environment where we can be cocooned from the cares of the day. However as I pick up yet another dirty sock stuffed partly in the couch, and wash the dishes for the billionth time and try to be an interesting and tasty cook... I realize that is my privledge to be that mother warrior protecting, providing, and preaching to my family. I am thankful for the blessing of enough. For this time of goodness in my life. I love this time in our family! It is so enjoyable when we are all together. The hands multiply from just my two to those of my older kids who are diverse, entertaining, creative, kind, boistrous, and good. 

President J. Reuben Clark, formerly a First Counselor in the First Presidency, said: “Hold fast to the blessings which God has provided for you. Yours is not the task to gain them, they are here; yours is the part of cherishing them"   

So as the holidays begin and with the worries of the world casting fear and doubt I am choosing to hold onto the blessings I have. With just what I already have I am blessed. 

Another great article and a good one for an FHE is Run and BE Not Weary 

with this audio retelling by Creed Haymond in his own words audio

11.18.15 Anna

This weekend we attended the annual Super Saturday. This is a Relief Society meeting where women can make crafty type items to decorate homes and or Christmas trees. Over the years I have made many different items for my  home, things I would never buy but have really enjoyed making. As the years have passed the girls have joined me in creating something pretty, instructional, or spiritual for our home. This year being the Relief Society president I knew I wouldn't have much time for crafting.

Aliza got put with the small children to keep them entertained.  Anna got to create this.

This is a small bead temple replica of the Salt Lake temple. It is not as easy as it looks. I'm glad she ended up being the creator because she is much more patient and 3-D minded. I told her I was sure glad I was working on the lunch because I think I would have thrown in the towel. She however worked and visited (the other great part of the day is getting to just chat with ladies while you create. It's a very joyful experience to share frustration of learning and the success of getting the project done!)

And the other hobby she is pursuing right now basketball. She is just getting done tipping off here. It's hard to be on the sideline wanting movements to be more precise and action to be faster or slower... it's so easy to know what to do on the sideline. But she is having a good time, she plays with a lot of heart. She is having to learn about the importance of training and how much work she is going to put into this endeavor.

That was the application of the temple challenge. She started with loose beads about 5 yards of fishing line and intricate instructions. Between older co-commiserating ladies also figuring it out, the instructions, a teacher and some trial and error she eventually worked through the learning stage and figured out the design. In life it is one bead or practice, or instruction at a time, with lots of frustration, support, encouragement, coaching etc that gets us to our end result. Those are the things we are working on at so many levels at our house right now. One bead at a time. However she is crafting a second temple now and it is sure going fast. It's easy now because she knows the process. Likewise with her school experience she knows what and how to do school this year and it's much easier. This teen experience with her is pretty exciting to watch and walk with her. I love how capable and insightful she is. I love her calm and her quite assurance. And I just keep hoping we are doing the right things at the right time with her- and all the others, I know we don't always hit the benchmark but we keep re-trying. Best to you today.

11.11.15 Thankful Birds

We revived our tradition of making thankful turkeys. We've only done this two times before but the kids assured me it was a tradition! It's funny to me how much they value and insist on traditions...we have many though and it's kind of nice to be on auto pilot.

Afton photo bombed several pictures. She has adjusted to being right in the mix of all the action.

The final products flying turkeys also marauding as Mohawks.
We are thankful for
1. Family- mom. Dad. Brothers. Sisters. Grandparents
2. Books and authors
3. Technology
4. Good
5. Atvs. Cars
6. Guns
7. God. Jesus Christ
8. Scriptures
9. Feet
10 fun projects with paper and glue

11.11.15 Looking Up

Anna is playing basketball again this year. She really enjoys the exercise, learning to move and control her powerful body in new ways, and the association with friends. She has not been playing since she was little, she does not have injured knees, ankles, back or the like, and she is not the best. She does however sincerely enjoy being on the team and all that includes. From running lines, to practicing plays, to the game bump she is a happy girl right now.
Last week was her first game. All the kiddos were excited to go. We of course were a few minutes late, with trying to get the littles shod, and the school kids corralled from the bus it just takes a little longer than I ever want to admit. We did make it before the 1st quarter was finished. We stood on the sideline visiting with a family friend for the first half - which turned out to be a really good spot, as I could watch some playing under the bleachers, some going in and out the door, and the action on the court.
However I tried to be like all the other parents and sit in the stands for the second half. Anna did not play any of the first half although she rallied the team to jump off the bench on time outs to give the playing girls a breather. I notice this leader daughter of mine. She's an inspiration to me. Her good attitude and willingness to accept life as it is and make it beautiful is a strong example of Christlike leadership!
By the second quarter baby was hungry, kids were restless and disappearing fast. I settled in to nurse the baby let the big kids go and wrestle the toddlers. Not my best parenting moment. But it was capped off by the bored 2 year old wandering onto the court while the game was being played. I was helpless to get her as I was half dressed with an almost asleep baby finishing her nursing session on the almost top row of the bleachers. Parents start looking for me, the game stopped for a second and a kind teacher lady picked up my child and brought her to me. UGH!!!
At this point I was fuming. My daughter was not playing, the game did not warrant keeping the starters in the entire time and I was a spectacle. But it ended ok. I did not chew out the coach or send an angry email to anyone or even say much to other parents when done except hi and thank you. Found all the kids and came home.

Anna later divulged her disappointment and the bad day she had had with a fellow player. How she had been put down and called out by some teammates all day and how mad she was about the whole experience.
In our town sports are pretty big. The kids do well and parents invest a lot of time into the training and playing of their children. There are also some parents who really teach their children the power of prayer and how to be an influence for good. I know two of these families. They have individually shared their stories of great concern when faced with vulgar, mean, difficult peers, teammates and coaches.
I personally would walk away with my head high and not mess with such a challenge. However these mom's taught me that they were instructing their daughters how to handle the world we live in. They taught their daughters to pray for their team mates, to speak up about the disturbing practices, and to be an inspiration by being better people.  The result? Good kids raising the level of the entire team. Miraculous softening of hearts and words, and their participation on great teams!
After scripture study about the Gadianton robbers calling out the Nephites even challenging them to battle and the mighty faithful Lachoneous being amazed at their audacity and redoubling his pleas for faith and petitions to God. I likewise encouraged Anna to pray to Heavenly Father, sharing that He is the only person who can change people.  Before school Monday she prayed for this girl again by name asking Heavenly Father to help her.  The day went a lot better. They spoke as friends. The girl had gotten hurt and will be on the sideline for a few weeks. But Anna is not happy about the injury rather happy that her prayer was answered.

It is such a great experience to see my children's faith grow and be strengthened. The most important thing is not the sport, the grade, or the money it is the faith, it is the knowledge of God and the strength and love of the family. We are working to be an eternal family here on earth. We are working on being better parts of our community. Being part of the solutions not the problems. God is good and it is good to look up to Him. I loved that line from Elder Hales General conference Oct 2015-
     "If you want more than you now have, reach up, not across!¹⁶ Remember, no one can reach upward on   your behalf. Only your faith and prayers will cause you to lift yourself and have the mighty change of heart."