First lost tooth

#1 was eating an apple in the car on our way to Idaho last night. Suddenly...."MOM!!!!! My tooth is gone! It's gone! Where is it?! Where is it!?!?"

We think she might have swallowed it. :)

My baby lost her first tooth. When did I get so old?

Our neighbor is gone...

(I wrote this yesterday, but for some reason, it couldn't publish. So here it is. Just pretend it's Tuesday....)

This morning on his way to work, DH called and said to come outside.

I took the phone with me and went outside to see an ambulence and some police cars at our neighbors house down the street. DH drove by slowly and told me what he saw and then he left for work. I went back in the house, sad that my friend might be going to the hospital and got ready for preschool.

Just after one of the first moms arrived, the Bishop's wife called me. Our neighbor had died in his sleep last night. He wasn't at the hospital. He died.

He was old --and had been sick over the last few years. But he walked the street EVERYDAY, and years ago, he would run it. In fact, years and years and years ago --he ran it all the way to the Olympics. Ran it all the way as the BYU head track coach. Of course, he hasn't been able to run for a while, but for the last 5 years that I have known him, I've seen him walk our street so many times. He was walking it last week. That's what is so strange and so sad that he is now gone.

He leaves behind 9 children and tons of grandkids. His wife, twice his missionary companion, is one of my heroes. I love her so much and I mourn for her now.

The best part of all this is that I know where he is. I know that he is safe and has peace. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him, but he will be seen again. Having that comfort makes all things bearable. Bittersweet, I tell ya'. Bittersweet...

Does she have an imagination?

I think I have failed.

#1 was asked to some assignments on imagination. Simple, concise thoughts --nothing major. The question was: "Pretend your pencil box is magical. What kind of magic does it have? Where did it get its' magic? What happens when you open the box?"

My head was reeling with answers, which, of course, I did not give. So I waited slowly for her answers.

After 5 minutes, I helped with some other questions.

Finally after 8 minutes or so, we had some answers written down. Not bad --"fairies made it magic and there were pencils in it"....(prod, prod, prod)..."the pencils help flowers to grow fast."

Really not a bad answer, but it left me wondering: AHHHHH!!! Does she have an active imagination like I hope? Does she watch too much TV? Was she just under pressure? Have I failed to read to her enough? Is it this stupid fast-paced world we live in that doesn't leave room for imagination because everything is right there at our fingertips??!!?

Please tell me she's okay and that her imagination is fine...and why I'm even worrying about this?

RS General Broadcast Last Night....

I always love going to the RS General Broadcast.

Reasons:

• I get some time away from the kids
• DH gets to be alone with the kids
• I always feel the Spirit so strongly
• I feel empowered to be sitting among so many women
• I love the music (especially last night's! That soloist gave me a glimpse of heaven...anyone know her name?)
• I am given the strength, the advice, the courage, and the tools to go back home and keep on trying my best.
• I never regret going.
• It gets me excited for General Conference

I just loved last night. It was fabulous! President Hinckley stated (more or less) that women are NOT second class citizens. That we are 50% of the Church membership and mothers to the other 50%. (good laugh at that one). I appreciate our Prophet. He's a wonderful man and is so close to God. He knows just what to say--and all without ceremony. I could go on and on --ooh! about the RS Gen. Presidency, too --but I've got to get the little ones ready for Church. I'll just say that I'm grateful to be part of such an amazing organization. And to know that I can feel the Lord's love for me in so many ways. I honestly do not know what I would do without my Faith...

One day in my life.

• 5:42AM --#3 wakes up crying. Has 102 temp. Give him medicine. Goes to sleep
• 6:48AM --#3 wakes up again. Done for the night, so he and I go sit on the couch together.
• 7:10AM --#1 and #2 are awake and slowly start getting ready for the day.
• 8:19AM --Mom of one of my preschooler calls and we decide together to cancel that day's field trip. POURING outside. Buckets, people, buckets.
• 8:23AM --DH stays with the younger two kids while I drive #1 to Kindergarten.
• 8:47AM --Called all preschool moms about cancelled FT.
• 9:03AM --#2 and #3 settled and watching TV. I settle down to finish Book Club Novel. Book club is tomorrow night.
• 9:50AM -- Phone call from DH to finalize flight plans to FL via NYC in Nov. before our cruise.
• 10:02AM -- Phone call from DH to suggest we get on those passports (I won't mention here that I've been at him for 8 or 9 months to get new passports...)
• 10:49AM --Finally finish filling out Passport forms and finding out about fees, ID required, etc.
• 11:00AM --Feed #2 and #3 lunch
• 11:10AM --Ask #2 to PLEASE finish eating
• 11:17AM --Start threatening #2 for not eating
• 11:23AM --Panic because #2 won't hurry!!
• 11:30AM --Finally get fed and cleaned up #2 into her dance clothes
• 11:38AM --Put #2 and #3 into the car; still raining.
• 11:40AM --Pick up #1 from Kindergarten (hey, the school's down the street, doesn't take long)
• 11:48AM --Run into Macy's to pay my grandmother's bill
• 11:59AM --Drop #2 off at dance class
• 12:07PM --Feed #1 lunch
• 12:09PM --Wash my face and apply great make-up for Passport photos
• 12:28PM --Check #3 for more fever; give Tylenol; change diaper
• 12:38PM --Put #1 and #3 in the car (all bundled up) with stacked diaper bag and passport info.
• 12:45PM --Pick up #2 at dance class
• 12:57PM --Get kids out of the car at Utah County Building
• 1:05PM --Told I'm in the wrong building
• 1:07PM --Feel guilty for bringing #3 out in the rain when he's not feeling well...
• 1:12PM --Arrive at correct building (next door to previous building) and Passport office
• 1:18PM --Told the form I filled out was expired.
• 1:24PM --Finish new form
• 1:38PM --Leave passport office happy and with happy kids (hooray for the helpful lady, string cheese and magnadoodles!)
• 1:49PM --Arrive home
• 1:49 1/2PM --Put #3 down for a nap (fever finally gone, poor guy)
• 1:55PM --Work on computer for 10 year class reunion, and Primary Sacrament Meeting Presentation while #1 and #2 watch some TV.
• 2:45PM --Make #1 and #2 turn off TV and draw/color.
• 2:48PM --Realize #3 is not going to wake up soon and VT appointment is at 3.
• 2:49-3:01PM --Frantically calling 5-7 High School students in ward. Find one. Beg for service. She rushes over.
• 3:08PM --Go to Visiting Teaching appointment. Good visit. Good lesson.
• 3:34PM --Come home and thank high schooler over and over and over.
• 3:38PM --#3 wakes up
• 3:43PM --First piano student comes early
• 3:50PM --Do first piano lesson anyway
• 4:23PM --First piano student leaves
• 4:24PM --Try to read some more of Book Club Book
• 4:31PM --Second piano student comes
• 4:53PM --Lesson ends early because student didn't practice very much
• 5:00PM --Let kids watch another show while I read for 20 mintues of Book Club Book (which, by the way is super fun and light and wonderful --Fannie Flagg's "Standing in the Rainbow")
• 5:23PM --Start making dinner
• 5:48PM --Read some more
• 5:58PM --Have kids set table
• 6:04PM --Sit down to eat
• 6:16PM --DH comes home
• 6:25PM --#1 reads her school assignment to DH; I read
• 6:55PM --DH leaves for YM's
• 7:05PM --Yes, kids get ONE more show
• 7:06PM --I read!!
• 7:27PM --Kids get in pajamas, we read books and scriptures and say prayers.
• 7:38PM --Kids in bed
• 7:50PM --I get ready for preschool for tomorrow morning
• 8:14PM --Check and answer emails, comment on blogs, start to write this blog
• 8:38PM --Phone call about Primary....
• 8:45PM --Finish this post
• 8:47PM --Re-read post and realize that today was a bad day to pick. My kids really don't watch that much TV in one day. They don't! Just today. Okay, and maybe every four or five days. But not everyday!
• 8:48PM --Decide I'm really tired. But I gotta finish that book...
• 8:48 1/2PM --Publish post... :)
• 8:53PM --Finish Editing post to add bullets...

Wonderful Childhood

Our backyard is not very fancy, but the kids sure love it.

I do love the fact that there is only one very tall gate. And it's easily shut by adults, but very hard to open by children. I also love our brick wall that surround 2 sides and the quaint red fence that borders the other side. This allows the children to play semi-supervised --I can be in the kitchen/living room doing other things, and still hear them, but I don't have to watch them every second.

The kids love to be out there everyday. We have a lot of grass, a waterfall feature that goes into a small fish pond (with two long-living goldfish, some lily pads and a great water-plant), and one tree. There are several weeds along the walls --and tons of ivy. There's a rose bush, and some strange tree-thing that grows very quickly. Our covered porch is nice for winter and summer --especially when they want to ride the trikes and scooters around.

Today I saw the four of them (there was a friend over) making mud pies in the dirt near the tree. I was so close to calling out to have them stop --ahh! Their clothes! And then something stopped me. I don't know if it was nostalgia or perhaps even the Spirit --but I realized that I just need to let my kids be kids. They need to be children while they have the chance.

How many times have I stopped them from enjoying their youth because I was afraid that I would have to clean them up? Or that I would have to play with them? Or that I would have to be inconvenienced? And how many times, as a child, was I allowed to just play? I had a marvelous childhood--full of adventure and fun. I remember the chores and the tough times, too, but somehow, those good memories seem more prominent than the bad ones. So it would seem that my childhood was full of innocence and "childhood". That's a good thing. Why should I deny that for my kids?

So, I let them make their mud pies and I let them have fun. Later on when they came inside, they really weren't that dirty. And they were smiling. ~sigh~ Oh, to be a child again... :)

My Sweetest Friend

I had a great conversation tonight with my sweetest friend. When we got off the phone, I couldn't believe that it had been 78 minutes since she had called. What's funny is we had plenty more to talk about and probably could have gone for hours, but DH came home, and I figured my friend should go to bed. I love this friend. I will tell you why:

She loves me for who I am. Mistakes, problems, tantrums and all.

She loves my children almost as much as I do.

She's very talented --organized almost to a fault, but I wish I could be like her.

She's beautiful. Jealously beautiful, but I don't hate her for it.

We can fight, but then resolve it and forgive each other within seconds. And sometimes we argue a lot, especially if we are in close proximity for a long stretch of time. :)

I love her son almost as much as my own, although I don't get a chance to show it much.

She is soft-spoken, but fiery when angry.

She is comfortable to be with --like hot tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on a cold, rainy day. Or a nice fleece blanket during the first snow-fall.

She builds me up whenever I most need it --And tears me down when I need it even more.

She's probably my closest friend. In fact, when I think about it, she's been my friend for 23 years.

She's my sister --"M"-- and I will love her forever.

Thanks, sis, for talking to me tonight. Everything looks better now --and life is so much sweeter. You are the greatest!

My pregnant friend is REALLY sick...

I am a lucky woman.

During pregnancy #1 I felt better, looked better, and acted better than I ever had in my life.

Pregnancy #2 was full of nausea and fatigue, but I still felt pretty great.

Pregnancy #3 was just like pregnancy #1. Awesome.

Pregnancy #4 was like #2, except the nausea went away around week 14. So far, it's better than #2.

I am really blessed, I feel, because I get pregnant fairly easily, I have wonderful pregnancies, and then I have fabulous labor and deliveries. I guess I got good hips.

But I have a friend, also on her 4th pregnancy, but she is in the hospital. Again.

My friend has 3 kids --all 16 months apart. Out of those 27 months that she was pregnant, she was sick for about 21 of them. Mostly in and out of hosptials and hooked up to IV's at home. She and her husband waited some time before #4 and of course, with good reason. Her #1 started kindergarten like my #1 this year, her #2 is in preschool, and #3 is almost 3 years old. So she has a pretty nice gap and personally I think it's easier for her to know that her children are older. They are more easily taken care of than small babies/toddlers.

My question is this: what can I do for her? She already has sisters, her mom, her in-laws, etc. living at the house helping out. What more could I do? She's a good friend and a wonderful person. She's actually MY visiting teacher (one of the best I've ever had) and her husband is the counselor in the Bishopric that I report to. I feel at a loss to know what to do.

Any ideas?

Autumn! You know what that means?!!?

You can smell it even before the day arrives. Anticipation fills the air and you are constantly aware of the date, the time, the moment before you can embrace the reality of the beginning. When the day arrives, you get excited --excited before you even roll out of bed. What will I wear? Do I have everything I need? I hope the babysitter's on time!

Yes, my fellow fans, I am talking about BYU FOOTBALL. And specifically, HOME GAMES.

Oh, I love it!!! DH converted me to football over 8 years ago, and through patient education, taught me the game. I have to admit I never really liked football until then. I just went to the games as a Freshman at BYU because I liked boys. Boys were at football games. Boys liked to flirt with me at football games. Easy reasoning, right? Well, once fanatic-minded DH stepped into the picture, I either had to learn to love the game itself, or resent DH for the rest of our lives for loving and paying so much attention to football. To me, the decision was easy.

So we go. Every home game, every year. It's obviously convenient being in Provo --and a great date "day". We don't bring the kids (too young to sit through the whole thing) unless I'm nursin' one of them (ummm...I wean them around 8-10 months, so it's not much of a problem) and then they're super cute in their BYU outfits. ANYWAYS --we go. All away games are watched in our home with lots of people invited over. Sometimes we go to an away game or two --sometimes DH will go with his dad (another BYU fanatic), and I never resent him when he does.

BYU football is in our blood. Our kids know the Cougar fight song from infancy. They know the cheers. They know the colors. They LOVE the mascot (yay, Cosmo!). They will grow up knowing that we love BYU.

Of course, this will set off alarm bells in many people's heads ---"WHAT?!?! You're convincing them that BYU is the only place to go to college! That's brainwashing!"

No, no, no. Our kids can go to whatever college they want. If they choose BYU, great. If not, okay! We just want them to go to college. We just hope they will love and respect BYU like we do.

And if they go to the "U", then they will be disowned... :)

But seriously, we love football. We've even started taking the kids every Friday night to Provo games to cheer on our neighbor. They know things now like "first downs" and "passing interference". Smart kids.

NFL doesn't get me goin' like college ball, though. Not sure why. DH has his fantasy football team, and so he likes to check the scores, but he doesn't watch NFL either, unless he's bored. But college ball? Only thing on!

DH is also downstairs, right now, playing College Football on the X-box.

Ahh, football. Ya' gotta love the season!!

My Daughter's Debut

#1 landed her first film role today. What's funny is that it was not sought out nor intentional.

I've always fiddled with the idea of putting her into theater. Maybe take her to those scouting things they do all the time her in Utah (hey, you have to admit that cute Mormon kids who are taught to sing since they are in utero must be somewhat of an attraction to talent scouts). Or maybe I'll do something to that effect. Never did, though. Never really, honestly, accurately or seriously considered doing it.

Until today!

My good friend --in my ward --is a very talented and well-known costumer for several local theaters. She was asked to be the costumer for a BYU documentary that will be shown at BYU Homecoming, as well as a longer piece for KBYU (a.k.a. PBS). Since this is done with BYU money, they can't really afford to hire "real" actors/actresses. So, a lot of family members of the crew and such are asked to come. My friend asked me if they could use my #1. DH thought it was a great idea, although I was nervous at first. See, #1 portrayed whom the documentary was about. Yeah, you know, the lead --the main enchilada, the head honcho, the reason for doing the film. However, this being a documentary, I knew that it would be a dramatization --no speaking parts, just looking good parts.

We went up (just #1 and me) to This is the Place Heritage Park, where they were filming, and spent a fabulous morning together. She was brilliant. So brilliant that the director put her in another documentary he is doing on Philo T. Farnsworth (inventor of the TV). Both parts were short, not too exciting, no speaking, but I was amazed --AMAZED! --at the natural talent my kid has for acting.

Now--disclaimer. I am a very good judge when it comes to acting. ESPECIALLY on the stage. I have been a frequent critic of the theater since I was a kid, and I know what looks good and sounds good. Trust me, I KNOW. And I'm not afraid to admit it, although sometimes I try to hide my distaste because of my compassion.

ANYWAYS --my kid is good. Director only had to tell her once. ONCE! And she shined. I was blown away by this slightly hidden talent. So blown that I have decided that if and when another opportunity for something like this comes along, I'll let her do it. She was glad to hear that, but really ticked off at me that we had to leave when her scenes were done. :)

P.S. Now I have great respect for film actors. I never realized all the hours and hours and hours of preparation for 15 minutes of filming. What patience!

Pictures to share (finally!)

#1's first day of school was Tuesday. She is now a proud Kindergartner. ~sigh~ She grew up!
#1 and #2 having some fun on our hike up the "Y" on Labor Day...


Above is #3's birthday cake. I went a little creative this year, but it was the easiest cake I've done BY FAR. And he loved it!

On the left, #1 and her cousin trying to get away from the waves the creative way AND
#2 and #3 on Manhatten Beach during our Cali vacation...

And, we're off!

I've been such a blogging slacker lately, and so I've decided to renew my writing with vigor! I hope I will not disappoint myself.

So much has happened this week! Here are the highlights:

1-On Labor Day, the whole family hiked the "Y". It was long and slow --we carried #3 in a back carrier (okay, DH carried #3 in a back carrier), #1 did REALLY well (where did she get that energy?), and #2 thought she was going to die. Seriously, it was the funniest thing (and quite annoying) to hear "I can't do this! It's too hard! My feet are sweating!" to "This is great! Let's do this again soon! I love the rocks!" and back to "I need a break! Let me sit down!". But the kids were so excited to be sitting on the "Y" and even with the whining, DH and I are thinking about making this an annual tradition.

2-My baby girl (#1) started Kindergarten on Tuesday. KINDERGARTEN! She is so grown up now. She's wearing cute jeans and nice shirts and has a great Old Navy backpack I got on sale in Park City. She's making friends and talking about her teacher and bringing home Elementary School Sized papers in her too-big-for-her Old Navy backpack. She doesn't always remember to say good-bye and she loves, loves, loves going to school. When did she grow up? When did she become such an independent and beautiful young girl?

3- I started my preschool. Yay! It's going well --at least today was much better than the first day. No real crisis has occurred, but the first day was just hard. It always is for young kids, especially since "my" kids are 2 and 3 year olds. But today was great. They were anticipating everything that came their way and they had a good time! Our first Field Trip was yesterday and we had a good time at the Monte L. Bean museum on BYU campus. Free, air conditioned, and dead/taxidermied animals everywhere....what more could a mother want? :)

4-Piano lessons also began. So far, so good. The only frustrating part are parents forgetting to pay for the month. Grrr.... But the kids seemed rejuvinated from the summer break, and ready to learn. And practice. I always like that motivation in a kid. My first voice lesson is tomorrow --technically, I've never taught voice before. But I've taken years of lessons, was a studio accompanist for a year and a half for a voice teacher at BYU, and I was the choir director. That gives me experience, right? Yeah, well, we'll see. :)

5-#2 got into her dance class!! She and #1 will start their dance classes next week --yay! They are very excited.

6-Looks like I'm going to be heading up the committee for my 10 year class reunion. Not one class officer is willing to do it. NOT ONE. But I am. And it will be fabulous!! (thanks to those who left advice!!)


Onward I go. Tonight or tomorrow I'll post pictures from the month of August. Apologies for being so late with them all...

HELLO!?!!

Okay, you people stink at giving advice. Just thought I'd throw that out there. Because I know there are at least 8 people that read my blog regularly --YES, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!! --and yet, no advice. I know at least 2 of those people have been to their high school reunions.

I wasn't kidding, people! I need advice! And I need it NOW!!!!