Letter to Aunt Audri

Savanna wrote this:

FoR OGRY
FRoM SAVANNA

DeR OGRY
IM GLAD YOuR HER!

Translation:
For Audri
From Savanna

Dear Audri,
I'm glad you're here.

Isaac Speaks

Glory to God in the Highest!

Sweet Innocence

Today, while I was brushing Savanna's hair, I smelled something just a little off.

Me: Savanna, did you pee your pants?
Savanna: No.
Me: Are you sure?
Savanna: (nods her head.)
Me: Savanna, I smell pee. (I bend down a little closer to the source, and sniff.)
Savanna: It wasn't me.
Me: It wasn't you? Bryan, are you hearing this?
Bryan: (nodding, trying to keep a straight face.)
Savanna: (sweet, innocent face) It wasn't me. It must have been someone else.

Too Short to Be Tall, Too Tall to Be Short

Ever since I stopped growing taller (age 13-ish), I've struggled to find pants that fit properly. If I get pants that are long enough, they are usually too big in the waist and hips. If I get pants that fit my waist and hips, the pants are usually too short. Just ever so slightly--too short. When I was in high school, and the style was to "sag" your pants, there was no problem.

But as I've gotten older, and my body has been through numerous changes, I find that comfort is a much more important factor than it was when I was young and hot (okay, so I was never actually hot). And my tastes have changed. (The other day I was in the store looking at clothes. Some young girls picked up this hideous jacket and confirmed to each other that it was super cute. I realized that I cannot and will not keep up with the trends anymore.)

So I got a recommendation to try Old Navy jeans because you can get them in "Tall" sizes. I have never considered myself "tall," so I had never considered trying the tall sizes. When I got to the store, they did not carry the tall sizes. So I tried on the regular size just to match the fit in the waist and hips. Armed with this knowledge, and a really cute clearance dress, I decided to shop online.

When I got to the website, I checked out the sizing charts, just to be sure. This is where I ran into trouble.


Petite sizes are for women 5'4" and under. Tall sizes are for women 5'10" and up. The assumption is that regular sizes are for women who fall between these heights, right? I am 5'6.25".

The inseam for regular sizes is 32". The tall sizes have an inseam of 36" inches. My inseam is 33". In other words, the regular pants are one inch too short, and the tall pants are 3 inches too long. Okay, so you would probably recommend I buy tall pants and hem them to fit. Which might work, if they didn't sew the knee at a different length in the tall pants. I fear that I would buy the tall pants and the knee wouldn't sit right.

In my limited research, I have found the same sizings at other stores. So the mystery is solved as to why I have difficulty finding pants that fit. Not all stores even sell tall sizes. If you are one of my tall friends, please advise.

Until then, I guess I could order a pair and return it if it doesn't fit. Life couldn't be easy, could it?

Dresses

Wanna hear a story? When I joined the local choir, I was given an old pattern and a swatch of fabric. The pattern is out of print; that is how old it is. But to match the rest of the ladies in the choir, I needed to comply and make the dress. In the process, I heard many complaints from the veteran members of the choir about their strong distaste for the dress. It was frequently called "the trash bag" and "the black shroud of death." The pattern was hideous and unflattering, and the fabric was unforgiving, stiff, and baggy.

My mom, a professional-grade seamstress (she made my wedding dress), sewed the dress to my exact measurements. We hoped that perhaps mine might turn out better than the others. It didn't:
So, I embarked on a journey to promote the change that I observed (almost) everyone wanted. About a year ago, I printed a few copies of a petition, and nervously and anonymously sent it around the choir during rehearsal. The first week, only about half the women signed; the other half were afraid of rocking the boat. Several men also signed the petition. The following week, we gained a few more signatures as the women got braver. My friends and I decided that we had enough of a majority to press forward. The choir's Executive Committee discussed the petition and allowed a "Dress Committee" to be formed. I was invited to be on the Dress Committee; we met several times and spent several hours determining which styles of dress would flatter most people, would be comfortable, and would be acceptable to most of the women. We ordered several dresses to try on, we took lots of pictures, and a slideshow was shown to the Executive Committee. We were given the green light to move forward; we chose several styles and held a fashion show for the women to view and touch the options. The women voted, and a huge majority voted on this dress:

I am fond of the two-piece idea because: how often does a woman wear the same size on top as on bottom? My friend and fellow Dress Committee member Kami is shaped exactly opposite from me, so we agreed on this matter. The entire Dress Committee also agreed on the 3/4 length sleeves because they cover the parts of our arms that might make us self-conscious; but they also won't get in the way of holding the music. I don't love velvet, and I don't love having two options for necklines (cowl and boat); but they are still more flattering than the old dress. I adore the two-layer skirt and the sparklies; I would definitely wear it for occasions other than choir concerts. I don't love that we can't wash the skirt, but is probably okay as long as I don't hold babies while I wear it. I do love that I can wash the shirt, which does tend to get sweaty under the hot lights.

Thank you for letting me share this story; I never got credit for the change anywhere else.

Following Isaac Around

Other Costumes

I still never got a picture of me wearing the WALL-E costume, but here is a picture of the costume on a smaller body.

Also, Caleb made another costume to wear to school. Think Star Wars. Think Han Solo. Think "carbonite."

Halloween Costumes

For your viewing pleasure:

Bryan as Superman

Savanna as Cinderella

Isaac as a puppy

Caleb as Commander Cody (sort of like a Stormtrooper)

Joseph as Buzz Lightyear

I was Wall-E, but somehow we missed getting a picture.

One Man's Treasure...

is another man's JUNK.

I know I've told you all about Lose 200 Lbs. This Weekend and Make Your House Do the Housework. You probably think I'm pretty crazy by now, but I decided to check out some of Don Aslett's other books. And then I lost somewhere between 1000 and 2000 lbs. last weekend; and now my house is starting to do the housework.

The other books, which I HIGHLY recommend to you, are Clutter's Last Stand and Not for Packrats Only.

The premise behind both of these books is that we invest so much in our junk. Time is a big investment here, since we spend most of our housecleaning time moving stuff from one place to another; which must be done before you can actually clean anything. Money is another investment--how much money have you spent buying, maintaining, protecting, moving, storing, and insuring junk?

Okay, so you ask, what is junk? Well, start by asking yourself these questions:

1. Why do I own it? Do I love it, or is it useful to me [right now]?
2. Does it irritate me?
3. Does it have a home in my home? (A place for everything, and everything in it's place.)
4. Am I really going to use it again someday? And if so, is it really saving me money to hold onto it now? And if so, am I going to be able to find it when I need it again?
5. Do I really need more than one?
6. What are my emotional reasons for holding onto it, and are they really valid reasons?

Once you can start judging your own junk, here is a helpful way to handle it. Get three boxes. Stuff you love and use regularly, put it away in it's own place. Next, you will label the first box KEEP. This is stuff you know you will use again, but it's taking up space doing nothing right now; and it is worth it to you to hold onto (such as baby clothes if you plan to have more kids, or food storage [don't forget to rotate!--or it will just become junk]). The next box, you will label UNDECIDED. Whatever you put here, you will store for six months; don't peek. When you come back to it, don't open it. If you can't even remember what you put here, just take it to a charity drop off without looking. The third box, label CHARITY, and just take it directly to a charity drop off. Lastly, have a trash bag close by. If your junk is not useful to you, and it definitely won't be useful to someone else, give yourself permission to throw it out. I promise, it's okay!

Helpful hint: once you clear some space, don't be in a rush to fill it again. Empty space is nice to live in. Instead of the faulty thinking that you just need a bigger house, try to figure out how to make the space you have work for you (and not your junk). Food for thought: many house-fires blaze out of control, mainly because of the clutter they consume. You could also try something extreme: box up everything except the things you would take on an extended vacation. Then, take only the things out of the boxes that you need. See how little you can live with/on, and you may surprise yourself at how much extra you have but don't need.

Lastly, think on this: whatever stuff you have will stay with you until you die. It won't come with you to heaven. So...what does that mean for the loved ones you have left behind? They have to sort through/fight over your junk. How about instead, leave them a legacy of only the most meaningful things/love for you/love for each other?

Okay, so now, go read the books! It will change your life and how you do things and how you think about things. I'm quickly becoming an expert, so feel free to call or write if you want some extra help!

Young

On Monday, I was invited to participate in the local "Young Artist" competition. There are two rules. One, you must perform an aria or an art song. Two, you must be under 30. So, it's official, I am technically still "young" for < 8 months. Ha!

Then on Wednesday, Caleb asked me, "Mom, why are you going to Young Women if you are not young anymore?" So, it's official, I am decidedly not "young" anymore. :D

My Concert

https://public.me.com/jillathena

If you want to hear a recording of my solo, click on the link above. Then click on the folder "Chorale," then click on the folder "Recordings," then click on the folder "Performances," then click on "PCS Concert Eternal Light," then download the file. The first set is Haydn's Little Organ Mass, and my solo is about 7:25 min into the recording. The three second solo at 30:27 is also me.

Pictures

Here are a few pictures from the last month:

Caleb is sporting a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and a ladybug flotation device--to be safe and protected when riding the wagon down the driveway into the cul-de-sac.

Savanna's friend came over wearing her Aurora dress, so of course Savanna needed to put hers on too.

We've been dealing with a lot of these [tantrums] lately.

I think I embarrassed him by taking a picture.

This lasted all of 5 seconds, but I got it on film!

This guy is a sweetheart. We had four glorious nights that we slept until morning. Last night broke the chain. A common joke in our house is, "Man, I could sleep all night long." Isaac is also on the verge of crawling, but not quite. I've already begun the necessary babyproofing.

We are planning to carve our pumpkin this year to resemble Caleb.

This girl is a sweetheart. And smart. And silly. S is for Savanna.

This boy can do happy. It's all or nothing with him. And don't call him Joe or Jo-jo. He's Joseph.

Solo

I chose to have children, putting my musical talent on the back-burner.

Lucky for me, I have a wonderful husband who supports my efforts to use it where I can. I am in the local choir, which is a great artistic outlet. It is me-time; it is challenging; it is rewarding.

Every once in a while, there is an opportunity to audition for a solo. I find that I have a strong distaste for the part of the competition that determines who is best. That is not why I show up. I am competing for the opportunity to use the full extent of my gift in solo singing.

Last night, I auditioned for a classical solo (literally from the Classical era, for all you music buffs). Which is what my voice was designed for.

In the words of Caleb, I won!

So in four weeks, I will be singing this song, and hopefully sounding very similar to Ms. van Tol.

Efficiency -- Time-Saving

Recently, I told my friend Carolyn that my dream was to be so organized that everything would just always be done--or that as soon as a piece of work came along, I could do it right then and be done with it. For example, if I got a bill in the mail, I would immediately pay it, file it, and be done (yes, I have one bill that still comes in the mail because there isn't the more efficient option of automatic draft). (*Disclaimer: My life is certainly not a top-notch model of efficiency, just ask my four kids.)

She said, "That sounds just like you--just like something you would wish for."

Perhaps she just knows me really well, and has spend enough time observing my borderline-OCD habits. Or perhaps it just happens to be one of the many topics we have discussed several times. Probably both.

I wasn't always this way, at least not in everything. I think part of it has come with wisdom, born out of the frustration of organizing the chaos--especially with a large family. Some of my ideas came from observing my sister-in-law Shalissa, because she is always one or two steps ahead of me in life, and several years wiser. Some of my ideas came from books that Shalissa recommended, which I have recommended to you before, and which I now proudly own. One is Lose 200 Lbs. This Weekend by Don Aslett, which is about de-cluttering and simplifying in the process. I <3 the ideas in this book. The other one is Make Your House Do the Housework, also by Don Aslett and Laura Aslett Simons. This one is about how you might design a home to cut down on the amount of time you spend cleaning. Even if you are not going to build your own home (but especially if you are), you can find plenty of ideas you can use to experience the same effect. And some of my motivation I acquired while reading Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank Bunker Gilbreth. This is a true story about a man who was an efficiency expert who applied his expertise at home. This idea fascinates me.

My hope is that I can figure out how to be so efficient that I can save so much time, and then I can focus on more important things. This argument is flawed in two ways. One is that I spend too much time figuring things out. And second, one of the most "important things" is to teach my children how to work. Which, as you may know, is not the most efficient way to get things done.

Well, anyway, here are a few things I have been thinking about in the realm of efficiency.

Laundry. Carolyn and I had a discussion about whether it was more efficient to have a "laundry day" or to try to do a load or two per day. Having a laundry day just sounds long to me. First of all, you have to be right on top the ending of each cycle to make the best use of time. However, the dryer and washer never end at the same time. You could make really efficient use of your waiting time by finding other chores to complete. This never works for me because I will inevitably get too focused on the other task and forget to rotate the laundry. I personally like to do one or two loads per day. That way, I don't have to be pressured by a time crunch. If I get engrossed with another task, it's okay. The laundry can wait another half hour. Of course the next step in the process could use a little work in efficiency as well. The most efficient thing would be to fold or hang the laundry as you pull it out of the dryer. And then the most efficient thing would be to immediately put it away. This could be more efficient if you have a space, like a laundry counter, to fold. And even more efficient if you could hand the clothes to your kids to put away by themselves. Novel idea. It would also be quite efficient to sort the dirty clothes as you go, but it would be even more efficient to have a sorting laundry shute. Next to the shower. See, you could undress and throw the clothes down the correctly labeled shute. You would eliminate the steps of 1. Put clothes in hamper, 2. take hamper to laundry room, 3. sort clothes.

Dishes. The most efficient way to accomplish this task is up for debate here. If you have a dishwasher, it makes sense to unload it first thing in the morning, or right before you go to bed the night before. Never let a dirty dish touch the sink--rinse it and load it straight into the empty dishwasher. Voila! And if you have an efficient dishwasher with high-quality detergent, even better. But would it take that much more effort to go ahead and just wash the dish by hand instead of just rinsing it? Dry it and put it away. Done and done. This is especially efficient because a medium-quality dishwasher costs about $375 (I know from recent experience) if you install it yourself (also a recent experience), and good quality detergent can be a hefty sum. Now, I know we're not talking finances here, and I'm no efficiency expert, but how many hours did Bryan have to work to provide the dishwasher, detergent, water, and energy to run the thing? Vs. how much does it cost to thoroughly wash by hand in a manner that disinfects properly (I know we're not talking health here, but that could add another cost, which would then cost more hours for Bryan to work, which is an efficiency issue, in a roundabout way)? Also, let's be realistic, sometimes the dishes just can't get done presently because "more important things" must be done. So a dishwasher is really nice. Rather, a nice dishwasher is really nice. (Does anyone need an (inefficient, old) dishwasher?)

Weeding. We have failed miserably this summer. Most efficient=weed a little every day. Then your yard won't look like ours.

Toilets. I hate toilets. But I finally decided to keep toilet cleaning apparatus on and near each toilet in the house. When it starts to smell (like, several times a week around here), I can just take 3 minutes to clean it right then and there.

Diapers. Have diaper changing materials on each level, and perhaps in several rooms. Grab the baby wherever he is, change him, done. And even if you have to chase him, you will still have changing materials close at hand.

Meal planning. Have a plan. Use perishables before expiration. Be efficient. Save money. I also make it a habit to take a meal that we like and try to figure out faster ways to prepare the same dish. If it can't meet my 30-minute criteria (for preparation), we just won't eat it as often.

15-minute-pick up. Each night before bed-and you can get the kids involved here-spend 15 minutes picking up each piece of the clutter and putting it in its spot (make sure that it has a spot--this is a very efficient principle). Also, wipe off the table and counters and sweep the floor. I find that if I start the day with a relatively clean house, I can easily maintain throughout the day.

What other ideas do you have for efficiency? Seriously, folks, I'm asking because I want to know!

I'm in the News!!!

Music by and for the Community

Cinderella, Responsible Drinking, and Pants

The story of Cinderella has always left me scratching my head. Bibbidi bobbidi boo - poof - she gets decked out and hitches a sweet ride to the ball. She dances with the prince, but she has instructions that the magic wears off at midnight. The clock begins to strike twelve, and she rushes away, accidentally leaving behind a glass slipper. At the end of the toll, she finds herself in rags surrounded by vegetables and animals. But she still has a glass slipper. I always assumed that the glass slippers were a part of the outfit, magically created. So why doesn't the magic wear off the glass slippers?

My friend and I were talking about the anomalies of when the students come back in town. Her husband received an email from the university reminding students that they should drink responsibly. I have never had a drink in my life. The worst thing I tried was iced tea, because I thought it was apple juice. I only had one sip. Anyway, my understanding of alcohol is that it impairs your judgement, even in the slightest degree. So how can you have a drink and then be responsible with impaired judgement to not drink more than you should? And then, how could you know what your own threshold for alcohol consumption is without having crossed it at some point? -So that you can (in the future) then be responsible in your drinking. I guess you could have a friend stand by you and tell you when to stop, or even have a designated driver, but then you are not the one being responsible anymore, are you? So, I have unwound this oxymoron--the only way to drink responsibly then, is not to drink at all.

And my final confusion for the day--why aren't women's pants labeled the same way as men's? I know many of us have difficulties finding pants that fit just right. My issue is that my legs are long. So if I get pants that are long, they're too big in the hips. Or pants that fit my hips are never long enough. If I could shop by waist (or hip, rather) and inseam measurements, my life would be simplified. And this could eliminate the extreme discrepancies in sizes between brands.

Are there other things that baffle you?

Writer's Block?

It's been a while since I last wrote. We were busy. Some of the busy-ness was fun, but a lot of it was many, many personal trials that just needed to be endured. And then I felt like every time I had something to say, it was negative. So here is a brief update, just to let you know that we are alive and (relatively) well.

In July, we went on "vacation" (this is what we call it for the kids' benefit) to two family reunions, back-to-back. Bryan's family's reunion was first. He got to enjoy it for a couple days. Then came the phone call. The annual state survey had just entered the nursing home, and he had to fly back immediately. So I braved my own family's reunion alone with four kids. It was fun, except the fact that Bryan wasn't there. He was able to fly back, we extended our "vacation" for a couple more days so he could see my family. The end result of the survey was 4 tags (the average is 8), so he actually did very well.

Last week, a federal survey entered the building. Now, this was a real jackpot. Because you have to be a real lightning rod to catch one of these. Bryan knows people who worked in nursing homes for over 15 years and never saw one of these. Timing, circumstances, and pure luck (or pure trial, depending on how you view it) created this opportunity. Because it commandeered his full time and attention, we didn't see much of him. And because he has so much to catch up on this week, we are still not seeing as much of him as we would like. The end result of this survey was 5 tags (the average is 12), so again, he did very well.

In the meantime, he did get to enjoy the local 5K last week. It was tough, but he won by 3 seconds.

Caleb had a birthday: unbelievable that I have a seven-year-old! He actually started school today--second grade! He lost another tooth this week (that's 5 so far).

Savanna got a haircut this week. Actually, I cut her hair. It's not perfect, but I figured I needed to learn how to do this sooner or later. Better sooner when she is less aware of the imperfections.

Joseph narrates everything he does or thinks. He is even adding abstract ideas to his vocabulary, like "I don't know" and "I think" and "I had good dreams."

Isaac can roll both ways and sit by himself (as long as I'm nearby to catch him). He still hasn't figured out the value to trying to crawl. Mostly he just wants me to hold him all day long. He loves food, and he's very adept at grabbing anything in his reach. Anything.

I am currently in the process of figuring out the best schedule for our family, including naps and extracurricular activities. So far, I haven't been successful because I can't make my brain work. So for now, I'm trying to see if things will just fall into place for me. Also, next week the local choir starts up again. I am really looking forward to that.

The end.

Lifting One Another's Burdens

Today, I needed someone to help lift my burden.

I called my best friend. She let me talk through it.

I thanked her for listening, and she said she was glad to lift my burden.

Here's the thing: I seriously doubt that lifting my burden was even difficult for her. Probably the most uncomfortable things for her (and I'm sure she would deny even this) was the time it took to unload and the energy it took to offer support and advice.

Truly, I did feel lighter and uplifted when I was done.

My burden had felt much heavier to me than the lifting of it felt to her.

I've done the same for her on other occasions.

Isn't it interesting how lifting one another's burdens makes both parties feel lighter?

Huh.

Latest

Remember this?

Well, now we have matching holes on top:

One fell out Saturday, and one fell out Monday.

Saturday night, we went to the movie at the stadium. While the movie was lame, the experience was super fun!

This kid looks so much like Caleb did as a baby. Maybe some of you remember?

Also, we forgot to take our camera, but yesterday we celebrated Bryan's birthday by driving to Spokane. A community college there sponsors a family track meet. Anyone can compete in any event. Bryan took first in the adult 1500m. And Caleb, without telling anyone, also entered himself into the kids' 1500m. We were so proud of him! It was so hard! On the last lap, he said, "Last lap! Then take a nap!" Caleb, Savanna, and Joe also participated in separate 50m dashes. Caleb accidentally ran in the first 2 and under heat (and won). Savanna entered herself in all 4 heats of the 2-4 year olds. And Joseph was afraid of the gun, and wouldn't budge from the starting line. Happy Birthday, Bry, old man!

A Superlative Birthday

Bryan had asked me several times what I wanted for my birthday, and what I wanted to do for my birthday. My love language is definitely not gifts, so this is always a hard question to answer. Finally, I told him that I just wanted a love note. And I expounded by saying that I just wanted to feel loved, that I wanted to feel like it mattered that I existed--that I was born.

And did my man deliver? Most surely!

He enlisted the help of my good friend Carolyn, who set up the party paraphernalia, after he convinced me that we had to go to the store before family night. Even after I locked the front door (habit), he went back to unlock it so everyone could get in.

He took frustratingly long choosing his tomato plants, and didn't hurry the kids through the toy aisles. Lucky (?) for him, we did have another slight delay loading up the car because apparently Joseph had sneaked out of the cart basket and was still in the store. Bryan found him, and then we drove home.

I never caught on until about two seconds after the "Surprise!" I would have loved to see the look on my face, or even to remember what I said in that moment (and I wish it had been something really clever). But because it was one of those things you don't expect, at all, it took a moment for my brain to catch up to my eyes and ears.

Amazingly, a whole bunch of people had crowded into our living room (half of them were children) and sat quietly waiting for me.

This was the first time Bryan has ever been able to completely surprise me. I was most surprised, and least prepared. It was the biggest party I've ever had, with the most people attending. Our house was mostly too small for such a large group. The cake was most delicious. The weather was the coldest it has ever been to celebrate my birthday, but still nice enough to take the party outside. It was the earliest I've ever celebrated my birthday. It was the largest group of people to ever sing to me. I got the most bouquets of flowers in my life. I felt most loved.

Cutting my cake

Some of the kids

More friends and sweet husband

Enjoying the frosting


I was really glad that I wasn't yelling at my kids when we got home (what does this say about me???). I was really glad I didn't have to use the bathroom right when I got home. I was really glad that we had kept the house pretty clean. I was really glad that (I think) I didn't say anything completely embarrassing.

We counted 36 people from 9 families who were here or dropped by. Of course I worried that I wasn't dressed up, didn't do my hair or makeup, and didn't even have my contacts in. I worried that I kind of smelled from the day's labors. I also worried that my bathrooms were not clean. I worried that we had so many weeds in our yard. I also worried that we had interfered with other people's family nights.

But each of these worries were put to rest because I realized that what mattered to these people was that I exist.

Ike's Progress

This is Isaac's 4 month, 3 week, 1 day birthday, so I thought we should celebrate by writing a post about what he's been up to.

You know how I said he has been sleeping through the night? Little stinker! Not anymore. Perhaps it's a growth spurt, so we decided to start rice two days ago. We got nothing down the hatch, and a very starched shirt out of the process.

He found his toes. In fact, when I fed him in the middle of the night last night, I discovered that the feet of his pajamas were wet...

Reaching...

Almost there! He has begun to roll over, but he doesn't realize he is responsible yet.

Second attempt.

But this time, it all stayed down. He still didn't sleep through the night. Thbbbbpt.

Also, it is around this time of life that babies must be moved to a bigger bed.

All of them.

Tomorrow is the last day of school, so we will be shuffling the kids into different bed rooms. Wish us luck!

Happy Tuesday

When Bryan told Savanna, "Happy Tuesday!" this morning, she thought it meant today was a holiday. She was convinced when the lady on the radio said the same thing.

What are you doing to celebrate Happy Tuesday?

Cindertrooper

An Original Story by Caleb
(He gave me permission to copy it here.)

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was a girl named Cindertrooper. Cindertrooper had mean step-clones. One day there was an invitation from Prince Luke for every girl to come to the ball on Hoth. Every girl except Cindertrooper came. Cindertrooper had to help her mean step-clones dress up. Cindertrooper was left behind at the house. She was sad.

Then her Fairy Godvader appeared. "Why are you sad?" he asked. "I can't go to the ball," Cindertrooper answered. "Yes, you can," Fairy Godvader said. "How?" asked Cindertrooper. "With my magic!" said Fairy Godvader. And with the wave of his magic lightsaber 7 rats turned into 7 horses. And one of the 7 horses turned into a coachman, and a pumpkin into a carriage. "Thank you!" she said. "You are welcome," Fairy Godvader said. Then Cindertrooper rode off to the ball.

She danced with the prince. She danced disco style! Suddenly the clock struck twelve. "Oh no! My coachman has turned back into a horse and my 7 horses have turned into 7 rats! I will take the bus instead." "NO!" said Prince Luke, but Cindertrooper had already left.

"Look she dropped a boot!" said Prince Luke. "I will find the owner." And so he rode off in his X-wing starfighter to Cindertrooper's home planet. A lot of people wanted to try on the boot, but it was always too small. Finally, he came to Cindertrooper's house. The step-clones tried the boot on, but it didn't fit. Then Cindertrooper tried it on. "It fits!" yelled Prince Luke. "I will marry you!" he said.

And they lived happily ever after, and all the bad guys fell into the pit of the Sarlacc.

Pix

My mom requested pictures, so here are a few:

Haircut.
Bryan told me not to, but I couldn't help it today when I discovered that his mop could fit into a cute ponytail. That decided it for me.

New gwasses.

DER MOM
I RILE
LEVE
YOU
FRAM
SAVANNA

Betcha didn't know...

the sun is moving
to
Washington.

Courtesy of Savanna

Light and Darkness

I have discovered that I can corral my children into bed at night by turning off all the lights in the house progressively toward their destination, until the only light left is in their bedroom.

Children naturally want to follow the light. We should be like them:

For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father (Mosiah 3:19).

Aren't kids amazing?

Throwing Off My Sponge and Putting On My Duck

My grandpa taught my dad, and subsequently my dad taught me, to "be a duck." But as you know, it has not been easy for me to let those offenses drip off my back, like water off a duck. I tend to be a sponge instead. And that is exactly wrong. So I'm going to try to be more like a duck.

And completely unrelated, here are some pictures:

Have I told you this boy loves milk?

Have I told you that this girl is a princess?

And did I tell you that I have the sweetest kids? Without prompting, they made me breakfast in bed for Mother's Day. They warmed up a leftover German pancake and sprinkled powdered sugar on top. I'm not sure who was more excited, them or me.

Happy Mother's Day!

Drain Clog and Seminary Students

No, they are not related. They just make up the two thoughts I had this morning.

The chemicals in drain clog remover also cleans off the black stains on the bottom of my bathtub. Nothing else worked. I discovered this in my attempt to clear the drain. Now you know.

All but three of the seminary students didn't show up for seminary this morning. They went out to breakfast instead. Several questions enter my mind:

1. Why the heck would you get up so early just to socialize? Stay home and sleep.
2. Do their parents know they skipped class?
3. If their parents know, how come they think it's okay? Shouldn't they at least have notified the teacher that most of the students wouldn't be there?
4. Do the students really have no idea the sacrifices my husband makes to be there? Do they realize that I'm making sacrifices too?
5. What is their problem?
6. Don't they realize that their actions, even though they are teenagers, can be offensive to adults?
7. What should my husband do? I can't do anything because it's not my place. But I would like to call their parents. And then I would like to chew the students out.
8. Do they realize that this is God's gospel, not Bryan's?

And for the happy:

Me: I love you, Joe.
Joseph: Too, Mom.

All About Isaac

This poor kid fell asleep on the floor today. He started on his back: he is almost there!

Bryan and I did not know we could produce offspring with curly hair:

Ikey is a pretty easy-going baby. Sometimes he sleeps through the night, sometimes he doesn't (I suspect those darn growth spurts). His biggest achievement with regards to sleep is that he can fall asleep on his own in his own bed.

I can hardly remember life before Isaac. I love this guy!