Lucky us!!

When we bought our home, I didn't really look much at the school district, since I figured we'd be gone before our children started school (hah!).  I sort of vaguely knew that it was supposed to be good, but I was only thinking about it in terms of resale value.

Fast forward a few years and my children's elementary school is suddenly SO important in our lives! Fortunately, we have an amazing amazing amazing school with fabulous teachers (it's even a federally recognized Blue Ribbon School).  I cannot even tell you how much I love our elementary school, and how grateful I am for the wonderful teachers who have been so influential in my children's lives.  (Seriously. They are out of this world.)  Did I mention that I love their teachers?

And incidentally, one of the (many) cool things about our school is that it has 2 courtyards that the students regularly use (Abigail's first-grade class often had writer's workshop time out by the lily pond).  The photos in this post are all taken in the outdoor classroom.

The school that my older two children currently attend (Isaac's preschool is equally amazing and I love his teachers dearly, who also taught Juliet, but that's another post) is a really cool melting pot.  Last time I checked, it had students from 45 countries, many of whom are here for a few years while their parents complete graduate degrees.  There are 1060 students in the elementary school (it's the biggest in the district, if I recall correctly), and about 50% of them are in families whose income falls below the federal poverty level (hello, graduate students!).  One thing that's pretty neat is that a lot of the students are either the children of professors or graduate students, so education is a top priority for many of the parents (sadly, that's not always the case, but I've been really impressed by so many of the parents that I've met & worked with in the classrooms).  And they have a fabulous principal--he knows all of the kids by name and enthusiastically greets me by name as well (probably because I have a horrible habit of jamming the copiers so he knows to watch out for me).  Both of my children's classes had lunch with the principal & the vice-principal in the past two weeks, and many times when I've been working in my children's classrooms or attending a classroom event, one or both of the principals is there.  And of course, I am still so amazed and grateful that the school has dedicated high-ability classes that both push the kiddos and make learning fantastically fun (i.e. for their economics unit they've been helping to run the school book fair).



Abigail's class has been studying the moon for the past month or so--she's been keeping a journal every night where she draws & describes the position and appearance of the moon.  One of the atmospheric science professors from the university came in to talk to the class (his son is in her class) about the moon as well, and they wound up the unit with a moon-viewing party for students & families.  (Okay, I don't know about you, but my elementary school experience was not like this at all.  Did I mention that today Juliet attended a play at the university for a class field trip?)

They had a half or dozen or so telescopes set up and focused on the moon--you could just wander up and check it out whenever you felt like it.  It was really neat to use the various telescopes to see particular features.  I seriously loved it!  (Abigail, Isaac, and I were the only ones who went; we didn't stay super long because we wanted to get back to visit with Neil's parents, who were briefly stopping by on their way to begin their second full-time church mission.)

And since all fun parties have fun treats, the teachers had kept going with the moon theme--there were Moon Pies, Milky Ways, and--such a great idea--a whole bunch of sugar cookies that the students had coated with various amounts of frosting to represent the phases of the moon.  

As we were driving home Abigail told me that she will miss her school most of all once we graduate, and I had to agree whole-heartedly.  We have been so, so, so blessed in our time here, and I am and will be eternally grateful to the amazing opportunities and teachers my children have had thus far.

(And this really has nothing to do with the post at all, but I was thinking today about how mature Abigail's getting these days--she made a batch of lemon bars all by herself after school--and tonight I wore a pink velvet blazer that I would never have dared to buy on my own, but she was with me and talked me into it, and then told me several times how much she liked it tonight. So fun to be with this kiddo!)

in your prayers

When I was in high school, I dated a really awesome guy (I also dated a lot of not-so-awesome guys, but that's another story).  We dated exclusively during my junior year, sort of drifted apart (partially due to a well-intentioned bishop who really discouraged steady dating) but stayed friends throughout my senior year, dated a few times again during my senior year, and picked up again when I was home from college for Christmas.  I wrote him for a year on his mission until Neil and I were married, and when he came home from his mission we were still on good terms.  He ended up marrying a girl that lived next door to me freshman year, and whenever I go home to visit my family I always chat with his mother about how he's doing.  He's a wonderful guy and I've always been happy to hear that life is treating him well.

Which is why it was utterly heart-breaking for me to hear that his 17-month-old son has been diagnosed with an extremely rare and very aggressive (90% mortality rate) type of cancer.  Please, please, please keep this little family in your prayers.  You can read more about them here.

Abigail's FHE lesson

We had a really fun Family Home Evening lesson tonight.  Abigail taught it about Lehi's dream.  I helped her plan it last night, and as soon as Juliet had taken her last bite of dinner, Abigail was racing around ready to go with FHE (I think it's the fastest that Abigail has ever eaten quinoa chili, which is saying something because she hates kidney beans). 

We had set up an "iron rod" made of yarn, tied from the door across the foyer and living room to the fireplace.  A huge sheet of gauzy fabric was hanging from the light fixture in the foyer to represent the mists of darkness, and Neil was waiting in the kitchen window to represent people in the great and spacious building.

Abigail read aloud from Nephi 8 and Jules and Isaac followed her instructions (they got all tangled up in the "mists of darkness," which was cute. 

We had some distress when Neil was "in the attitude of mocking" our little iron rod-holders.  He took out a couple of dollar bills and offered the kids money if they would leave the iron rod and come into the kitchen--Juliet took the bait and went running towards the cash, and Abigail was like, "JULES!  YOU LEFT THE IRON ROD!  YOU CAN'T HAVE THE TREATS!" and then Juliet burst into tears and had to be guided back.  

But finally we all made it to the Tree of Life, represented by our fake ficus with cookies tied to it.  Then while the kiddos ate their cookies we talked about the symbolism of the iron rod as the word of God guiding us towards the love of God, as represented by the fruit of the tree of life.  It was a fun lesson, and Abigail had a great time teaching us all! (I also realized that I need to make our regular FHE lessons more like this one, because I am excellent at creating not-so-interesting lessons.)

Speaking of Juliet, she acquired the best shiner yet in our family a few days ago (she fell down on the patio and ripped up her face).  This is a picture on the first day; it's since gone really dark and generally sort of scary-looking.  Everyone who's seen her does a double take.  Sweet little face on one side, rough and tumble scrapper on the other. 

And here are my two darling boys.  Isaac has become very protective of Luke in terms of ensuring that Luke ALWAYS has his blanket (apparently Isaac figures Luke must love it as much as Isaac loves his own blanket).  We're still working on the always-being-soft thing, but it's fun to watch Isaac become more gentle towards and interested in Luke. 

roundup

• we're headed up to the temple tomorrow. I am really looking forward to this, because we haven't been able to go in a LONG time (some pipes burst in the winter and it was closed for awhile for repair; then I got to be out of commission for awhile following surgery). I can't even tell you how excited I am, especially after all the great Conference talks on the blessings of the temple. I'm also excited because we're going up overnight so it's a less rushed and more peaceful experience, and what's not to love about a hotel suite with a pool (thank you, Priceline).
• we tried the first cloth diaper last night. Juliet was SO excited, and I was pretty happy with the performance of the diaper--it did leak a little, but then again, it was on her for 13.5 hours (we did bedtime early last night, because it was that kind of day) and I forgot to stuff the soakers more towards the front, because she's a total stomach sleeper. In any case, the fleece liner and Juliet were totally dry (and the soakers were definitely not). Thus far, I am optimistic--I think the next shipment should arrive today (we decided to try out prefolds and wraps too) so I'm looking forward to giving those a spin too.
• our garden is growing like CRAZY. we keep having thunderstorms, and every night it seems like the peas have grown 6 inches and the tomatoes are trying to break free of their cages. already.
• we have also had tornadoes, and all the fun weather means that my left foot has been swelling like crazy. I think this is probably due to some of the vascular repair that the surgeon did along with the hernia removal, but it was sure a relief when the weather cleared up and I could see the veins and tendons in my foot again.
• I'm doing some editing work again--I kind of had a dry spell there for awhile, so it was a relief when on the day I got my last paycheck from the university, I also got a call asking me to take on a fairly large project. I really do like editing--for one thing, it's always nice to have a measurable accomplishment at the end of the day that stays done (unlike laundry).
• speaking of measurable accomplishments--I finished up my 8 weeks of meal plans and grocery lists for the months after the baby is born. enormous relief. and I've made 3 of the 15 planned freezer meals, so we're on a roll!

things I've been thinking about

**For today's picture post, scroll down.**

A few nights ago I dreamed I was back in school--law school, to be precise. I stopped in an on-campus bathroom just before going to take a final and I found Juliet in there, crying and entertaining herself with a roll of toilet paper. I quickly calmed her down and took her back to the on-site daycare center, let the employees there know what I thought of them, and rushed off to take my final. I arrived a third of the way through and spent the entire time worrying about Juliet. I couldn't answer most of the questions, despite intensive preparation and studying beforehand. I knew I was in the wrong place.

I woke up and I was so glad that this, right now, is my test. That what I'm learning about right now is being a mother, and that I'm not struggling to balance that with something else that is worthy and worthwhile but not right for me, right now.

Yesterday I was reading a talk from President Uchtdorf from the priesthood session of April conference (have you read the Conference edition yet? It is absolutely fantastic--I come away every day feeling so inspired and motivated). Two points in particular really spoke to me, since I have been worrying a lot lately about whether I am being the kind of mother that my children need right now: "Pause for a moment and check where your own heart and thoughts are. Are you focused on the things that matter most? How you spend your quiet time may provide a valuable clue. Where do your thoughts go when the pressure of deadlines is gone? Are your thoughts and heart focused on those short-lived fleeting things that matter only in the moment or on things that matter most? [. . .] We cannot and we must not allow ourselves to get distracted from our sacred duty. We cannot and we must not lose focus on the things that matter most."

I confess I am easily distracted from mothering. I struggle with balancing exercise, personal time, housecleaning, service, and even scripture time with "mothering time," or time where I am solely focused on my children and not doing anything else simultaneously. I realize that it IS important for your children to see you exercising and reading your scriptures (how else will they see the importance of developing these as habits for themselves?) and for them to pitch in and help out with housework, weeding the garden, or helping out a neighbor. But at the same time, I feel it is very important for me to spend a certain amount of time every day where I am doing nothing but reading stories to them, or sitting on the floor playing with Lincoln Logs, or at the table coloring.

This isn't something I've necessarily worked out to my satisfaction, so I'm not writing about it because I think I have the perfect solution. Yes, I am happier with how I'm spending my time than I was six months ago. And I'm also happier with how I'm spending my time than I was when I was teaching the past two semesters. I love teaching, and I certainly appreciate the extra income, but it is really nice right now to have a slower pace to our lives. I'm not perfect, and I still get frustrated with my kids all the time, and I don't always have dinner ready right when my husband gets home, and some days I opt for a nap rather than exercising, and sometimes I fall asleep before I finish saying my prayers at night.

But I'm getting there, and I'm grateful for my progress, and I'm grateful for my children and for the chance I have to be their mother. And that my job is to be their mother. And that I have a husband who supports me in this, and that I belong to a church that advocates spending your time and talents on things of eternal significance. I'm grateful that I can acknowledge that I'm not perfect, and see that as a cause for renewed determination and a chance to set new goals rather than something that is impossibly disheartening. I'm grateful for an upbringing and a church culture that has taught me to think this way.

A few weeks ago I spoke with a friend that I haven't talked to in years. Literally, it's been about ten years. She was very distraught, and in the course of our conversation she said something that really made me think--she told me that lately she only wants to talk to Mormons, because they are the happiest people she knows.

I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life. I'm so grateful that I am happy, and that I know that my beloved family is sealed to me forever, and that my future is so full of potential--or, as President Monson remarked, "the future is as bright as [my] faith."

Mother's Day

Dearest little people,

Thank you for making me a mommy. I love watching you learn and grow so much. My days are often long, but there are shining moments that make them all worthwhile--like today, when I watched all the Primary children go up to sing to their mothers, and thought about how neat it will be next year to watch Abigail go up too...and then they began to sing "Love is Spoken Here," and you turned to me, Abigail, and said excitedly, "Mommy, it's your song!" because every night you ask for a song about Mommy and every night Daddy sings that song to you, and then you sang the whole song sitting on my lap along with the older children. That made me cry into your fluffy little blonde head, and when you sat on my lap for the whole song and didn't wiggle off until you were done singing, that made me cry more.

And then I cried some more when you said the blessing on dinner and specifically said, "thank you for Mommy being a mother and it is Mother's Day" (and by the way, you got really upset every time I cried, because you thought you'd done something to upset me, at which point Daddy explained, "Mommies cry when they are happy. That's the difference between mommies and daddies.") In any case, you've told me "Happy Mother's Day!" about every five minutes today.

I sure love you two and your daddy.

food for thought

Lately I've been thinking a lot about the spiritual nurturing of our children, especially after Conference. While I feel like we do pretty well on having family scriptures/prayer and individual prayers with both children, I'm curious as to what you/your parents do/did to really teach your children about the gospel. What do you feel is most effective? What is hardest for you to implement? Where do you feel like you're really making a difference? Please comment, because I'd love to know what's working for you.

One of our goals is to be more regular with Family Home Evenings. Our evenings are generally really busy, and for the last semester Neil's had to work late on Monday evenings anyway, so sad to say, the formal FHE hasn't been happening as regularly as we'd like it to. So we're stepping up to the plate this summer. We've also found it most effective to have family scriptures at 7 am together before Neil leaves for work (last semester we did it in the evenings since I left so early and it was much harder to be regular).

One area where I feel we're really doing well is in talking to our children about what/why we're doing church-related things and including them as much as possible as we fulfill our responsibilities. For instance, I always take the children with me when I go visiting teaching, and Neil often will take them home teaching as well. When I heard Abigail explaining to Juliet that we were going to be leaving in a few moments to "go take my friend's mommy a dinner, 'cause she is sick and that is a nice thing to do to help her out," I really felt like I'd accomplished something that day in teaching my children about compassion and service.

On a semi-related note (related to me because it was a rough morning that required a lot of patience!), here's one of my new favorite quotes (from Elder Russell M. Nelson) on child-rearing with the Spirit: "Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God's agents in the care of children He has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade."

And on a completely unrelated note, last night the wind really hit our crabapple tree. While I'm sad to see the blossoms go, I fell in love with the aftermath--doesn't it look like a (pink) fairy garden? Beautiful!