The Mess Report #1

Every day we take our eyes off Bardo for a few seconds and turn around and find a BIG mess. Right now the Warlock is steam vaccuuming blue paint from our carpet. I just vaccuumed up a few green pepper seeds he'd sprinkled around. Thursday I removed his hand from a quart of yogurt as I ran out the door to take Pippi to school.

Pippi's Quote of the Day

Walking along the sidewalk, Pippi stopped to observe some fire ants consuming a dead worm. I told her how I saw ant ant eating a live worm in one of our planters. "Aw, they killed it?" she responded, and then, "Well, I guess that's life. I mean, fire ants have to eat too."

A Very Strange Chain of Events

About a week ago, we start getting ready for school to start. Pippi stomps her foot, telling me that she does not like school and says that she wants to just be with her family because school is boring.

I hear about the Spanish immersion program (from 2 different sources) in nearby elementary schools. I find out it's too late to apply. I am ticked.

Pippi finds out that one of her friends is doing the Spanish immersion program and asks if she can do it to. I feel frustrated, and say no because it's too late to apply.

The Warlock and I attend back to school night with Pippi. We meet her first-grade teacher to be. I grit my teeth through her presentation without even knowing that The Warlock is doing the same thing. Everything feels wrong.

I tell my friend who Pippi's new teacher is, and she says the same teacher was her daughter's teacher last year. She tells me not to worry and that nothing is set in stone.

On a whim, even though Pippi has already motorcycled home with the Warlock, I decide to go and visit her teacher from last year. She's alone in her room. We chat. She asks who Pippi's teacher is. I say the name, completely unaware of my misgivings being so obvious. She attempts to reassure: "Oh she's really nice. She's just quiet." I don't feel reassured. She begs me to tell her about it, so I lay it on her. I tell her how ticked I am that I didn't even know about the Spanish immersion program. She admits Pippi would have been a perfect fit. I tell her that Pippi doesn't want to go to school because she's bored. The teacher presents the option of promoting Pippi to second grade. The thought had never even ocurred to me.

As I walk home, I can't get the thought of second grade out of my head. Clearly the teacher she has is all wrong for her. When I arrive at home, the Warlock shares his impressions as well. We decide what we think we should do, and then we pray. Even the next day, we feel like this is the best option. I mull it over for the full day that I have, I even "teacher shop," trying to find a first grade teacher that I feel good about. And then I browse the web sites of the second grade teachers and I find the teacher I want for my daughter. Then I send the email to the principal. She gets back to me promptly, schedules Pippi to be assessed the minute she walks into the door of school this morning and magically, 45 minutes after walking into school, Pippi has been transformed into a second grader! (And without me even asking, she got the teacher I would have picked for her.)

So Pippi, that's how it went down dear girl. Some day you might curse me for putting you in a situation that will be challenging, but I want you to know that we were doing our best. You like to learn with the pack, and I'm afraid if you stay in first grade you will not like school because you will be bored. You might not be valedictorian or All-State Volleyball Champ because you will be a year younger, but this was what was right. Both Dad and I felt it and knew it, and your kindergarten teacher knew it, too. We all adore you.

Tadpoles

Wednesday Pippi, Bardo, and I went dog walking with two dogs. (We're dog sitting this week.) The expedition was less than successful. However, Pippi, while gazing into a puddle as I was glamorously scooping puppy poo found tadpoles! So we dumped out Pippi's hastily packed cereal from it's Ziploc bag and used the bag to catch one. We now have Maci the tadpole sprouting legs before our eyes and swimming in one of our old pickle jars. We are so lucky.

A Baby Girl w/ a "Beautiful Heart"

Wednesday we piled the family into the car to look at the baby. Bardo refused to sit in the stroller, telling us that he could do it himself. He sat on Nick's lap during the whole thing, entertaining us all with comments about the darkness of the room, the sink in which to wash hands, etc. He didn't think that the image on the computer screen looked much like a baby, and then the announcement came. "Do you want to find out the gender?" the ultrasound technician asked us. "Yes," the Warlock replied, "but I'm guessing that it's a girl." "You are right." Then, the Warlock gave Bardo a little squeeze, "Are you ready to have a little sister?" Pippi was smiling wide, but Bardo provided no reaction except a stunned silence.

Anyway, we're taking suggestions for names, and we'll let you know what we decide!

More Vacation Memories

I was flipping through the pictures on my camera, but there are a bunch of pictures I remember taking that are NOT on my camera. I must have taken them with someone else's camera. So Mom, Kristy, and Lisa, I expect you to find some way of sharing some of my proud moments as a parent, such as: Bardo washing his hair in the dog's water and than taking a drink, Pippi cruisin' around on a four-wheeler, Bardo hauling buckets of water at Spring Meadow Lake. And how did we not take a picture of us in front of The Parrot Confectionery?I also wish we would've been able to catch pictures of the dog, Max pulling carrots from the garden--and eating them!

Luckily, I did catch a picture of Bardo riding horses... (you can also see Pippi and Lisa in the background)
I also caught Pippi holding the dogs at attention, sort of.

And I didn't catch many good pictures of us on the waterslide, but I love these pool pictures. For a picture of Adam sliding with Bardo, please see here.

This was a great vacation! We're surviving the Houston heat, and we love being back with our Warlock and Hunter but I adored being with my family.

Horses

While on a walk in Montana, Pippi, Bardo, and I passed 3 beautiful horses. They saw us admiring them and quickly trotted over in hopes of getting a treat. Pippi fell in love. She started begging for a horse. I recited the reasons we were not able to accomodate this desire. She started begging to just ride a horse. So I told my mom about it. And she knew some people. And Pippi received a part of her hearts desire.

Where I am today... (inspired by Amberly and Jaime)

Today I am 5 or so weeks away from turning 31. I've been married 9 years 3.5 months. Since my marriage I've lived in Las Vegas, Utah, Montana, New York, New Jersey, and Texas. With each place we learn, we grow, and we get stronger. We plan on being in Texas for a very long time. We're finally settling down, and this settling agrees with me.

I'm pregnant right now for the fourth time, and I still pray daily for the health of this small child and the others in my care. And I pray daily for the health and safety of my good husband who loves me and challenges me daily. All of these people are children of Heavenly Father, and he loves them SO much, even more than I love them.

Now that I've been a wife for nearly a decade, you would think that I'd have gotten it down, but I must admit that "wifing" comes less naturally than mothering and requires balancing acts of the emotional and mental sort. I've wavered between being my hyper-aggressive self and an unwilling, unhappy doormat, and have found that neither works for me. I've found at times, I must be led, and then, at other times, I must be bold in what I know is the right thing. I take constant comfort in The Proclamation on the Family, knowing that my primary responsibility is for the nurture of the children, and I've become bold in communicating what I feel is right and where I need help in fulfilling this role. And I've learned that my husband needs attention, too, even if he's not begging for it the way children do.

I don't feel so very different from the brand new mother that I was 8 years ago, but when I think about it, I've changed. I'm much more deliberate about keeping my kids clean and tidy, where I was hesitant to inhibit any exploration by Stacy or Pippi when they were small. (Though I'm still a sucker for a mud puddle.) I'm firmer about establishing limits. I've learned the power of a schedule, tailored to a child's needs. I watch my children more carefully, trying to get to know them, and I try not to react too quickly (this can be hard for me). I'm less likely to physically waver at the sight of a tear, though my heart still melts. I'm calmer, much more likely to take advice from an experienced mother, less likely to rely on the advice of a parenting book (though I still read them). I don't look at the misbehavior of my children as a reflection on my parenting skills. I don't judge other parents by their child's behavior, either. And I know that the way I act and behave has a much more powerful effect than any parenting technique I could use. So, more than ever, I'm trying to keep my behavior in check. I'm more focused than ever on being organized, and I've realized that I've got to change many of my habits. Yet, even knowing many of my "issues," I'm more confident than ever that I can do the things that are most important to me.

Right now we attend a very strong ward. We have plenty of willing priesthood holders and plenty of capable faithful sisters. While I don't get much from sacrament meeting due to Bardo's antics (discussing four-wheelers and the location of his gum (LOUDLY) during the sacrament), I feel the Spirit so strongly through the Sunday School lessons and even the sweet lessons the primary presidency prepared for the children when I was the pianist. I went on vacation, and they released me from my cushy piano calling. Now, I get to work with the Young Women. Now I really must keep my behavior in check!