Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Gluten Challenge
I am now on the gluten challenge. This means that I get to stuff my face with gluten containing foods for the next 2 to 3 weeks in preparation for my Celiac panel. I am excited for all the bread, cookies, cake, homemade pasta, and resaurante food that I will consume while I can!!! Wish me luck keeping off the accompanied pounds that come from all those carbs!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
25 Rules for Moms with sons
I copied this from a blog, here's the link: http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=1 if you want to check it out. I just thought this was way too good to pass up! Love it!!!
(Source: pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com via Tabitha on Pinterest)
1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.
2. Be a cheerleader for his life
There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.
3. Teach him how to do laundry
..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.
4. Read to him and read with him.
Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents." Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.
5. Encourage him to dance.
Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn't have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.
6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).
7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).
8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.
9. Teach him to have manners
because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.
10. Give him something to believe in
Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.
11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle
like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.
12. Let him ruin his clothes
Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.
13. Learn how to throw a football
or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.
14. Go outside with him
turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It's like magic.
15. Let him lose
Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.
16. Give him opportunities to help others
There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.
17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.
This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.
18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"
Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.
19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.
especially the wipes.
20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.
21. Give him something to release his energy
drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you'll be sorry.
22. Build him forts
Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.
23. Take him to new places
Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.
24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).
25. Be home base
You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.
(Source: pre-schoolplay.blogspot.com via Tabitha on Pinterest)
1. Teach him the words for how he feels.
Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.
2. Be a cheerleader for his life
There is no doubt that you are the loudest person in the stands at his t-ball games. There is no doubt that he will tell you to "stop, mom" when you sing along to his garage band's lyrics. There is no doubt that he will get red-faced when you show his prom date his pictures from boy scouts. There is no doubt that he is not telling his prom date about your blog where you've been bragging about his life from his first time on the potty to the citizenship award he won in ninth grade. He will tell you to stop. He will say he's embarrassed. But he will know that there is at least one person that is always rooting for him.
3. Teach him how to do laundry
..and load the dishwasher, and iron a shirt. He may not always choose to do it. He may not ever have to do it. But someday his wife will thank you.
4. Read to him and read with him.
Emilie Buchwald said, "Children become readers on the laps of their parents." Offer your son the opportunity to learn new things, believe in pretend places, and imagine bigger possibilities through books. Let him see you reading...reading the paper, reading novels, reading magazine articles. Help him understand that writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are the transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.
5. Encourage him to dance.
Dance, rhythm, and music are cultural universals. No matter where you go, no matter who you meet - they have some form of the three. It doesn't have to be good. Just encourage your son that when he feels it, it's perfectly fine to go ahead and bust a move.
6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).
7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).
8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.
9. Teach him to have manners
because its nice. and it will make the world a little better of a place.
10. Give him something to believe in
Because someday he will be afraid, or nervous, or heartbroken, or lost, or just need you, and you won't be able to be there. Give him something to turn to when it feels like he is alone, so that he knows that he will never be alone; never, never, never.
11. Teach him that there are times when you need to be gentle
like with babies, and flowers, and animals, and other people's feelings.
12. Let him ruin his clothes
Resolve to be cool about dirty and ruined clothes. You'll be fighting a losing battle if you get upset every time he ruins another piece of clothing. Don't waste your energy being angry about something inevitable. Boys tend to learn by destroying, jumping, spilling, falling, and making impossible messes. Dirty, ruined clothes are just par for the course.
13. Learn how to throw a football
or how to use a hockey stick, or read music, or draw panda bears (or in my case alpacas), or the names of different train engines, or learn to speak Elvish, or recognize the difference between Gryffindor and Slytherin, or the lyrics to his favorite song. Be in his life, not as an observer but as an active participant.
14. Go outside with him
turn off the television, unplug the video games, put your cellphone on the charger, even put your camera away. Just go outside and follow him around. Watch his face, explore his world, and let him ask questions. It's like magic.
15. Let him lose
Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.
16. Give him opportunities to help others
There is a big difference in giving someone the opportunity to help and forcing someone to help. Giving the opportunity lights a flame in the heart and once the help is done the flame shines brighter and asks for more opportunities. Be an example of helping others in your own actions and the way your family helps each other and helps others together.
17. Remind him that practice makes perfect.
This doesn't just apply to performance-based activities (like sports and music) but also applies to everything in life. You become a better writer by writing. You become a better listener by listening. You become better speaker by speaking. Show your son this when he is just young enough to understand (that means from birth, folks - they are making sense of the world as soon as they arrive), practice trick-or-treating at your own front door before the real thing. Practice how you will walk through airport security before a trip. Practice how you order your own food from the fast food cashier. Practice, practice, practice.
18. Answer him when he asks, "Why?"
Answer him, or search for the answer together. Show him the places to look for the answers (like his dad, or grandparents, or his aunts/uncles, or his books, or valid internet searches). Pose the question to him so he can begin thinking about answers himself. Someday, when he needs to ask questions he's too embarrassed to ask you - he'll know where to go to find the right answers.
19. Always carry band-aids and wipes on you.
especially the wipes.
20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.
21. Give him something to release his energy
drums, a pen, a punching bag, wide open space, water, a dog. Give him something to go crazy with - or he will use your stuff. and then you'll be sorry.
22. Build him forts
Forts have the ability to make everyday normal stuff into magic. Throw the couch cushions, a couple blankets, and some clothespins and you can transform your living room into the cave of wonders. For the rest of his life, he'll be grateful to know that everyday normal stuff has the potential to be magical.
23. Take him to new places
Because it will make his brain and his heart open up wider, and the ideas and questions and memories will rush in.
24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).
25. Be home base
You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Alyssa's turning 8
My little girl is turning 8 years old on Tuesday. Since last year she was completely jipped on her birthday I thought I would start a tradition I've seen some friends do and blog about my little lady. Alyssa shares a birthday with my Grandmother, her great-grandmother. It's a pretty big deal and she thinks it's pretty neat. This year since she is turning 8 she gets to be baptized. She is really excited and has been looking forward to it for a long time. That and getting her ears pierced. We let Natalie get hers done when she was 8 and so Alyssa wants hers pierced as well.
Some things I love about Alyssa:
She LOVES to swim! During the winter she still asks to go swimming.
She loves rocks. She collects them. She will put them in her pockets on our walks home from school everyday. This love of rocks she seems to have picked up from her Grandmother and Great Grandfather on Nate's side. I love it now that I understand where it came from.
She loves birds, and animals in general. When we are playing either at the park or at the school she will stop what she is doing and chase the birds. She has never caught one, but it doesn't stop her from trying!
She loves the monkey bars now that she can go across them well. She even has the blisters/callouses to prove it.
She is artistic. She LOVES to paint! She loves to paint anything from pictures on paper, to ceramics, to wood. She currently is fascinated by mermaids so she's been painting/coloring pictures of mermaids.
She is sensitive. It's a blessing and a curse.
She is a great friend. Above is Alyssa with 2 of her closest friends that are not related to her.
She is very smart and has a pretty good size vocabulary. Not only does she have a great vocabulary but she uses the words in a sentence correctly.
She can ask great questions. Alyssa this ability to ask questions that get right to the heart of the matter. She picks up on things that most 8 year olds don't. Sometimes it's a bit of a challenge because the questions that she asks are almost always the ones that you can't really answer properly in one or two brief sentences. It only gets difficult when we are in a hurry to piano lessons or somewhere else and she wants to know the meaning of life....(heeheehee). Ok that's not one of her questions, but really, the kid is a thinker.
She still loves to sit on my lap and play the tickle game with her Dad. She has the sweetest little giggle and we love to hear it.
She is a petite little thing but she hates it when people call her skinny.
She loves stuffed animals, especially her little friend Fizz the monkey.
She is honest. Sometimes brutally so. I have to tell her sometimes that even when something is true, it doesn't always need to be said.
She is a great teacher to her younger siblings. She has a way of explaining things so that people can understand them. Much like her questions she can simplify things and get straight to the heart of the matter....just like her Father.
She loves to play with her younger brother and will sleep in his room with him at night so that he won't have to sleep alone.
She has big, beautiful blue eyes.
She has my freckled cheeks.
She hates piano lessons and only kinda likes to read.
She LOVES to dance and sing. She loves ballet to be more specific and she loves dressing the part. She would wear tutu's all day and too school if I let her. She makes up songs about all kinds of things. I've heard songs about how she loves Jesus and songs about how she wants to be a mermaid. It's great.
Obviously I could go on and on with this list. I'll save some for her actual birthday party.
This girl is so sweet and I feel blessed to be her mom! I can't imagine our family without her and I'm so proud of her. She is quite the little lady. I'm thankful that I get to have this little girl call me Mommy everyday. Happy birthday Alyssa!
Monday, December 26, 2011
2011
Fair warning, this will be a long post. I seem to be a cluster blgger. I'm not good at posting something everyday or even every week. I seem to do it in clusters. Sometimes several in a day. Annoying I know. I can hardly believe it's December 26th. The year went by fast and slow all at the same time. The year started with Nate's Dad, Glenn's passing, and my Alyssa's birthday. It was the same day. I still can't believe that this Christmas was our first without him. The kids still talk about him and I keep pictures up on the walls with him so that the kids will keep him in their minds and hearts. Some of the them are young enough they may not remember him well so I figure this way even if they don't have a lot of memories of him he will be someone they know because we talk about him and have his pictures up on the wall. We also lost Nate's Grandfather. He was a truly great man and I still tear up a bit when I think about his passing. He was a blessing to so many and me and my family especially!
The coming year will bring many changes for our family. It's an exciting time yet I'm already struggling with it. We will be moving to Virginia in June after school ends and the kids are about the same as I am, nervous but excited. We are hoping to go to our Glenn Goodman family reunion in April and I'm super excited about that. We are also planning on making the trip out to Virginia a fun one and visit family along the way.
During the summer we went to Yosemite with our Glenn Goodman family and it was so much fun! The only issue we had was getting there. We all, except for my wonderful Nate get motion sick. The road to Yosemite was not straight and therefore we had some sickies....I'll leave it at that. It was great spending time with cousins though and we're looking forward to next years adventure.
My wonderful, talented, fabulous husband, Nate is doing well with work, the move is proof of that. He is being promoted which is why we have to move. He is still gone a lot but we look forward to having him with us much more once we are there. The picture above is pretty typical. The thing he is giving the kids a ride on I'm not sure what you actually call it, but it's a four-wheeled bike thing that we used to pedal around on when we were dating, years ago. Now that his Dad has passed we have it at our house and the kids love it. Nate is really good about playing with the kids when he's home. Whether it's riding them around on this thing, or roller blading with them, or working with them he's always doing something with them. He's a really good teacher too so when the kids need help he's the one I recommend the kids go see. I love him so much and I'm very grateful for him. I chose.....wisely.
Fortunately, I can't find any current pictures of myself. This one is more current and has all of us in it. I am still trying to finish losing weight. I have about 15lbs to go and I'm 28 down. I am still doing Shelf Reliance, and taking care of the kids. With all that the kids are doing in school and extra curricular things I don't have much time for anything else. I read a couple of books this year that I liked, Killing Lincoln, and The Help. Loved them both! Killing Lincoln was great because a great deal of the book is about Richmond and the history of that city and the state of Virginia. I have always loved history, and I had forgotten much of it and so it was a good book for me. I joined the gym again, Merry Christmas to Nate....and me. I am also helping a bit with caring for my Grandma who is 91. It's a joy to be able to spend so much time with her and it makes my heart happy that my kids will remember her and have memories with her!
I am teaching Valiant 8 in Sunday school next year and this last year Valiant 9-11 boys. It was interesting and fun. I'll sure miss those guys next year.
This last year also brought the passing of my great aunt Drue and that same week, her brother, my great uncle Paul. It was really, really sad for me and my kids and also a bit weird planning 2 funerals so close together. Aunt Drue spent alot of time with her sister, my grandmother and our family. She was such a neat lady. She and my Grandma made my prom dress when I went to prom with Nate. Anyway, she was 95 when she passed and a truly wonderful woman. We miss her terribly.
Natalie has had a big year. She now has braces AND glasses and is doing well in piano. The first couple years were difficult for her but she seems to be enjoying it and now playing songs that she knows and can sing too. She also decided to join the school band and is learning to play the drums. It's a LOT of fun to see her in concert! My brother Brian and sister Sara were here visiting and were able to see her first performance along with my sister Melissa, Amy, Whitney, and new Brother Michael. Everyone was here for Whitney and Michael's wedding Dec. 2. Natalie is an excellent student and LOVES to read. In her class she is the top student and she also LOVES science. She is always asking me to do science experiments. For Christmas this year we got some kits for science projects we can do at home. Natalie is quite the leader and coordinates dances and cheers at school, recruiting anyone who wants to have a part. She choreographs the whole thing and assigns out the parts to each girl. It's pretty fun to watch and hear about.
Alyssa. She is growing so much! This last year has been an interesting one for her. She is also taking piano lessons and hates them. I tell her that she will like it soon. She isn't convinced. When we ended the school year this year, I was a bit discouraged. Her teacher was not what I expected and Alyssa was struggling a little bit. Over the summer though we took Alyssa to the pediatrician and had some blood work done. With my family history of celiacs and her difficulty focusing, her tiny little frame and lack of growth I thought we should have her checked out. She came back as positive for the problem and also had not gained any weight or height in a very long time. So long that the pediatrician was pretty concerned that I take her off of gluten completely and feed her everything healthy that I could as much as she would eat, focusing on veggies, and lean meats, rice and potatoes. Needless to say she hasn't put on a huge amount of weight but she has grown 2 sizes and her weight is catching up. School is not a struggle anymore and her focus is sharpening. She is extremely imaginative and artistic. She LOVES to sing and play. She also LOVES science and nature. Anything that has to do with outdoors she loves. Birds, trees, rocks, mountains, anything. She is very sentimental and like her mother emotional. She, like me, is a bit shy and feels uncomfortable making new friends, although, she's a very good friend. The picture above is of her and her cousin Brynn. To say that Alyssa loves this girl would be a bit of an understatement. She thinks she is her sister...or should have been. They are 2 peas in a pod, definitely kindred spirits. This picture was taken at Great Grandpa Brown's funeral and the two were inseparable. They had a fantastic time just being together.
Conner turned 5 on Halloween this year. He is such a joy. I knew he was supposed to come to our family before he was even thought of. Now that he's here and growing so fast I understand a little bit more of why. He is such an even tempered, kind, and caring little guy. He is a friend to literally EVERYONE. Not just kids his age but people more than 10 time his age. He will strike up conversations with sweet old ladies in wheelchairs at the grocery stores. Before we leave the little old ladies are nearly in tears and Conner is hugging them telling them to have a good day or they are his friend now. When Conner used to go to the rest home to visit my great uncle Paul, Conner would stop to visit with some of the residents there. Tell the older ladies that they looked beautiful that day or else another one something other sweet thing, and he really means it. He isn't not scared by their skin being wrinkled or their hair being gray or white (most of my kids are). He just treats them like he would anyone of his friends, and it makes their day. At school when we walk home random kids who aren't in his class say hi to him and call him by name. Even those on the other end of the school in 6-8th grade. This kid just loves everyone and they know it. He is still a kid though and has his moments at home. Overall though he is such a well behaved child and we feel extremely blessed to have him in our home. We tried this year to start him in piano and he actually did pretty well but he really didn't want to do it and I want him to want to so we will try again next year or the year after. He is doing super good in school and his teacher Mrs. Ebersole is FANTASTIC. He loves her and is learning so much not just about letters and numbers but about manners and structure. It's been fun to watch him grow.
Ethan. He's 2 this year. He is such a funny, fun little guy to have around. He is just busy, busy. He loves to take things apart, make messes aka helping, and be with his Daddy. Ethan LOVES his Daddy. He is a lot like him too. Though in many ways he reminds me of his Uncles. He climbs everything and runs constantly. I'm told that Both his uncle Matt and his uncle Ben did those things. He's a bit mischevious and is very strong-willed. He makes us laugh quite often though and is such a sweet little one. He looks very much like his older brother and I get comments frequently about that. I've even had people ask if they are twins. He is trying to do everything Conner does right now and it's so cute sometimes. Other times it's not so good.
This photo of Ethan is pretty typical. He is "fixing" our Rockband drums. Yep, he's Mr. Fix-it. Or fikit, as he would say. He loves his blankie that Grandma Goodman actually made for Conner. Ethan just attached himself to it and Conner didn't seem to mind. He loves his find-it, which is his pacifier. He should be off of it by now but we are babying him far too much and he still gets it. Soon enough it will be gone. He still takes naps and enjoys time with mommy in the mornings when all the other kids are at school. He is growing up so quickly and has actually mellowed quite a bit from 6 months ago when he would NEVER stop moving. He is so much fun and Nate and I both are really enjoying him.
This picture was when we were in line at Disneyland for Peter Pan. The only reason he survived was because he could climb on the railings. I'll blog about Disneyland in another post, which will most likely be mostly pictures.
We had lots and lots of great experiences and made lots of great memories. We also had some sad ones. The sad ones made me appreciate the happy ones even more. Time is precious. We never ever know how long we have to be here or what the future holds. So I cherish every minute that I have with family and friends in familiar places. Happy new year to all our friends and family. We love you and hope the new year brings happiness and joy to each of you and yours!!
The coming year will bring many changes for our family. It's an exciting time yet I'm already struggling with it. We will be moving to Virginia in June after school ends and the kids are about the same as I am, nervous but excited. We are hoping to go to our Glenn Goodman family reunion in April and I'm super excited about that. We are also planning on making the trip out to Virginia a fun one and visit family along the way.
During the summer we went to Yosemite with our Glenn Goodman family and it was so much fun! The only issue we had was getting there. We all, except for my wonderful Nate get motion sick. The road to Yosemite was not straight and therefore we had some sickies....I'll leave it at that. It was great spending time with cousins though and we're looking forward to next years adventure.
My wonderful, talented, fabulous husband, Nate is doing well with work, the move is proof of that. He is being promoted which is why we have to move. He is still gone a lot but we look forward to having him with us much more once we are there. The picture above is pretty typical. The thing he is giving the kids a ride on I'm not sure what you actually call it, but it's a four-wheeled bike thing that we used to pedal around on when we were dating, years ago. Now that his Dad has passed we have it at our house and the kids love it. Nate is really good about playing with the kids when he's home. Whether it's riding them around on this thing, or roller blading with them, or working with them he's always doing something with them. He's a really good teacher too so when the kids need help he's the one I recommend the kids go see. I love him so much and I'm very grateful for him. I chose.....wisely.
Fortunately, I can't find any current pictures of myself. This one is more current and has all of us in it. I am still trying to finish losing weight. I have about 15lbs to go and I'm 28 down. I am still doing Shelf Reliance, and taking care of the kids. With all that the kids are doing in school and extra curricular things I don't have much time for anything else. I read a couple of books this year that I liked, Killing Lincoln, and The Help. Loved them both! Killing Lincoln was great because a great deal of the book is about Richmond and the history of that city and the state of Virginia. I have always loved history, and I had forgotten much of it and so it was a good book for me. I joined the gym again, Merry Christmas to Nate....and me. I am also helping a bit with caring for my Grandma who is 91. It's a joy to be able to spend so much time with her and it makes my heart happy that my kids will remember her and have memories with her!
I am teaching Valiant 8 in Sunday school next year and this last year Valiant 9-11 boys. It was interesting and fun. I'll sure miss those guys next year.
This last year also brought the passing of my great aunt Drue and that same week, her brother, my great uncle Paul. It was really, really sad for me and my kids and also a bit weird planning 2 funerals so close together. Aunt Drue spent alot of time with her sister, my grandmother and our family. She was such a neat lady. She and my Grandma made my prom dress when I went to prom with Nate. Anyway, she was 95 when she passed and a truly wonderful woman. We miss her terribly.
Natalie has had a big year. She now has braces AND glasses and is doing well in piano. The first couple years were difficult for her but she seems to be enjoying it and now playing songs that she knows and can sing too. She also decided to join the school band and is learning to play the drums. It's a LOT of fun to see her in concert! My brother Brian and sister Sara were here visiting and were able to see her first performance along with my sister Melissa, Amy, Whitney, and new Brother Michael. Everyone was here for Whitney and Michael's wedding Dec. 2. Natalie is an excellent student and LOVES to read. In her class she is the top student and she also LOVES science. She is always asking me to do science experiments. For Christmas this year we got some kits for science projects we can do at home. Natalie is quite the leader and coordinates dances and cheers at school, recruiting anyone who wants to have a part. She choreographs the whole thing and assigns out the parts to each girl. It's pretty fun to watch and hear about.
Alyssa. She is growing so much! This last year has been an interesting one for her. She is also taking piano lessons and hates them. I tell her that she will like it soon. She isn't convinced. When we ended the school year this year, I was a bit discouraged. Her teacher was not what I expected and Alyssa was struggling a little bit. Over the summer though we took Alyssa to the pediatrician and had some blood work done. With my family history of celiacs and her difficulty focusing, her tiny little frame and lack of growth I thought we should have her checked out. She came back as positive for the problem and also had not gained any weight or height in a very long time. So long that the pediatrician was pretty concerned that I take her off of gluten completely and feed her everything healthy that I could as much as she would eat, focusing on veggies, and lean meats, rice and potatoes. Needless to say she hasn't put on a huge amount of weight but she has grown 2 sizes and her weight is catching up. School is not a struggle anymore and her focus is sharpening. She is extremely imaginative and artistic. She LOVES to sing and play. She also LOVES science and nature. Anything that has to do with outdoors she loves. Birds, trees, rocks, mountains, anything. She is very sentimental and like her mother emotional. She, like me, is a bit shy and feels uncomfortable making new friends, although, she's a very good friend. The picture above is of her and her cousin Brynn. To say that Alyssa loves this girl would be a bit of an understatement. She thinks she is her sister...or should have been. They are 2 peas in a pod, definitely kindred spirits. This picture was taken at Great Grandpa Brown's funeral and the two were inseparable. They had a fantastic time just being together.
Conner turned 5 on Halloween this year. He is such a joy. I knew he was supposed to come to our family before he was even thought of. Now that he's here and growing so fast I understand a little bit more of why. He is such an even tempered, kind, and caring little guy. He is a friend to literally EVERYONE. Not just kids his age but people more than 10 time his age. He will strike up conversations with sweet old ladies in wheelchairs at the grocery stores. Before we leave the little old ladies are nearly in tears and Conner is hugging them telling them to have a good day or they are his friend now. When Conner used to go to the rest home to visit my great uncle Paul, Conner would stop to visit with some of the residents there. Tell the older ladies that they looked beautiful that day or else another one something other sweet thing, and he really means it. He isn't not scared by their skin being wrinkled or their hair being gray or white (most of my kids are). He just treats them like he would anyone of his friends, and it makes their day. At school when we walk home random kids who aren't in his class say hi to him and call him by name. Even those on the other end of the school in 6-8th grade. This kid just loves everyone and they know it. He is still a kid though and has his moments at home. Overall though he is such a well behaved child and we feel extremely blessed to have him in our home. We tried this year to start him in piano and he actually did pretty well but he really didn't want to do it and I want him to want to so we will try again next year or the year after. He is doing super good in school and his teacher Mrs. Ebersole is FANTASTIC. He loves her and is learning so much not just about letters and numbers but about manners and structure. It's been fun to watch him grow.
Ethan. He's 2 this year. He is such a funny, fun little guy to have around. He is just busy, busy. He loves to take things apart, make messes aka helping, and be with his Daddy. Ethan LOVES his Daddy. He is a lot like him too. Though in many ways he reminds me of his Uncles. He climbs everything and runs constantly. I'm told that Both his uncle Matt and his uncle Ben did those things. He's a bit mischevious and is very strong-willed. He makes us laugh quite often though and is such a sweet little one. He looks very much like his older brother and I get comments frequently about that. I've even had people ask if they are twins. He is trying to do everything Conner does right now and it's so cute sometimes. Other times it's not so good.
This photo of Ethan is pretty typical. He is "fixing" our Rockband drums. Yep, he's Mr. Fix-it. Or fikit, as he would say. He loves his blankie that Grandma Goodman actually made for Conner. Ethan just attached himself to it and Conner didn't seem to mind. He loves his find-it, which is his pacifier. He should be off of it by now but we are babying him far too much and he still gets it. Soon enough it will be gone. He still takes naps and enjoys time with mommy in the mornings when all the other kids are at school. He is growing up so quickly and has actually mellowed quite a bit from 6 months ago when he would NEVER stop moving. He is so much fun and Nate and I both are really enjoying him.
This picture was when we were in line at Disneyland for Peter Pan. The only reason he survived was because he could climb on the railings. I'll blog about Disneyland in another post, which will most likely be mostly pictures.
We had lots and lots of great experiences and made lots of great memories. We also had some sad ones. The sad ones made me appreciate the happy ones even more. Time is precious. We never ever know how long we have to be here or what the future holds. So I cherish every minute that I have with family and friends in familiar places. Happy new year to all our friends and family. We love you and hope the new year brings happiness and joy to each of you and yours!!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Black Friday
I've never been a huge fan...unless I have money to spend and someone to go shopping with....Sadly these two things never happened simultaneously. I do have a nice list of things I want though.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
We're moving...
I'm still in denial/shock. I am not as strong as I thought I was. I feel like I should be so excited and happy but I'm struggling with thoughts like, it's going to be sad to leave all my friends, and my girls friends, ow can I do this to them? Take them away from their friends and Grandparents and wonderful ward members? I'm going to have to leave my chickens (which I have ALWAYS wanted) behind, along with my cats who I LOVE and the house Nate and I always planned to stay in forever!!! The life I have always wanted is here. I've only ever wanted to stay here with my husband and children and family. I'm going to have to leave it all behind...am I strong enough? I can't even think about it or I cry...talking about it...forget it! Right now I am just not thinking about it (denial) and praying (that that dreadful day in June will never come) & for wisdom, strength and courage to do what the Lord wants us to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
