Countdown to Disneyland

Timothy is counting down the days until we go to Disneyland. Aren’t these two cousins cute?

The Year of the Bluetooth and the Blog

A year ago I couldn’t have told you what a bluetooth was; today I rejoiced when the bluetooth started working again for Daniel’s robot.

A year ago I said I would never have a blog.

A year ago I was a passive member of my neighborhood homeschool community; this year I am leading it.

A year ago I regretted buying these shoes. I think I like them better now.

It’s amazing what a year can bring.

Thoughts after chips and salsa

A funny thing happened last night on our date to La Placita.

We ate the same food we always eat.

We left the kids with the same instructions to eat macaroni and cheese.

We drove off in our white car.

All the usual.

We wove another uninterrupted strand of conversation encircling the regular topics of our lives.

We didn’t talk about our marriage* or anything metaphysical like,

“Should we send Daniel to a charter school?”

(Though Richard tried.)

No– last night was an airing of a commonplace conversation.

But even though we didn’t talk about our marriage directly,

I felt the line between “he” and “me” in our conversation begin to blur.

Our minds met, overstepping previous lines of demarcation:

I spoke a little more about politics; He, a little more about my church calling.

I realized that though our hearts learned to communicate first,

Our minds, sympathies and opinions are becoming less “his” and “hers” varieties today.

And these sympathies meet in our brief and precious dates over chips and salsa,

Further defining our marriage.

The Nicest Thing Anyone Has Said to Me in a While

Tonight a friend called to tell me about the moon rock that is visiting Tucson for 3 days. Yes, you read correctly: a moon rock! One of seven specimens you can touch in the whole world!

She said, “I thought you’d like to know about it because you love to touch things of science and the things of God.”

Zap! That one went right to my heart.

Thanks, Becky. I’m absolutely going to the museum on Monday to touch that moon rock myself. I’ll post pictures!

Yes, I realize I have overused the exclamation point in this post.

Gentlemen, start your engines!

No sooner are the Christmas decorations are stowed away in the garage than our house takes on a whole new emphasis:

Pinewood Derby Car Construction.

At our house, Pinewood Derby car engineering is more than working on a chunk of pine. It’s male bonding to the max. It’s late nights reveling in the odors of freshly sanded wood, metallic shavings, and graphite. (If graphite has a smell.) It’s an opportunity for tool acquisition; paint color tests and endless sanding of every surface, big and small. In short, its magnitude brings me to my knees,

“Can we please call it a night? It’s time for bed!” I plead.

Through the dust and settling graphite, I watch a father and a son, focused, driven, and so deep into the particulars that time and fatigue are no longer factors.

Last night we hosted a Pinewood Derby car clinic at church. I watched the sons with their fathers (and a few moms) and I felt a new affirmation in the power of

TIME spent together,

SIMPLICITY (despite a few gadgets),

and the BOND between fathers and sons.

And Mark, age 3, asked no fewer than 17 times if we’d make a car for him. He, too felt the draw of the blade, sander and pine. We did the math. In ten years, we will have 9 Pinewood Derby cars. Just one January without a race.

Leadership

Timothy, showing his hilarious entertainer side

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.
Dwight D. Eisenhower

My role as a teacher is less about imparting and more about leading.

And that’s why I have nothing to say this week. I’ve been living the art of leadership. This means I’ve just been too busy studying things I will ask my children to study, organizing, and forming a vision for the upcoming months. My brain has been intensely busy and my hands have lifted many things. None of it shows well on a blog.

Today I had to halt for a little while and rest my aching side. Sometimes the old scar tissue acts up and I spend the day hugging a heating pad. But it’s a small thing.

As I have rested, I’ve been able to see things I wouldn’t normally see in my usual hustle and bustle. I’ve watched some seeds that have (figuratively) sprouted in my children: jobs accomplished, attitudes and emotions checked, and skills honed. The true test of the training and education I try to provide will manifest itself in the level of self-discipline and love my children learn. I haven’t been disappointed today. There is a long way to go, but I’ve been given a glimpse of some progress today.

What we were doing 15 years ago

Here I am, jumping off a cliff with only a rope and a prayer and Dale Ross to catch me. It’s funny that I went through with this. I think I was trying to impress this guy…

who asked me to marry him a day later on January 3, 1995.

ReMARKable Quotes from 2009

Mark: Can you open the garage door?

Mom: No, I don’t want you running around the neighborhood.

Mark: I will WALK!

(4/6/09)

Mark: Are my dreams still in my room? They were not good dreams. They are bad dreams. Something was happening and I came into Mommy’s bed and said, “Mom, my room is a scary place.” Then we made some muffins.

(5/15/09)

Mark: Mom! Something is wrong with your bed! (The bed was not yet made.)

(5/09)

Mark: Where are my little markers?

Mom: I don’t know.

Mark: Maybe they rolled into a little mouse hole.

(5/15/09)

Paige: Don’t fall asleep, Mark.

Mark: Because I look weird when I am asleep?

(5/09)

Mark: Oh my goodness. Look at my eyes! They are not wet anymore!

Mom: Does that mean you are happy now?

Mark: Yes! I am! (jubilantly)

(5/19/09)

Mark, looking at some art: A long time ago in a land far, far away I did that.

(6/25/09)

Mark: I’m a little grown-up and I can prove it.

(6/24/09)

Mark: Am I too young to pull the car out of the garage by myself?

(10/09)

Mom: How about you come and play with playdough while I make dinner.

Mark: Would you like a little boy to accompany you…that lives in our family…that is me?

(11/13/09)

Mark, storming into the kitchen: Mom, please arrest my brothers.

(12/21/09)

Mark: I want to still keep my Legos when I’m rich and a big daddy-kid.

(12/28/09)

A Decade of Family Pictures

For a pensive kind of gal like me, I have to be careful when I dabble in memories. Some regret inevitably comes along with the smiling memories. It’s been a good decade overall, and full of lessons. I wouldn’t change any of the essential elements of the past ten years… BUT… If I could do it all again, I would change my hairstyle for the 2000 family photo and I would spend more time with Richard.

Happy New Year, everyone. Kiss your family and hold on tightly to them. They are everything.

2000

I had surgery #2 this year and was teaching New Testament each morning in our house for seminary and preparing to get braces. Paige was 4 and Daniel was 1. Richard was working at National Instruments.

2001

I’m wearing braces. I had surgery #3 in July. Richard worked at N.I. and I was a Cub Scout Den Leader. We began homeschooling Paige.

2002

Timothy was born on December 20. I was the Relief Society President. Richard was at N.I.

2003

Richard raised Timothy while I ran around as Relief Society President and homeschooled Paige. Braces were off!

2004

Paige was baptized, I continued serving as R.S. President, Richard continued to raise the children.

2005

We moved to Sahuarita. Richard began work at Raytheon. Daniel began kindergarten (2 children to homeschool). Grandpa John passed away. I was 4 months along with Mark in this picture!

2006

Mark joined our family. We moved into our current home. Richard was in the bishopric. Paige began studying ballet with Miss Michele. Paige and Daniel began piano lessons with Mrs. Albertson.