Stop growing, would ya?!

My kids are growing too fast, WAY too fast.  Especially Taylor. 

This past December, Taylor was just barely shy of my height, just barely.  And since then he's grown about two inches and has well surpassed his mother.  His voice is constantly cracking, he's in size 11 shoes, and last week he asked me to teach him how to shave the shadow of a mustache on his upper lip (to which I quickly referred him to ask his father. . . like I've ever shaved my upper lip before). 

He eats a massive breakfast, then a massive lunch, then a massive after school snack that resembles Thanksgiving, then another big dinner and constant snacking until bedtime.  After school, he always has a mouthful to tell about who likes who, what social rumors were spread around school, who tried to flirt with him, which girls are nice, and which other girls are "NICE". . .

When he was little, he was very physically demanding, as all little children are.  Now he does everything (but drive) by himself.  He takes care of his own hygiene, he does his own laundry and keeps  track of his own things, cleans his own room, and does his own chores without any help from me.  He is pretty independent and responsible.

But he has become much more emotionally demanding, as most teenagers do.  I need to be at the crossroads. When he comes home from one activity and leaves to another, I need to be there asking questions, giving counsel, complimenting, and showing love.  I need to be "all ears" when he's in the mood to talk, even when there are  a million things on my to-do list.  I need to make eye contact and show him that I'm interested in his life, in his feelings, in his friends, in his activities. 

As demanding as it is, I absolutely love it.  I love when he wants to tell me about his day, I love when he wants to invite friends over to "hang out", I love preparing good food for him, knowing that he'll love and appreciate it.  I love watching him lead out in social settings, sports, and church activities. 

There are bumps in the road.  There have been plenty of emotions-up and down, up and down.  And I'm learning that he'll occasionally ride that emotional roller coaster, but my job is to not ride it with him. My job is to be there when he gets off, to be a constant in his life, to uplift and compliment when he's struggling about an issue, to let him hold the reins and make a lot of decisions on his own, then to live out the natural consequences of those decisions.  My job is to be a mentor, and a friend.

And as difficult as it is sometimes, I wouldn't have it any other way.  I am learning how to be more patient, how to communicate effectively, how to let go of control, and how to love more deeply.

As my children are growing and developing, my role as Mother is morphing, changing, and developing as well.  And I wouldn't have it any other way!  Cheers to raising teenagers!

Uncle Sam is Home!

My brother Sam returned home from his LDS mission in San Antonio, TX  over New Years.  As all returned missionaries do, he had an awesome burning testimony, lots of humility, and lots of love for the Savior and for His Work, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39).

We only got to be with him all of 48 hours before he headed away to start college.  I am so grateful for his faithful missionary service, especially because I have boys who I hope serve a mission for our church some day.  My boys idolize their uncles, talk about how cool they are, and want to dress like them, act like them, and be like them.  I'm grateful for the awesome example Sam has been because I know my boys want to be just like him.  Same goes with all of my brothers, all 7 of them.

So proud of you Sam!

Boys "Fun" Camp

Taylor and Mason plan to attend Scout Camp this coming Summer.  The cost is $200 each, and we've told the boys that it's their responsibility to earn the money. 

Over Christmas Break, my boys decided to hold two days of "Boys Fun Camp" for all boys between the ages of 4 and 8.  The cost was $5 per boy per day. I helped them by thinking through different activities, crafts, snack, "attention grabbers", etc.  But when it actually came time to entertain the boys, Taylor and Mason did it all on their own, and I was pretty impressed.

The first Friday, we had 15 boys show up for two and a half hours.  Taylor and Mason directed them in some stretches (counting out loud just like you see football teams do),then they had some competitions on the trampoline, then some relay races, then a craft, then a snack, then kickball at the neighborhood park.  No one got hurt, thank goodness, and everyone seemed to have a good time.

The second Friday, 10 boys showed up for two and a half hours.  Taylor and Mason started with a few relay races, then taught the boys about bike safety, played Red light, Green light, then a craft and snack.  Then they all headed to the culd-e-sac which was coned off for some bike races.  All of the boys brought either a bike or a scooter.  They weaved through cones, practiced going/stopping at green/red lights (made out of construction paper and Popsicle sticks), and had a few team races.

I watched through the kitchen window a lot of the time and was impressed with a few things.  First, Taylor and Mason always gave really clear directions before proceeding to the next activity, then made sure each of the boys understood exactly what was expected of them.  For example, instead of saying "OK, now we're going to go ride bikes, so go get your bikes", (which would have been an absolute disaster with 10 little boys), Taylor had all the boys sit down and then waited until all were paying attention.  Then he said, "First, we're going to go into the garage, find your helmets and bikes, then wait for further instruction".  Then, after that task was completed, he said, "Now, I want you to ride down into the culd-e-sac and sit down right under Parker's tree in front of his house".  Then, after that was accomplished, Taylor and Mason proceeded to tell the boys what games they were going to play.  I checked outside a few times, and all 10 boys were eagerly waiting their turn in line to ride through the cones, practice stopping at a red "light", etc.  I was surprised to see how organized things went.

We have some darling little boys in our neighborhood, and I'm grateful for their parents who entrusted their little boys in my big boys' care. 

Overall, after all expenses were paid (craft materials, snack) Taylor and Mason earned about a third of their way towards Scout Camp.  And better yet, they had a great learning experience that will some day benefit them as they try to entertain their very own little boys. 

No More Passies!

She has graduated from the pacifier, finally!  With all my other babies, I helped them put away childish things, i.e. pacifiers, bottles, etc. . . shortly after they turned one year old.  And for good reason too, because usually there was another "baby" on the way and the current baby needed to grow up and become a big girl/boy. 

But Kate is still our baby, now heading towards 3 years old.  So she still sleeps in a crib, because no one else has booted her out.  And up until two weeks ago, she was still totally and completely addicted to her "passies".  This past six months, we've tried to keep them in her crib and let her use them only for  bedtimes.  But frequently, she'd somehow get ahold of them and hide in the corner while sucking away.  Comfort.  Pure comfort!

As I was christmas shopping at Target one day and going through the toy section, Kate noticed a princess baby doll and wanted to hold it.  Without thinking, I said, "You can have that princess baby when you're ready to give up your passies". 

So for the next few weeks, she would frequently ask me about going to the store and giving the store worker her passie so she could get the princess baby.  We talked about it with the kids, and they each visited about it with Kate. 

Finally, when she said she was ready, we found all the pacifiers in the house and drove to Target.  While in the store, she kept putting them into her mouth, then I would remind her that she was a big girl and that she shouldn't put them in her mouth. She'd pull it out and say, "I'm just kissing it bye bye" and would give it kisses.  So funny!

We found the baby she wanted, went to the counter, and while Abby distracted Kate, I explained what was going on to the store clerk and paid for the baby.  Then Kate came up and stood on the counter, kissed her passies one more time, then very solomnly, almost tearful, she handed them to the clerk as the clerk called her a big girl and handed the baby to her.  Sounds funny, but it was a little emotional for me.  I could tell that it pulled at Kate's emotions.

Since then, we've had a few rough nights.  But I felt like Kate was old enough and aware enough to remember the experience and reason with me.  "Remember Kate, you gave your passies to the store worker at Target. So now you can snuggle with your princess baby instead of your passies."

Now she's a big girl.  But still, my baby.

Abby's Arm, Again!

Back in February, Abby broke her right arm on the monkey bars.  It was a nasty break that left her in 4 different casts until the beginning of June.  We were glad to be over and done with that, especially since Summer was coming.  And casts get quite stinky and uncomfortable during the hot AZ summers.

I should have knocked on wood.  In late October at Taylor's soccer, Abby and her cousin were kicking around during half time.  She tripped and broke her arm.  I heard her cousin running across the soccer field, screaming "Aunt Becca. . . Aunt Becca. . . Abby broke her arm again".  And I panicked, especially when I saw Abby holding her arm together with her sweatshirt and screaming.  The same arm.  The same two bones, just 3 inches lower towards her wrist.  The same dramatic trip to the ER, the same closed operation, IV's, morphine. . .

This time though, as opposed to February, Abby's veins didn't collapse due to shock, and the ER doctors were able to get an IV in and working within about 20 minutes of the accident.  Then morphine came 5 minutes later, and she could finally calm down a bit.  Last time, it took over an hour and 6 pokes of the needle to find a vein that worked.

She had an orange cast for the first month to honor her soccer team, "Orange Crush".  She couldn't play but instead because the team's biggest cheer leader and the coaches "assistant".

Then she switched to a red cast, in honor of Christmas.  The cast comes off in mid January, then a brace for a month.

This picture is a little graphic and still makes my stomach turn every time I see it. . . but for history sake. . .

 Kind of weird. Needless to say, she's popping calcium supplements daily now.  And I'm knocking on wood that it doesn't happen again.

One thing I don't want to forget-- the main thing Abby screamed about on our way to the ER was her desperate need for her father to give her a priesthood blessing.  Unfortunately, John was about 40 minutes away at a meeting for work.  But Abby's uncle and another worthy priesthood holder in our church came quickly and administered to her.  Abby felt the strength of that experience and later shared with me her testimony of the power of the Priesthood, the Lord's power here on earth today.  I couldn't be more grateful.

Merry Christmas

I love this time of year, even with all the hustle and bustle.  I love it because it always refocuses me on the importance of the Savior in my life, and of the love of family.  

In November, when the Thanksgiving Holiday comes, I tend to count my blessings and recognize all that is good and wonderful in my life. Through this process, my heart becomes a little more tender, a little softer.  Then December comes.  And if I allow myself to look past the commercialization and find quiet time to contemplate and "feel", then comes the quiet, deep warmth of the love of God into my prepared heart.

I am confident that everything good in my life has come from my Savior.  Because I try to follow in His example, I am more and more able to feel of His love for me.  And that brings such peace and joy. 

Now, with Christmas and December coming towards a close, the goal is to remember these peaceful feelings all throughout the coming year.

Merry Christmas!

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/glad-tidings-of-great-joy-the-birth-of-jesus-christ?lang=eng

Learning to Write

Andersen has enjoyed preschool this past semester.  I've been impressed with how much he focuses on following directions, tries to color in the lines, hold his pencil correctly, and memorize his phonograms.  He loves to learn, and I love that he loves it.   With kindergarten this coming year, he's been really working on writing his name.  Whiteboards make it fun to practice.  Last week, he came to me sooooo super proud of himself because he had remembered every letter and had written his name all by himself, with NO help.

Almost perfect!  He just forgot the letter "s". 

I LOVE this age, and I LOVE this left-handed boy.  He is such a smiley ball of energy in my life.