PTS

                                               

Today proved that  Rachel is suffering from PTS: Pre Teenager Syndrome-

1. Accident #1 before lunch (the #2 kind)
2. Accident #2 after lunch
3. Resulting in her favorite toy being taken away for one day
4. Spontaneously throws her arms around me and says "I love you". (yeah, she's not fooling anybody)
5. Trying to get out the door for preschool, "I'm going to go potty so I can get my toy back." (yeah, right)
6. After school errands were a success,albeit a little hyper and stressful for mom, ie this conversation:
R about Adam: "He's screaming."  Me: "I know, but please don't tell on him." R: "I'm not telling him, I'm telling you." Me: much laughter  R: "It's not funny!"
7. While putting groceries away, a tussle with Adam
8. When I tried to intervene I got a swat and a "Dang it, Mama!" (I let that one go. I was too stunned)
9. A good dinner followed by promise of ice cream
10. Accident #3 (the #2 kind again)
11. No ice cream
12. Great clean up time
13. Just about to repent and offer a chocolate instead when
14. She walks out of my room eating a stolen piece of chocolate
15. Bedtime pretty good,pjs, brush teeth,
16 "Go potty so you can get your sticker."
17. "I'm not listening!"
18. Accident #4
19. I'm done!*

*Before you start being concerned, and pouring in the advice, I really am on top of the fact that this is her personality. And I'll pour on the praise for positive behavior and she'll snap out of it soon enough. In the meantime, I will just shake my head and be grateful for bedtime!

For Wes

The last casual conversation Wes and I had has stuck with me. We were doing dinner dishes together after his mom had made us yet another fabulous meal.

W: "So, do you only take pictures of your house when it's clean, or is it really just clean all the time?"
Me: "Yeah, right. I barely take pictures at all cause I'm too busy. My house is cluttered and dirty daily."
W: "Oh good, I thought it was just us that couldn't keep up with it. Every time we really clean, it's dirty again two seconds later."

This got me thinking. I don't want to be one of those people who portrays a distorted view of my life. So, for your birthday,Wes, here is a picture of my house as it sits today, and just about everyday:

A Verse

I recently found myself sitting on an airplane, waiting for the final passengers to board. Flight attendants closed the door as the last passenger entered. She was a large woman, covered in tattoos, with disheveled hair, and a distinct cigarette smell. The kind of lady I’d be afraid to meet in a dark alley. She walked up and down the aisle a few times, searching in vain for an overhead bin to store her carry on. She tried to force it into a small opening, without much success. She pushed and shoved, but try as she might, couldn’t quite get the bin to close. You could sense the unspoken mood of the passengers on the plane. Frustration. Grumbling under their breath. “Come on lady. Just sit down.” After all, this wasn’t our problem. She should’ve gotten to the airport earlier. I found myself watching this whole scene unfold like a silent spectator. “She should put the wheels in first.” I thought to myself. “You can usually save an extra inch by sliding the wheels in first. I wonder if she’ll figure that out?” And then I heard a little voice inside my head. I’ve heard the Spirit speak to me on a few occasions. But this was the first time it’s ever sworn. It yelled at my conscience, and I quote: “What in the Hell is the matter with you?!!” And I suddenly realized, this wasn’t an actress on stage. And I wasn’t a powerless audience member. This was a human being. A fellow human being. Struggling with something, and probably embarrassed. I finally stood up and offered to help. As soon as I grabbed the bag, it was like the invisible wall between this woman and the rest of the passengers came crashing down. It was no longer an “us vs. her” mentality. But a combined “Us vs. this situation”. Several men took hold of her heavy bag, while others offered to help move their smaller items to free up space. One woman even commiserated with the lady “Don’t you hate the small overhead bins they give us?” There was a collective sense of accomplishment when we finally got everything to fit.

Too often we’re lulled into a sense of complacency when we’re in our bubble, or comfort zone. We feel insulated from our fellow man, and consequently justified in our self-imposed isolation. We figure “That’s someone else's problem. We don’t have any obligation to act. To speak up. Surely someone with a badge, a name-tag, or a position of authority will come along soon.” So I resolved from that moment….

I will not stand by like a silent spectator when I can step outside my bubble and help another human being. I will tear down the invisible walls around me, and stand up, speak up, show kindness, or assist in any way I can. I will no longer view my fellow men as actors on stage for my viewing pleasure. I will empower myself to step on stage with them should the need arise.

The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?

Answer.

That you are here—that life exists and identity,

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. –Walt Whitman

That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse!

Typical Thursday

Most Thursdays, we rush out the door to go to the library for story time. Miss Jen, or Sasha give us a half hour of their best silly songs and books. We do puzzles and return old stories while we hunt for new ones. Then we hop over a fence to go to this park next door with our friends. If I have my act together, we have lunch. If I don't-we eat random snacks from the bottom of my purse and go home sooner when our tummies are hungry. If I have my act together, then I have a grocery list and we stop at the store on our way home. If I don't-we go home and usually watch a movie.

Good-bye 2011

For New Year's Eve we probably would have preferred to stay home and fall asleep on the couch, but we had to keep up with the newlyweds (2 years is still new). So we climbed a roof that shall remain nameless, and got a great view of the Vegas Strip Fireworks. I'll admit that it was better than sitting on the couch. 

Did I mention that we brought chairs, blankets and hot chocolate up with us? Over the chain link fence, up the dumpster and pipe, and one more ladder? Yeah--I'm still wondering if it was worth it!

Oh wait, look at that view. Yes, it was

Like I said, we had to keep up with the young ones

Happy 2012!

Christmas Break

Jeff and Jill were in town for a couple of weeks. It is awesome to see them and we tried to spend time with them everyday they were here.
The favorite activity: golf!

I think the spectators had more fun than the golfers

These guys went to a midnight hockey game. You will notice who was smart enough to stay home!

Christmas 2011

Stockings!

See if you can find Rachel's present in the tree

She found it! Cinderella--she has had two of these and lost them both. So I wasn't going to get a new one, but she kept asking about it, so I decided Santa could get her a new one. Since Christmas we have found the other two. So now we have three Cinderellas. You better believe I have two hidden in case of another loss :)

Hugs after opening their presents from each other

the moment was only cute for so long until it turned violent

Thanks for the book Great Gpa!

Thanks for the dress up Gma Jean!

Santa brought Adam pvc pipe...yes, that is what he wanted thank you very much :)

But nothing is as good as bubble wrap!

This present was SUPPOSED to be from Santa...but the kids did a little snooping on Santa's workshop and caught the "elves" building. I asked Adam what he saw. "Daddy and Gpa are building!" What are they building? "A square!

I don't think it matters who it is from...

They love it just the same

 I was nervous because Adam kept saying, "It's not Christmas time yet. When it's Christmas, there will be snow, and Santa will come down the chimney." Yikes. I didn't think I'd have to deal with such obstacles so early on. 1. Adam doesn't know we live in 60 degrees on Christmas Las Vegas and 2. We don't have a chimney. Cue, awesome grandparents to the rescue! We spent the night at a house with a chimney, and we visited great grandparents who live in the snowy mountains on Christmas day. Whew, crisis solved. Time for a snowball fight!

Christmas Eve

We could have been done with Christmas after the Eve of. Family, good food, a few great presents, cookies for Santa, a bedtime story--that is happiness. 

 This was my favorite moment of the whole Christmas Season. Rachel was holding baby Jesus and noticed that his finger was broken off (that would happen to you too if you were a 30 year old plastic baby). She wanted to put a band-aid on him and kept checking to make sure it was still on tight. She rocked him for awhile, and then placed him ever so carefully into his cradle.

Sorry we didn't wait for you before we took the family pictures, Gpa!

The most important event of the night--the ranch for the carrots was a must

Not pictured--Santa got milk and water. Adam thought he would like that

And to all a good night

Christmas Festivities

Vegas has culture once again. We went to the Springs Preserve with our good friends and had a great time! There was a train ride for Adam and Reindeer (pony) rides for Rachel. It doesn't get any better than that.

Not Pictured: Opportunity Village and the awesome dance recital our friends were in. Plus the great Dragon spinning ride that we waited in line for almost an hour for. Oh, the things you do for Ryan...I mean, the kids.
Also, the ward Christmas party wherein we made our only gingerbread houses of the season and where we stayed as far away from Santa as possible.
And I'm sure we did a bunch of other stuff in December that I didn't record. We were having too much fun enjoying it!