Concerned

Today Hannah came home from preschool today and told me that she was playing "house" with Teague and held his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. Oh goodness! If she wasn't talking about who she is going to marry, playing house with boys often, and asking me how mommy's and daddy's have babies, maybe I wouldn't be as concerned. But I am. This girl has a fantasy mind like no child I've ever met. I do not know where she comes up with all that goes through her head. Can Disney really be this influential? We don't have cable, so she is limited by what she sees, atleast when it comes to entertainment. I know it is pretty normal for little girls to fantasize about marriage, princes', and babies, but Hannah really does seem to be over the top! What do I do? Aaron and I did have a talk with her tonight about "pretending" with boys. Ugh....I am not ready for these kind of discussions though at 5 years old. Do I have a valid concern people? or am I being ridiculous?

I'm also concerned about Nathan. Oh deary, this boy tries me daily. He is still having regular accidents in his underwear. He truly does not seem to care. The consequences are finally something that he atleast gets upset over, but still do not seem to be helping him to "get it". My mother-in-law is coming out in July to watch our kids and I am determined to have this completely taken care of. I know I still have 3+ months, but I'm worried. On the bright side, tonight he gave one of his great hearty chuckles. They are my favorite.

Abigail is about the most adorable little thing! When she closes her eyes and folds her arms for our family prayer each night, it completely melts me. It only lasts for about 5 seconds of the prayer, but it is truly the most adorable thing ever!!!!

So, I'm trying to take the good with the bad that inevitably happens every day. Please, oh please tell me that this is a very short stage that Hannah is going through and that she will lose interest in the whole boy thing.

Island Park, Idaho (picture overload)

I have the greatest friends! And not just because this one happens to have a cabin in Island Park and happened to invite us for the weekend. But it sure was nice and so much fun! Mandy and James bought a fixer upper cabin last year and have really turned it into a nice get-a-way place. It sleeps 24 people. Ya, 24! There are two kitchens and four bathrooms and a movie projecter. Honestly, we had so much fun. There was a whole lot of this:

 I am slowly learning that the only way to enjoy the snow, is to play in the snow. The dad's made snow caves, we went sledding off the roof of the cabin, and had snow ball fights. 

 

 

 Corbin and Hannah are a year apart. They played so well together the entire time. When we were leaving they blew each other a kiss. Ummmm....this could be a match made in heaven!

I haven't seen this much snow in years and years! It was so much fun!

 The icicles were huge! and the kids loved sucking on them.

This was a great snowball fight. Little Corbin has a really good aim!

I caught Abigail eating snow everytime we were outside.

Little Tessa didn't get to enjoy the snow with us, but boy oh boy was she ever happy to make faces for my camera. She honestly was the most perfectly content baby. And yes, I'm starting to get a little baby hungry.

The last night we were there, we roasted marshmallow's in the snow, told funny stories, and watched "Dispicable Me" on their giant movie screen. 

Goodbye Island Park! We hope to visit you again very, very soon.

Legos and the Book of Mormon

What started out like this today

Ended up looking like these

Thanks to a very talented and patient dad. This mom was SUPER impressed! and so were the kids.

Obviously legos have nothing to do with the Book of Mormon, but today was Stake Conference and we were given a challenge as a stake, to read the Book of Mormon by today's conference. We knew this would be a great challenge to follow for our family since at best we either read 3 verses before bedtime together, or we read out of the book of Mormon for children. When I could see that we wouldn't finish it together as a family, Aaron and I decided to continue to read with the children, but read more aggressively individually to participate in the challenge. Some nights I would read from my scriptures aloud to an individual child as they laid quietly in their beds. That really seemed to work and I was able to read quite a bit with them that way. The most impressive blessing I saw come to us happened just yesterday. Over the past few months our children have seen me reading to myself out of the Book of Mormon. They never said anything about it and would quickly go about playing. While doing Hannah's hair yesterday, she said, "mom, will you read the Book of Mormon to me?" I wanted to cry! Yes dear Hannah, I will read this precious book to you again and again and again. She sat there quietly as I read to her the words of that book. This is nothing shy of a small miracle to me because I promise you, just before we say prayers together at night it is nye impossible to get the kids to sit quietly for 30 seconds to hear the scriptures. But somewhere between now and last October, when the challenge was given to us, she saw us reading and I'm so grateful that example meant something to her. I can even see how Nathan was effected by it as well.

I love that no matter how many times I've read the scriptures, there is something new I learn every time. It is one book that apply's to every situation I've ever been in in my life. It truly is the word of God and I feel so incredibly blessed to have it apart of my life. I know it is true with all of my heart.

Melv's Post

Is there someone you just love so much that isn't your spouse or your child? There is someone in my life that I love so much. It's my older sister Susan. I love her. She was 11 when I was born and I remember watching her when I was little put on her makeup and thinking, "I hope I'm as pretty as Susie someday". She was always my friend and greatest support growing up. I have found letters she wrote me when I lived in Oregon with my parents during my highschool years. She always made me believe that I was someone special and that I deserved greatness in my life. I believed her. I really really did believe that she thought I was someone special. I think she still thinks that. But I want her to know how special she is to me. She has always been there for me. One time on my mission when I got to call home for mother's day, the family call was cut very very short. She could hear in my voice that I needed to talk more. What she didn't know is that I cried pretty good after that call and not 10 minutes later she had called me back. I wanted to reach through that phone and hug her. She has always given me what I needed and that night I needed a sisters loving words that I was ok and that I was where I should be. But the real reason I wanted to write about her today is because I don't think she knows just how much she means to my little family. Aaron and I consider her so much apart of our family. There is noone that knows our children better than she does, besides ourselves. She has saved me time and time again when I've literally come crashing down regarding the challenges of motherhood and at times, even marriage. She can somehow bring reason to me. She speaks my language. She is such a comfort to me. She has seen every side to Melissa that there is and she truly does love me anyway. She is brutally honest, which happens to be a language I speak as well and is probably why I can handle it. I've always looked up to her. I've always admired her. I've always been so proud of her and to have her as my sister. I confide in her and I think she confides in me too. We have laughed and cried so much together. She has been involved in every part of my life. She has been supportive of all that I have done. She has been a great example to me. She is my great friend. She is so very very loved by me.

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Being a parent is so darn much fun. Especially on holidays. We were visited by Darby, the leprachaun during the night. He left a trail of his foot prints to bowls of jelly beans and Lucky Charms (the kiddos favorite cereal ever!) He left a darling note and it was even more darling read to the children by their father in a true Irish accent!

And here's our darling little leprachaun and the note he left us

Wonder how long it'll take the kids to see Darby?

What brings you luck?

For me, it's happy children!

We have a fun filled day and I have a date with the Mr. tonight. I'm feeling pretty lucky!

If you were Me

If you were me you would only shower every other day.
If you were me you would put your hair in a braid most days.
If you were me you would be most comfortable in pj's all day.
If you were me you would crave chocolate all.the.time.
If you were me you would lock the door to finish a GREAT book.
If you were me you obsess over "healthy" eating. (doesn't quite go well with my chocolate addiction).
If you were me you would hate to exercise, but love the results.
If you were me you would be friendly to everyone, but a friend to a few.
If you were me you would be serious and wish you weren't so much.
If you were me you would laugh at the darlingness of your children.
If you were me you would want to cry at the naughtiness of your children.
If you were me you would have a burning desire to do what is right, but know that you don't always.
If you were me you would go to bed early and wake up late.
If you were me you would love to watch movies and eat popcorn with your husband.
If you were me you would be so grateful for your sisters and mother.
If you were me you would consider the house clean if your bed was made and the dishes were done.
If you were me you would have days you think you're doing great! and days, not so great.
If you were me you would be perfectly content to never leave your house.
If you were me you would still think of your mission to Holland every single day, more than 10 years later.
If you were me you would strive to overcome your fear of playing the piano in front of others.
If you were me you would be grateful and content for all that you have.
If you were me you would love to go back to school and finish.
If you were me you would want to grow a really awesome garden.
If you were me you long for the time of night when it is perfectly quiet.
If you were me you can't go to bed before checking on each child and kissing them one more time.

So now I'm wondering...how many of you are like me?

Setting an Example

I follow 3 blogs pretty religiously.  Today, one of those blog moms (whom I've never met) said just exactly what I am feeling today. I could probably just copy and paste her entire post onto mine, but to make it more authentic to my life, I'll steal her idea and write about the same topic:
 like mother, like child.
I am often drained by the things my children do:
- I keep tripping over toys today. The same toys I've asked/told my children to pick up numerous times.

-Their whining and fighting can make my very hairs stand up. Even sweet Abigail has learned to yell back at her older brother and sister and boy oh boy, can that girl yell!

-I'm quite certain that they have selective hearing. They can hear quite perfectly, "would you like a treat", but somehow the message gets lost somewhere between my lips and their ears when I say, "please come get dressed" or "it's time to go potty" or "help me clean up your room".

-They are not as compassionate to eachother as I wish they would be. It nearly breaks my heart to see one of them hurt another and not feel sorry about it.

And then today, it seems that I'll notice how very much they are mimicking me:

-I will trip over my own mess that I have failed to clean up.

-My own tone can sound like a whine or my volume is a little more loud than normal which could very much sound like the volume of their fights.

-I find too often Hannah repeating something to me because I am distracted and "not listening" to her.

-Just today I showed no compassion whatsoever while teaching Hannah some responsibility that put her into tears. Yep, not a bit of compassion. And yes, I did feel badly afterward.

Although, I do try not to beat myself up too much about mothering, since it is the HARDEST job in the entire world, it also scares me to see myself in them when it's the ugly self you see. Fortunately, there is opportunities to teach about love, forgiveness, patience, sacrifice, honesty, compassion, and so forth. It is these times I cherish, especially when I can see their little minds processing what I am saying. It is then, and only then, that I realize that I am setting a good example.

Star, Idaho

It's ever bit as quaint and cute as it sounds. With only 1700 people, how could it not be. Tuesday, I ventured out with my kids on a 6 hour drive to visit my sister and her family in Idaho. It was WAY more fun than I thought it could be. My kids were gems on the drive, played hard with their cousins, slept like angels, and gave me the break I was needing by allowing me to have a great visit with my sister.  I may be convinced that we need to have large trees to climb in, a tree swing to swing in, and a jungle gym to play in.  It may very well have been a little piece of heaven for the kiddos. Thank you! Thank you! Lizzard for the fabulous few days!

On the way home I enjoyed playing "I spy" with the kids and hearing them giggle over me not be able to find their "spy". We also talked about the more important things of life like, why Hannah can't marry her cute cousin Ryan even if he is so "nice" to her.  Hannah is at such an inquisitive age and she took full advantage of the confinement of the car to ask me a bazillion questions! Really, truly, she never ran out of anything to ask. It is fun to see how her little brain processes questions and answers. I enjoyed the drive there and back just as much as I enjoyed our time in Idaho.

A Glorious Spring Day

A Sunday Afternoon

We make dessert on most Sundays. Who am I kidding, we always seem to have dessert, but on Sundays I actually "make" something and today we made butterscotch cookies. Yum! One must always eat a good helping of dough before hand as well.

The kids were watching an animated movie about Jesus this afternoon, where Jesus is walking on the water. Hannah wanted to know how he could do that. We told her that he could do miracles and that He had a lot of faith. In all seriousness she said, "I wish I had more faith like Jesus". Oh me too Hannah. Me too. I'm so happy to see her faith is growing.

This jar of bubblegum has been my saving grace with potty training lately.

We are not completely over this hump yet, but Thank You! Thank You Grandma Rietfors for this treat. It's the best thing working for Nathan & Abigail at this time.

I discovered tonight that it is 100x's more hard to get the kids to bed when Aaron is home than on those nights that I put them to bed myself. Daddy is more fun, more playful, and much much much more of a pushover than I am. Wouldn't have it any other way and would still always have him home for bedtime than to trade it for those nights of doing it myself.

I'm trying to help Nathan expand his prayers. He never says anything more than "thank you for the food" and does not like us to prompt him to say anything more. This is his dinner prayer, family prayer, personal prayer. Doesn't matter. Tonight I really encouraged him to say more. Even talked with him before hand asking him what he loves and what he is thankful for. He came up with this.  "Heavenly Father, thank you for my sisters, my friends, and my cow flashlight and it's batteries". I'll take it! It's a step in the right direction.

Days like today are my favorite!

The Letter B & S

Ok, so this could be interpreted as BS, which is the kind of week I've had, but no, this is about joyschool. I'd be lying if I said I always look forward when it's my turn to take these munchkins and teach them something about playing, creating, helping, and sharing. But, in all honesty I stress out wondering if I've prepared enough to keep them happy, will they even listen to me, can I keep the "control Melissa" under wraps and not get frustrated when they inevitably will not listen. Happily, I almost always enjoy when the kids are at my house, but for some reason I forget how much fun it can be until my turn comes around again. Tuesday was not as much fun as today. I was in a bad mood and bad mood and Nathan do not mix very well. I'll just say, it was a terrible day! Today I was able to just let go of everything and go with whatever they had to dish out. I even cranked some music up towards the end and we danced like wild people. It was fun. It was therapy for me. Best of all the kids joined my craziness and we all laughed. Why oh why do I make some things more difficult than they have to be?

For the letter S, we talked about Spiders, colored Snakes, made Snowflakes, Spelled names, read Silly books, and most importantly, talked about Service. Best part about Tuesdays class was I gave each one of the kids a clorox wipe and had them serve me! They loved it!!! They cleaned every nook and cranny they could find. I had to literally bribe them to stop when it was time to move onto something else.

 

 

This was Nathan's contribution. I don't blame him. I really was in a bad mood and there is no getting him to do ANYTHING I want him to do if I show any sign of being upset with him. It is a constant battle I work on. I can't help but think that when I pray to be more patient, that Nathan is how Heavenly Father is trying to help me learn patience. Some days I do great. Other days, not so great. But I really love this boy, even when he pushes me to my very limit.

 

Today, with the letter B, we played Bingo, read Books, ate Bubble gum, Banannas, Bread & Butter, and played Basket Ball. Oh, and we danced like crazy people, but that doesn't start with B. I just needed it.

 

 

So, if you're in a bad mood, feeling down, or if you're like me and cold all the time, turn up some Michael Jackson music and DANCE! It's the cure for it all!