Bugs

This morning I was watching Moroni on his tummy. Usually it's his favorite position for coloring, but he wasn't coloring. He stood up and I realized he was holding an earwig. Eeewwwww!

He was so cute. He held it between his little thumb and forefinger of his right hand and would place it into the palm of his left hand. Then the bug would scurry around to the back of his hand and start up his arm. He would pick it off with his right hand and place it back on the palm. The bug then proceeded on the same path it had before with Moroni removing it back to his palm again. It was so entertaining to watch this procedure about five or six times.

Then he put the bug back down on the floor, he'd touch it, pet it, pick it up, put it down. You get the picture. Mary, Robert and Rachel were soon watching this with me. It was the cutest thing (Rebekah was just grossed out and wanted us to kill it). I left to go help someone with something and left Rachel with instructions to squish it once Mo was done. I then went back and told her just to release it outside. I figured it deserved its life after the torture Moroni was putting it through.

Lazy Days

This morning was great. We started with everyone helping get all the chores done in less than an hour!!! Hooray!!! The kids really like being given 3x5 cards with an assignment on it and turning it in when the assignment is complete. They told me this afternoon that they really don't like having a list of things to complete. There isn't much difference in what they do, but I guess this process is a lot more fun. The other bonus is that we start with a purple card that gathers us together for a family prayer before we start. Maybe there's just something about starting with the spirit?

Since we were all done by 10:30, we did almost nothing else the whole day (aside from cleaning up after anything Moroni or Ruth got into). The kids really enjoyed it and so did I. I'm now close to completing my current cross-stitch project.

Right now they are outside enjoying the late Summer days. It's a good thing cause while the sun is high, it's just too hot and humid to enjoy the outdoors.

The kids also let me know that they really liked scripture study last night. Rebekah and Rachel had a friend over and so did Joseph. They really enjoyed having scripture time with their friends because there were a lot of people (only two more). Rebekah and Rachel also liked being turned around and reading at the piano like a desk. If that's all it takes...

Joseph the Great

I wish I had a picture to post, maybe I'll grab one later. We all got our chores done pretty quick and we headed off to the pool after my piano lesson. Ruth wanted to go on the water slide and Joseph took her (yay)! After each slide she would say "Just one more" and to the top they'd go.

General Conference

For Family Home Evening everyone received their own copy of the General Conference Ensign. I told the kids that this will be our new family home evening manual. I don't think they knew quite how to take it, but I think it helped those who could read and follow along. I told them that they can get pens and mark it up and record their own impressions. Also, we'll be taking turns teaching the fhe lesson from General Conference. Rachel really wanted to do next week, but I told her we'll just go in order down, so Joseph gets it next and she can have it after Rebekah.

We read parts of the talk on being provident providers. We talked about delaying wants and about how we can better spend our family's funds. We also talked about pets. The kids have wanted pets, but they can be soooo expensive. They came to the conclusion that they will pay for their own pets with money that they earn (that also starts with Bekah's guinea pig).

We also talked about the small portion of money that they can be rewarded with and how they need to pay their tithing (first principle of provident living according to the talk) and then half can go towards savings and the other half they can spend.

The amazing part came after fhe. Rachel was waiting for Rebekah. While she was sitting on the couch, she was reading the talk that we had just covered for family home evening. I don't know if she was reading the two stories that I told them they could read later (Moroni was tired and grouchy from being at the pool all afternoon) or just looking at the pictures. What's exciting is that she was becoming familiar with conference of her own choice and interest!

Husbands of Pregnant Wives

Yeah, I know... my last post I commended myself for being quite good at keeping up on our journal, but that was a month ago. Better late than never?

Yesterday was a mixed bag at our house. The kids and I (and Robert) held a lemonade stand at the grocery store in Mt Horeb to raise money for pediatric cancer research (http://www.alexslemonade.org) Saturday Robert took the first shift with Ben, Mary and Joseph and I went home with little ones and Rebekah and Rachel.

I was pleased that I started laundry (we're behind since I've been at the lemonade stand... and at our house missing a couple of days can really stack up the laundry). I also got the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher (we were in a hurry to get out of the house) and I mopped the floor. The floor had been really bad cause the night before when we brought in the lemonade they of course had to have a few cups and it dribbled all over the floor with dirty feet. I then had the girls do their chores and we folded the laundry waiting for us in the living room. It had been an hour and a half and knowing that Robert didn't really want to sit out with the kids (he had a lesson to prepare for church), I loaded everyone back up and we did a shift change. I gave Joseph, Mary and Ben assignments (chore rooms, rotate laundry, clean yard, etc) and stayed at the stand with Rebekah and Rachel and their friend Nikki.

At 5pm I called Robert, he came to pick us up and we headed home. I got home first. I had wanted to get more done to prepare for the Sabbath, but felt like the lemonade stand was a good cause and at least I got the floor mopped. Well I walked into the house and discovered a huge spill of chocolate milk by the stove and little dribbles of chocolate all over the floor. I practically had to re-mop it. It didn't take too long, but was definitely frustrating. Robert walked in, figured I'd be pleased with the chores the kids got done while I was gone, but in entered a frustrated wife because her work was undone.

What I really needed was, "Oh Honey! I'm so sorry." But everyone was defensive and feeling like I was blaming them and Robert tried to tell me that it wasn't too bad. Not the thing to tell a pregnant hormonal woman. It just spiraled into a night of hurt feelings and a calamity of other events (having to take the tub drain apart to plunge out the soggy TP, etc).

By the end of last night I just wanted to give up on everything. Why keep trying if I'm just going to be knocked flat on my end every time I try. I had recently read a general conference talk that at the end mentioned our striving for perfection. He posed the question that if you take a letter out to the mailbox and stop halfway, then go halfway more, and then halfway more, etc, would you ever reach the mailbox? No, but you'd get close enough to mail the letter. After last night I felt depressed and hopeless. (probably just moody and tired).

I told Robert I didn't want to talk about it as we were going to bed because I've learned that fatigue really is half of the battle with me. Upon waking we talked and talked and talked. We finally worked through the issues of the previous night (he's soooo patient with me) but I was still distraught and wanted to give up on trying again (to mail the letter). I am so grateful for a husband who can recognize the promptings of the Holy Spirit and is the strong priesthood holder I need him to be. Wouldn't you know it but he pulled me out of that hole I tripped over and I'm going to try to go halfway more to the mailbox.