Why must you go so soon?

For months...okay, years I've been meaning to get back into blogging.  It's the method of journaling I enjoy most.  The past two years have brought many changes for our family which you would think would offer some good material to jumpstart me but it wasn't until today that I felt I couldn't deny the urge.



This morning I watched Paul, our French student board a bus to head home.  We only had him with us for two and a half short weeks.  It's amazing how much you can grow to love a person in that amount of time.  I feel like his departure has left a hole in our family.   Watching that bus drive away was a horrible way to start a day!

This all started months ago when Miles texted me from school (yeah, he does that) announcing that his new brother Paul would be staying with us.  Wait..what?  Slow down.  Suffice it to say, we were hesitant.  We felt our house was too small, our schedules too crazy but Miles persisted.  Surprise anyone?  We finally consented and it was the best decision!  I'm so grateful!  (Thanks Miles!)

It's interesting what you learn about yourself or your culture while trying to see it from another's perspective.  Yes, we as Americans eat too much, stay up too late, and cram too much into a day.  This gives me pause to think about what is really important.  I want to take more time to slow down and be together as a family.  I always thought we were pretty good about that.  We are closer as a family than we've ever been but I think we can do better.  The crazy schedules may feel mandatory now but will I look back and feel the same way after my kids leave home? 

Personally, I learned from Paul more about what it means to seize the day.  He never turned down an opportunity to experience something new.  What a great quality, right?  And he always had such a great attitude about it!  I kept thinking about times I have been in a foreign land feeling like everyone there was a little crazy and I longed for a sense of the normalcy of home.  If Paul ever felt this way, he didn't let it stop him. Thanks Paul for coming.  Please thank your parents for allowing us to have you here.  Thanks for the sweet note you left and the thing that you said just before boarding the bus that made me cry!  I can't even count the number of times Lucy has said today "I miss Paul."  Yeah, me too.

Sheesh!  I'm going to be a MESS when Miles leaves on his mission!

Think Twice

Since Miles has a campout this weekend with the scouts, he has to leave track a little early today.  He'd asked me twice to write a note to excuse him.  Thinking I was giving him as much responsibility as possible, I finally said, "Why don't you write it and I'll sign it."  It bit me back.  The note is written as follows.

"Miles, our son, is excused by the order of her royal highness, Queen Mom, from the aftermost half of all extra-curricular activities.  Her highness's royal carriage shall proceed to pick up Miles at precisely 10 minutes past the hour of four Post Meridiem.

Sincerely,
X______________"

I signed it with a flourish.

Bedtime Observations

Our kids always have something to say at bedtime.  Miles usually says something about a hypothetical situation or idea he has for an invention.  Emily and Lucy pour on the compliments.  Just as the door is about to close, Lucy always says, "You are the best mom in the whole world!"  She waits until that moment so I'll have to open the door again to respond.

Once when Miles was about four he and Matt were reading a bedtime story.  Miles said, "Dad, I have something to tell you.  Your breath doesn't smell very good....did that hurt your feelings?"  To which Matt responded, "No, you're a lot nicer than your mother would have been."

So tonight as Matt was tucking Emily into bed, she observed, "Dad, if you weren't in our family, I wouldn't laugh nearly as much."  Then she added, "And Mom wouldn't get mad nearly as often."  (I think she's referring to the literary license Matt takes while reading books to them and my responses from the other room.) Matt replied, "Yeah, but she wouldn't laugh nearly as often either."

Well said.

Are You Serious?

The other morning as Miles was convalescing from strep throat, I noticed he was coming in from the garage with a big orange extension cord.  After 13 years, I know to ask questions when I see something usual.  If I choose to let it go, I may regret it later--like the time a few months ago when he asked me for some fabric scraps.  I later found out he had decided to hand sew a new tie for himself (which he wore to a fireside that very night).  My response when he was done...."Hmmm...not too bad.  What did you line it with?"  Oh, it was just the lining from another tie he disassembled.  Nice.

Anyway, I asked him to stop in his tracks and tell me what his plan was with the extension cord.  I noticed he was unplugging his iPod that had been charging in the kitchen.  As he pointed to the couch he said, "I wanted to lie down over there but my iPod is dead."  Seriously?  As he saw the look on my face he replied, "I'm turning into America!"  Yeah. 

My Little Artist

Lucy has been talking for years about her dreams of the future.  She wants to live in Paris (used to be New York--she's branching out) and have an art studio.  Her husband will stay home with the kids while she paints and delivers her paintings to the art museum.  I proceeded to tell her about Minerva Teichert and the amazing artist she was while raising children at the same time.  She got all excited about that and said she'd just hire a babysitter when she needed to run to the museum.

For Christmas this year Lucy got a little easel and some painting supplies which she uses often.  She has even decorated her easel with glitter glue.

Today Lucy's first grade class is going to the Tacoma Art Museum for a field trip.  She has been SO excited!  I'm not sure what she's expecting.  This morning she said, "I love art museums.  It feels like where I'm born."  I love this girl.

Merry Christmas

Sorry Santa

Lucy:  I bet Santa can't do jumping jacks.

Mom:  Yeah, he's a little too chubby.

Lucy:  What does that mean?

Mom:  Well....fat.

Lucy:  Don't say that!!  Then you'll be on the naughty list!!!

Punchin' the Clock

That's right.  After 13 years, I've started working again.  (Not that I wasn't already working...I just wasn't getting paid for it.)  Today was my first day  as the Health Assistant at Lucy's school.  It's the ideal job--I'm off when the kids are off and I get to see Lucy now and then.  Besides, I LOVE the waves and smiling faces from the same kids I see at primary on Sundays.  This may sound weird but I'm even excited about the clerical part.  I enjoy making sure records are accurate and files are orderly...just don't look at the desk in my room to verify that.

It was SO strange filling out a resume!  All of my previous hire dates were in a different century.  I felt so silly turning it in.  They hired me anyway.  I had less than a week's notice.  It was a challenge getting everything done and I'm pretty sad that my days without 24/7 responsibilities with the kids (which were far too brief) are over.  Errands, doctor appointments, and trips to the gym are going to have to fit in somewhere else.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a W-4 to fill out. 

Times Haven't Changed

This is Miles on his second birthday.  We got him a toddler bed.  He called it his "toller" bed and he insisted on helping assemble it.  He LOVED it!  We couldn't keep him away from the hammer and screwdrivers.  He seemed so grown up to me. 

This is Miles eleven years later (and still holding the hammer in the same place)...

While we were in Utah last month, we stopped at a store that had loft beds.  The wheels in Miles' head started turning.  He could put his desk under his bed and have so much more room!!  He began to lobby for the opportunity to build his own.  "Okay, but only if you buy the wood yourself and you build one from an actual plan--not one constructed in your head.  You will be sleeping on this thing," I said.  I figured it would be a long process seeing that he was nearly broke at the time not to mention the weeks of assembling it.  What was I thinking?!  This is Miles we're talking about!

After kind and generous grandpas who employed Miles to his delight, a few babysitting jobs, and some car washing, Miles had enough money to buy the wood--the cheapest kind, mind you, but Miles doesn't like to wait when he's got his eye on a goal.  My friend Stephanie was kind enough to loan us her saw and sander and Miles and Matt started working on the bed Saturday. 

He was not allowed to use any power equipment without close supervision and you'd think this was worse for him than losing a finger would have been.  It made him crazy to have to wait for Matt to get home from work and finish piano lessons!  I was too afraid to help him with the saw until the last day when Miles literally looked like he was going to spontaneously combust.  So my fear of saws has subsided, I'll have you know.  Question: why do they call a piece of wood a 1"x 3" if it's not 1"x 3"?  That bugs me.

Speaking of spontaneously combusting, I had to step back and let Miles just do this.  So what if the screws aren't even?  So what if a cut isn't as straight as I think it should be?  It's okay.  It's Miles' project and he can do it how he wants.  We've only been home from Utah for nine days and it's done.  I think that's pretty amazing.  He was going to paint it but that would require more sanding and prep which just takes too long!!   It's okay.  This is his and he's worked hard.  To see his little note that he placed on the headboard made me remember what's important.  It says, "Knees first."  I love that.  If I have a son that remembers to pray, that's all I care about.

Miles' double bed is now Emily's and the girls' room has been dejunked like you would not believe!  It feels great.  Does anyone need two full garbage bags of stuffed animals?

So here it is.  Great job Miles!

 

Already?

As Emily, Lucy, and I were walking home from the library today Lucy shared some interesting thoughts--well, amidst her imaginary cell phone conversations with her stuffed animal (a platypus named Platy) she left at home.

Lucy: Elise thinks her mom knows everything.  But she's just six.  She'll understand when she gets older that moms don't know everything.

Mom:  Um...Lucy, you are six. 

Lucy:  Yeah, I just know.  Moms don't know the really hard stuff like why Heavenly Father was born.

I think my head just exploded.