My job as a mom is finally paying off!!!

Flashback to 2003 when I am finishing my last semester of college.  I was taking 23 credits during the summer and had just found out I was pregnant (meaning I wouldn't really use this degree that I was painstakingly working on).  I was enrolled in Marriage and Family for my religion class.  It was full but it was the only one that would fit in with the rest of my schedule and I spent the whole class sitting on a table by the door for my desk.  One day we were discussing having children and how the family was under attack (agreed) and it had become so bad that the only people who desired children were those in our church (do not agree).  The instructor continued to say that only church member wanted to have children so that they could raise a righteous posterity unto the Lord (what??) and people of the world were too selfish to do their duty (I don't think so).  So as this is going on I'm sitting on my table getting more and more annoyed at how bad he is painting the people of the world and how self-righteous he is making church people sound.  So I speak up (is anyone surprised about that?) and told him that was just not true.  People of the world still want to have families.  PLENTY of nonmembers want to have children because it is a part of who we are.  Wether people believe in God or not, most people have a desire for children.  It is a part of our inheritance as children of God to have that desire and even if we are not church members we still desire having kids.  AND people in the church don't say "lets have children so we can raise a righteous prosperity".  Who even really thinks of that?  When I wanted to have kids and found out I was pregnant with Heidi my first thought was Yes!!  I am going to have a baby and one day we will do fun things like read Harry Potter together!! Church stuff was the last thing on my list after books, picnics, snuggling, making cookies for them, etc.

Anyway, this was my rant to the teacher in front of the whole class and today I can say my motherly desire to read Harry Potter with my kids has HAPPENED!!!!  I've told Heidi for a few years that she will love Harry Potter if she just read it but she wouldn't.  She thought it would be scary.  Then the other night we all snuggled on my bed while I read Harry Potter to them.  The next day she snuck Harry Potter into her backpack and by the end of the week had finished the book on her own!!  I LOVE IT!!  She was so cute.  We went to Kids Time (children's museum sort of place) and while the other kids played Heidi sat next to me reading Harry Potter.  Yes, yes, yes!!  She is already on the second book.  It has been so fun watching her enjoy Harry Potter and I feel like I'm finally getting my reward for all the mundane mom I've done for eight years.  Now she is getting baptized, and it is a big deal, but that was always something my kids would do anyway.  It's like starting school, just something you knew would happen.  For me, having her interests turn to Harry Potter is way exciting.  I hope the other girls will also pick up Harry Potter and become fanatics as well.  Man I love having kids.

It's been a while

I never really have anything going on in life besides just the day to day so I never have fun cool pictures.  We have been doing a lot around here that is still nothing great, just stuff.  Heidi's birthday came and went.  She had a party with friends and we are planning her big baptism extravaganza.  We have lots of family coming and are excited for the big event.  Two weeks away!

 In other news I've had all these little revelations about my life recently that have been nice.  I'm learning more about the person I want to be and how to get that way.  I feel like I'm in a really good place right now and it has been fun.  I still get a little worried when I think of the future because I like to plan and prepare but you don't get to do that when you don't know where you will be in the next six months.  I will be excited for Ben to find his next job because I love planning everything.  It will give me something to work towards.

And since I happen to have a few pictures that were cute I will toot my mom's horn for her.  See that handmade beanie Blake is wearing?  My mom made those!  If you know my mom you know that she does not craft or create things in any way...not even dinner really.  She called one night to ask my kid's favorite colors so she could make them all hats for Christmas!  My kids happen to LOVE their hats (it's actually a little embarrassing because it just completes Heidi's nerd ensemble).  The other night Daisy was wearing the hat with a Superman cape and she looked cute/silly.

 Heidi took the picture of Daisy and it was so poorly done I had to put it in black and white to even see her.  She is a funny kid.  I really love my life where we find fun and joy in simple things like wearing a beanie with a cape.  The other day at a Relief Society activity the speaker said how she felt like all she was identified as is a Mom and a Wife.  She felt like she needed something more.  I confess I didn't understand her at all.  That is all I've ever wanted to be and I love telling people that I'm a Mom.  I get so much satisfaction from my job and while I may not be Mom of the year (there's room for LOTS of improvement) Ben thinks that I'm the coolest wife around and that is all I need.
 

Turning 8

 Last night I was in bed reading and at 11:15 I realized that I had not decorated for Heidi's birthday!  Ben was already asleep so I don't think he even heard my quick rush to make her almond poppyseed muffins and put up the streamers.  I like our little tradition and this morning Kaylee, who I have to drag out of bed, jumped up and asked if she could just run down really quick to see Heidi's decorations and then get dressed.  Well I was smart enough to tell her to get dressed first.  I got everything ready for Miss Heidi.  She didn't have any gifts since last week she got her big present of a bunny and cage.

 She's so pretty and responsible.  I really like having her.  She is just like me when I was younger-perm and all.  When we were young we got scriptures when we turned eight so Heidi's big gift was her first set of real scriptures.  She was excited and enjoyed getting a CTR ring along with them.  Her baptism isn't until Feb 4th.  She is excited about getting baptized.  We are excited that so many people are able to come for it.  We have reserved the church just so we can have dinner all together because there is no way all 26 of us will fit into our apartment.  It should be a fun night though. I thought the baptism would her party but she wanted to have some friends over as well so tonight we are having a pizza and movie party with a few friends.

 And here is a quick update on the bunny.  Daisy is a nut about it.  The bunny has been pretty good about just giving in to her when she can actually catch him.  Poor thing.  I have a video of her trying to shove the bunny into a Barbie car.  And I just had to post these picture of the Blaksters.  I love this little guy.

Meet Alex

I told the kids years ago while we were in Tennessee and unable to afford the deposit for a real animal that they could get one when they turned eight.  I liked the idea because it gave us a few animal-free years, only one pet at a time, and the added bonus that it would be their responsibility because they were eight and old enough to take care of an animal.  They would have to be responsible about it.  Well Heidi's eighth birthday is next friday.  We still are too poor to afford the deposit for a real animal like a dog or cat but they didn't say anything about a deposit for a bunny.  Heidi also has a bunny family of stuffed animals so it seemed like a good fit.  Heidi named him Alex.

It was fun giving her the bunny last night.  She has already read the care and instruction guide and informed me we will need to clip his nails for him.  And when we woke up and he had dumped over his food bowl, knocked down his toy and pretty much a made of his cage Heidi quoted from the manual that that would happen because they like to throw things.  She is taking it very seriously and even made me read the manual so I would know how to care for him while she was at school.  He has a cute reflective collar with a bell and a leash.  My job today is to meet both Kaylee and Heidi at the bus stop with the bunny.

The problem with having an animal is these two.  Daisy DOES NOT leave animals alone.  She loves animals but scares them to death.  All morning I have been holding off on getting Alex out by telling her she had to get dressed, eat breakfast, do her hair, etc but finally she got to play with him.  I'm glad they like the bunny though.  I feel like a real family now that we have a pet.  Ben was really nice about letting us get it too.  I was hesitant to ask but was surprised that he didn't even complain but instead went right along with it.  I am married to the best guy.

Happy New Year!!!

I love, love, love the new year.  I LOVE making goals!!  The funny thing is that my kids are aware that each new year we make goals.  Heidi reminded me yesterday that we hadn't done it yet but I was waiting for our FHE.  We made our goals tonight and I have to say my kids are pretty good at coming up with some.  It is also a pretty funny night when you combine all our personalities together as we scheme up some family goals.  I mentioned needing to work on saying my morning prayers more often and Heidi's eyes widened as she confessed she NEVER says them!  She was so funny about it.  And then when I talked of my personal goal to lose some weight I said that I had five pounds I still needed to lose from before but now it was up to eight pounds after the holidays.  Heidi's comment was, "so you gained three more pounds."  Yes, Heidi, I like to eat.  Thank you for pointing that out.  I really do love this feeling of a new year and new things to work on.  Kaylee picked not fighting with her siblings because she really is the only one that has a problem with that.  She's decided to cut out the hitting, biting, kicking, pinching and pushing this year...we'll see how that goes.  But she also has a goal to earn 100 Hawk Dollars at school which she is super excited to work on.  Overall I feel good about our family goals and think they will all be achievable as long as we work on it.  I just loved FHE tonight.  It was fun to discuss what we could work on, fun to play Just Dance 3 afterward, and the kids all went to bed so easily.  It was the perfect end to my day.  And now I get to snuggle down with an AWESOME book (The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand-you should totally read it if you haven't.  It's even better the second time around!).  I love my life.