And the Winner is...

For the last couple of years we have given awards to the kids each week at family council. I like how it makes me look for good things they are doing and then come up with names for the awards like, "Be Your Own Boss" or "The Obedience Award." When we present the award, we tell about what the person has been doing and cite specific examples if we can. The kids like to guess who we are talking about. I like that after we present the award we all clap and cheer for them. It brings a smile every ones face. Yesterday, Nathan snuck in an award for me. It feels good, no matter how old you are. I love to watch Norah smile proudly as she holds her piece of paper and we clap for her. Even though I'm not sure she knows exactly going on, she still enjoys it. Last night she walked around with her little award certificate for a long time and got angry when she put it down and saw someone else with one, thinking they had hers. I've sometimes seen the awards hanging in the kids bedrooms. When we started this, I never thought a little piece of paper could mean so much.

bits and pieces

There has been so many things I've been neglecting to write about and I'm beginning to forget them.

Here's a few odds and ends so I can stop thinking about them.

*Me: Michael, you get more handsome everyday. I didn't think it was possible...
Mike: (shaking his in mock sadness) unbeliever

*Norah has a bobble head. When she nods, it is a very big affair. Her favorite words: again! whee! juice and no.  She says a lot more, but these are her signature words.

Even if I need to work on remembering our blessings, Merian has a natural gift for looking on the bright side and being grateful. Her prayers are always full of thankfulness. I've been saving a list she made at Thanksgiving time so that I could record some of the things she is thankful for. Some of the leaves on her chain are missing but here is what is left:

the world

M.C.P.

Art

P.E.

science

music

history

writing

teachers

my house

my family

instruments

books

food

toys/glasses

school

"evryfing" (everything)

animals

pets

Repenting - Or Why I Love NPR/PBS

If I could win one award, it would be for whining. I am a world class whiner. I try not to, mainly because I know my Mom and Dad will do what ever it takes to make my life easier and make me happy. Still, I'm ashamed to say I'm pretty darn good at it.

This morning I whined about having to go grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping. Especially if I don't have a complete menu planned. If I don't have everything written down I know I will forget several items and end up back at the store too soon. (Please see a fore mentioned loathing of shopping.)

I've been very uninspired as of late when it comes to dinner. I'm beginning to see why growing up, dinner in my house was often a rotation of spaghetti, tacos, pizza and hamburgers.  I'm tired of making and eating the few things most my kids will eat, even though they are quick and easy. Even more, I hate spending a considerable amount of time on a meal only to see it dumped down the sink and find my kids sneaking snacks in the pantry later. (At least they now know better than to verbally whine about not liking the food. Where did they get that whining habit from?) When the kids were little they would eat what ever I made. How have they all became so picky?

I put off shopping for as long as I can, but today I had to go. Shopping in December? I was not looking forward to it. I usually start stocking up in November so I don't have to enter the crowded stores. I couldn't come up with a menu that I was excited about and that I felt reassured that the majority of my family would eat. I also knew I would be getting tons of food to stock up throughout the holidays and I had no idea where I was going to put it when I got home.

So I whined about it. So much so that my awesome Big Edna (aka milk and banana fairy) offered to take care of Eliza so that I would only have to take care of one kid while managing two shopping carts. Yep, I whine; people help. It always makes me feel guilty, but apparently not enough to stop the whining.

On my way to Winco I was listening to a story about the living conditions of orphaned children (sometimes as early as the age of six or younger) working on cotton plantations in third world countries. I crumpled inside of myself. I was driving in my climate controlled vehicle to store filled to the brim of every kind of food imaginable. We are blessed for Nathan to have a good job so I can afford to buy food for our family. I thought of my little six year old and how he was comfortable learning about gingerbread men in his kindergarten class instead of begging for food or being beaten by the farming supervisors.

Not a day can go by that I listen to NPR that I do not realize how lucky I am to live in this country. My children are healthy. They are receiving an education. Nathan has a job that he finds rewarding. We have a home. After my shopping trip I had a kitchen stocked full of food and was so excited I couldn't decide which dinner to make first. What could I ever have to complain about?

When I walked into the produce section, Cyrus O'Leary pies were on sale. I'm still trying to decide if I regret not buying one. It doesn't matter. I didn't see any labeled "humble" and after recognizing my attitude this morning, a huge slice of that is what needs to be on my menu.

Did I ever write about how Norah was addicted to Halloween candy? She wanted to eat it all the time. All the older kids also shared with her when ever they had theirs, so she had plenty. One day, after I refused her request for more, she stomped into the school room. I kept folding laundry in the loft but it only took a moment before she came back dragging Megan by the hand. Then she pointed at me and very seriously and sternly told on me. "Do do do do do," it went. Megan looked at me quizzically until I explained the reason why Norah was telling on me. Megan promptly pointed her finger at me and lectured me about how I should let that baby have all the candy she wanted. Just having someone sympathize with her was all it took for Norah to be happy. Isn't that what we all need sometimes?

Norah is out of candy and the rest of the kids have instructions to keep it away from her. She has gone through the withdrawal and rehabilitation process and is back to asking for "cawn" (corn) when ever she is hungry and wants a "nack." (When she's really hungry she puts her fingers in her mouth for extra emphasis. The other day she woke up from a long nap and must have been really hungry. For some reason she tried to eat my fingers.) Luckily, now she is letting me warm up the corn instead of eating it frozen.

Last week when she went to her doctor's appointment she wanted to leave after seeing the doctor and didn't want to stick around for the immunizations. She kept pointing at the door and saying, "go." When that didn't work, she stuck her whole fist in her mouth and said, "snack!" It was her snack time, and we had a few things to get, so we stopped by the store on the way home. She was so excited when I pointed to the Vanilla Wafers on the shelf and held them all the way home.

Derek is ever the patriot. When Mike gave him some of his old pirate ships he traded Nathan until he had a complete American fleet and forts. He often colors things in red, white and blue. On the way home when Megan asked who wanted to play a choose your own adventure game Michael cried, "I'll be the wizard." Derek shouted, "I'll be an American." He also wanted to put an American flag on top of his birthday cake.

The other day Eliza wanted to play with something that Derek had and it was making her quite upset. Merian stepped in with a wonderful solution. Eliza dressed up like a princess, complete with a tiara and a wand and Merian wore a Little Red Ridding Hood cape. Then Merain guided Eliza through an entire episode of Super Why! (Eliza's favorite thing to watch.) I don't know what story she chose, but the story line is always the same and I heard them shouting out the familiar phrases with gusto as they moved through out the house collecting Super Letters. The answer to her Super Story Question was "w-a-i-t". Because of the fun way she was told the answer, she was happy with that and really didn't have to wait that long since her story had helped her past time. I think Merian is totally awesome.

Eliza was so excited to give the scripture in primary today. Just like the times when she was assigned to give her talk or give her part for the primary program, she practiced and had it memorized and couldn't wait to say it. Just like the other two times, when it came time to do it, she shrugged and looked at me with a smile and
I had to say it. Then, just like before, when we got home from church she complained that she didn't get to say her part! We had her say her scripture before family prayer tonight. Maybe if we have her keep practicing in front of the family, next time she will do it! Next time, I'm sending her dad up with her.

Tonight after reading her books I told her we only had time for one more. She laid them out and very scientifically chose:

"Eeny Meeny Mo Mo Mo, da da da da so, so, so. My mom told me to pick the one I want."

Eliza insists that her name is now pumpkin, but sometimes she is Little Red Ridding Hood.

Norah is currently eating nuts that she requested. She loves them. It is so strange to me that she can handle them. With her mouth full of teeth she can also eat tortilla chips. The other kids were so late at getting teeth they would always choke. Sometimes when I see Norah smile it looks like she is wearing dentures to me because I'm not used to seeing that many teeth.

Emma has been practicing the piano a lot. I love hearing her. She is very good at getting her school work done and using her afternoon time wisely.

Michael gave a talk in church last week. He came home from a babysitting job Saturday night and said he just remembered he had a talk. He worked on it right away and it's pretty good if I do say so myself.

For those of you who don't know me, my name is (state name) and I'm so grateful to be here. My talk is on gratitude, and how it is good to have a gratitude attitude. I am grateful for my family, our ward, our church, this world our Father in Heaven has given us, and for the small wonders of everyday life. Sometimes you see these wonders so much, that they become less, and less visible. You have to open your senses to the wonders of this world, and I quote from President Monson:
“a grateful heart,then, comes through expressing gratitude to our heavenly father for his blessings.” Close quote.
I have a scripture in Matthew chapter 15 verse 36, where Jesus is breaking the fish, and the bread to share with the crowd of thousands. The people were grateful for what little they had, and there was enough for everyone.. In the scripture it says, “And he took the seven  loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. We all need to be grateful, for we can give thanks on any day, not just this Thursday. I bare my testimony, that if you can be grateful, and have a gratitude attitude, you will notice a change in your life. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen

I hadn't previously given much thought to the fact that the food was blessed and thanked at the feeding of the multitudes, but it made me think that even though they didn't have a lot they were thankful and it was more than enough. In my life, if I am thankful it always seems like I have enough.

Megan got a dance card. There is only the New Year's Eve dance left that she can go to. That should be fun.
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There's an update. Did I miss anyone?

Bon Jovi lives in our house

Norah is so different than the rest of my kids. She is the only one that will not let me rock and sing her to sleep. Instead, we lay down in bed and watch the fish from the baby aquarium toy from Carrie's garage sale. I miss the rocking and singing but at least I still get to snuggle with her. On the plus side, she is different from everyone else because she actually usually sleeps through the night! If she wakes up she will just turn over and go back to sleep on her own!

Derek is constantly creating. We are keeping Costco in business with our paper and tape buying habits. The other day as he was building something he was enthusiastically singing, "We may not know if we'll make it or NOT! We've got each other and that's enough! Loooove....We'll give it a SHOT!  Oh! Living on a prayer. Take my hand, we'll follow God's plan. We'll make it I swear...." I can't remember the rest of the words he used, but he sang them over and over, never losing gusto. I'm guessing he learned the song from Lego Rock Band. I hope I can record it before he learns the actual words to the song.

I've heard that the third year of homeschool is when things start to come together. Although I still have a long ways to go to satisfy my idealistic self, things are getting easier and I am a lot more confident that the kids are getting a great education, a good social life and we have quality family time. All those nights of staying up until 3 in the morning are paying off. I'm hoping I only have a few more of those left. It's not fun, but it is so nice to see progress and enjoy the accomplishments.

Our school room is the most put together room in the house. I suppose that is fitting since we spent the most time there. Today I wrapped an old cork board in fabric and hung it on the wall. It looks like modern art! I wish I could do more things to decorate our home. Patience, all those projects and dreams in my head will happen...someday. :)