I have not been very good about keeping this blog up to date. Truth be told though, there isn't really a lot to report. We are still trying to buy a house. Hopefully things start to turn around on that front. Dan is still in school, enjoying his summer school professor much more than the professor who taught his programming class during the regular school year. He is doing so much better and is much less stressed than the first time he took the class.
Nate is getting so big! For Father's Day we made a build a bear monkey named Mikey. I recorded Nate saying "I love you" and put it inside. Dan LOVED it! He almost cried when we gave it to him. So I'm counting that as a win :) Nate is getting to be a little chatterbox. He says Mom, Daddy, Elara, please, thank you, up, down, cookie, chickee (chicken), hi, bye, Jesus, amen, NO, yes, treat, fishie, doggie, go; he roars like a lion, growls like a dragon, and says more stuff that I can't think of right now. He is getting very talkative and is really good at expressing himself and his desires. Oh, and he also says soda. That's not one of my favorites. I actually wish that he didn't know that one.
He is loving nursery and church. He doesn't put toys in his mouth as much as he used to :) and he will now sit still and fold his arms during prayers. He is so darn cute. When we have family prayers, I pause, saying "in the name of....." and he looks up and exclaims "Jesus" then I pick back up again, and he says amen. He also loves to look through his books and find pictures of Jesus and fishies. He is a young man of varied interests.
I love watching Nate grow. He is such a goof. And he is determined and smart. He finds ways to achieve his goals. Some goals that I object to are climbing onto the pool table, climbing onto the counter to get cookies, climbing out of his high chair, climbing into or out of his crib and catching Princess. You may have noticed a theme there. Climbing is one of Nate's favorite ways to pass the time. He and Elara play very well together. They also scheme together very well. One day they had been climbing onto the pool table and throwing the balls. I kept getting after them, and eventually took the picnic table -their means of climbing onto the table- putting it in the kitchen and closing the door. The kids worked together. They each took one end of the table and walked it through the dining room, down the hall, and back to the pool table. They're smart and they're organized. Watching them together makes me kind of glad I didn't have twins. I don't know how well I would do in that particular situation.
We are currently preparing for the Anderson Family Reunion. This weekend will be nuts. Friday I am headed up to Show Low for Uncle Chet's funeral. Saturday we are cleaning the church building and going to Ricky's (Nate's friend from swim class last year) birthday party. Then Sunday, after church we leave for the reunion! Yay! I am looking forward to seeing Tim, Diane, Kami, Sara, Jack, Madi and P.J. Nate is getting excited too. I don't know that he really knows what's happening, but I keep showing him pictures of family members and he likes that. Plus, whenever I talk about the reunion or camping I put on my best excited face and that gets him pretty jazzed too.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
living scriptures
there's a cool giveaway. For posting a link to their facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/livingscriptures
I love Living Scriptures. Dev had 2 DVDs and really enjoyed them. Now that Nate is getting a little bigger, I'll be getting some more. Way better than Elmo, or Curious George. After all, these are good, solid gospel lessons. :-)
http://www.facebook.com/
I love Living Scriptures. Dev had 2 DVDs and really enjoyed them. Now that Nate is getting a little bigger, I'll be getting some more. Way better than Elmo, or Curious George. After all, these are good, solid gospel lessons. :-)
Monday, May 10, 2010
remembering Grandpa Adams
Hey everyone. I started up a new blog for Grandpa Adams. It's:
rememberwhen-orsonglen.blogspot.com
My intention here is that we can all share our stories and memories of Grandpa Adams, and his family members. Because I love to reminisce and to share stories, and I would LOVE for Nate to know how important his great-grandpa was to me, even though he won't be able to meet him in this life. And, I like to hear stories that other people have about him. It's interesting, to me, to know the "other sides of Grandpa".
A few years ago at the family reunion, I won the dollar raffle prize. It was a geneology cd. Well, I was looking at it last night and came across a funny story from Grandpa's childhood. I'll put that on his blog later tonight. But it got me thinking, and it was the inspiration for my new blogging endeavor.
I want everyone to be able to be a contributor, so if you send me your email address, I'll "give permission" and hopefully we'll all be able to share.
rememberwhen-orsonglen.blogspot.com
My intention here is that we can all share our stories and memories of Grandpa Adams, and his family members. Because I love to reminisce and to share stories, and I would LOVE for Nate to know how important his great-grandpa was to me, even though he won't be able to meet him in this life. And, I like to hear stories that other people have about him. It's interesting, to me, to know the "other sides of Grandpa".
A few years ago at the family reunion, I won the dollar raffle prize. It was a geneology cd. Well, I was looking at it last night and came across a funny story from Grandpa's childhood. I'll put that on his blog later tonight. But it got me thinking, and it was the inspiration for my new blogging endeavor.
I want everyone to be able to be a contributor, so if you send me your email address, I'll "give permission" and hopefully we'll all be able to share.
Monday, April 19, 2010
and now I can talk about it
Well, it is now Monday. Yesterday was not as terrible as I feared it would be. It got off to a rocky start and I did NOT want to get my butt up and go to church. I did though, mainly because I hadn't set up a sub to teach our class. Dan and Nate stayed home and I headed off to Primary. I didn't even go to Sacrament meeting, just Primary.
Today is one of those days that makes me so grateful for my calling. The primary kids are great, and I love their sweet Spirit. For me, it's easy to feel the Spirit so very strongly when I'm around the kiddos. And today that was my saving grace. I did fall apart a little and had to dash off to the bathroom during singing time. "How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? He sent His Son to die for us, and rise with living breath." The sound of a room full of sweet children's voices singing those words really got to me. And when I had composed myself and walked back into the Primary room, Anna took me back into the hall and gave me a hug. And that simple gesture of friendship was enough to help me get through the rest of sharing time. By the time church was over I was feeling so much better and so much stronger. Then Brita sought me out to make sure that I knew that I was in her thoughts today. It was great to feel so loved and so supported today. And it was what I needed.
As I was about to head out, I remembered that I needed to write down a phone number to schedule an appointment to renew my Temple Recommend, and luckily was able to catch brother Haws as he was headed out. He did my interview right then and there. And when he asked me if I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I cried. And said yes. Today the Atonement touches me in a very special way. It's not focused on as much, but Christ suffered not only to atone for the sins of mankind, but more importantly, to feel every pain and hurt so that He can empathize and comfort us in our sorrows.
After church Dan and I took Nate out for a fun filled day. We kept really busy and he had a great time. All of a sudden I was struck with the thought that we should take some flowers to the cemetery for Emma. The thought just popped into my head, so I made the suggestion to Dan. We had the hardest time with that. Not just emotionally, though that was rough too. But logistically as well. I had never been there, and Dan hasn't been back since the funeral 3 years ago. So we called mom & dad to get a general idea, but still couldn't find the plot. So we called Justin & Sara. Turns out the marker hasn't been placed yet, but Dan found the general vicinity. There were 2 unmarked plots next to each other. So I pretended that one was for Dev. I didn't realize at the time how difficult it would be for me, not knowing where he was buried. I am glad that we went, and I am glad that things worked out the way they did.
Afterward we took Nate to the park and let him run around for a while. It was an emotionally draining day, but much better than it could have been. Then, this evening while I was sitting at the computer I heard voices outside the door. At first I thought it was Suzanne, but no one came in, and then there was a knock at the door. Imagine my surprise when I opened it to let the Gregg family in. Anna and the kids had walked over with cards and hand drawn pictures for Dan and me. Pictures of our family with 2 little boys playing together. I have pictures and drawings of my family with Dan Nate and I, and I have a beautiful picture that Sidney gave us after the accident of Dan, Devon and I standing outside the Temple. But tonight was the first time I saw a picture with my two boys together. And even now, just thinking about it is bringing tears to my eyes. I can't begin to say how special that was to me. The love and support that has been extended to me today has helped me so much.
Today is one of those days that makes me so grateful for my calling. The primary kids are great, and I love their sweet Spirit. For me, it's easy to feel the Spirit so very strongly when I'm around the kiddos. And today that was my saving grace. I did fall apart a little and had to dash off to the bathroom during singing time. "How could the Father tell the world of sacrifice, of death? He sent His Son to die for us, and rise with living breath." The sound of a room full of sweet children's voices singing those words really got to me. And when I had composed myself and walked back into the Primary room, Anna took me back into the hall and gave me a hug. And that simple gesture of friendship was enough to help me get through the rest of sharing time. By the time church was over I was feeling so much better and so much stronger. Then Brita sought me out to make sure that I knew that I was in her thoughts today. It was great to feel so loved and so supported today. And it was what I needed.
As I was about to head out, I remembered that I needed to write down a phone number to schedule an appointment to renew my Temple Recommend, and luckily was able to catch brother Haws as he was headed out. He did my interview right then and there. And when he asked me if I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I cried. And said yes. Today the Atonement touches me in a very special way. It's not focused on as much, but Christ suffered not only to atone for the sins of mankind, but more importantly, to feel every pain and hurt so that He can empathize and comfort us in our sorrows.
After church Dan and I took Nate out for a fun filled day. We kept really busy and he had a great time. All of a sudden I was struck with the thought that we should take some flowers to the cemetery for Emma. The thought just popped into my head, so I made the suggestion to Dan. We had the hardest time with that. Not just emotionally, though that was rough too. But logistically as well. I had never been there, and Dan hasn't been back since the funeral 3 years ago. So we called mom & dad to get a general idea, but still couldn't find the plot. So we called Justin & Sara. Turns out the marker hasn't been placed yet, but Dan found the general vicinity. There were 2 unmarked plots next to each other. So I pretended that one was for Dev. I didn't realize at the time how difficult it would be for me, not knowing where he was buried. I am glad that we went, and I am glad that things worked out the way they did.
Afterward we took Nate to the park and let him run around for a while. It was an emotionally draining day, but much better than it could have been. Then, this evening while I was sitting at the computer I heard voices outside the door. At first I thought it was Suzanne, but no one came in, and then there was a knock at the door. Imagine my surprise when I opened it to let the Gregg family in. Anna and the kids had walked over with cards and hand drawn pictures for Dan and me. Pictures of our family with 2 little boys playing together. I have pictures and drawings of my family with Dan Nate and I, and I have a beautiful picture that Sidney gave us after the accident of Dan, Devon and I standing outside the Temple. But tonight was the first time I saw a picture with my two boys together. And even now, just thinking about it is bringing tears to my eyes. I can't begin to say how special that was to me. The love and support that has been extended to me today has helped me so much.
Monday, April 5, 2010
today is the day
ok, so it's almost tomorrow. Which means that tomorrow is almost today. And when tomorrow is today it will be the day. And the day is a Tuesday, just like it used to be. And I don't want today to be tomorrow. I don't want it to be the Tuesday day. It still hurts. And it still sucks. And it's year 3. And it's year 6. And it hurts. And it sucks. And I don't like it. And I just want it to be the day after tomorrow. And then the day after the next Day. And then the day after the next Day. But I don't want it to be the day after the next Day because that's the last Day and then it's more days than Days. And it doesn't seem right. This year has been full of Days. The day that the tide turned and someone else officially had more Days. And now the Day that there are more days than Days. When does this stop sucking? Why does it have to suck? Why do these stupid Days keep coming? I wish I could just skip them all
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tucson
The past few days have been a BLAST!!! Originally Dan and I had planned to head out to Illinois for Spring Break, but as it got closer, we realized that we couldn't quite swing it financially. So we went on a 3 day trip to Tucson with the Maltbys. I have never vacationed in Tucson, the last time I was there was probably for a chess tournament back in grade school. We ended up doing a lot, and there's actually fun stuff to do down there.
Monday morning we left. I had gotten a grand total of about 3 hours of sleep because, as usual, I procrastinated packing and whatnot until the very last possible minute. We met up with the Maltbys, who had left the night before, at Sabino national park for a nice hike. The weather was beautiful, and the hike was a lot of fun. Well, it was a baby pseudo-hike. We only went about 2 miles round trip on a paved path but still, it was nice. We ended up leaving the paved trail to sit near a stream that ran about a hundred or so yards from the path, and the kids loved it. Nate and Elara both ended up muddy, though not too wet, and I did my best to get some fun pics. Meanwhile, Dan was smoothing a huge stick. It was allegedly a "walking stick" for Nate, but I'm not buying it. Especially since it was about a foot taller than Nate. The more likely explanation, in my opinion, is that Dan wanted to play with a stick, and his knife, and that was the easiest way to do both.
After that, we headed to the Titan Missile Museum. It's an actual bomb missile launch place that has been preserved as an historical museum. It's actually pretty cool, the only downside being the need to chase small children around. Basically I missed most of the tour, running after Nate. But what I saw was pretty neat. And I got some cute photos of Nate at the control panel of the missile launch pad.
The next day was just as much fun. We went to Reid Park Zoo (got in free with our Phoenix zoo membership) and got to see the cool animals. The tiger was marking his territory, so he walked up so close to where we were. Made for some great pictures :) And I loved seeing the polar bear. But then again, I'm kind of a sucker for zoos. While Kathleen, Elara, Nate and I were visiting the animals Dan and Ed were at the telescope store getting a new filter or something. Poor Dan said that it was really cool for the first hour or so, then he fell asleep in a chair! Ha ha, that made me fun. But he said that was still better than the zoo. We did meet up with the guys for a picnic lunch at Reid Park, then the guys headed back to the hotel again while we fed the ducks. They were so bold. One duck came right up to us and stayed there. Nate was going out of his mind. He kept pointing in every direction saying "duck". Well, that one really bold one came right up to him and tried to eat the goldfish cracker right out of his hand! Nate was doing alright until I freaked out (I mean, come on, a duck bit my baby!!!) then he started crying. But goldfish and time heal all wounds. And so we moved on to the children's museum. That was rocktastic. Nate and Elara had a really great time! I thought it was awesome. I have to say, the next time we find ourselves in Tucson I am definitely taking Nate back! Tuesday evening we went to a really yummy Mexican food restaurant. It was different from anything I've ever had. Kathleen said that it's gourmet Mexican food, and I believe it. Yum! But I don't know if we would necessarily make it back there. It was a really nice place. They don't get a lot of children, so there aren't any booster seats or high chairs. And, it's a little pricey. But it was really good! :)
Wednesday was our last day. So we checked out of the hotel and headed off to the Sonora desert museum. It was like one part zoo, one part botanical garden and one part museum. Kathleen got a membership, so I think that she and I will probably end up taking the kids there for a day trip.
All in all we had a really great trip. Tucson was lots of fun and there was more to do than I thought there would be at first.
Monday morning we left. I had gotten a grand total of about 3 hours of sleep because, as usual, I procrastinated packing and whatnot until the very last possible minute. We met up with the Maltbys, who had left the night before, at Sabino national park for a nice hike. The weather was beautiful, and the hike was a lot of fun. Well, it was a baby pseudo-hike. We only went about 2 miles round trip on a paved path but still, it was nice. We ended up leaving the paved trail to sit near a stream that ran about a hundred or so yards from the path, and the kids loved it. Nate and Elara both ended up muddy, though not too wet, and I did my best to get some fun pics. Meanwhile, Dan was smoothing a huge stick. It was allegedly a "walking stick" for Nate, but I'm not buying it. Especially since it was about a foot taller than Nate. The more likely explanation, in my opinion, is that Dan wanted to play with a stick, and his knife, and that was the easiest way to do both.
After that, we headed to the Titan Missile Museum. It's an actual bomb missile launch place that has been preserved as an historical museum. It's actually pretty cool, the only downside being the need to chase small children around. Basically I missed most of the tour, running after Nate. But what I saw was pretty neat. And I got some cute photos of Nate at the control panel of the missile launch pad.
The next day was just as much fun. We went to Reid Park Zoo (got in free with our Phoenix zoo membership) and got to see the cool animals. The tiger was marking his territory, so he walked up so close to where we were. Made for some great pictures :) And I loved seeing the polar bear. But then again, I'm kind of a sucker for zoos. While Kathleen, Elara, Nate and I were visiting the animals Dan and Ed were at the telescope store getting a new filter or something. Poor Dan said that it was really cool for the first hour or so, then he fell asleep in a chair! Ha ha, that made me fun. But he said that was still better than the zoo. We did meet up with the guys for a picnic lunch at Reid Park, then the guys headed back to the hotel again while we fed the ducks. They were so bold. One duck came right up to us and stayed there. Nate was going out of his mind. He kept pointing in every direction saying "duck". Well, that one really bold one came right up to him and tried to eat the goldfish cracker right out of his hand! Nate was doing alright until I freaked out (I mean, come on, a duck bit my baby!!!) then he started crying. But goldfish and time heal all wounds. And so we moved on to the children's museum. That was rocktastic. Nate and Elara had a really great time! I thought it was awesome. I have to say, the next time we find ourselves in Tucson I am definitely taking Nate back! Tuesday evening we went to a really yummy Mexican food restaurant. It was different from anything I've ever had. Kathleen said that it's gourmet Mexican food, and I believe it. Yum! But I don't know if we would necessarily make it back there. It was a really nice place. They don't get a lot of children, so there aren't any booster seats or high chairs. And, it's a little pricey. But it was really good! :)
Wednesday was our last day. So we checked out of the hotel and headed off to the Sonora desert museum. It was like one part zoo, one part botanical garden and one part museum. Kathleen got a membership, so I think that she and I will probably end up taking the kids there for a day trip.
All in all we had a really great trip. Tucson was lots of fun and there was more to do than I thought there would be at first.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
realizations
ok, so out of nowhere this thought just hit me. Devon was 2 when we left Joel. Nate is almost a year and a half old. That means that he is getting close to the same age/size Devon was when we left. The reason that's significant is because Joel wouldn't give me any of Devon's old baby things. So I don't have his first blankie or tiny onesies and things like that. The things of Devon's that I have start at age 2 for him. So I haven't had to go through the Devon boxes that have spent the last 3 years in storage. All of a sudden this realization hit me like a train...like a train filled with a ton of bricks. And as I type this, I made another realization. On May 1 there will be a whole new suck-tastick landmark. As of May 1 Devon will have been dead for longer than he was alive. He lived for 3 years and 12 days....and May 1 is 3 years and 13 days from the accident. Oh my gosh. Wow. My chest hurts. My chest literally hurts as I sit here thinking about this. I miss my little man. I miss him and my heart hurts, and it reaches down to the bottom of my soul and tries to rip it out of me. Why? Why is my heart beating-albeit painfully;but beating nonetheless-when my sweet little boy's heart stopped almost 3 years ago? I haven't hit this hard in a long, long time. Wow, I thought I was better. That it was still going to hurt, but that I was past the: chest hurting, paralyzing, bawl my eyes out, curl up in the fetal position in the shower and sob til the scalding water turns to ice and eventually numbs me-type pain. I am the mother of two boys. Two very sweet, very active, very accident-prone, bumped and bruised boys who love me and their Daddy and Princess the dog. So why do I have one sleeping child and one fading memory? Why do I have one child I can hold and kiss and a picture on the wall? This sucks and it hurts, and I can't do this. This is one of the nights that I haven't had in such a long time. One that in my vanity I thought I was past. It's times like this, when I'm bawling my eyes out--and trying not to let the stream of snot running down my face touch my lips--times like this when I almost begin to listen to the dark little voice. The one that asks why? Why this? Why me? The one that plants doubts. Is it all real? Do I really get to have him again? Is there really a loving Heavenly Father? And if so, why did He decide this had to happen? Why? Is he really doing work on the other side? Is that just a fantasy I tell myself to get through the day? The dark little voice asks what's the point? And is any of it Truth? Sometimes, when I'm feeling a little strength, I think of prayer. But the dark little voice asks why? why pray? The dark little voice says there's no point. There's no God. And even if there is, He doesn't care. Besides, what good will it do? Devon will still be gone, it will still suck, it will still hurt. And if I do feel better, isn't is just me deluding myself? as the shrink said, just bargaining...making myself believe that I can be a good enough person and then have Devon with me again?
Then I take a step back. I go and blow my nose, and wash my face. And think about how empty my life would be if the dark little voice is right. And I think about how I felt in the Temple when Dan and I were being sealed. I was pregnant with Nate, and he was going nuts. He was moving around so much the whole day. Before he was even born, he was a spirit, a sweet little spirit who was excited and happy that his parents were going to the Temple. We were Sealed as man and wife, for time and all eternity. Then, we were Sealed as a family with Devon. And I know that at that time, my sweet boy was there. Both my boys were in that Sealing room, and both of their Spirits were so happy. I had an experience that day. As I was in the Bride's suite, waiting, for the first time I understood. Without his death, Devon would not have been Sealed to Dan and me. There is NO way Joel would have given his permission. There was a purpose. The day that I went into court for the custody part of our divorce, I received a Priesthood Blessing. I was told that "Heavenly Father knows the righteous desires of your heart and wants Devon to be a part of your new family" The purpose of his death was to bring him into my forever family. It's the only way it was going to be possible. On that day I had a conversation with my Father in Heaven. I remember telling Him that I understood, but I still didn't like it. Like a bratty child, I told Him that I was glad that Devon could be mine forever, but that I still was mad at Him for taking him. And do you know what He did? He gave me a big hug and a feeling of peace-it didn't take away the pain, but did lessen the sting-and he gave me one of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had. Kneeling in the Sealing Room I looked up at Dan and I didn't just see the representation of infinity, eternity. I saw my family. I have given birth to 2 sons, but I saw my daughter's face.
And as I look back and reflect on the brightness and light, the dark little voice goes away. Doubt cannot stand up to the light of knowledge or the bright shinning light of faith. Yes, there is a reason. Yes, there is a purpose. No, it doesn't automatically make everything all better. It does still suck. I still miss Devon, and he is still gone. And sometimes I'm still that bratty girl telling her Father that she understands it's all for the best, but she isn't going to say thanks b/c it sucks, and it's not fair. Luckily, although I am that bratty girl, I can get away with it because I have a Heavenly Father who loves me no matter what. And the pressure and chest pain is gone now. I can breathe. Ok, the pressure may not be totally gone, but the snot trail is. And the sobbing is done, and I'm not currently curled up, shivering in the shower. So I think I'm in a much better place than I was an hour ago. And that's the power of faith. I truly pity anyone who tries to go through this life without it!
Then I take a step back. I go and blow my nose, and wash my face. And think about how empty my life would be if the dark little voice is right. And I think about how I felt in the Temple when Dan and I were being sealed. I was pregnant with Nate, and he was going nuts. He was moving around so much the whole day. Before he was even born, he was a spirit, a sweet little spirit who was excited and happy that his parents were going to the Temple. We were Sealed as man and wife, for time and all eternity. Then, we were Sealed as a family with Devon. And I know that at that time, my sweet boy was there. Both my boys were in that Sealing room, and both of their Spirits were so happy. I had an experience that day. As I was in the Bride's suite, waiting, for the first time I understood. Without his death, Devon would not have been Sealed to Dan and me. There is NO way Joel would have given his permission. There was a purpose. The day that I went into court for the custody part of our divorce, I received a Priesthood Blessing. I was told that "Heavenly Father knows the righteous desires of your heart and wants Devon to be a part of your new family" The purpose of his death was to bring him into my forever family. It's the only way it was going to be possible. On that day I had a conversation with my Father in Heaven. I remember telling Him that I understood, but I still didn't like it. Like a bratty child, I told Him that I was glad that Devon could be mine forever, but that I still was mad at Him for taking him. And do you know what He did? He gave me a big hug and a feeling of peace-it didn't take away the pain, but did lessen the sting-and he gave me one of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had. Kneeling in the Sealing Room I looked up at Dan and I didn't just see the representation of infinity, eternity. I saw my family. I have given birth to 2 sons, but I saw my daughter's face.
And as I look back and reflect on the brightness and light, the dark little voice goes away. Doubt cannot stand up to the light of knowledge or the bright shinning light of faith. Yes, there is a reason. Yes, there is a purpose. No, it doesn't automatically make everything all better. It does still suck. I still miss Devon, and he is still gone. And sometimes I'm still that bratty girl telling her Father that she understands it's all for the best, but she isn't going to say thanks b/c it sucks, and it's not fair. Luckily, although I am that bratty girl, I can get away with it because I have a Heavenly Father who loves me no matter what. And the pressure and chest pain is gone now. I can breathe. Ok, the pressure may not be totally gone, but the snot trail is. And the sobbing is done, and I'm not currently curled up, shivering in the shower. So I think I'm in a much better place than I was an hour ago. And that's the power of faith. I truly pity anyone who tries to go through this life without it!
Saturday, March 6, 2010
plagues and pestilence
Well, this stinks. Last week Spencer was sick, and now so am I. It all started Thursday afternoon. It was a day, much like any other day. I felt the soreness and stiffness in the muscles of my back and legs. But I attributed that to the fact that Anna and I had been walking each night for the past 2 weeks. And I am far from peak physical condition. The afternoon wore on and the children's babbling wore down my patience instead of filling me with the warm, fuzzy glow that it usually does. You see, on Tuesdays and Thursdays I watch Elara and Ed drives Dan home from school. It's a system that works out...usually. By 5pm my energy was gone. By 6 I was counting the minutes till Dan and Ed got home. Needless to say, I denied Suzanne's request to babysit Lilly for the evening. My dear, sweet man brought home jello, pudding, and chicken noodle soup for me. Huzzah! And, forgetting my disdain for the fruit, mango sorbet. Though I must say it was quite tasty in the smoothie he made for me, choosing ingredients that would diminish the mango flavor. As the evening wore on, my fever rose and spiked at the impressive 102.7 degrees. Through the discomfort and the pain, I wept. And whined. This did not endear me to my sweet husband, but in spite of his annoyance, he made me lie down so he could rub my sore back and legs. And he got me a cool washcloth to dab at my fevered skin.
Brutish taskmistress that she is, Anna answered her phone with the phrase "you're not cancelling on me again!?" Ha, ha. Anna is far from harsh. But the phrase is a direct quote. One that stemmed from the fact that I had called on Tuesday and Wednesday to cancel. Once for dinner plans, and once for scrapbooking class. But I digress. Anna had to be called because I was, in fact, canceling our plans to go walking that evening. Though she was quite understanding when she found out I wasn't feeling well. She's classy like that.
Today I thought I was feeling much better, but the simple act of driving Dan to school and waiting the 2 hours for him to get out proved to be more than I was capable of. By the end of the afternoon my energy waned. And once we got home, I took to my bed again. Leaving my sainted husband to care for the overly energetic toddler who had been cooped up all day. As the sun set and the moon rose, so too did my fever. Apparently it is somewhat vampiric in nature. It seems to be strongest during the night hours. So, here I sit, chronicling the details of my illness into the wee hours of the morning. My one hope is that I will be well by Sunday. Much as I enjoy lazing about, fighting off the infection wracking my body, it would break my hear to miss church-especially Primary. I love those kids, and I would be so sad to miss even a single lesson; to miss a single opportunity to teach those sweet spirits. Each of the kiddos has had interesting spiritual insights, and to feel the Spirit in Primary is so strong. Each of these children is so recently sent from the presence of our Heavenly Father, and the Spirit I feel in Primary dwarfs the feeling I have in any other place, save the Temple itself. Then again, they are 5 year olds. And their conversations are hilarious. One boy in particular stands out. He is smart, and amiable, and precocious. He's also the one who asked if I was having a baby. Apparently I'm "just so fat. And when ladies have babies they get pretty fat." I can't help but laugh thinking about it.
Brutish taskmistress that she is, Anna answered her phone with the phrase "you're not cancelling on me again!?" Ha, ha. Anna is far from harsh. But the phrase is a direct quote. One that stemmed from the fact that I had called on Tuesday and Wednesday to cancel. Once for dinner plans, and once for scrapbooking class. But I digress. Anna had to be called because I was, in fact, canceling our plans to go walking that evening. Though she was quite understanding when she found out I wasn't feeling well. She's classy like that.
Today I thought I was feeling much better, but the simple act of driving Dan to school and waiting the 2 hours for him to get out proved to be more than I was capable of. By the end of the afternoon my energy waned. And once we got home, I took to my bed again. Leaving my sainted husband to care for the overly energetic toddler who had been cooped up all day. As the sun set and the moon rose, so too did my fever. Apparently it is somewhat vampiric in nature. It seems to be strongest during the night hours. So, here I sit, chronicling the details of my illness into the wee hours of the morning. My one hope is that I will be well by Sunday. Much as I enjoy lazing about, fighting off the infection wracking my body, it would break my hear to miss church-especially Primary. I love those kids, and I would be so sad to miss even a single lesson; to miss a single opportunity to teach those sweet spirits. Each of the kiddos has had interesting spiritual insights, and to feel the Spirit in Primary is so strong. Each of these children is so recently sent from the presence of our Heavenly Father, and the Spirit I feel in Primary dwarfs the feeling I have in any other place, save the Temple itself. Then again, they are 5 year olds. And their conversations are hilarious. One boy in particular stands out. He is smart, and amiable, and precocious. He's also the one who asked if I was having a baby. Apparently I'm "just so fat. And when ladies have babies they get pretty fat." I can't help but laugh thinking about it.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
the single food diet
Lately Nate has been on a one food at a time diet. It has been great fun. His first love was meat. Meat of every flavor, cut, cooking technique, as long as it was meat. So imagine my surprise when I put a plate of pulled pork in front of my carnivorous son just to see him chuck it over the side of the high chair. Over the next few days, subsequent meals met the same fate......^let's have a moment of silence for those brave chicken tenders, pieces of roast, ham, pulled pork and hamburger.....Nate had moved on to the all fruit diet. For about a week he lived on bananas and grapes. His average was 3 bananas/day. His record was 12. It was probably good for his potassium levels, but I worried about the balance of his diet. So, each meal I spent 10-15 minutes trying to coax him into eating something else before giving in. In a moment of desperation, running errands with a hungry boy and nary a banana in sight, I pulled into the drivethru. I ordered the 10 piece chicken nugget meal, and it changed my life. Not only did I get the sweet, refreshing Dr. Pepper (a balm to my frazzled nerves), but Nate ate and LOVED the nuggets. He ate one and asked for another!--actually he yelled "MoM" and pointed toward the bag, demanding "that". With minimal effort on my part, the 10 golden, peace-bringing, ambrosial nuggets were gone. Nathan had left his beloved bananas for the new intrigue of McDonalds. And now, the peace-bringing ambrosia nuggets have turned on me. No longer are they a beacon of hope. They have simply filled the honored spot bananas once held. And, instead of making a trip to the grocery store twice a week for a couple bunches of bananas, filled with nutrients and potassium, I find myself in the accursed drivethru once, twice, sometimes 3 times a day.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Doctors are ok
Today Nate had his rescheduled well check. After the craziness of last week I wasn't sure how well today was going to go over. He did see Dr. Garret for a second in the hallway. She was surprised to see that Nate did not require her services to remove his suture, but said that it looks ok. The entire office was shocked when I told them that he had ripped it out on his own, and that it fazed him so little that I'm still not entirely sure when exactly it happened. Poor Stephanie (the MA) was being super careful with him today, and we just reused the measurements from last week. As Dr. Lichstinn said, it's unlikely that he's grown all that much in a week.
Nate was so funny during his exam. He refused to even look at Dr. Lichstinn, and whenever she spoke to him, he turned his head and put his arm out. Do you remember the whole "talk to the hand" thing from the 90's? That's what it reminded me of. She did end up referring us to an eye doctor to lance the stye on his eyelid-which is another appointment I'm not looking forward to. Then she left us to wait for Stephanie to do his shots. After the exam, Nate was starting to regain some of the trust in the whole doctor experience. He was playing in the room, running around, racing his truck and reading his book. When Stephanie came in again he even gave her a smile. Until he went back up on the exam table and saw band-aids. He was freaking out and after the shots were done, he reached down and pulled one of his band-aids off. He gave Stephanie a horrible death glare and threw the band-aid on the ground. Then he grabbed my purse, walked to the door and started chanting "go, go, go ma-ma go"
Nate was so funny during his exam. He refused to even look at Dr. Lichstinn, and whenever she spoke to him, he turned his head and put his arm out. Do you remember the whole "talk to the hand" thing from the 90's? That's what it reminded me of. She did end up referring us to an eye doctor to lance the stye on his eyelid-which is another appointment I'm not looking forward to. Then she left us to wait for Stephanie to do his shots. After the exam, Nate was starting to regain some of the trust in the whole doctor experience. He was playing in the room, running around, racing his truck and reading his book. When Stephanie came in again he even gave her a smile. Until he went back up on the exam table and saw band-aids. He was freaking out and after the shots were done, he reached down and pulled one of his band-aids off. He gave Stephanie a horrible death glare and threw the band-aid on the ground. Then he grabbed my purse, walked to the door and started chanting "go, go, go ma-ma go"
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Doctor Drama
I've got to start out by saying that I have the most active, most daring, most accident prone little boy. Today Nathan had his 15 month old well child check up scheduled. We got there about 11 minutes late and almost weren't seen. Oh how I wish we hadn't been seen.
The medical assistant got as far as weighing him (22.5 lbs) and marking his head and feet to get his height. When she tried to get the measurement of his head he reached up to bat the tape away. And my dear son--my one-of-a-kind baby, my mischief maker, my trouble magnet--managed to cut himself on the metal tip of the measuring tape. He got the underside of his middle finger, in the crease where it bends. Dr. Lichstinn said that it was a superficial cut, but it would not clot. It kept bleeding and bleeding so Dan held Nate in his lap and kept pressure on Nate's finger. No matter what it kept opening again and again, every time Nate opened his hand, or bent his finger. Dr. Lichstinn finally uttered the phrase that made my blood run cold. "It looks like he's going to need a stitch. It's not bad, so we probably won't need more than one. Let me check with my partner, Dr Garrett." I had to repeat the whole thing because the first time my mind kind of shut off after the word "stitch." My poor baby got his first stitch at 15 months old!
As those who know him can guess, Nate was not a fan of the restraint that was necessary for the procedure. He screamed the entire time, and afterward he refused to even look at the staff. Usually he's flirting with the medical assistants, the scheduler, the girl at the front desk and anyone else he may see. Today he wouldn't even accept an otter pop from the MA who put his band-aid and gauze on after he got sewn up. He did finally take it from Daddy after giving her the stink eye and eying the otter pop suspiciously. Speaking of gauze and band-aids, that has been a whole other battle. Before we even got home from the Dr. office he had removed both. The gauze was wrapped around 4 fingers and his wrist, like a glove. He tore at it with his teeth and ripped it off his hand. Then he slipped the band-aid off his finger and started poking at his stitch. And though I did eventually get him to quit bothering his finger, I have been unsuccessful in every attempt to get him to leave a band-aid on his finger.
Oh, and the other plus of today's insanity: Nate was unable to go through with his exam, so we had to reschedule. After all that fun, we didn't even get to do what we came there for. And now I know that he is going to freak out and wail the minute we go back. He was already associating the Dr. office with pain b/c he's had shots with his last few check ups and a few visits just for shots. So when Dan took him in last month to look at his feet and walking, Nate freaked out and started sobbing when his pants were taken off. Luckily he didn't get any shots, he just got to walk around and play. So this time, when we got to the office, he was cool with being there. Next time, he will get his stitch removed, have a check up, and get shots. There's no way he's ever going back without screaming and freaking out.
The medical assistant got as far as weighing him (22.5 lbs) and marking his head and feet to get his height. When she tried to get the measurement of his head he reached up to bat the tape away. And my dear son--my one-of-a-kind baby, my mischief maker, my trouble magnet--managed to cut himself on the metal tip of the measuring tape. He got the underside of his middle finger, in the crease where it bends. Dr. Lichstinn said that it was a superficial cut, but it would not clot. It kept bleeding and bleeding so Dan held Nate in his lap and kept pressure on Nate's finger. No matter what it kept opening again and again, every time Nate opened his hand, or bent his finger. Dr. Lichstinn finally uttered the phrase that made my blood run cold. "It looks like he's going to need a stitch. It's not bad, so we probably won't need more than one. Let me check with my partner, Dr Garrett." I had to repeat the whole thing because the first time my mind kind of shut off after the word "stitch." My poor baby got his first stitch at 15 months old!
As those who know him can guess, Nate was not a fan of the restraint that was necessary for the procedure. He screamed the entire time, and afterward he refused to even look at the staff. Usually he's flirting with the medical assistants, the scheduler, the girl at the front desk and anyone else he may see. Today he wouldn't even accept an otter pop from the MA who put his band-aid and gauze on after he got sewn up. He did finally take it from Daddy after giving her the stink eye and eying the otter pop suspiciously. Speaking of gauze and band-aids, that has been a whole other battle. Before we even got home from the Dr. office he had removed both. The gauze was wrapped around 4 fingers and his wrist, like a glove. He tore at it with his teeth and ripped it off his hand. Then he slipped the band-aid off his finger and started poking at his stitch. And though I did eventually get him to quit bothering his finger, I have been unsuccessful in every attempt to get him to leave a band-aid on his finger.
Oh, and the other plus of today's insanity: Nate was unable to go through with his exam, so we had to reschedule. After all that fun, we didn't even get to do what we came there for. And now I know that he is going to freak out and wail the minute we go back. He was already associating the Dr. office with pain b/c he's had shots with his last few check ups and a few visits just for shots. So when Dan took him in last month to look at his feet and walking, Nate freaked out and started sobbing when his pants were taken off. Luckily he didn't get any shots, he just got to walk around and play. So this time, when we got to the office, he was cool with being there. Next time, he will get his stitch removed, have a check up, and get shots. There's no way he's ever going back without screaming and freaking out.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bah humbug
This week Dan and I got "the Bishopric Call" for the second time. We get to give a talk on Sunday. Yay. Can you read the sarcasm in my typing? Our topic is "the scriptures" and I have no idea what I'm going to say. On Monday Dan missed the call, and when he checked his voicemail he let me know what was going on. My first instinct was to very emphatically say NO, NO, NO WAY! But the nagging voice in my head kept repeating the main line from Sunday's Primary lesson. "Choose the right James, always choose the right" And I thought that if I'm going to be teaching a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds to always choose the right, I should start doing it myself. After all, if I'm going to be a teacher, I should lead by example, right? So my emphatic NO turned into a grudging ok. Then, as the days went by I thought of Lamen and Lemuel. They, like Nephi, started out doing what Lehi and the Lord told them to. But they did so grudgingly and they ended up being cursed, not blessed for it. And I realized that I need to have a much better attitude than I actually do. So, I am trying to think of what on earth I'm going to say, and have a better attitude as I work it out. As you may or may not have noticed, I'm still struggling with that part. Actually, I'm on the computer instead of preparing my talk right now.
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