Deliveries

As my five year old son exclaimed, “Today has been the day of deliveries.”  Four separate packages came today.

Package number one arrived by USPS.  It was a box full of family photos I had ordered. I can’t wait to find frames for them so I can display them on our wall.

Package number two arrived by FedEx.  It was an ARC of the much anticipated young adult novel entitled Matched by Ally Condie.

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Package number three arrived by UPS.  It was some new jeans that Rudy desperately needs.

Package number four arrived by FedEx.  It is our new desktop computer and I can not wait for it to be hooked up and running!  The computer that I am currently working on is truly dying a slow and sad death.

With all these deliveries, I started thinking more about the word delivery.

And more about the word deliver.

My thought process then took me to how the Lord delivers us.

For the most part, today has been a pretty calm and peaceful day. What a stark contrast to what I experienced yesterday.

Yesterday was definitely one of those days.  One of those days where you just can’t wait for it to be over.

One of those days where you seem to have a high water table.

One of those days where you hope and pray you can make it to the end of the day.

I knew it wasn’t going to be my ideal day when at about 5:30 in the morning I heard a door open and then close.  Then I heard the pitter patter of little feet and a mischievous toddler voice call out, “Mommy?”

I groaned and wished I could go back to sleep.

Yes, my just-turned-two-year-old little monkey decided it was time for him to learn how to climb out of his crib.

Nothing overly tragic happened yesterday, but it was still one of those emotionally trying and emotionally draining kind of days.

Somehow I managed to keep putting one foot in front of the other and I made it to the end of the day.

Thankfully the Lord also threw in some much needed tender mercies for me yesterday.  He delivered me.

One of those manifestations was when I received an unexpected visit from a friend.  She came with freshly baked whole wheat bread and a container of homemade blackberry freezer jam.  But most importantly she came with time to spare to shoot the breeze with me.

Another tender mercy came when what could have been a disastrous miscommunication moment with lasting effects, turned out to be a good experience because people gave each other the benefit of the doubt.  They exhibited kindness, understanding and selflessness.

Those tender mercies were the Lord’s way of delivering me.

And I am grateful.

Flipping it Around

Many of us are familiar with the phrase found in Doctrine and Covenants 82:3 which states:

“For of him (or her) unto whom much is given much is required.”

I think if we flip that phrase around, we also will find a powerful and divine truth.

For unto him (or her), of whom much is required, much is given.

The Lord will never ask us to do more than what we can.  He will never abandon us and ask us to carry our load and burden by ourselves.

We must trust in Him and in His ability to help.  We must fully accept and embrace His atonement.  We must live with hope, optimism, obedience and faith.

He will give us the strength and endurance we need to accomplish all that He asks us to accomplish.

If He gives us a trial, He will also provide the way to successfully conquer it.

My Nighttime Engineer

My 5 year old spirited Cory does NOT like going to bed.  He dreads it with a passion.  He is much like the energy bunny in that he prefers to keep going, going and going.

However, in order for me to preserve the little bit of sanity I have left, I still insist that he be in bed with lights out typically by 8 pm.  Normally, though, he doesn’t fall asleep until 9 or 9:30.

Every night before I go to bed, I always check on the kids.  Lately this is the scene I find on Cory’s bed.

He is very proud of his “museum” wall [his terminology] where he tapes up much of his artwork.  He also likes to sleep in a “tent.”  That is why there is a blanket hanging down on the bed .

If you can’t tell, that is the kids’ clock that he ingeniously hangs up in the bunk bed slats with his silkie blanket that Grandma made.

Some nights when I check on him he is laying on top of the clock.  Other nights his precious clock is tucked underneath his arm.

This night light of his gives him just enough light to look at his I Spy books or to play with the few Hot Wheels cars we let him take to bed.

I don’t mind this at all as long as he is in his room, quiet and not disturbing me.  I need some alone time where my thoughts belong to me and only me!

I think Cory takes after my own heart. I am a night owl, and I have become even more of one since having children. I C.H.E.R.I.S.H. my late evening time where I can get things done without being constantly interrupted. I cherish that time where I can have an adult conversation with my husband and where I can think without someone barging into my thoughts.

Now I just need to figure out how to not be so tired in the morning when my kids – namely Eli at this point – wake up early.  So far I haven’t figured out the magic cure.

Consequently I need to work on a habit I have been trying to perfect for the last few years.

Going to bed early.  And my early is by 11 or 11:30.

Maybe if I write it down here for all the world to see, it will make me more accountable.

And maybe you all can gently encourage me to hit the hay earlier.

What habits are you working on?

What ingenious things do your kids do?

Share away !!

The Road Show

To be completely honest, I am not sure how I grew up in Los Angeles as a member of the LDS faith without ever participating in a road show!?  Most of my older siblings were in some, but for whatever reason, when I was finally old enough there was a road show drought.

Regardless of my lack of road show experience, I still readily enjoyed Braden Bell’s first novel entitled The Road Show. It was uplifting and full of hope.  It was a quick and enjoyable read, a book that made you want to finish before setting it down.  In fact, I often read while I am on the elliptical trainer and bike at the gym, and I added more time to my machines so I could read longer. I even stretched for a few extra minutes so I could finish the last eight pages.

One of the first things that pulled me into this book was the scripture shared at the very beginning, Isaiah 61:1-3, one of my all time favorite scriptures.

The  Spirit of the Lord God  is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

“Beauty for ashes” – I knew there would be depth to this book with this kind of introduction.  “Beauty for ashes” is such  magnificent imagery.  And it is the perfect way to describe the power of the atonement.

Even though this book fits the genre LDS Fiction, don’t let that scare you.  This book is well written and the characters well developed.  Any Christian would appreciate this book.  Many would call this book life changing.

The Road Show deals with a plethora of heavy topics – addiction, sin, depression, health problems, loneliness, pride – but it is written in such a way that the reader can relate to nearly all of the characters’ imperfections.  It is easy to see yourself in them.  And if you don’t see yourself, then you can easily recognize your neighbor, a friend, or your sibling as the one who is struggling with a similar issue.

I am grateful that Braden didn’t sugar coat these topics either and make them seem as if they are easy to overcome. He wrote the book in a way that shows how hard these struggles are to defeat.

This book is about forgiveness, repentance, understanding the all-encompassing healing power of the Atonement (it is NOT just for sins!), and learning how not to judge others, especially when those judgments are often based on misconceptions and misunderstandings.

See for yourself if you want to purchase this book by reading the first few chapters online.

But be forewarned, you might get hooked.

And just for kicks, here is a brief interview I had with Braden Bell:

Me: What made you decide to have the power of the Atonement as a center point in your book?  Was there anything in your life experience that persuaded you to write on this topic?

Braden Bell: That’s a good question. The story came to my mind first, and then I began to see the healing power of the Atonement as the theme that unified all the different characters’ stories.  So, I began to try to develop the theme more explicitly, including using the scripture in Isaiah about beauty for ashes.  That’s always been one of my favorite scriptures.

In terms of my own personal experience, there were definitely things that have persuaded me to write on this topic.  As a very flawed mortal, I’ve had to draw on the Atonement many times myself.  But, during most of the time I was writing the book, I was serving as a bishop.  I saw people healed through the power of the Atonement–but I also saw people not avail themselves of that power and it made me incredibly sad.  I think the book grew in part out of my conviction as a recipient of Atoning grace, but also a bishop’s desire to see other people get the help that is possible.

Me: What would you like readers to take away from The Road Show?

Braden Bell: Above all, I hope it’s a good story well told.  I hope they like the characters.  But I would also be thrilled if they close the pages feeling a little more compassionate to people who struggle, and with a renewed hope in the possibilities the Savior offers us.

Me: I know you are an educator (I also used to teach before I had children).  What is an unexpected benefit you have gained from being a teacher?

Braden Bell: I had no idea how enriching and fulfilling it would be.  I had no idea how deeply I would love and be loved by my students.  There is a sweet and special relationship there (or at least there can be).  I’ve also learned a lot about the gospel as I’ve taught–insights here and there into various thing, particularly the nature of God.

Me: What do you like most about teaching music?  Theater?  Do you prefer one over the other?

Braden Bell: I love them both.  I have more training and expertise in theatre, so I suppose I’m a little more comfortable there.  But I think I would be bored to death if I could only teach one of them.  I teach middle school, which is possibly the least musical age, at least vocally.  Physiological changes and social pressure make it a tough time for kids to sing.  So, the thing I love most is when I’m able to coax a student or a group past those limitations.  There are sublime moments when a chord or a passage or a whole song will be truly beautiful.  I get chills at those moments.  I love theatre because that is who I am.  It’s what I have done forever and what I will probably do until I die.  I love to watch the ugly ducklings become swans, to see confidence built, and to see a 13 year old nail their performance in a way that surprises their friends, the audience, and especially, themselves.

Me: Do you prefer writing over teaching?

Braden Bell: No.  I feel like they are each different sides of the coin of my personality.  I find that I need to do both to feel happy.  If I were to make millions of dollars from writing tomorrow, I suspect I would probably still feel the need to teach, at least part time.

Me: Do you still perform?

Braden Bell: Very rarely. I wish I could, but with family, work, and church, there just isn’t time.  I did take a cameo in one of our school plays last year and enjoyed it quite a bit.  I put pictures of myself in my cat makeup on my website in the “photo” section.

Me: What is it like to live in Tennessee?

Braden Bell: Tennessee is as close to heaven as we are allowed in this life, I think.  I really love it.  We live about 45 minutes out of the city in a quiet, peaceful place and every day, as I drive to and from work, the beauty and serenity fills my soul.  The people are wonderful.  I consider myself a Tennessean now–although I miss my family.

Randomosity

I think my brain cells have been on vacation or shut down mode for awhile now … at least when it comes to the ones that are involved with blogging. I still don’t think they are functioning at their full capacity so this post will be written with bullet points.

[Bullet points are further necessitated because my desktop seems to be dying a slow death. It is functioning sooooo slowly!  It is driving me bonkers.   Hmmm ... maybe that better explains my blogging famine?!]

** Rudy’s mom and dad came to visit and the kids had a BLAST with their grandparents!  They were only here for the weekend, but we had a jam packed Saturday with adventure after adventure – unicycling, scootering, ice cream eating, chocolate cafe treat consuming, toy store shopping, creek playing, park going, and much, much more.

** My “baby” turned 2 last week?!  He definitely has the terrible two’s down pat !!  His favorite things to do are to climb on everything, play outside and watch “chines” with the remote and DVD cover in hand.  [See photo.]

** A dear friend of mine came to town to visit, a close friend I hadn’t seen for 6 years?!  We only had a couple of hours to reconnect so we tried to talk as quickly as possible to fit in as much as we could.  Friends like that are a true gem!

** Keri went to third grade camp (a 3 day/2 night sleep over kind) and loved it!  She especially adored all the camp songs they learned.

** I finally got a calling in our new ward.  I have been called to work as the Activity Days Leader.  Our ward meets with 2 other wards for this week day event.  I am excited to try my hand at something different since for the last 16 years I have really only had Relief Society callings. I have never served in Primary or Young Women’s?!

** Once again we hit up the local annual vintage car show.  It was a hit with the kids, especially with the boys!  And not only did they have cars, but they had face painting, free pastries, bounce houses and more!

** We had loads of fun on the 4th of July.  We spent the majority of the day with some close friends.  The weather wasn’t super cooperative [consequently we had a camp fire that night, complete with smores!], but we did get a lot of bocce ball in. I also learned how to use a potato launcher.  That was a unique and fun experience !!

** I finished a book that I have been reading for the past couple of months.  It is called “The End of Overeating” by David Kessler. It was a very informative and life changing book. I will post more about this later.

** My sister, her husband and their three kids who are the same age as mine came to visit this last week.  We don’t live close to any family so whenever anyone visits, much fun is had by all.  The cousins could not get enough of each other!

** Some friends of ours just learned that their little 2 year old daughter has leukemia.  Their lives have been turned upside down, but their faith is seeing them through this storm.  They have already witnessed miracles in the making.  It is a sober reminder how precious life truly is. It makes me want to make sure that I am spending my time on worthwhile things.

** Today Keri got her ears pierced.  She was a bit scared because she thought it would hurt a lot, but she was brave and did really well.  Her ears are now prettied with little peridots!

I hope everyone is having a swimmingly good summer!

Jump Into Some Fun Summer Reading Programs

Today is supposedly the first day of summer.

Yeah right – not here in the Pacific Northwest.  We have complete cloud cover, it is gloomy and we will be lucky to get out of the 50′s today.  In fact, this spring we never succeeded in reaching 75 degrees.  It has been over 270 days since we had a day warmer than 75.  Egads! I better start buying stock in vitamin D.

But enough about the depressing weather and onto summer reading.

We love to read in our house so it makes sense that we take advantage of all the summer reading programs our community has to offer.  I thought I would share some of the programs we have found:

1)  Local City Library: Nearly every city library offers a summer reading program.  Make sure you check yours out.

2)  Local County Library:  Many large cities also have local county libraries that run their own summer reading program.  Make sure to participate.

3)  Barnes and Noble:

With this program, school age children read 8 books of their own choosing. After they fill out their “Passport to Summer Reading” sheet they get to choose one free book from an approved list.  This program runs from May 25th through September 7th.

4)  Borders and Waldenbooks:

This summer, kids age 12 and under can face the “double dog dare” challenge.  If they read 10 books of their own choosing and fill out the reading form, they can receive one free book from an approved list.  This program runs from May 4th through August 26th.

5)  Half Price Books:

Kids ages 14 and under can participate in this summer reading program called “Feed Your Brain.”  They can earn a $3 Half Price Books shopping card for each week they read at least 15 minutes for 5 of the 7 days.  Just make sure to fill out their weekly reading log.  This program runs from June 1st through July 31st.

So get your reading hats on, check out what your community offers and jump into the summer reading program fun.

Also, if you know of any additional summer reading programs, please share the wealth!

Happy Reading!

And happy soaking-up-the-sun days – let’s hope the sun makes its appearance soon in this part of the world!

Working The Swing Shift

Last week while catching up on blog posts, I read this little gem by Stephanie, “I always say that the days can be SO long, but the weeks and months just fly past.”

Amen.

There is not much else I can add to that wisdom, especially when you are in the throes of raising young children.

It took a bit of a journey for me to arrive in the motherhood realm, but now I am firmly entrenched in it.  Even though each day in the life of a mother is filled with many mundane tasks – making meals, chauffeuring kids to school and other activities, changing diapers, being a referee in the squabbles that invariably break out, dealing with kids who wake up before dawn, listening to endless chatter and noise and questions, attempting to figure out how to help your kids be successful and how not to have major meltdowns, folding mountains of laundry – I wouldn’t trade where I am at in a heartbeat. Because along with all the monotony comes the joy and satisfaction that you are engaging yourself in one of the most noble professions.

Does that make everything easy?  Heavens no!  But it at least it helps me keep an eternal perspective when I feel like I am ready to pull my hair out because I am too frazzled and over stimulated.

Nearly a year ago I read an article about a talk Julie Beck gave on motherhood.  What I read has really stuck with me and often times her words come floating back into my mind.

Sister Beck said she learned how to prioritize her time as a wife and mother while observing her father-in-law, a steel worker who at various times in his career worked the day, evening or night shift. She said she realized she was working all three shifts simultaneously, and she had to prioritize the demands on her so she could provide the service her family most needed.

The most valuable time of the day for a family, Sister Beck said, is the afternoon/evening shift.

‘Be at the top of your game on swing shift,’ she said. ‘People are hungry, people are teachable. You feed them; that’s when you serve them the most. Plan for swing shift, and then work the rest of your day around that.’

Ironically enough for me – and maybe for some of you – the swing shift in my book is one of the roughest times when you are a mother.  I know I have often dubbed the hours between 3 in the afternoon and 8 in the evening “the witching hours.”  I am fairly confident you can figure out what that means.

Needless to say, one of the myriads of things I am working on right now is how to endure the swing shift of my days.  How to endure it well.

Endure.  Enduring.  Enduring well.  Enduring means to be long-suffering and patient.

I haven’t traveled very far on this new path yet, but at least I feel like I am making some strides in the right direction.  For example:

• In my morning prayers I ask my Father in Heaven to help me have the desire and the strength to be patient and loving to my children, especially during this time of the day.
• I try to give more snuggles and “giant hugs” during this time.  I try to show more love to my family.
• I try to spend some of this time out of the house being active – going to the park, taking walks, playing in the yard or going to the library.
• I try to keep this time simple and not hurried. I try to have lots of flexibility and wiggle room if things come up or need to be tweaked or if kids are on melt down mode.
• Have quality talk time with each child.
• I am also trying to be more focused during this time of the day on my children and my role as a mother instead of trying to have “me time” or instead of trying to multitask during this time.

There are many days where I feel like I am taking steps in the wrong direction still, but at least I feel like I am making progress, even if that progress is measured in baby steps.

One of the main reasons I am writing this post is to make myself more accountable for this new leaf I am trying to turn over – to be “at the top of my game” during the swing shift.  I find when I write things down and tell other people about my goals and aspirations, I am more likely to achieve them.

Well the swing shift is almost here, so I better go get ready for it.  Anything you would like to share about how you work your swing shift well?

May Tidbits and Inexpensive Low Flush Toilet Solutions

I have definitely been AWOL and MIA lately – though those were never my intentions.

By default, May is always a busy month for us as we have lots of things to celebrate and the end of the school year starts winding down which means many extra things fill up the calendar.

Here is a bit of what we have been up to:

** Celebrated a lovely Mother’s Day.  I loved the present I asked for – being able to sleep in !! (I have learned it is great to tell your spouse your expectations for special days.)

** Celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary. I can not believe how quickly the years have flown by!  We got a sitter for the kids and had a yummy lunch and then went on a 4 mile stroll through some beautiful parts of the city.

** Celebrated Rudy’s 34th birthday.  Once again we got a sitter for the kids and we went bowling and out to dinner.

** Got sick.  Every one of us has had a turn being ill. I had severe laryngitis for a week solid.  And on top of being sick, we are all being plagued with allergies.

** Keri has been learning how to unicycle through a class at her school.  She loves it and is  quickly becoming quite proficient at it.

** We have been spending more time outdoors (despite our overly wet and dreary weather).  Exploring new parks and playing bocce ball have been some of our favorite pastimes.

** Unfortunately we have also had some plumbing/sewer issues.  Tree roots got into some of the pipes and wreaked havoc.  For awhile we had a lovely hole outside our front door, but now it is all filled in.

** And here is a picture of our “new” low flush toilets.  My water conservation tip for the day? Fill an empty gallon milk container with water and place it in the older model toilet tanks that flush 3 gallons with every use.  Save water and money in a simple and quick way!

Happy June!

I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their June!  It is hard to believe the year is nearly half over!?

Happy Mother’s Day

“A widow with her mite taught us how to tithe. An impoverished and starving widow with her hungry son taught us how to share, as she gave her meal and oil to Elijah. The divine maternal instincts of an Egyptian woman retrieved Moses from the bullrushes, thereby shaping history and demonstrating how a baby is a blessing—not a burden. …

“When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses?  When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will still be standing, because it is a celestial institution, formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this.” ~ Neal A. Maxwell

To all the lovely women of the world, I hope you have a blessed and Happy Mother’s Day.

Raising My Spirited Child

I have become that mom.

Though, I think I have been that mom now for nearly five years.

I am one of those moms you have seen at the local store.  One of those moms who often gets the glare or dirty look because it is my child who is the one racing up and down every aisle with lightning speed, touching everything within sight and climbing on whatever is available.  Holding still and being quiet is not something my child knows how to do – and it is not because we haven’t tried teaching him.

I am one of those moms who has the kid who will let out an ear piercing shriek when he wails and has a public meltdown because something unfortunately does not go his way.  Often times when this happens, a full blown tantrum complete with stomping and flailing of body parts ensues.  And the scenes do not end quickly or quietly.

I am one of those moms whose child is a “handful.”

I am one of those moms who often gets asked – or at least feels like that with the looks I get -  “Are you sure your child isn’t hyperactive?  Are you sure he doesn’t need medication?  Are you sure he doesn’t need more discipline?  Do you need to be more lenient?  Does he need to be tested? Are you sure he doesn’t need the law laid down and a spanking?  Have you taken a parenting class?”

No, no, no, no, no, no and no.  Often times I wish these people could see my oldest child.  I have raised her and my five year old with the same parenting style, but they are completely different. It is because they come to this earth with their own temperament.  Shocking, I know.

Nurture is definitely a factor in life, but don’t discount what the nature of genes will do when you have a child.  Your “perfect” parenting skills will only go so far with spirited children.

What is a spirited child?  They are “normal” children who are just harder to raise.

The word that distinguishes spirited children from other children is MORE. … More intense, persistent, sensitive, perceptive and uncomfortable with change than other children.  All children possess these characteristics, but spirited kids possess them with a depth and range not available to other children.  Spirited kids are the super ball in a room full of rubber balls.  Other kids bounce three feet off the ground.  EVERY bounce for a spirited child hits the ceiling. ~ Mary Kurcinka

This is E.X.A.C.T.L.Y. what my Cory is.

Though, I think he is among the spirited of the spirited.  (And just so you know, spirited kids statistically make up about 10-15% of children currently being raised.)

On bad days, which can be quite often when you don’t know what you are up against, raising a spirited child makes you feel like you are raising four kids in one.  It is confusing, frustrating, exhausting, challenging, discouraging and guilt-inducing.  Often times you feel like a complete and utter failure as a parent.

However, on the good days, raising a spirited child can make you feel overly blessed.  It can be exhilarating, funny, beautiful and brilliant because they bring you into their world which is lived with more passion, creativity, courage and energy than you can ever possibly imagine.

The problem is, you never know what kind of day you are going to have.  And often times you can go from pure joy and bliss to complete exasperation in under ten seconds.

When I finally discovered the book, “Raising Your Spirited Child” by Mary Kurcinka, I felt like I found a buried treasure.

This book has helped me feel not so alone.  It has helped me realize I didn’t create my spirited child or make his temperament worse.  It has helped me realize why I often feel so selfish, lazy and exhausted every day.

And above, all, it is teaching me how to understand and how to positively raise and work with my lovable and exuberant little man.  We can make a successful team.

TO BE CONTINUED …

Weekend at the DVD Player

It’s not very often that my husband and I watch a movie together – either at home or in a theater.  Often times there isn’t much out there that entices us, but this last weekend was a rare occasion.  We actually watched 2 movies?!  We borrowed both of them – for free – from our local library.

Food, Inc. was the first show we watched.  There is so much to be said about this eye-opening film, but I really don’t care to get into all of it right now.

However, I would like to say two quick things.  As much as I support businesses being efficient, cost-effective and profitable, it makes me sad when they get so overly huge that they swallow up the little guys.  What makes it even worse is when these giant corporations care more about their profits than the livelihood and well-being of fellow citizens who happen to be running a minuscule company that competes with them.

The second point I would like to make about this film is that I find it rather disturbing that politicians on both sides of the aisle will appoint former high-ranking employees of massive corporations to powerful jobs in the federal government.  Does anyone else see a conflict of interest here?

The second movie we watched was much more lighthearted, Julie and Julia.

We didn’t have any expectations of this film, although we had heard several people say they enjoyed it. We found it refreshing and charming, especially since the movie wasn’t the typical chick flick where women either bash men or desperately pursue them. In fact, both of the main characters in this film had strong and happy marriages.

A few things I gleaned from this second movie are:

** It’s nice to know I am not the only adult who has meltdowns . (I could completely relate to the scene where Julie is crying uncontrollably on her kitchen floor while she sobs that she can’t follow through with anything.)

** It’s great to set a goal and work for it.  It is even better to make yourself accountable for it.  (Although, I know if I were to embark on cooking all 524 of Julia’s recipes, I would give myself more time than 365 days.  But that is just me.)

** It is OK to discover and develop one of your passions in life after you become an adult, and do I dare say even after you have lived nearly half of your life!

That is incredibly refreshing in this day and age where at times you feel like you have to try to be good at everything before you finish high school.  Not to mention how parents often feel pressured into teaching their child in uterus how to do long division and how to compose a magnificent symphony so they won’t be behind when they are born.  This is all nonsense!  We have become too embedded in the “I have to know and have everything now” mentality.

And since Rudy and I never know what to watch if we have a minute to sit down and relax, what movies would you recommend?

You Know You Are Raising Boys When …

… the inside of their pants look like this.

I think nearly every single pair of pants that Cory owns is patched in the knee.  Numerous times.  And has some hand stitching on the front as well.

I have also noticed he is much harder on the left knee than on the right one.

I wish I possessed some sort of mad sewing and creative skills so I could figure out a way to prevent all the wear and tear.

But come what may and love it. At least he has a passion and zest for life that is unbeatable .

**********************

P.S. Don’t forget to enter my handcrafted Etsy jewelry giveaway!