Happy Mario Day

Happy Mario Day!! That's what Case thinks today is. Poor guy probably thought, as he counted down the days to this holiday, that we were going to sit around playing Super Mario Bros. on Emma's DS all day. I hope he wasn't too disappointed with the 5-hour swimming extravaganza and meat-and-dessert glutton fest we ended up going to (thanks Larsens for hosting!).

You may think I'm kidding about his counting down the days. This kid needs a countdown every day. Each morning he asks "how many days till..." and I have to calculate whatever it is he is eagerly awaiting. Summer trip. Birthdays. This afternoon he asked me how many hours until we got to go swimming.

Me: Only two and a half hours Case!
Case: How many minutes is that?
Me: 150.
Case: How many milliseconds is that?
Me: Why is my five year old asking me about milliseconds?

Tess and the Twelve Opossums

Tess brought me the newspaper yesterday, featuring photos of the GOP frontrunners for the next presidential election, and she asks: Mommy are these men daddies? Well, I don't know Tess, they probably are.

Tess: Are they opossums?
Me: huh? opossums?
Tess: Yeah, you know, the guys who go around helping Jesus.
Me: Ah yes. The twelve opossums. No, they definitely aren't those guys.

Lemon-Aid

Emma has been bugging me to let her do a lemonade stand. I had no idea why she wanted to do one so badly. I finally had a Saturday that worked, bought all the stuff and let her go to town. She got her friends involved, made posters in advance, put them up all over the neighborhood and set out to sell her lemonade. They brought a portable CD player with the appropriately titled Lemonade Mouth CD, which I originally thought was just for them to listen to, but as it turns out they had coreographed dances to all the songs so they could provide entertainment for their customers. The signs even advertised said entertainment. They had really thought this through!

When all was said and done they brought home $6.10. Emma promptly tucked it away in a special jar marked "money for missionaries." She had held the lemonade stand to raise money for a young man from our church who's on a mission in California, and she wanted to help him pay for his mission.

I am duly humbled and in awe of a ten-year-old girl who wasn't out to make money for herself so she could go to Claire's or get more fingernail polish or CDs. She went to all that effort with a selfless intent. I know for sure that never would have crossed my ten-year-old mind. As for now, I need to learn to give my kids a lot more credit than I do.

Love you Em. I'm so proud of you.

A bit of Fish

So we've had some milestones for Fisher in the last, oh two months, and I haven't taken the time to tell you all about them!!

On March 26 Fisher turned the big EIGHT. He was so excited for this birthday and all the important things that come with it. He was also excited to have a friend party :). We invited a bunch of boys (plus one girl - we love you Sydney!) to have a sports extravaganza at our park. My favorite part of the party?? Jarad was in charge! I made the cake, but Jarad took charge of the obstacle course and other activities at the park. Best party ever :)



On Saturday, April 16th Fisher was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What a great day. We had the support of lots of family and friends at the service, and a nice luncheon with grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins afterward. Fisher's words to his dad as he came out of the font: This is the best day ever!! I think he was feeling something pretty special.



Fish also earned his Bobcat, the first badge in the Cub Scout program! He's loving Scouts, especially the bit where he gets to ride his bike with his buddies to Sister Ford's house for the Den meeting each week. Mr. Independent! I got to draw on his face the night he got his award. I was so excited about it that I didn't realize I was supposed to follow the directions, so this is what he ended up with :)



Finally, last week, we attended an awards ceremony for the Higley Unified School District writing contest. Fisher's entry placed third among all second graders in the district! We are so proud of him! Last year he took first in his division, so next year he hopes to win second place so he'll have a first, second and third medal to display on his wall.

To all the moms I've loved before...

As I sat in church yesterday listening to kids of all ages pay tribute to their mothers and wives, I of course was thinking of my own mother. Of her patience and quiet love. Her willingness to listen and offer advice when asked, but never to insert herself into a decision I must make on my own. Her lifetime of low-key (and often high-key!) service to others. My mind moved then to the other ‘mothers’ I had growing up. My older sister Karin played a huge role as a role model, friend and confidante through my teenage years. Both my sisters continue to be advisors and sounding boards for me as a mother of my own kids. The handful of primary, Sunday school and young women’s teachers I had in the Anchorage 5th Ward, with whom I really connected and remember some 30 years later.

Then my sweet friend and neighbor Jill didn’t hesitate to prompt Case when he panicked at the pulpit. We had been practicing testimonies in Family Home Evening and he did NOT want anyone to go up to help him. And then he froze. And I watched Jill love my son as she helped him bear his testimony. I am so lucky to have friends who love my kids and who are helping me raise them. Who keep their eyes out for things I might need to be aware of. Who search the neighborhood when a certain son of mine goes missing. Who are great examples to me of what mothering and unconditional love are all about.

My kids are also so lucky to have three of the best grandmas in the world. Between them these grandmas raised 18 kids, so not only do they know a thing or two about being mothers, they have taken all they know and perfected it as grandmas. I love watching them love my kids.

So maybe a day late, but here’s my tribute to all the moms in my life. Thank you for all you do for me and for my passel of kids.

Kindness Begins With...

I was trying to get the kids to be kind last night. So I started singing:

I want to be kind to everyone
For that is right you see!
So I say to myself, remember this:
Kindness begins with...

And I look to Fisher to complete the song (so he could let Case know what it's all about)...

And he sweetly sings back to me: "K"

Sounds like I need to teach my kids a few primary songs... and kindness.