Thursday, April 29, 2010

Caught being awesome: FLUFFY :)

Hummer is outside ponderously pulling weeds for his two required "Weed-free Zones" (yes, I make my kids really work. . . .not hard enough, though! :). He has been out there for almost 2 hours doing what should be a 10-minute job. He has come in numerous times asking for help. (Before you feel sorry for him, you should know that he filled two plastic bags full all by himself in about 10 minutes a couple weeks ago -- he can do it!)
Anyway. He's miserable, mostly because he can't stand being by himself, and I would help him, but need to make dinner and take care of Rosebud. Fluffy had homework to do, so I suggested he go out there and do it and keep Hummer company. I thought for sure he would complain, but he said cheerfully, "Okay!"
He's out there now, and I can hear cheerful conversation between them. So awesome. I love you, Fluffy!

P.S. Exacto was also caught being awesome holding Rosebud while I typed this post. :)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

my favorite moment today

~ lying on my back on the trampoline with Rosebud right next to me at dusk. the static electricity made her hair stick up, and her arm went into my hair and sometimes she pulled it. we looked up at the shockingly blue sky (never blue here in AR except after huge storms followed by cold fronts). white clouds scudding across. branches and leaf crowds in trees being pushed around by the strong sudden winds. birds soaring way higher than I realized birds can soar. I looked over at Rose and she had her two fingers in her mouth (in pianospeak: it's always her RH 3 and 4 :). Exacto came out then, and lay on the other side of Rose and told me that the sky was a huge river and the clouds were boats and we were glued to the bottom of a bridge staring down. next came Fluffy and his eyes looked like the sky and his hair was sculptured from wearing his bike helmet for almost three hours, and he kept threatening to bounce us. it got cold and Rose and I came in.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

2010: the year to ENJOY

 010 (2)

At first I thought I would apologetically introduce this post as being late. It is well into April already, after all. But then I realized that the reason I haven't written this post sooner is because I've been doing (most of the time) exactly what I'm going to write about! { pat on the back :) }

This year, 2010, is my year to ENJOY.

It is the year of Rosebud's babyhood.

It is the last year I will have all pre-teenagers.

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And, really, each year of a child's life is so precious. Babyhood is particularly amazing because of the stunning amount of growth in such a short time that babies experience, but truly, I love every single year of childhood. My mom says there is something to love about every phase, and she's right, of course.

 

So, it is the year to enjoy Hummer as a 6-year-old, with teeth falling out and coming in all over the place, and with almost everything that he says making me laugh.

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It is the year to enjoy Fluffy as an 8- and 9-year-old, outgrowing clothes faster than I can keep up with, and becoming newly aware of the world around him.

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It is the year to enjoy Exacto as an 11- and 12-year-old, seeing him ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and being able to laugh with him and have deep conversations with him.

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And it is the year for DC and I to watch in awe and delight as our daughter learns and grows at an almost visible rate.

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I am really glad to have chosen this as my "theme" for the year. Already I have caught myself several times slipping into the getting-stuff-done mode, or wishing-away-a-phase mode. But then I remember how fleeting this time is. That when 2011 rolls around things will be different. I just want to bottle up this time and be able to look at it and taste it and ENJOY it always.

 

Unfortunately (or fortunately) the nature of mortality is that years pass, and that somehow we have to learn to find joy in the present time without longing for what came before or wishing for what is ahead.

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I think that that is part of Benjamin's gift to me. To see the intrinsic value of each moment of our life and savor it. To accept that time flows on, and things change, and that the things we rejoice in most are the things that will last beyond the limits of time. I love knowing that after this life, I will have one more baby to enjoy through all the phases of growing up!

 

And for now, I will hold Rosebud as much as I can, and hug those boys as much as they will let me, and tickle and listen to jokes and go for walks and jump on the trampoline and read stories and just . . .

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. . . .ENJOY!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

links that have been making me smile lately

Malauna's Baby Bonnet Tutorial - created just for me! :) I made one to go with Rosebud's Easter outfit, and it turned out so cute. It looks like a vintage early 20th century bonnet on her--love it!

 

"Lord, I Would Follow Thee" - Susan Evans McCloud, the author of one of my favorite hymns, "Lord, I Would Follow Thee", tells how she came to write those breathtakingly beautiful words. (As a side note, I was blessed to have Newell Dayley--who wrote the music--for one of my music theory teachers at BYU, and had the privilege of hearing from him firsthand how he came to write the music. Both the text and the setting are inspired.)

 

Nursing the Phatness - this is the cutest article! Rosebud's not at this age yet, but if you've ever nursed a baby that is 6 months or older, you will crack up reading this.

 

Bald Eagle family on Live WebCam! - incredible. I just checked it again as I was copying the link, and watched a mother bald eagle feeding the two chicks in the nest! I love watching how attentive she is to their comfort.

 

M2B:) - my current favorite in the Blog Reader. Michael McLean --of whose music I was taught to be somewhat scornful (my dad, the self-described musical bigot, says if it's not classical, it's not music:)-- has begun 2010 with a "Mission To Be Happy." He writes on this blog an almost-daily account of something that made him happy that day. His posts nearly always make me laugh out loud, and always uplift me.

 

Hope you enjoy! Happy Friday!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Project 365 Rosebud - { too marvelous for words }

I'm doing great with my goal of taking pictures of Rosebud every day, but apparently I can't manage to post them regularly! So these are just some of my favorites from the past couple of weeks.

I've had this Nat King Cole song stuck in my head for days, and I sing it to her all the time :).

(Click on the player to enjoy. . . . .)


MusicPlaylist
Music Playlist at MixPod.com

 

You're just too marvelous, too marvelous for words

 Day 91

 

like "glorious",

"glamorous",

and that old standby "amorous".

 

Day 105

 

You're just too wonderful. I'll never find the words

 

Day 100

 

That tell enough,

Spell enough,

I mean, they just aren't swell enough.

 

Day 101

 

You're much too "much",

And just too very "very",

To ever be in Webster's Dictionary.

 

image

 

And so I'm borrowing

A love song from the birds

 

Day 98

 

To tell you're that your marvelous,

Too marvelous for words.

 

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Saturday, April 3, 2010

Caught being awesome: Exacto

Today the boys were anxious to ride their bikes--it's such nice weather. The only problem is that Exacto and Fluffy ride regular bikes and like to go off on long bike rides, and Hummer still has training wheels and has to stay behind. Earlier today the older two were being so sweet to him, and even let him come along, making sure he was safe as they slowly rode all together.

Between Conference sessions we decided that maybe Hummer was ready to start learning to ride without training wheels, and DC took them off and started coaching him on the grassy slope in our front yard.

After the afternoon session was over, the older boys asked if they could go again, and I was torn between wanting to let them go off and have a long ride, but feeling bad for Hummer left behind. Before I could decide, I realized they were all out there. I looked out and saw Exacto running along with Hummer on his bike, helping him learn how to balance!

It was the sweetest sight ever! I was just so impressed that Exacto would do that without being asked! Meanwhile I needed to make dinner, and figured he would give up after a few tries.

Twenty minutes later I looked out again, and Hummer was riding like a pro!! Isn't it amazing what the love of a big brother can do?

 

P.S. I feel like I'm coming out of a cocoon. I know I've neglected this blog terribly. I have been rediscovering who I am--such big changes recently. Rosebud has outgrown her reflux (YAY!!!!) and hopefully I'll start to write more regularly soon. . .