Underfoot Says: I made my own sandwich at Joy School. I went to a baptism and watched how a baptism went. It went well. I put all my cars in a new bag. My trailer fits in the bag too, and I zipped it up.
Our week followed its normal activities. Piano lessons, Joy School, 11 year old Scouts, and our daily habits.... One thing that is remarkable is that we got the kitchen floor and chairs washed and cleaned. Very clean. We no longer stick to floor or the chairs. A common phrase in our home is “we are doing the best that we can.” I’m sure we can do better and be happier - that is the goal we are working toward.
The rodeo is in town. The school district gives 2 days off of school for this event. On Friday we took a neighbor girl with us so we could attend the temple together. Usually when we attend the temple, we trade spots because the temple is so far from home that to pay a babysitter is expensive. We went to the Gila Valley Temple. We enjoyed being together as a family. Usually when we go together it is an all day adventure.
L4 and I have been talking about getting a new vehicle for him to commute to work. We have talked about getting a motorcycle, a pick-up truck, and a car. The conversation has developed over the past 2 years. One year ago we bought a new car for our family because the Honda Civic we were driving was having transmission problems. We decided to buy a bigger car rather than a small car because we hoped that our family would include a new baby in the near future. Well almost one year has gone by and there isn’t a new family member but we are still having the discussion about getting a more efficient car. We have started to look at a Toyota Prius. We have not bought one but have started the hunt. We are looking for a car that will get better gas mileage than a minivan, truck, or SUV that in a pinch can be a 2nd family car. So do you know of anyone selling a nice Prius? Keep us in mind. We do like to take road trips in our family.
This morning we woke up to snow. Yes- real live snow. There was about an inch. It melted before we left church today. We continue to worry about our citrus trees and we hope that the cold has not killed them. Correction from last week: Our friend, Adam, in response to L4’s reading of “Why Gender Matters?” by Dr. Leaonard Pax, shed some light on the subject of the book. Adam is getting a Ph.D. in the childhood development at Penn State. (Adam - PLEASE forgive if we have oversimplified your training. It is not intentional.) He suggested the book “Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps – And What We Can Do About” by Lise Eliot. We’ve requested it from the library so we can read it. We are learning so that we can be better parents.
Last thought for the week: Four of our five Ladies (our chickens) have started laying eggs again. We had sought out help to slaughter them. It is a good thing they are back to work, because otherwise, they would have lost their heads.
Be Well.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Can Do!
Underfoot sent a letter to his cousin a few weeks ago. He asked me if I could call him so that Underfoot could talk to his cousin. Underfoot invited him to come to our house for his birthday party.
Underfoot got to play with the Dickey children yesterday. Joy School was here this week. Underfoot played with paint and shaving cream. It was lots of fun. K2 got to paint too.
K2 has taken to squealing frequently. He loves to eat oranges. He calls them “orangy.” He continues to grow. His language understanding increases each day.
I have been reading a book called Why Gender Matters by Sax. The book is fascinating. The book’s main premise is that boys and girls are very different from birth. For example, boy’s eyeballs are made to tract object while girl’s eyeballs notice the changes in color. The author cites numerous studies which indicate just
how different boys and girls are. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book describes how our “gender neutral” education system hinders both girls and boys by trying to force both sexes to fit the same mold. The book has changed the way I view boys and girls and how to parent most effectively for my children.
I attended a BSA outdoor youth leadership training on Friday evening and Saturday. I learned a bunch about how to teach boys how to be better men.
While I went camping, Mama stayed home and had a party with our boys. The next day she did Bountiful Baskets and watched a few extra children throughout the afternoon. The children helped Mama with the cleaning. K2 did not want to take a nap because other children were here at the house. Underfoot played hard and fell asleep on the couch when he stopped running around.
Here is a funny story from Joy School. The alphabet tree fell down during the night and K2 had pulled out a lot toys just before Joy School started. Mama explained to the children that a hurricane went through the house, tearing things apart. One little boy said that no one else had a hurricane come through their house. It must only happen at Underfoot’ house. (Hurricane K2!)
Mama went to a church “Meet & Greet” on Thursday evening. She was a little frustrated in going because she didn’t have anyone to go with and didn’t call anyone to go with her. (She was having a pity party.) After the event she wanted to leave as quickly as possible because she felt so alone. She almost left when she turned around to try again. She entered the room where they were serving refreshments and saw that someone needed help with dishing up the ice cream. She took over. Someone came through the line and gave her a compliment that lifted her spirits. The person said to her that she always seems to see a need and just step in and fill it. The person also said they admired that quality in her. I am proud of her “can do” attitude.
Underfoot got to play with the Dickey children yesterday. Joy School was here this week. Underfoot played with paint and shaving cream. It was lots of fun. K2 got to paint too.
K2 has taken to squealing frequently. He loves to eat oranges. He calls them “orangy.” He continues to grow. His language understanding increases each day.
I have been reading a book called Why Gender Matters by Sax. The book is fascinating. The book’s main premise is that boys and girls are very different from birth. For example, boy’s eyeballs are made to tract object while girl’s eyeballs notice the changes in color. The author cites numerous studies which indicate just
how different boys and girls are. Perhaps the most interesting part of the book describes how our “gender neutral” education system hinders both girls and boys by trying to force both sexes to fit the same mold. The book has changed the way I view boys and girls and how to parent most effectively for my children.
I attended a BSA outdoor youth leadership training on Friday evening and Saturday. I learned a bunch about how to teach boys how to be better men.
While I went camping, Mama stayed home and had a party with our boys. The next day she did Bountiful Baskets and watched a few extra children throughout the afternoon. The children helped Mama with the cleaning. K2 did not want to take a nap because other children were here at the house. Underfoot played hard and fell asleep on the couch when he stopped running around.
Here is a funny story from Joy School. The alphabet tree fell down during the night and K2 had pulled out a lot toys just before Joy School started. Mama explained to the children that a hurricane went through the house, tearing things apart. One little boy said that no one else had a hurricane come through their house. It must only happen at Underfoot’ house. (Hurricane K2!)
Mama went to a church “Meet & Greet” on Thursday evening. She was a little frustrated in going because she didn’t have anyone to go with and didn’t call anyone to go with her. (She was having a pity party.) After the event she wanted to leave as quickly as possible because she felt so alone. She almost left when she turned around to try again. She entered the room where they were serving refreshments and saw that someone needed help with dishing up the ice cream. She took over. Someone came through the line and gave her a compliment that lifted her spirits. The person said to her that she always seems to see a need and just step in and fill it. The person also said they admired that quality in her. I am proud of her “can do” attitude.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Cleaning Up
Here are few pictures. If you check out the previous posts, one has one of K2 with peanut butter all over him.
We cleaned up this week. We cleaned the carpets, the couch, the laundry, the ironing, and the shed. Kirk helped with the cleaning by adding 2 pieces of pink chalk to the bottom of his pajamas in the whites. We didn’t know about it until we were folding the a suspiciously pink set of white clothes. It didn’t turn the clothes completely pink. Just a hue of light, light pink.
The carpets and couch cleaning were a birthday present. I was so happy for the present! We had to spend the day out of the house eating lunch out and supper out. (Underfoot fell asleep at the table in the restaurant during supper.) My brother (who shares my birthday) called and asked what I wanted that day for my birthday. I told him that I wanted new shoes. He told me to go out and buy them with Lance’s money and put my brother’s name on the card. I laughed. Later that day I went with a friend to the store because she was going to buy herself some shoes. I ended up buying shoes instead of her.
When we correct K2 now, he will look at us and say, “no, no” like the fish from “The Cat In The Hat” and will stop or do it again. When he really gets it, he will say okay and will be corrected. The way he says okay is so darling because it is sweet and kind. He says okay with almost a reverence like he is showing love. He melts my heart when he says it and is obedient.
Underfoot has been really interested in reading this week. He tells us he going to read to us when we get out a book. He will repeat the words that we read to him. He has also been tired because of some of the long days we have been keeping. Joy School days are very long for him. He isn’t sure if he wants to give up a nap or not. Some days he insists on having a nap and other days he just want to be my buddy as K2 takes a nap. He wants to sit on my lap and love me or have me love him.
L4 surprised us by buying tickets to a show at the Gaslight Theater. The Gaslight is a melodrama theater with lots of singing, dancing, improve, and audience participation. He got 4 tickets. We went back and forth about taking another couple or taking our boys. We decided to take the boys. We’re glad we did. They had a great time. (So did we!) It was fun to watch K2 and Underfoot react to the show. They sat entranced by the singing and dancing. During one of the intermissions, they announced birthdays and anniversaries and pass out an ice cream cone. They made too many cones and shared the left overs with our little boys. It made underfoot's night.
After the show we went to a new dessert only restaurant called Something Sweet. We met another couple there, and K2 and Underfoot ate one slice of cake between them. It was a wonderful night.
Underfoot says: I went to a birthday party yesterday. We went to a show. I went Joy School because I was better this week. I got bubbles and my friends got to come play. I put my arm around my Mom’s neck and gave her loves during the show.
We cleaned up this week. We cleaned the carpets, the couch, the laundry, the ironing, and the shed. Kirk helped with the cleaning by adding 2 pieces of pink chalk to the bottom of his pajamas in the whites. We didn’t know about it until we were folding the a suspiciously pink set of white clothes. It didn’t turn the clothes completely pink. Just a hue of light, light pink.
The carpets and couch cleaning were a birthday present. I was so happy for the present! We had to spend the day out of the house eating lunch out and supper out. (Underfoot fell asleep at the table in the restaurant during supper.) My brother (who shares my birthday) called and asked what I wanted that day for my birthday. I told him that I wanted new shoes. He told me to go out and buy them with Lance’s money and put my brother’s name on the card. I laughed. Later that day I went with a friend to the store because she was going to buy herself some shoes. I ended up buying shoes instead of her.
When we correct K2 now, he will look at us and say, “no, no” like the fish from “The Cat In The Hat” and will stop or do it again. When he really gets it, he will say okay and will be corrected. The way he says okay is so darling because it is sweet and kind. He says okay with almost a reverence like he is showing love. He melts my heart when he says it and is obedient.
Underfoot has been really interested in reading this week. He tells us he going to read to us when we get out a book. He will repeat the words that we read to him. He has also been tired because of some of the long days we have been keeping. Joy School days are very long for him. He isn’t sure if he wants to give up a nap or not. Some days he insists on having a nap and other days he just want to be my buddy as K2 takes a nap. He wants to sit on my lap and love me or have me love him.
L4 surprised us by buying tickets to a show at the Gaslight Theater. The Gaslight is a melodrama theater with lots of singing, dancing, improve, and audience participation. He got 4 tickets. We went back and forth about taking another couple or taking our boys. We decided to take the boys. We’re glad we did. They had a great time. (So did we!) It was fun to watch K2 and Underfoot react to the show. They sat entranced by the singing and dancing. During one of the intermissions, they announced birthdays and anniversaries and pass out an ice cream cone. They made too many cones and shared the left overs with our little boys. It made underfoot's night.
After the show we went to a new dessert only restaurant called Something Sweet. We met another couple there, and K2 and Underfoot ate one slice of cake between them. It was a wonderful night.
Underfoot says: I went to a birthday party yesterday. We went to a show. I went Joy School because I was better this week. I got bubbles and my friends got to come play. I put my arm around my Mom’s neck and gave her loves during the show.
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