Day 11

Here is the wonderful picture of the day:

Today, we really had no idea what to eat for dinner, and went back and forth between chicken noodle soup or stir fry.  Finally, John had the ingenious idea to make grilled chicken sandwiches, which we miraculously had all the ingredients for.This really represents my lack of planning in general lately.  When I’m pregnant, I’m not the most organized person, which is very unlike me. 

The picture is to show that John is a great help.  He grilled some fantastic looking chicken, came up with the dinner, and it was so spontaneous to just go from having no idea what to eat for dinner to having it all ready on the table in 30 minutes.  Sometimes not having a plan can actually work out for the best!

Day 10

John and I have been noticing over the past year that our grocery bills are getting outrageous.  Part of it is that things cost more in Texas.  I know everyone blabs about the cheap cost of living, but it’s simply not true.  Nothing beats the bulk prices of Macey’s and the associated food stores—Oh how I miss Macey’s!  But, that is not the point of this post.  We also spend more money on groceries because we do buy organic food, which costs more money. 

My picture from yesterday it not just to remind myself that my fridge is disgusting and needs to be cleaned, but that one of the major reasons that we spend more on food is twofold.  One, we don’t grow any of this ourselves anymore  We used to go down and steal raspberries from my dad, whereas now we have to buy them.  And, the major reason for our increased food expenses is that our kids actually eat a significant amount of food now.  For a while, they would seriously be able to just eat off our plates so to say.  They would eat a few slices of banana or a few crackers, but they actually eat a lot now—full bowls of cereal, adult servings of fruit, a whole batch of crepes.  This fridge reminds me that we buy such large containers of fruit at Sam’s now (there are raspberries, strawberries, grapes, and watermelon that you can see in this picture) because our kids actually are getting big enough to be major contributors to our food budget.  Well, they don’t really contribute in the traditional sense, but perhaps we could call them well-worth-it liabilities to our food budget.  And, it’s also to remind me that while I currently buy raspberries and strawberries and grapes and watermelon, I will soon be able to grow those myself if I want.  Not this next growing season because we’ll probably move in the middle of it, but certainly by the next.  And, if I get lazy and don’t make it, I can go steal some of my dad’s fruit!

Day 9

I’ve been meaning to go the temple so I could buy things from the distribution center, so I finally decided to do it today.  We were having a “T” themed day, so it fit right in.  We played with our friend Tami, we took a trip (to the temple no less), we had treats when we got home, and read a Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Book.

Last time I tried to go to the temple, I actually got lost.  I was trying to take a short cut but took a wrong turn and an hour later we were heading home and we skipped the temple altogether.

Today, we made it, although the kids were skeptical that I could remember the way.  I got a picture of them out front, and Hadley skinned her knee on the way to the fountain, so she was having some drama.  I love the temple grounds.  I honestly feel very calm there, which is very rare for me, so it’s a nice place to be.  It’s also nice to see the kids excited about the temple.  The girls asked me all the way home when they could go in, and then began to stress that they would “never get married!  There won’t be any boys left!” 

Day 8

I’ve been meaning to print off my most recent journal entries, so today I finally did it.  I hadn’t printed them since September, so I knew I would have quite a few pages.  I bet I had 20 typed computer pages, so that’s not too bad.  I love journal writing, and think it’s such a beneficial thing not only for your life, but also that of your kids.  When I was all done, I had them all arranged and put in my journal book. This picture is of my journal since summer 2007, so about 3 years worth.  It’s all my time in Texas, so that’s quite the journal.

What I love the most about journals is going back and reading about things you’ve forgotten, as well as reading about things that really mattered to you at the time, and having the long-term perspective to look back on them and realize what you did right, what you did wrong, how you could have handled something differently, and maybe how the decisions you made then impact your current situation.  It helps you to see all the struggles you work through as well.  I think it’s a great habit.

Day 7

This morning, Emma came and showed me something she had built out of the jenga game.

I love that the girls are learning so much. I remember doing flashcards with them and trying to get them to learn to read and thinking “Ugh, they’re never going to get it!” But, they did. As they’re struggling with piano currently, I need to remember that even though they may not understand something right now, there’s still hope. If I give them some more time, they’ll figure it out on their own.

Day 6

I should note the dates on these I guess.  Day 6 is Tuesday, June 22, 2010.

Anyway, piano lessons were canceled this morning, but the kids were really good about being flexible.  Instead, they got out their play-doh and started making snakes.  They love to roll them until they are almost on the floor. 

Today is about creativity.  I love that the kids are so anxious to find fun, new things to play with.  I also like how they do such entertaining things and will actually play together instead of insisting on doing something boring, like watching a movie or playing a video game.

Day 5

Today I was struck by how self-sufficient my kids are getting (relatively speaking).  I was sitting on the couch and realized that you know, we don’t even take a diaper bag with us anymore.  It seemed like for 5 years straight we had to take it everywhere we went.  It’s so much easier to get the kids in the car now.  Here is a picture from earlier:

We were going to the doctor’s office to pick up Hadley, and I just said, "”get in the car” and they picked a small toy to entertain themselves, got their own shoes on, and walked over to the car.  Emma can even buckle herself.  (Note:  That red paint from when we repainted the bed and desk is never coming off that garage floor—bad idea us!)

This is a yet another good example of perspective, and how in the moment it seems like I will always be having to shower the kids, but one day, they’ll do it themselves.  Like everything, it’s about living in the moment, and I am so bad at that!

Day 4

Because today was Father’s Day, I wanted to find a picture that fit with that.  I asked John what dessert he wanted, and he said a cheesecake, so I made it the night before so it was all ready.

It was one of the nicest looking cheesecakes I’ve ever made.  Usually they crack, but this one looked nearly perfect.  I chose this picture because really, we make desserts and nice meals to celebrate the important people in our lives.  This dessert was a representation of all the hard work that John does as a dad.  He’s a really exceptional dad—he spends a lot of quality time with our kids, and helps out a lot with some of the day-to-day tasks, such as doctor’s appointments.  I know our kids will be able to look back and think of how often John was around and involved in their lives.  That really is worth celebrating!

Day 3

This story goes back much, much further than just the mattress in the picture.  No, it’s not a sexy or interesting story, just a crazy and hectic story (aren’t they all like that??).  And really, by “much, much further” I actually mean about 12 hours.  Friday afternoon, I heard Gavin screaming and then Hadley informed me he had fallen and hit his head on the floor.  I ran down the stairs, well, let’s be honest, I waddled in a quick fashion down the stairs, and saw him just laying there on the tile.  That’s a very scary sight for any parent.  I got him to sit up and eat a popsicle and finally he even started acting better, but I had to watch him all night for signs of a concussion.  This included waking him up throughout the night, and I figured it might be easier to do that if I slept in his room.

Nope—sleeping on an air mattress when you’re pregnant is NOT comfortable at all.  After a few hours, I took my stuff back downstairs and just went up to check him every few hours.  The next morning, the empty mattress was taken over by the children, who were using it in one of their games.

I just had to laugh and use this as my picture of the day because it was such a nice contrast to the stress from the previous day.  I originally had the mattress in there because we were worried about Gavin, and fortunately he ended up being ok and they sat and played with it the next morning.

 

Day 2

The kids rarely play for more than 10 minutes without fighting, but every time, without fail, they can play this game of theirs and be occupied for at least an hour.  I’m not even quite sure what this is, but it’s a cross between building a train, having a party, and cooking.  Do you see how Emma has the wooden spoon?  She is stirring something, and the plates are apparently for serving it.  The green papers on the left hand side are party decorations, and the blankets are who knows what.  They have so much fun with this, and lately they’ve even been cleaning it up when they’re done.

To me, this post is amazing because it shows that my kids are getting old enough to actually play together nicely.  They are being creative, which always makes me happy.  It also reminds me of when I was a kid, because this looks like something my sisters and I would have done.  I really enjoy moments like these.

Day 1

This blog is my project to remind me that every day has something unique and interesting to offer, and I will take one picture that captures something I am thinking or feeling that day.  We are planning to move from Texas in one year, which means I want to have the best year I can so we can leave on a good note.  I think this project will help with that.

This picture is of Gavin playing with my model Chemistry kit that came with my Organic Chemistry materials last year.  I spent hours studying for that course, and built many a model that I turned this way and that to try and help myself understand the material a little better.  I often left the kit out, and Gavin has always loved to build things with it.  Today he asked me to get it down and built a “flower” with the pieces.

To me, this first post is about perspective.  I didn’t quite think I would ever understand Organic Chemistry, but not only did I eventually understand it, but I grew to actually like it (sort of).  Our perspective can really change, especially with time.