Thank You Mr. Building Inspector

This bookshelf was built to meet building codes for Maryanna's bedroom windows. I had the option of digging out the window well and cutting down the window or having a piece of furniture installed that would act as a ladder in case of an emergency. Getting this piece of furniture built and installed was a lot more fun and way less expensive than the first option.

Here is the original design idea. I think the guys at pragmatic design lab did an excellent job! I have a bunch more projects that I'd like them to do as I've been spending way too time browsing for ideas at 1stdibs.com. Next project - maybe a new bench for our entryway.

It's been a long week!

I really jinxed myself with the earlier post titled "coping" - that should have been called "bracing oursevles". I look way too happy for the reality that was soon to follow. What I thought would just be a quick flu ended up lasting all week and pretty much wiped out all of us except Paul who was luckily out of town. Thankfully he returned home just as I became non-functioning. He said the scene in our bedroom was quite interesting and reminded him of an ad for "save the children" with all the kids laid out in sleeping bags and make shift beds around our room. It was the only way I could care for them all and myself at the same time. The whole week was quite miserable and it really isn't over yet but I feel happy to have gained some insight from it all.

1. Compassion. I never really get that sick. I remember once in college being out for a week but other than that I'm quite resilliant. I use to fake sick in high school a lot so I guess when others say they're sick I don't give much compassion because in the back of my mind I'm thinking "yeah right- they just want a break from work or other responsibilities- what a baby". I never understood the term "achy" I thought it just meant people were too lazy to get out of bed. I have learned much from Paul's example of compassion this week. He knew just how to show love, care and patience. That was better than any medicine.

2. Letting it all go. I've become quite task oriented as a homemaker. I often feel like I shouldn't sleep, relax or enjoy myself until certain tasks are completed. One of my sisters called and asked how I was feeling... her next question was "so how does your house look"? I was honest in both resposes. I never felt worse and my house was pretty disgusting. But I realize there's no need to panic. It's okay to have a sink of dirty dishes and my floors sticky with spilled Gatorade (it is actually worse than I'm able to describe). I just have to let it go and let myself recover. I have quite a bit of clean-up and catch-up but will not attack it in a frenzy like a typically do. I'll take my time and just let some things go until I'm back 100% - that may even mean the Easter dresses I was sewing for the girls :(

3. Enjoying my family. Today William was jumping all over the couch and tossing the pillows around. Typically I would have stopped him but I didn't - I was just so happy to see him smiling and bursting with energy. Peter and James have been making messes with LEGOs and Playmobil all morning, Maryanna tried pouring her own smoothie and it went all over the counter, then Clara had another major blowout in her crib. After a week of watching them suffer through fevers, aches, and coughing all night I am just happy to see some signs of recovery.

4. I need to find a Doctor that makes house calls!

Keeping Clara happy

Xiao Xia (our old babysitter and Chinese tutor) helped me start this project before Clara was even born. However, it was shoved to the top back of her closet admist the chaos of having a new baby. I just recently found it thanks to my E.E.E. plan. We should get a few months enjoyment out of it before the new baby boy arrives - the boys hope to replace it with some frogs and fish orgami as the pink cranes seem too girly. Clara clearly loves it and we can hear her in her crib saying "birdie, birdie". What is even more amazing is the way their shadows dance just around 4:00 when its time to get her out of her crib.

Next time we will not use 12x12 cardstock as it was a bit heavy and hard to balance properly. Also the cardstock was quite difficult to fold and we encountered a few tears in our cranes. I'm on the hunt for some cool orgami paper for the boy version of this mobile.

Coping

This past week we were hit with all sorts of bugs and viruses. I've been sleeping as much as possible and doing a ton of laundry (due to the little kids' stomach flu). One good thing is no one has much of an appetite so I haven't had to cook much. The other fun thing was laying around together watching hours of Planet Earth.

Clara has perfected her first phrase "Momma hol jou" as she follows me around the house crying and whinning. Thank goodness for the Beco carrier - just what I needed to free up my hands and catch up on housework. And thank goodness for baby Einstein shows - the only other thing that would keep her happy today.

Shadow Dancing

Can you tell we are getting a little restless this winter? This is what we do around 5:30 pm when the sun shines through our west facing window. I'll have to post another shadow dancing picture in a couple of months when my belly gets really big.

Clara loves her big brother

By James

Playing outside is fun. Especially when there is about ten inches of packing snow. One day I was playing with my brothers outside and I asked if either of them wanted a whitewash. Both of them said "no". Then I saw Clara watching us play from the window. I shouted "Clara wants a whitewash"!! I formed a snowball about 4" in diameter, and then threw it at the window where Clara was looking. I heard her squeak through the window. My brothers were laughing so hard. I laughed a bit after that and I heard Clara laughing through the window. I threw lots of snowballs at the window and Clara squeaked so loud. My brothers were laughing so hard I stopped. Then Mommy told me not throw snowballs at the windows unless I wanted to wash the window.

Pentagon Punch-Out

A complete change and almost miracle has occured in our home this past week. Three mornings in a row James, William, and Peter have been independent in getting up, dressed, beds made, room cleaned, teeth brushed, with morning prayers said all before 7:45 am.

This little icon was designed on Adobe then laminated and pinned up in their room as a reminder. The motivation? Punch-out cards. They get one punch for every task completed and double punches if done by 7:45. They are also eligible for an extra punch if they help out another individual who may be struggling with their tasks. At the end of the week we will count up the number of punches and the boys will have an opportunity to "shop" the treasure box filled with all sorts of surprises each with a price.

Originally, Paul and I thought to motivate the boys with allowance but we found too many dollar bills laying around all crumpled up in balls, and folded into fans and bowties. The idea of the "shop" came from my experience teaching english to young children in China. They were given a little plastic token everytime they repeated a new language concept and once a week given a chance to "shop" for treasures. (I passed on the tokens for the boys because I knew they would be all over the house in no time!)

I was amazed how well the motivation worked with those cute little Chinese kids. I don't know why I didn't think to do this same system with my own kids any earlier.

President Hinckley

Tonight for family night we will be talking about President Hinckley . We will miss him. I am inspired by his example of optimism and hardwork. I am also grateful for his many teachings and devotions that have helped me develop and grow closer to our Savior.

I was especially impacted by his message in the last December Ensign regarding children and our responsibilty as parents. Here are a few short paragraphs from that message.

It is so obvious that the great good and the terrible evil in the world today are the sweet and the bitter fruits of the rearing of yesterday’s children. As we train a new generation, so will the world be in a few years. If you are worried about the future, then look to the upbringing of your children. Wisely did the writer of Proverbs declare, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6).

E. T. Sullivan once wrote these interesting words: “When God wants a great work done in the world or a great wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way. He doesn’t stir up his earthquakes or send forth his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born, perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother. And then God puts the idea into the mother’s heart, and she puts it into the baby’s mind. And then God waits. The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces in the world are babies.”1

And those babies, I should like to add, will become forces for good or ill, depending in large measure on how they are reared. The Lord, without equivocation, has declared, “I have commanded you to bring up your children in light and truth” (D&C 93:40).

Gordon B. Hinckley, “These, Our Little Ones,” Ensign, Dec 2007, 4–9

"Free Play"

In our home everyone loves and lives for "free play". Once all the moring jobs are done the kids get the privilage of choosing whatever they want to play with. Pictured here is Maryanna in bubbleland, James hole punching and reinforcing his 2008 monthly calanders which he helped design on Power Point, Clara rummaging through all the books within her reach, and William and Peter deep in a shark feeding show that they created for all their Playmobil figures.

Mommy's "free play" includes a mixture of laundry, cooking, sewing, reading, blogging, and talking on the phone... all the while keeping a close eye and sharp ear on the kids lost in their own little worlds. Not pictured is Maryanna soaking wet with puddles all over the kitchen floor, James having a bit of a melt down when he realized there was no orange cardstock for his October Calander, Clara ripping books, William and Peter screaming when Clara began sucking on one of their Playmobil's heads, and all the kids whinning when it was announced that "free play" was over and it was time to clean up.

Today is another morning of "free play".... James is trying to make a tower with playing cards, William and Peter are at the bathroom sink once again playing with Playmobil - this time the show is called "Mario and the melted hockey rink", Maryanna said "I just watching James" occasionally knocking down his creations, and Clara is toddling around with a few dominos in one hand a matchbox car in the other. I'm just laying on the couch because frankly, I'm tired and a bit run down. But I will say watching the kids up close - just playing has been far more entertaining than all my other "free play" options. Maybe tomarrow I will even get down on the carpet with my big belly and play with them...then when the kids announce they are hungry and its time for lunch I may even start whinning myself.