Extra Extra

Last night, as we sat down to eat dinner, Peter gave voice to something I'd been thinking for a few days. "Is it just me, or is everybody extra tired this week?"

We are dragging this week, all of us. I can't exactly figure out why. Bryan has been working late, which leads to exhaustion for the parent at the office and for the parent not at the office, and I continue to stay up later than a sane person should, so I understand the reasons for our weariness. But the kids are all worn out as well.

Peter, who has been so devoted to getting up early and checking off his to-do list, has been turning off his alarm clock each morning. Cooper is often difficult to motivate in the morning, but the past few days we've nearly been late to school because the clock simply moves faster than our boy. Poor Sophie and Phoebe have been running out of steam by the late afternoon and spending the remainder of the hours until bedtime alternating between throwing angry tantrums and weeping because "he was looking at me funny."

Seriously.

As we limp toward the weekend, I am extra thankful that we will be staying in our pajamas, participating in church on our couch. That's right, my favorite weekend has come round again. The semi-annual General Conference for our church will take place on Saturday and Sunday, and I'm looking forward to being spiritually renewed and uplifted.

Also to wearing pajamas.

Cute Things

"Cute things come out of my mouth." -Sophie, one morning while eating breakfast this week, speaking truth.

The Mighty Octopus

As part of a recent Relief Society activity, everyone that was able to crochet was invited to make octopuses (yes, that's actually the plural for octopus) for donation to NICUs. A hospital in Denmark discovered that the tentacles mimic the comforting feeling of the umbilical cord for the premature babies in their care. You can read more about it here.

I've had a very busy few weeks, so I wasn't able to begin crocheting until Thursday evening. They needed to be finished by Saturday evening. After several hours of work, I made exactly one.

Do you crochet? Would you like to share your gifts to benefit the tiniest members of your community? Here's the YouTube  tutorial I followed. I encourage you to contact your local NICU and find out if they are in need.

Meet William Penn

Cooper gave an oral report yesterday on the founding father of Pennsylvania, William Penn. His teacher encouraged them to present their papers while dressed as the historical figured they were teaching about. I give you William Penn.

According to Cooper, the presentation went well. And his classmates thought his costume was awesome.

Story Thief

Cooper was given this book for his birthday. Someone else got to it first.

Art Show

In addition to attending parent teacher conferences for all three of my school-goers this week, I was able to see the art their teachers chose for their school-wide art shows.

The first two, a poster of the letter P and a ceramic tile with a shell imprint, are Phoebe's.

The next two, a Japanese style painting and the ceramic fish, are Cooper's.

The next one, a multi-media clock which shows the color wheel, is Peter's.

And finally, just for fun, here's a painting that Sophie did at a friend's house today. Her name was added by Phoebe, the Legend of Zelda triangle was courtesy of Peter.

The Trash Collectors

Wednesday is trash day in our neighborhood. Some of our neighbors wheel their cans out on Tuesday night, some of us wait until the morning of. With the change in our schedule from the snow days last week, I had completely forgotten that yesterday was pickup day.

While I was getting Sophie dressed in the morning I heard lots of rattling coming from outside. I opened her blinds to find the source of the sound. We had an exceptionally painful, exceptionally cold, exceptionally strong wind yesterday. The rattling we heard was the contents of our neighbor's recycling bin scattering as quickly as the wind could drive it. Much of it was in our yard, including a broken bottle, but many pieces of untethered plastic and cardboard where winging their way to freedom elsewhere.

Peter and Phoebe, who had looked out the window at the same time I did, jumped into action. They threw on their jackets, grabbed a trash bag, and raced outside. While I finished getting Sophie ready and checked that Cooper's homework was completed, the other two cleaned up all the debris, save for the broken bottle. Another neighbor retrieved the rolling recycling can and Peter and Phoebe threw away the detritus.

When they asked if they could go outside to take care of the mess, I hesitated. We were minutes away from when we needed to leave for school, I worried that we didn't have time to spare. Phoebe looked at me incredulously, "Mom! You don't want us to do service?!" She made her point and out they went. We've had lots of Family Home Evening lessons about doing service, but this is the first time I've seen them put those values into practice without any parental prompting.

It made my heart happy.

Melting Snowballs

That's My Girl

The boys have started a major project. They're sorting all their Lego by color with the end goal of building all the sets they own. Peter was given his first Lego set when he turned four, and Bryan has employed his mad deal-finding skills over the years to find awesome Lego sets on clearance for pretty much every Christmas and birthday and the occasional Tooth Fairy visit, so they have quite a few sets between them.

I found these signs on their door.

See that scribble at the bottom? Phoebe added her name to the list, which was then quickly removed. Displeased by being turned away, she made a sign for her own door.

What do you do when someone shuts you out? Why, make sure they know that you welcome everyone, of course.

Spring!

The ground is still covered in a thick layer of snow, but the happy spring wreath that Sophie and I made has me thinking warm weather thoughts. Happy official first day of spring!

Snow Baking Day

We had a total of three snow days this week. I didn't mind three consecutive days off from our normal responsibilities. We ventured out to piano lessons Wednesday afternoon and the roads were surprisingly scary. I guess I was spoiled by the prompt response time of Utah snow plow drivers. I went out again yesterday morning and they were better, but still not clear. I understand why we had so many snow days.

We spent our final snow day afternoon baking.

I told Phoebe and Cooper that they could each be in charge of a recipe and I would be their assistant. They were intrigued by that proposal and got to work. Phoebe made blondies and Cooper made brownies. They both did a great job reading the recipes, though it was good I was there to make sure the brownies didn't end up containing a quarter cup of baking soda.

The baked goods were a nice end to our impromptu Spring Break. Now we just need the mountains of snow to disappear.

The Volcano of Doom

I just found a project that Phoebe created. I have no idea when she put it together, but it was sometime after we moved to PA and before January. With her permission, I am sharing it here. Some spelling has been corrected for ease of reading.

Book 1 The Volcano of Doom By Phoebe

Ding

"Yes."

"Want to go on a adventure?"

"Yes!"

4 hours later.

Crash.

"Run!!!"

"Ahhh"

4 hours later

Snow Pi Day

If anyone has been watching the news the past few days, you may have seen reports on Winter Storm Stella. After seeing the forecast, I, and many other people in my area, visited grocery stores on Monday to stock up. By Monday evening the superintendent of schools had declared that Tuesday would be a snow day. Bryan's office announced that they wouldn't even be open yesterday; they didn't want anyone to be stuck at work with no clear path to get home. Bryan and I were most concerned about the power going out. I stayed up late on Monday washing dishes and clothes, just in case our power did get knocked out I wanted everything to be clean, in case it didn't come back on for a few days.

Our snow day turned out to be beautifully relaxing. We had a pajama day, the kids watched movies, Bryan and I slept in. I got to sleep, exercise, and shower, all on the same day! That almost never happens. A quick internet search revealed that we got between 15" and 19" of snow yesterday. In the afternoon Bryan and Cooper ventured outside to clear that snow from our driveway and sidewalk. Two and a half hours later, and with help from our neighbors, they finally finished.

This is after the roads and sidewalks were plowed. When it started snowing last night, there was almost no snow on the ground.

Cooper had lots of fun and I was very thankful that I got to be the indoors parent. I spent my time baking bread and making pie.

That's right, we had a snow day AND Pi Day.

We celebrated my favorite made-up holiday by eating chocolate cream pie, chicken pot pie, and cherry cheesecake pie, in that order.

Apparently not all of the roads were cleared yesterday, because we're having another snow day today. While I'm not thrilled that now the school year will be longer, I am happy for the break. Our school district did away with Spring Break this year, opting instead for Spring Four-Day-Weekend. I think I'll count our two-day reprieve as a mini-Spring Break.

In case you were wondering, the power did go out, for about a minute, right around 9PM. The only harm it caused us was an interruption to a family viewing of That Thing You Do and a momentary panic as I tried to remember where my phone/flashlight had wandered.

Saturday Morning Artist

On Saturday I joined some friends at a painting party. Our piano teacher is also a talented painter and she shared her knowledge with a group of women from church. I joked that they would soon discover my artistic ability resided firmly in the performing arena and not the visual.

But I actually loved the way my moon turned out.

The teacher advised mixing white and black and using lots of varied brush strokes. She also encouraged us to experiment with the look of our paintings, stressing individuality. My friend, who was sitting next to me, added quite a bit of blue to her moon. Inspired by her bold choice, I added just a bit of blue to mine.

I thought my tree turned out pretty well too.

And then I added the blossoms.

I do not like the blossoms.

Despite my opinions, the girls think it will make a good addition to their room décor.

It was a fun morning with friends. And I enjoyed the painting.

Until the blossoms.

Spring Forward

Daylight savings time makes bedtime with children difficult. I know I often recite the motto "We can do hard things," and I can, but that doesn't mean I enjoy it.

I may need a nap today...

Safety Kid

As one of the big third-graders, Cooper has had the opportunity to be on bus patrol. That means he wears this awesome orange belt and ushers the Kindergarteners from their classrooms to the buses at the end of the school day. This is such a coveted position that the third-graders have to rotate who gets the job. Cooper was on-duty for the months of October and February.

Taking Charge

A few days ago, frustrated by the shenanigans of a sibling, Phoebe made a behavior chart just like the one her teacher uses at school. Her intent was that we would use it at home to discourage hooliganism. She prodded me to employ it, often while I was in the middle of something else, but she didn't want to wait for me to catch on to her new system. So she took to telling the other kids to move their own clips.

They have been surprisingly compliant.

Have I mentioned that Phoebe's latest career aspiration is Kindergarten teacher?

Work It Out

Do You Know Who You Are?

I love the music from Moana, but one song in particular speaks to my soul. Moana's grandmother gives voice to these words that I think have a much deeper meaning than what is portrayed in the movie.

I know a girl from an island
She stands apart from the crowd
She loves the sea and her people
She makes her whole family proud
Sometimes the world seems against you
The journey may leave a scar
But scars can heal and reveal just
Where you are

How many of us carry scars? Some are physical scars, remnants of injuries or surgeries. Sometimes they show adventures we've had or trauma we've faced. I think most of the scars we carry are unseen. Like the song says, those hard things we each pass through have the opportunity to show us where we are in our journey of life. Are we heading in the direction of happiness? Or down a different path? When the world seems against us, is that because of our own choices? Or is it simply due to circumstances of the human experience?

The song continues:

The people you love will change you
The things you have learned will guide you
And nothing on earth can silence
The quiet voice still inside you
And when that voice starts to whisper
"Moana, you've come so far"
Moana listen, do you know who you are?

Read those last two lines again, this time replace Moana's name for your own. You've come so far, do you know who you are?

My answer? Yes, I do know who I am. When I was a teenager and my dad would drop me off at any number of activities he would always say goodbye in the same way, "Remember who you are and that you're loved." This always made me smile. And it helped me to be mindful of who I was and that my well-being (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual) was important to someone.

I can't get through this section of song without tears because I have my own testimony of their truthfulness. That quiet voice, do you know what that is? Some people call it a conscience, but we know it by a different name. We believe that the light of Christ exists within each of us, it's that force that keeps us moving forward in times of pain and trial. It is even stronger than our scars. It reminds us of who we are, where we came from, and where we can go. It resonates when we hear truth and sings when we make good choices. That voice is real and powerful.

On Sunday, when Sophie realized it was Fast Sunday, she started asking if she could go up in front of the congregation and bear her testimony. She already did this in January and February so I thought we should save the opportunity for someone else. Every time she asked I would redirect, but that didn't work so well. Finally, near the end of the meeting, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She dashed away from me and bounced up the stairs to the podium. I caught up in time to hoist her to the microphone. Here's what she said:

"I'd like to bear my testimony that I know the church is true. Jesus loves us and I love Him. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

As I thought about Sophie bearing her testimony, I was struck by an eternal truth. She feels and recognizes the Light of Christ because she is a child of God, and she knows it. That spark of divinity that propelled her up the stairs exists in each one us. We are all children of God, whether we know it or not. We all have that spark, that voice, whether we listen to it or not.

When I say that I know who I am, this is what I mean. I'm a wife, mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, aunt, cousin, friend, teacher, reader, singer, writer, but at the very core of my being I am a child of God.

Do you know who you are?

Mmm, Book Pizza

Cooper and Phoebe finally got to redeem some well-earned Book It coupons on Saturday. I have happy memories of earning those same coupons when I was a kid. There's something about that personal pan pizza that tastes better than the full-size stuff. Is it the hard work involved? The rule that says you can't share? The novelty of pizza that makes you feel like a giant? Whatever the reason, it's a fun tradition to carry on.

The Early Bird Gets A Lot Done

The last week and a half have been really peaceful for our little family. We've still had regular sibling disagreements and kerfuffles, but we've had more calm amongst ourselves than we have in months. Bryan and I were trying to figure out what magic force was at work and how to keep it going.

I have two theories, today I'll write about the first. At the beginning of the year I instituted a new chore chart system. Each chart only has eleven items and includes things like get dressed, make your bed, tidy your room, read your scriptures, practice piano, stuff that should be happening everyday anyway. The last three items simply say Parent Choice, which means Bryan and I look around the house and see what needs to be done, then we assign tasks accordingly. The whole list needs to be completed in order to get screen time. The first week went great, then it slowly dropped off until not much was getting marked off.

A few weeks ago Peter had a renewed interest in playing on the computer, which meant he started paying more attention to his chore list. He discovered that if he got up just a little earlier each day he could get more accomplished before he left for school, which then led to more time for playing after school. So he started setting his alarm for 6:15, then 6, then 5:45. By the time we need to leave for school, Peter usually has everything done on his list except for his homework, his parent choice chores, and his trumpet practice, because I don't want our neighbors to call the police due to loud horn sounds too early in the morning.

Phoebe noticed his shift and decided she wanted to do everything on her list for the whole week, just as a challenge to herself. She did it, without much parental prodding and reminding. They were both self-motivated, which meant less stress for me. The house was cleaner, which meant happier dispositions for all. And, bonus, a few of the kids earned some screen time, which made them want to repeat the process again the next day.

Cooper has been motivated this week to follow their examples. Even Sophie has been playing along. General tidiness goes a long way to maintaining peace in our household, and tidiness that does not result from obsessive parental nagging is even better.

Sister Selfie

Sartorial Splendor of a Three-Year-Old