Literary Critic

Picture credit: Phoebe

The Adventure Museum

We had a snow day yesterday. I used it to sleep in a bit. The kids did not. Sophie was awake at 5:30 in the morning. Phoebe and Cooper followed close behind. When I got up Phoebe was so excited to show me what they'd been working on. While I was asleep, they created a museum.

Recycled paper, made by Cooper:

Cool rocks and a painting by Phoebe:

Real petrified wood:

A coin from New Zealand:

This was not a free museum. Admission was a quarter that will then be donated to pediatric cancer care. Yes, seriously, it's a fundraiser through Phoebe's school. Here's the first quarter they earned:

Dog and seashell:

Sophie's artistic representation of the above dog and seashell and her signature:

The curators, plus Peter:

Two Percent

According to immunize.org, two percent of the people that receive the chicken pox vaccine will still get chicken pox, though it should be a milder form than if they hadn't been immunized. Guess what?! Peter is part of that two percent.

He felt completely miserable on Friday. He complained about how awful the day had been at school, how cold he was, how much his head hurt, how he didn't want to go camping with the scouts that night. When he, Bryan, and Cooper finally walked out the door (Bryan and Cooper were joining for the evening), I was glad he would have a chance to see friends and maybe feel better.

But that didn't help. He was still miserable. Worse, he was vocally miserable. They stayed through setting up camp and eating dinner, then Peter opted to come home with Bryan and Cooper rather than stay the night in twenty degree temperatures.

He seemed to perk up a bit on Saturday, but he was still dragging.

On Sunday morning he showed us that his stomach was covered with red spots. They became more numerous throughout the day. Because Topher had had them two weeks ago, the incubation time was right for these to be chicken pox. He stayed home from church.

Our doctor squeezed us in yesterday and confirmed our suspicions.

Peter is pretty itchy, but he's making the best of it. He argued that his hands needed something to do to keep from scratching and he quickly suggested video games. I thought he was convincing and said yes. Bonus for him: he can't go back to school until next Monday at the earliest.

I really hope none of the other kids are part of that two percent.

The Scary New Fascination

Curiosity can bite if not closely monitored...

Tickle Me Topher

He's feeling much better. Also, he's very ticklish.

The Think Tank

Peter has a big project due tomorrow. He's been working on it at school, but there's a lot still not done. His friend is coming over after school for them to finish. Why here? Because we have the green screen. That's right, he's making another movie.

Last night I sat and listened to Bryan and Peter talk through the plan for the movie. I threw out a few comments, but it was mostly them bouncing ideas back and forth. Peter explained his vision. Bryan explained important elements of film making and some practical things to keep in mind while they film. There was a discussion about editing and adding multiple layers of movie to the green screen.

I think it's going to be cool.

The Driver

The Big Picture

I was playing with Topher yesterday in the playroom and looked up to see this.

Peter spent a few hours yesterday planning out what he must do to complete all the merit badges needed to be an Eagle Scout. Planning is not a strength that he currently has, though I believe he can develop it. After reading through the requirements for one badge he looked at me and said, "So, what happens if I decide not to do this?" I told him it's his choice if he completes it or not. Then he said, more to himself than to me, "But it'll look really good on a college application, won't it?" Then he went back to planning.

Awesome Sauce

I had planned to serve leftovers for dinner one night last week. I pulled the plastic container of slightly dry pasta out of the fridge and thought, "How can I make this better?"

I retrieved a bag of mozzarella from the freezer and, as an afterthought, grabbed the package of frozen apple turkey sausages that were in there as well. A green bell pepper in the fridge looked a little sketchy so I cut into it to make sure it was still good, then realized I should probably use it immediately so it didn't go bad for real. And of course onions pair well with peppers, so I got one of those out of the pantry too.

I really wasn't sure what I was making, I was just going by an instinct I didn't know I had.

I opened a can of tomato sauce (not pasta sauce) and poured the contents into a hot skillet, then added the diced onion and pepper. While they cooked, I cut the five sausages into bite-sized pieces, then tossed them in also. It looked too dry so I added another can of tomato sauce. Pepper, garlic, oregano (but not basil because we were out), and a little salt completed the sauce. Then I tossed in those leftover noodles and let all the flavors get to know each other while they heated through. Finally, I threw in some handfuls of mozzarella and several shakes of Parmesan and gave everything a thorough stir.

It smelled amazing. One kid would only eat the pasta, one would only eat the sausages, the other two ate it all. As Bryan ate he commented that it reminded him of pizza. Then, with recognition dawning on his face, he said, "Not just pizza. Really good pizza. Deep dish Chicago pizza!"

I thought it was delicious.

The Waiting Game

When Phoebe and Cooper get home from school I say something like, "Hi! How was your day? Tell me about it." And then they do. They give me details and tell me about things their friends said and did and provide a nice glimpse into their day.

When I ask Peter about his day he shuts down. He says, "Fine. I don't know." This started during sixth grade. And it was frustrating. There was this huge part of his day that I knew nothing about and he had no plans to clue me in. I thought about how I could get him to talk to me. I prayed about what I could do differently. I researched what other parents have done in similar situations.

Good news, I found something that works.

Now when Peter gets home, I don't ask him anything.  I say hi, welcome him home, but that's it. At first I was anxious that I would never learn about anything that went on at school, that without my prompting he would just stop telling me stuff.

But then, after a few days, he started talking. And as the months have gone on, he's told me more and more. There are days that I really want to ask what happened at school, but I take a deep breath and wait. Sometimes I need to wait longer than others, but it still works.

Patience pays.

Practice Makes Perfect

In spite of being sick, Topher found the energy to practice his standing skills over and over and over yesterday. It was good to see him happy.

The Pox

On Friday I noticed a funny red spot on Topher's chest. It looked a little like the tumor Sophie had surgically removed from her face a few years ago. I didn't think much of it beyond that.

On Saturday after his bath, the spot looked like it had been scrubbed off a bit, so not a tumor.

On Sunday evening, after we had all attended our church meetings, I noticed there were a handful of spots. Huh. Was it an allergic reaction?

On Monday morning this is what his stomach looked like. There were spots on his back and scalp as well. I got him in to see our doctor that afternoon. He confirmed what I had suspected: chicken pox. 

This is a first for our family. The other kids were immunized against chicken pox, so it wasn't an issue. Topher, however, is four months too young to receive the vaccine.

I spent Monday evening texting apologies to all the people at church that came in contact with him, explaining our shock and saying we had no idea where he got it. One of them called me back and said her infant, one of only three in the ward, had five odd blisters about two weeks ago. Then she apologized to me about unknowingly giving Topher chicken pox. I told her I was relieved to have a source and to know that we hadn't gotten her baby sick.

This is how much it had spread by Tuesday night.

He's still played and laughed, but he's also spent a lot of this week feeling miserable and itchy. He's quarantined at home until new blisters stop appearing and those he has crust over. It should take about a week.

Kids Are Weird

The Magician

Yesterday afternoon I asked Phoebe to play with Topher while I made dinner. Poor Topher hadn't had a proper nap all day and was exhausted. Phoebe did her best to keep him happy, but it wasn't working too well. She finally decided he needed a nap. She did what she's seen Bryan do so often. She sat in our black IKEA chair and wrapped Topher in blanket. She sang to him and patted his back softly. It took work, but she succeeded. She was so pleased. She announced that she'd done magic. 

I agree, she is magical.

Grit

I've been struggling to come up with a word for this year. You know, like a mantra or reminder for how I want to be this year. We're largely still in survival mode, especially now that Topher is so mobile. I was pondering my word for the year while I listened to the fascinating book Grit by Angela Duckworth. It suddenly came to me. Grit is my word for the year. Courage and resolve, strength of character. Yeah, that's definitely what I need this year.

The Fast Track

On Monday Topher did this.

On Tuesday he did this.

On Wednesday he cut his sixth tooth.

Do you think he's trying to catch up with all the other kids?

Blizzard

I'm teaching preschool this week. We're learning about winter and snow. My printer wouldn't work so I had to scrap part of what I had planned. Then one of the kids stayed home sick, which altered some other activities. I went with a last minute idea and told them we would have an indoor snowball fight. I opened a full bag of cotton balls and let them have at it.

I think it's the most fun we've had the whole school year.

On Your Toes

The Tour

Sophie swiped my camera on Friday and announced she was giving a tour of our house. I stayed in the kitchen with Topher and so didn't follow her progress. She asked me to post her work. Post it for who? "For the whole world," was her answer. I looked at the pictures yesterday. Some of these are blurry, some show the mess or chaos that sometimes live at our house. This is a small percentage of what she took.

And now I present the photography exhibit House by Sophie.

The basement ceiling. Also, selfie.

The basement pantry after a shopping trip.

Hymns. Nice choice.

Library. That's my girl.

Empty toilet paper roll. Questionable toothbrush location. Real life.

Sophie's side of her room. She cleaned it the next day.

View from the top.

Interior of fridge.

Interior of freezer.

 

 And finally, the most valued of all her subjects.

Sit Up Straight

This little dude decided this week that he'd much rather sit up than lie on the floor all the time. He's even moved himself from being on his stomach up to a sitting position a few times. He's also officially crawling, not just revving on all fours or pulling himself along the carpet army-style. He still employs that method, but he has the ability to do the other if he so chooses.

The other kids are incredibly excited.

2018 Books Read

I started this post almost a year ago. I loved keeping track of the books I read in 2017, so I decided to do it again in 2018. This time I broke it down by month. February and March didn't yield much, but I made up for it elsewhere. Some of these books are short, some are looong. Team of Rivals and Gone With the Wind added up to nearly one hundred hours of listening. For the most part I listened to books, but the ones I actually read are underlined. The titles that are starred were incredibly inspiring or stuck with me and made me think long after I finished reading.

If my math is correct, I read one hundred and sixteen books this year. My goal for the year was fifty-two. I realized at the end of June that I'd completed my goal. I guess I could have stopped reading for the year, but that would have been wildly out of character for me. Most of my reading/listening was done while holding Topher late at night/early in the morning. I haven't watched much TV this year, so the majority of my entertainment has come in the form of books, which is just how I like it.

I'm setting the same book goal for this year. I'm off to a good start. I've already finished one book and started two others. And of course I already have my list going, scheduled to publish one year from today.

What books did you read last year? Anything I should add to my list?

January:

1. 39 Clues Book Ten: Into the Gauntlet
2. Women and the Priesthood by Sheri Dew*
3. 39 Clues Book Eleven: Vespers Rising
4. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5. Make Your Bed by Admiral William H. McRaven
6. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
7. The Gospel at 30,000 Feet by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
8. Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg
9. David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
10. The Mother Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick
11. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows* (This was a reread and, my goodness, I still love this book so much.)

February:

1. Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

March:

1. Danny, The Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (Read aloud with Cooper.)
2. Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

April:

1. What Would a Holy Woman Do? by Wendy Watson Nelson*
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
4. The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis
5. Seek This Jesus by Neill Marriott
6. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
7. Because We Love Our Marriage by Gary and Joy Lundberg
8. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
9. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
10. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
11. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
12. The American Spirit by David McCullough
13. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
14. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
15. The Lincoln Hypothesis by Timothy Ballard
16. Cress by Marissa Meyer

May:

1. Winter by Marissa Meyer
2. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
3. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
4. Killer Angels by Michael Shaara*
5. The Book of Mormon*
6. The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
7. Frindle by Andrew Clements*
8. However Long and Hard the Road by Jeffrey R. Holland*

June:

1. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
2. How to Be Totally Miserable by John Bytheway
3. Everything I Need to Know I Learned at Home by John Bytheway
4. Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites by Chris Heimerdinger
5. Gadiantons and the Silver Sword by Chris Heimerdinger
6. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
7. Behind Every Good Man by John Bytheway
8. Habits of Holy Men by Lloyd D. Newell and Don. H Staheli*
9. A Heart Like His by Virginia H. Pearce*
10. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

July:

1. The Feathered Serpent Part One by Chris Heimerdinger
2. The Feathered Serpent Part Two by Chris Heimerdinger
3. The Sacred Quest by Chris Heimerdinger
4. The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner
5. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (Read aloud with Cooper.)
6. The Book of Mormon*
7. The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz*
8. Righteous Warriors by John Bytheway
9. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
10. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes*

August:

1. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer
2. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
3. Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
4. The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
5. The Melchizedek Priesthood: Understanding the Doctrine, Living the Principles*
6. Being the Mom: 10 Coping Strategies I Learned by Accident Because I Had Children on Purpose by Emily Watts*
7. Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

September:

1. Covenant Keepers by Wendy Watson Nelson
2. Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson
3. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
4. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds*
5. Educated by Tara Westover*
6. Feeding the Dragon by Sharon Washington
7. A Most Magical Girl by Karen Foxlee
8. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
9. How Do I Know If I Know? by John Bytheway
10. Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee by Ann Madsen

October:

1. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Read aloud with Sophie.)
2. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
3. Women of the Blue and Gray by Marianne Monson*
4. Because of the Messiah in a Manger by Brad Wilcox*
5. Taking the Temple with You by S. Michael Wilcox and Wendy L. Watson
6. For the Glory by Duncan Hamilton
7. Believing Christ by Stephen E. Robinson
8. Glorious Truths  About Mother Eve by Susan Easton Black*
9. Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley
10. Lost and Found by Andrew Clements

November:

1. Creating Your Forever Family by Rachel A. Sullivan*
2. Gather 'Round the Sound: Holiday Stories from Beloved Authors and Great Performers Across the Globe by Yvonne Morrison, Paulo Coehlo, and Charles Dickens
3. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
4. Present Over Perfect by Shauna Niequist
5. Joy In the Covenant by Julie B. Beck*
6. One By One by David A. Bednar*
7. Carried by Angie Taylor and Michelle Schmidt*
8. The Princess Bride by William Goldman
9. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
10. Saints Volume 1 The Standard of Truth
11. Remember, Remember, Remember by Clint Pulver
12. Finding Your Mission in Life by George D. Durrant
13. Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
14. He Knows You by Hank Smith

December:

1. Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull
2. Fablehaven: Grip of the Shadow Plague by Brandon Mull
3. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass by Fredrick Douglass
4. Fablehaven: Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary by Brandon Mull
5. The Book of Mormon*
6. Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison by Brandon Mull
7. Dragonwatch by Brandon Mull
8. Glorious Truths about Mary, Mother of Jesus by Susan Easton Black
9. By Divine Design by Ronald A. Rasband*
10. Recipe for Revelation by Eric D. Richards
11. Jingle Bell Pop by John Seabrook
12. Out of the Best Books by S. Michael Wilcox*
13. Dragonwatch, Vol. 2: Wrath of the Dragon King by Brandon Mull

I Am a Child of God

Cooper gave a talk in Primary on the last Sunday of 2018, during the final third hour. His subject was his testimony that he is a Child of God. On Saturday night he remembered this assignment. When I asked him to write down his testimony, he froze. So instead I asked him questions about the topic. Then I would say, "Write down what you just said." We added a few scriptures, I typed and edited a bit, and his talk was done. He did a great job presenting it.

Cooper's Talk:

Heavenly Father is the father of our spirits. We are His children. He loves me and you and He wants us to be happy. 1st John 4:16 says:

“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.” 

He gave me a family and a home. He gave me the Gospel and the scriptures. He has a plan and wants us to return to Him. Jesus’ Atonement is part of that plan. The Atonement makes it possible for us to repent so we are able to return to Heavenly Father. He gives us all these blessings because he loves us. John 3:16 and 17 say:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Heavenly Father loves us. He loves me. I am His son and I love Him too. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Come, Follow Me

This year marks a major change for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For my whole life our Sunday worship has consisted of three hours of church, with additional leadership meetings and choir practices and firesides as needed. I remember my friends at school commenting that that sounded like a lot of church. It was what I knew and was accustomed to, so it didn't seem like a lot to me.

This past October, during our worldwide General Conference, an adjustment was announced. We will now meet together as a congregation for two hours each Sunday (plus those additional meetings mentioned above) and as a family at home for the third hour.

To give you an idea of how things work at our house, we already have Family Home Evening (FHE) on Monday nights which consist of a song or two, opening and closing prayers, a lesson or testimonies, and sometimes (though not usually in our family) an activity. We also read the scriptures together everyday and pray together morning and evening. And we have lots of additional Gospel discussions throughout the week as inspiration dictates.

When I heard that I was now responsible for an additional hour of church in my home I freaked out. A lot. For several months. I felt the weight of responsibility. I felt that I was just barely hanging on to sanity and productivity. I felt that I was already doing so much, how could I possibly add this as well? Guys, I have three callings (roles, jobs, responsibilities) at church right now. I'm a cub scout den leader, a Sunday School teacher of teenagers, and the choir director. None of those scared me like this did. An hour of church at home every week. How much of that hour would consist of telling the kids to stop poking at each other/making weird noises/dancing/interrupting/arguing? Our Family Home Evenings last fifteen minutes tops because of these very concerns.

Please know that my testimony is strong and didn't waver. But I felt incredibly overwhelmed.

And so I prayed. A lot. For several months. I read and reread the announcement and the promises made to those that followed this new way of doing church. I talked with only a small handful of people about my concerns because I felt so on the periphery of how everyone else felt about the changes. Mostly I talked with Bryan about how we were going to make this work in our home.

The new course of study started yesterday. Since it was Monday, I planned our FHE lesson around this new plan. We held a family council. I told the kids that we're not going to have the parents teaching for an hour each Sunday, but instead that we would all take an active role in the discussions we'll have as a family. And I told them that this new change was scary for me and that I needed their help.

Then I asked what they each wanted to see happen in our hour of church at home. I pulled my brand new 2019 calendar off the wall and wrote the list on the back so we would know where to find it for future reference. I'm going to write it here as well. All six of us that can speak contributed to the list.

Come, Follow Me 2019 Family Goals

• sing songs
• snack time (a real suggestion from the always hungry oldest)
• pray together
• play games with/about the lesson
• have individual assignments to help with the lesson
• have a notebook for each person for notes/thoughts/impressions
• watch church movies
• meet in a clean room
• bear testimonies
• take turns leading family discussion
• role play
• color
• be reverent
• pay attention

We're two days in now. We were all home today and in the afternoon I realized we'd had a fairly calm, peaceful day, which is kind of an anomaly. Peace in our homes is one of the promises of this new way of doing church. I expect we'll have plenty of bumps to smooth out as we progress, but this small glimpse of the feeling we can have in our home is a tender mercy. 

It's going to be okay.