Life In A Minute

Wow.

So here is why I haven't had time to blog...in case you were wondering...and even if you weren't wondering...

I haven't had time to blog because we have been playing too much miniature golf...

 I haven't had time to blog because I've had numerous appointments at HB's "Fancy Schmancy" beauty salon where I get to sit on a chair padded with pillows and blankets and then have my nails painted, hair coiffed, and makeup touched up...all for a fabulously reasonable price.

 I haven't had time to blog because my son turned 8 years old and this boy needed some serious celebrating. There was a treasure hunt, a brand new bike, and of course, a fabulous cake. This year's birthday theme: SOCCER!

I haven't had time to blog because we were throwing soccer parties for 8 year olds. There was an abundance of pizza, cupcakes, soda, pinata candy, soccer playing, and designing and creating personalized soccer jerseys.

 I haven't had time to blog because for the first time in my 16 years of Utah living, we decided to go to Lagoon. It was fabulous and weird and fun and freaky all at the same time. One minute I was delighted and the next minute I was creeped out. It is a strange, strange place. The Wicked roller coaster was AWESOME! The Bucking Pirate Ship made me want to throw up and the "swings" made me want to wet myself. I am too old for that kind of fun.

I 

 I haven't had time to blog because we have been hiking the most glorious mountains in the world. Nothing beats Utah mountains in the fall. They are breathtaking.

And some day, when I have time to blog, I will tell you the story of the time our family hiked to Stewart Falls and instead of taking the trail back, our 2 sons climbed a sheer gravel cliff and the rest of us followed resulting in one son having to be rescued by his father and then another son having to be rescued by his mother and causing a small but painful rock avalanche. It was embarassing and scary. Moral of story...sometimes the road less taken isn't the best idea.

I haven't had time to blog because it is fall...my absolute favorite time of year. And that means our annual trek to visit the witches at Gardner Village. It involves good friends, donuts, chocolate milk, caramel apples, a scavenger hunt, lots of photo ops, tons of darling kids, and a wonderful afternoon of giggles and fun. It is one of my favorite fall activities...I look forward to it all year!

I haven't had time to blog because I got to go on a field trip with Jake's 4th grade class to Pioneer Village where we attended school, whipped up a few things at the blacksmiths, pulled some handcarts, did the Virginia Reel, and explored a wikiup. All in a day's work...

I haven't had time to blog because in the fall soccer season starts and I'm a big fan. We love soccer...sun, rain, wind, blistering heat or freezing temperatures, we are front row and cheering. 

I haven't had time to blog because there were pumpkins to carve and candy to eat.

I haven't had time to blog because I was fixing gross school lunches to freak out a few of my favorite kids. It was classic...even though it made my 2nd son cry and tell me that "he just couldn't get the pictures out of his head". Severed hand sandwiches, bloody water bottles with rats floating on top, and finger suckers...their reactions were PRICELESS! (And you better believe I was slinking around the cafeteria that day with my camera to catch their reactions...)

I haven't had time to blog because kids were dressing up for Classic Characters Assembly at school. (Refer to above photographic proof...if you can guess what character from a "classic" children's book Jacob and Matthew dressed up as, I will crown you as the smartest person I know. And if you can guess what Chris is, I'll send you $100.00!)

I haven't been blogging because it snowed and while HB forlicked and played, I stayed inside, refused to get dressed, and drank hot chocolate. Not quite ready for winter yet.

I haven't been blogging because it is Halloween...and Littlest Pet Shop bunnies, Commander Fox, and Dracula needed lots of supervision...it's a mess when Dracula starts biting, Commander Fox starts shooting, and the bunny starts crying.

And one of the last reasons I haven't been blogging is because Matthew got his Bobcat award and Jacob earned his Bear. So proud of my scouting boys!

And that is why I haven't been blogging...

My Mo!

Today my Mo is having a birthday. Six decades of amazing living! She is living so far away right now but if I were living next door to her in Sweden, here is what we would be doing:

1) We'd start with a delicious breakfast in bed. A big heart shaped homemade waffle with some yummy lingonberry syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, and a cherry on top. She'd have a mug of steaming Stephen's hot chocolate...her favorite flavor! We'd fluff her pillows, sing to her in a couple different languages, and have Chris do the end of the Swedish birthday song where  it sounds like he is giving orders to a German army. Then she'd blow out the candle.

2) Next we'd shower her with gifts...the gifts that are sitting downstairs on our guest room bed...and unfortunately we don't live next door. So she would have to imagine how wonderful opening that birthday box is going to be when she gets it in a couple of weeks...

3) I'd give her a little hug as I sent her out the door to go work at the temple. I don't feel bad that she has to go to "work" on her birthday because she loves it so much! It isn't work...it is joy. And I love that about my Mo. While she was gone, I'd get to work on the rest of the day.


4) When she arrived home, there would be candlelight, a little Ella & Louis playing on the CD player, a cold glass of mineral water (that would be mine) and a delicious dinner waiting.

We would eat until we felt fat and happy and then we would sit around the table and everyone would take a turn telling Mo what they loved about her. Here is what I would say...

My Mo is remarkable because of the life she has chosen to lead. It is a life filled with amazing choices and consistent, remarkable dedication to the Lord. From the time she was young, she has been hard-working, dedicated, devoted, focused, determined, and persistent.

I love that she was willing to put her education on hold to marry the man of her dreams and start a family. She never gave up that dream of finishing college but had faith that her life was filled with times and seasons and our righteous dreams are never in vain but may have a different "order" then we had imagined.

I love that she had 7 children...and loved each and every one of them.

I love that she moved to a foreign country with 4 small children without hesitation because that is what the Lord asked her to do. I love that she learned the language, had another baby, took care of missionaries, and served the Lord in every capacity despite her "youth" and the enormity of the task she was asked to do. She is courageous, spunky, and gutsy.

I love that she let me dress up in her jean skirt and be Mother Superior after seeing Sound of Music. Really...how cool is that? And later, after seeing Ghandi, she let me borrow her yellow silk pajamas and wander around barefoot for a couple of weeks. She encouraged us to have imagination and dream big.

I love that no matter where we lived, she and my dad always made sure there was room for my "school room".

I love that she taught me to be confident and believe I could do and be anything.

I love that every time I call she answers the phone.

I love that she finished her college degree and let all 7 of her children sit in the audience and cry because we were so proud of her.

I love how many years she taught morning seminary without complaint. I loved watching her sit at her desk with her scriptures open preparing for those lessons that would touch and inspire so many youth. Her testimony has blessed so many individuals across so many states!

I love her passion for books and reading...she shared that gift with me and it has brought so much joy.

I love that she would always come stay with me after I had my babies even though she knew I would be a little crazy.

I love that she always knows what to say to comfort and support me. That is a gift...and I've been blessed time and time again by her sensitivity and guidance.

I love her testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. That testimony provided a solid foundation for my testimony. I love that I could always count on her to do what was right...nothing wavering.

I love when she would imitate Solveig the dog.

I love that Hannah was her dog and how she was able to understand and appreciate her neurotic, protective canine personality.

I love the memory of her singing Olivia Newton John and John Denver songs. "I'll walk in the rain by your side" will always be my personal lullaby.

I love that she is my mom. I love that she has supported me through all the times and seasons of my life and been my biggest cheerleader. I love how much time she has spent on her knees praying for me. I am aware that so much of my life has been blessed by the faith, prayers, and love of my parents.

I love my Mo. And while I miss her desperately, I wouldn't wish for her to be any other place than where she is. I love her tenacity in learning and speaking Swedish. I love her determination to be the best she can be and do all the Lord has asked her to do. I love that she gets frustrated and discouraged and keeps on going. I love her blogs and insights and her beautiful face.

I think it might be time for more singing and some princess torte...

Oh dear...what a tiny princess torte! But we'll sing some more and this time we'll have Papa do the part at the end of the Swedish birthday song (no offense Chris!). After cake, we'll go upstairs and lay on the guest room bed and maybe she'll be willing to read me a story before bed. Then maybe we'll watch an episode of the Simpsons in German before taking our full bellies and turning in for the night.

Yeah, that is exactly how I'd do it.

Happy, happy birthday my wonderful mom! I am so glad you were born! What a wonderful life! We love you and are so grateful you in our lives!!!!

All my love,
Amy

P.S. Go visit my Mo at her blog...she has pictures...which is more than I have since my laptop is visiting the "computer doctor" right now. She is really pretty...go see!

Defacing School Property...And Proud of It

This year I am working part time as the assistant director over the elementary school at my children's charter school. Nine years ago I walked away from BYU with my master's degree in administration and swore I would never touch it again. My internship had been a lesson in discouragement and frustration for me. Administration seemed to be everything I hated about public education without all the wonder and joy I loved about it. As an administrator, you don't always see what is going right. Instead, you problem solve, put out fires, and deal with everything going wrong. No school is exempt. It is the nature of the beast and I was easily able to accept that this was one of the cons of this profession and if I ever wanted to be an administrator, this was the reality.


And so I chose to never do it again.


Until this summer. Really...never say never.


I LOVE my children's school. I LOVE the teachers & instructors at this school. They are remarkable men and women and I feel blessed to the core to have them as my children's teachers. Each of them that have taught my kids have had a significant and meaningful impact on them...not just academically, but emotionally and socially. My kids are smart and capable and love school...a true credit to these individuals and the way they execute their craft. So when the director approached me about this opportunity, I promptly told him no. And then no again. Then I said yes, worked for a day, and told him no again. And then I said yes...because I love these educators and felt that if I truly had any ability to support, love and nurture them, then I would give what I had.


But the rat race has begun. You would be shocked at what the children in our society endure. I don't care where you live...I live in "happy valley" and have seen more horrific things here than I thought possible. School started at the end of August and I have already suspended a student, dealt with severe bullying issues, sexual abuse cases, and called the Department of Family and Child Services way more than I'm comfortable with. And I don't live in the inner city. I work at a school in a very middle class community. I work at a CHARTER school! (Sorry if this destroys anyone's image of the charter schools being for a "certain" type of student.)


Today I spent the day dealing with parents and children that were very difficult and I am so tired...not just physically but emotionally. Towards the end of the day, I walked into one of our 1st grade classrooms and asked the teacher to show me something positive and happy. And she promptly showed me a beautiful project that she had done with her first graders that involved some rather complex cutting and gluing and she was so proud that her little kids had been able to handle this "advanced" assignment. And then her instructor told me how she had taken the girls to the bathroom that afternoon and how they had taken so, so long in the bathroom, that she finally went in to see what the problem was. She discovered the girls all huddling in the middle of bathroom taking turns using 3 of the available 6 stalls. When she asked what the problem was with the other stalls, the girls told her that one had a broken lock, one was haunted by vampires, and one had a dirty word written on the wall. The instructor went in to see what this dirty word was and discovered that someone had etched the word "hell" into the metal wall. She gently explained to the first graders that someone had tried to leave them a friendly message but must have been in a big hurry and forgotten the "O" at the end of the word. She commented to me that it was a shame that vampires, broken locks, and dirty words were creating such havoc in the bathroom. And right then I knew what I had to do. I could solve this problem...I could handle this. I could totally handle this!! I told the 2 teachers to hold on for a second and I would be right back. I walked into the bathroom, strolled into the last stall, locked the stall door, looked around for security cameras, took out my office key and carved a big ole' "O" at the end of HELL. And just like that, hell became hello and suddenly the world seemed right again. And tomorrow the stall that is hunted by vampires is going to be decked out, every inch of it, with Disney princess stickers. Ha! Take that vampires.


And sometimes it just takes a simple "O" to turn hell into something much more friendly and happy. Carving into a metal bathroom stall and seeing cows glued to green construction paper made me happy and solved a simple problem. I felt like I could go just a little bit farther.


And never underestimate the power of wonderful friends and a really good laugh.


And so I will go to bed tonight and sleep really long and wake up tomorrow and go back to school. Something keeps taking me back. And when I get really discouraged and overwhelmed, I'll go sit in that bathroom stall in the downstairs bathroom for a little while and let the princesses and my big "O" take away the frustration.


If you need a place to take a break and regroup, let me know. I think I've created the perfect place.

Math Test

What happens when one VERY talented, fun, creative, savvy niece shows up at the family reunion?

Lots of FUN!

Uber-talented niece + lots of fun cousins= MOVIE MAGIC (Go ahead...click on the link and be entertained by all the lovelies I get to be an aunt to...)

Thanks Kimberly for....

• Catching the essence of what I love about all these amazing people
• Entertaining them for an ENTIRE afternoon while I swung in a hammock and read a book
• Letting them participate in something that made them feel like they were celebrities
• Being the coolest "oldest" cousin on the PLANET!!!!

Babies in Kindergarten

My Baby went to Kindergarten last week.

Not this baby. This is the "fake" baby that my daughter set out the night before when I told her to go lay out her clothes. Can we just take a moment to applaude creative, interesting kids? They make life a constant stream of adventures and surprises...around every corner. We did have to leave the tiara at home though...school rules....they don't match the uniform.

Ruffle socks? Check.

Cute, sturdy, Gymboree mary janes? Check.

Matching blue and white hair ribbons? Check.

Daughter who is so excited to start kindergarten that I was afraid she would spontaneously implode at any moment this summer? Check.

Finding her cubby...and admiring her teacher. She has waited long, long years to be in the "fancy" teacher's class. All her fancy dreams are coming true...look at the woman's shoes! I love this fancy teacher.

Do you remember the sheer exhiliration of having your own desk and pencil box with shiny new supplies?

She wasted no time and went right to work. On the way home that afternoon, she announced that the person who was supposed to sit next to her didn't come to school so she did their papers too! That is one lucky kid who sits next to the girl that will gladly do your work for you if you happen to be absent!

My friend and I stood in the back and cried some mom tears as we both watched our "babies" start kindergarten.

And I really did sob some tears...but not for the reason you think.

HB is the youngest in our little clan. And she has a mom who has been WAY too involved at the school. HB helped me set up a library. She has helped me volunteer in two kindergarten and first grade classrooms, one second grade classroom, and one third grade classroom. She has helped with class parties, enrichment activities, reading stories out loud to classes, and teaching art. She came with me when I was the parent volunteer coordinator. She has logged some serious volunteer hours at this school. She has been patient, supportive and excited.

But now it is HER turn.

Her turn to sit in the desk and open the new pencil box.

Her turn to be the student at the parties and enrichment activities.

Her turn to have mom come to her class and read books out loud.

It is finally her turn.

And I cried because I have never felt more joy in seeing one of my children so happy and content. HB loves to learn and read and count and play and be with friends and have recess. School makes her SO happy...and so it has not been hard to see her go.

Plus I have a new job at the elementary school and my office is just outside her kindergarten classroom door. That certainly helps.

My two boys also started school...and I'm positive we took some pictures...and I'm positive I will find them...someday.

For now, they are all happy and content. They have AMAZING teachers and instructors. They are learning music and Spanish and art. I work in the same school so I can look through the little windows on the door and see their little heads bent over their desks and blow them kisses.

I can also see when their name is on the board and leave them threatening little "mom" notes on post-it notes on their desks.

And so, ready or not, we have stepped into a new phase of life. All 3 kids are in school. I have gone back to work part-time. Life moves forward and just like my children, surprises me at what is around every new corner. Just the way it should be.