Yes, they're all ours!

Well, Lib and I made it to Louisiana last Friday night. The most often asked question we've gotten is, "Wow! Are they all ya'll's?" I told one guy at a truck stop that we just pick kids up along the way. We tried to do the mom and nanny act at one store so we could really shock them and say they were all Libby's and I was just the nanny. We've cracked ourselves up trying to find the most shocking way to answer - but the simple truth (yes, 4 are mine, 4 are hers) seems to do the trick. One guy today said, " Ya'll really took the Bible seriously when it said to go forth and multiply and replenish the earth, huh?" !!

We grew up here. My mom has 4 kids. I don't remember so many people asking her if they were all hers. Maybe people had more tact 20 years ago? Maybe we weren't 8 at one time in the Hobby Lobby aged 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 9mo, 9mo, and 4mo? Anyways, I think I'm just a little frustrated with the fact that manners are supposed to be a big thing here and people are proving to be less well mannered than I remember.

Sam's 4 month Stats
25 1/4 inches tall (65%)
14 lbs 10 1/2 oz (70%)
head circ. 41.3 cm (25%)

Answers to popular questions after this appointment:
* it's ok that his head is in such a small percentile compared to the rest of his body as long as it grows at a steady rate - which it is
* compared to his cousin, James (9mo and 14lbs5oz), he is Baby Buddha! We've been adding buttered flavored Crisco to his formula
* Sam does not enjoy 4 shots at once even if it is for his own good
* the nurses did indeed ooh and ahh over him the whole time as he flashed his toothless, drooly "you want me" grin which in turn makes his eyes disappear!

I received a call from this coming Sunday's Relief Society teacher. She asked me to prepare a 'job description' for what I do. I might have to put it when I get it done! Anyways, this weeks lesson is Elder Ballard's talk "Daughters of God".

So, after thinking about it for a few days, here's what I've come up with. I think I turned it more into an ad for my job instead of a job description. Any takers? :)

Permanent position available in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication, translation, and organizational skills and be willing to work evenings and weekends as well as frequent 24 hour shifts. Extensive travel and courier hours, not to be reimbursed. Multi-tasking is of utmost importance. Must be able to bite tongue as well as give advice. Must be able to offer help without hampering independence. Must answer phone calls, maintain calendars, give verbal reminders of appointments, volunteer in classrooms, prepare meals without green stuff, coordinate production of multiple homework projects, and be entertained by endless knock knock jokes. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages a including 'fun' snacks. In depth knowledge of battery operated toys helpful as well as assembly and product safety testing. Be ultimately responsible for maintenance and upkeep of all areas of building while teaching clients importance personal upkeep. Experience with tools, toilet plungers, and Magic Eraser helpful. Must be willing to occasionally overlook physical surroundings in opting for the greater good. Financial/accounting/ magic skills a plus. Referee skills useful. Must be willing to continually try to instill values and morals, and offer faith promoting experiences for clients. On-the-job training offered continually due to the fact that previous education and experience are of little or no help.

My Missionary / Proud Momma

Jake's best friend lives behind us and is one of the few in our neighborhood that aren't members of our church. There have been a few times that church stuff has come up and Kaelen has tolerated us :) . I have tried to explain things to him in a way that would compare his church to our church. Some things, like the boys paying their tithing, though, really blow his 9 yr old mind!
Anyways, tonight Jake really showed his stuff and I was surprised and impressed by his testimony and courage. Cameron had called everyone in for scriptures and, of course, Kaelen came straggling in with Jake being that they are attached at the hip! When Jake told Kaelen we were going to read scriptures, Kaelen asked what 'scriptures' were. The following is Jake's explanation:

"The Book of Mormon is our scriptures with the Bible. It's like the Bible. See, it's got lots of books like Nephi, Mosiah, and Alma. They're prophets.They teach us about Jesus.We read some every night. And, when we finish it, we read it again. That way, we learn more. Mormons read the Book of Mormon every year, forever. And, when you go on a mission, you can get little ones because you won't have very much room in your bags."

He does listen!
He is learning!
And, he's not afraid to tell others what he knows is true!
You go, Jake!

Sappy Sappy

This is kind of jumbled this morning, but I started writing about Sam and the words of one of my new favorite songs started playing in my head:

She was staring out the window of their SUV
Complaning, saying "I can't wait to turn 18"
She said "I'll make my own money, and I'll make my own rules"
Mamma put the car in park out there in front of the school
Then she kissed her head and said "I was just like you"

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Before she knows it she's a brand new bride
In a one-bedroom apartment, and her daddy stops by
He tells her "It's a nice place"
She says "It'll do for now"
Starts talking about babies and buying a house
Daddy shakes his head and saysAnd s "Baby, just slow down"

Cause you're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this

Five years later there's a plumber workin' on the water heater
Dog's barkin', phone's ringin'
One kid's cryin', one kid's screamin'
And she keeps apologizin'
He says "They don't bother me.
I've got 2 babies of my own.
One's 36, one's 23.
Huh, it's hard to believe, but...

You're gonna miss this
You're gonna want this back
You're gonna wish these days hadn't gone by so fast
These are some good times
So take a good look around
You may not know it now
But you're gonna miss this"

I've really tried to look at things with this mindset lately.
*Josh opening and eating a Hershey bar in my new car with a chocolate face and, somehow, chocolate on both shoulders and all over his pants! I'm gonna miss this.
*Settling into a pew at church as they're singing the opening hymn with my four little boys by myself. Trying not to sweat all of my makeup off and Jake wants to snuggle up to me and breathe my air. I'm gonna miss that, too, when he's too cool in a couple of years to love on me in public.
*"knock, knock, mom" at bedtime, at dinner, during the sacrament, while I'm trying to use the bathroom. Cam is the King of Knock knock jokes and it's starting to drive me crazy. I have to remind myself sometimes slow down and listen - he only needs 15 seconds! I might even miss all of these corny jokes one day when the house is too quiet. I'm gonna want those back!

Here's the original thoughts, before the mushy part of me interrupted!
I have a friend that does photography out of her home. She took these pictures of Sam at around two months. (click 'clients' password = Meiners) He's four months today - boy does time fly! I love these pictures, though. They show the beginnings of a personality that has developed even more so in the last couple of months. I love the wide, open-mouthed smile; I get that from him if I just say "Hi" as I pass by him. It's usually accompanied by a squeaky noise I like to call the 'baby dinosaur'. I love being his favorite person. I love that I can do no wrong in his little eyes. I love the feeling that he adores me as much as I adore him. And, with mixed feelings, I know that he's going to grow up and turn two and decide Daddy is cooler than Mommy.

These things happen in twos...

After reading Libby's blog about Miles' fall, I guess I better 'fess up to our little baby mishap. Josh, Sam , and I were at the Dollar Store looking for car toys to take on our trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house in a couple of weeks. Sam was still buckled in his car seat in the top of the cart and Josh jumped around with the usual, "Wow!" " Look at this!" and "I need this Mom!"s that we now endure every time we set foot out of the house.
The trip went smoothly - I can handle two at a time and these two are normally easier. As I was paying, Josh started hanging on the side of the cart. Like a good mom, I told him to please stop and explained the dangers of his actions. I paid and was waiting for the receipt as I saw the cart, out of the corner of my eye, start to topple. I caught it right before the whole thing landed on Josh. But, there was nothing I could do to reach Sam's car seat as I watched it fall out of the cart and head for the floor upside down in slow motion.
The lady in line behind me grabbed Sam and I grabbed Josh. She was so sweet; she asked if she could take my crying baby out of his seat and hold him while I held Josh. I agreed telling her that Josh was particular when it comes to moms, but Sam will still accept anyone willing to hold him. Both boys were fine, just scared. Sam has a little scrape from brushing a shelf, but it went away with a touch of lotion.
The same lady that helped with Sam kept reassuring me that this can happen to anyone - like I don't know - I have four boys, lady!

S.P.A. Night

Last week, for Enrichment, we had a Spa Night that was all about renewing ourselves. I walked away from the meeting feeling so overwhelmed with the feeling that this meeting had been arranged just for me. Heavenly Father knows what is going on in my mind and in my heart and he worked through other people, as President Kimball tells us He will, to reaffirm His love for me.
There were three mini-classes : (S)piritual, (P)hysical, and (A)ffirmations. The spiritual part was about doing what we can and rejoicing in it rather than piling on guilt because we didn't do enough. There are days when I have time to read three verses of scripture and there are days I can get in a whole chapter before being paged by one of the boys. There's a time and a season - right now may not be my time to study and read for an hour a day and take notes so I can publish a book on the teachings of the Book of Mormon. But, right now is my time to be obedient, read what I can, try to implement it in my life, and be an example to my boys. Satan is the Father of Guilt. He would have us believe the Gospel is black and white - either we read an hour a day or not at all, we kneel and pray for 10 minutes each morning or not at all, we take dinner to everyone in need or not at all. And when we have to choose the 'not at all' option, He helps us pile on the feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I realized that our Heavenly Father doesn't expect perfection just as I don't expect it from my boys when they do what I ask. I only expect that they will try and if needed, try again tomorrow to do it better.
The second class, Physical Renewal, was a big kick in the pants for me! The lady leading the class told us to do away with the hand and glove example we have seen so many times in Primary when we've learned about the body and spirit. Instead, think of the body as a ski jacket that's snapped, zipped, and velcro-ed around our neck and wrists. It's tight. The body and spirit are connected. Then, she had us close our eyes and think about how we feel about our bodies. Do that. Now, close your eyes and think about how you feel about your spirit. Come on, do it! OK, did you have conflicting feelings? Can you really love your spirit and hate your body if the two are connected? That's where she got me. Time for an attitude change.
Lastly, we heard about affirmations. That's right, the standing-in front-of-the-mirror-and-telling-yourself-how- great-you-are stuff. It feels a little cheesy at first, but, dang it, I am a good mom! Remember how we all used to stand in Young Women's each week and say the theme? "I am a daughter of our Heavenly Father, who loves me, and I love Him" . It's true. And, if I needed it weekly as a teenager, I definitely need to remind myself daily as a mother! Susan, the teacher, also encouraged us to wear rubber bands around our wrists (which I did all last week) and snap ourselves whenever we had a negative thought. Believe me, that works fast!
The gospel is true. It's meant to bring us joy, not guilt. We're meant to feel Heavenly Father's love through our learning, growing, and obedience. So, cheesy as it sounds, I challenge those of you that mean so much to me to take a look at the way you look at yourself. Remember who you are, cut out the guilt, and enjoy life!