An excerpt from one of my mom's email gems for today:
Start your children's day out with words of love and praise and comfort and to hold them and to hug them.
I wondered how often I did what I knew I should and how often I did what was more expedient or easier....like yelling "get up you will be late for school" when I should have said "how is the most beautiful child in the world??? I love you. Today you can and will do many great things because I know you can." And, I should have hugged you and not worried too much about breakfast or clothes or time or events. Then I wondered had I taught you all by example? Had I been the kind of mother I wanted to be often enough that you would want to be that kind of person yourself? Life is hard. Life can be frantic. Life is challenging. Life has more for us to do sometimes then time allows; but, please, never let "life" rob you of your good heart and good nature and your desire to love and hold your children. Nothing you will ever do in this life will be more significant than helping a child find the courage to go to school; to face a challenge or a fear. Nothing you can do in this life will be more significant that teaching your child their divinity and showing them the greatness that is within them. And, no matter what you may find on this earth in terms of wealth, acclaim or success; nothing can ever, ever be more rewarding than loving your child, holding your child, hugging and kissing your child and then; thank you God; having them love, hold, hug and kiss you back.
Words of wisdom
Discovery Park
And, yes....that is one hobo glove on Dylan's hand
We went to Discovery Park for Family Night. Here are some of the pictures. I decided that they looked like they should be in a flip book because they are in sequence.
Overheard conversation between a 5 year old and a 3 year old
Dylan and Sydney were having a conversation about sunblock today and how they need to wear sunblock when we go to disneyland...since it is so hot there. Sydney got out of the tub and put some lotion (sunblock) on her chest. Then she said (Sydney) "What if my boobs go on fire"....(Dylan)...... "you will have hot milk"..... (Sydney) "then the baby will die".
Dylan got in trouble the other day for climbing to the top of our minivan and unhooking the garage door (as we were leaving out the door for Kindergarten). I told him that he lost video game privledges for the day which made him really mad. He instructed me on something..."Mom, did you know that Heavenly Father didn't put you on the earth just to be mean to me".....OUCH!
We always have the kids tell us "I'm safe" when we are leaving in the car so we know if they are in their seatbelts. Sydney said "I'm safe" with a sneaky little smile on her face. Then she asked me if I wanted to hear a story....It went like this....."Mom, Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was not strapped in at all when her mom drived all the way to Tennessee but she was dead there...the End"....and I told her to get her freakin seat belt on!
Haircut/Busted
We told the kids that they could have candy AFTER church if they were good. Looky what we found behind the couch as we were leaving for church......Busted!
Sydney gave herself a fabulous new haircut right before our scheduled family pictures. She said that she wanted to look more like Joan Jett....what are you gonna do?
Halloween
Halloween 2009. Check out the spooky decorations. I think we mde a few kids pee their pants in fright....or maybe they just peed their pants. Anyway, Good Times all around, just check out Dylan's facial expressions....priceless.
Pumpkin Patch and Freaky Pig
Donuts.....Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Zoey totally enjoyed the Pumkin Patch experience.
This is the slide Sydney asked me to go down with her. When I went down I heard a big tearing sound and found out that I had ripped a huge hole in the back of my pants...bum hangin' out.
This is the pig at the pumpkin patch.....Let's just say some of his body parts did not seem quite to scale. You can't see the full enormity of the pig but I think Sydney came up to his belly...... This pig really freaked me out!
Pumpkin Patch with Mrs. Jenny's Preschool 2009
"Let every mother realize that she has no greater blessing than the children who have come to her as a gift from the Almighty; that she has no greater mission than to rear them in light and truth, in understanding and love... I remind mothers everywhere of the sanctity of your calling. No other can adequately take your place." -- Gordon B. Hinckley
Xander's Birthday Breakfast in Bed
Early Morning Birthday call from Grandma
New Skateboard
Xander's Breakfast in Bed request: Strawberry crepes and bacon
Party at Scott and Alta's
We had a fabulous finish to the day at Scott and Alta's house for Pioneer day. Scott and Alta made us some wonderful hamburgers and grilled zucchini. Their yard is amazing...lots of huge trees and fun toys for the kids! We watched some fireworks and got to see Porter and Diana Olsen visiting from Maine. On the way home Dylan was really upset because his friend was mean to him. He didn't understand why she was mean but he said "Mom, I will be her friend even if she is mean to me"...."just like Jesus". I LOVE that kid!
We went to Red Butte Gardens for Pioneer Day today. The kids had so much fun in the Children's Garden Fountain getting soaked. Grandma and Grandpa Grow came and helped with the kids. It felt like it was over 100 degrees all day long but the kids were great and didn't complain at all.
Sisters
When Sydney wakes up, the first thing she does is find Zoey wherever she is and ask to hold her. This is really cute since Sydney is usually really groggy and asking for her sister with her eyes only slightly open. She always seems very content when she finds Zoey and gets to hug and love her. Sydney continues to ask me about twenty times during the day if she can hold "her baby", it never gets old...and I hope it never does.
Meat
Dylan instructed me on what happens when someone dies. He said that they lay down, stick out their tongues and they close their eyes. Whatever, I guess it's close enough.
I took the kids with me to Costco. While we were wandering the produce section Dylan was staring at the butcher's area where they process the meat. Then he asked me "When we are dead, do they turn us into meat". Scary... but the kid's got a point, looking at all of that slaughtered meat is enough to make me vegetarian again.
