This is a great big thank you to Kyara for putting together a playlist for our blog! I added the first few songs, and she didn't think it was representative enough for the whole family. I think she did a great job choosing some great songs! She inherited her dad's passion for music, and I think her adventurous spirit shows. Thanks again, Yar!
One of my favorite all time activities is my book club! Once a month, some of the ladies from my ward at church get together to discuss a book we've read. First of all, I love having permission to take the time for myself to read! Second, I love the different books that have been chosen over the months. Some of the books I've loved the most I would never have chosen for myself. Third, I love the different insights I get from the women. We have such fun and intellectual discussions! Imagine, a mom getting to use her brain! Finally, I just love these women, and I love being with them and chatting with them about everything else besides the book.
So, I'm inviting all of you to join in the fun! Right now, we are reading An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser. We chose something a little more challenging to last the summer. We're going to get together once in July and discuss what we've read so far; then, we'll meet again in September to wrap it up. I'll post some of the comments from the book club after we meet. If you want to join in, read the book, and post some comments of your own! I'd love to hear your insights, as well.
Welcome to Mother's Happy Home Cleaning School! Every summer, as soon as school lets out, we start our cleaning school. We all meet first thing in the morning (OK, it's actually 10 am, but that's pretty early for some of us!). We have family prayers, and then we have a writing assignment. Then, we clean! We usually do a "Home Blessing Hour" together (if you know FlyLady, you know what I'm talking about). We clean the house top to bottom. I work with the kids, so they know what I expect. I teach them tasks like washi
ng toilets, doing laundry, sweeping the floor, and shining the sink. We have fun incentives like the "secret" chore, treasure hunts, and games. At the end of two weeks, I present them with certificates and a big reward. The kids love it, especially the teenagers (OK, maybe not the teenagers). And me? I get a clean house! Ahhh, Heaven!
I dedicate this quote to my Aunt Lynda, who is looking for Joy in every day.
"Remember that everything has God's fingerprints on it. It's easy to see God's beauty in a beautiful sunrise, a snow-capped mountain, the smile of a healthy child, or in ocean waves crashing on a sandy beach. But can we learn to find the holiness in seemingly ugly circumstances -- difficult life lessons, a family tragedy, or a struggle for life?
"Somewhere, in the back of your mind, try to remember that everything has God's fingerprints on it. The fact that we can't see the beauty in something doesn't suggest that it's not there. Rather, it suggests that we are not looking carefully enough or with a broad enough perspective to see it."
Richard Carlson from Don't Sweat the Small Stuff ... And It's All Small Stuff
Congratulations to Kyara, Romney, Johnette and Anneli on the awards they received at the end of the school year! The requirements for each were difficult. Since I never actually saw Romney doing homework this year, I'm still not sure how he made it! I'm proud of each of them. Keep up the good work!
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This week, I am thankful for ... My neighbors! Think about the Old Days, when neighbors talked on front porches, kids played in yards and on the street, people watched out for and cared for each other, and block party barbecues popped up for no apparent reason. Fast forward to today, come to my neighborhood, and that's what you'll find! I love living in a place with friendly people with shared values. I know my kids are safe and surrounded by good influences. It sure takes away a lot of the worry of being a parent! Here are pictures of Friday's movie night -- the first of many to come this summer!
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From Suze Orman's "Women and Money."
"Balance is a state of emotional and rational stability in which you are calm and able to make sound decisions and judgments.
"When your thoughts, feelings, words, and actions are not in harmony, it shows up as an imbalance -- you feel agitated, uncomfortable, you sense something is off, so you find it difficult to make rational, calm decisions.
"When you detect an imbalance, you are to stop whatever it is you are about to say or do and investigate the location of it."
Here's an excerpt from my journal once when I was feeling out of balance: I have a great marriage to a wonderful man. I feel it is ungrateful to find fault in him and to want more in my marriage. I am afraid that if I speak up and "rock the boat" that I'll ruin a very good thing.
Next week, I'll tell you what I did about it when I talk about the next quality of a wealthy woman!
OK, thank you for everyone who voted to see Rom's Pet. However, before I could get a picture, he met an early demise! He has been wiped out -- blown away -- finished! The whole family is mourning the loss.
Gavin graduated from Kindergarten on Friday. His teacher, Mrs. Back, is so creative! She produced this wonderful little program where the children received their "diplomas" and sang for us. I cried like a baby -- he is my baby! I can't believe he's growing up so fast. I love that I have such wonderful people in Gavin's life to make him happy, help him learn, and support me in all the good ways I'm trying to raise him.
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Last week was the last week of school -- and I survived!!! Now, it's great when your kids are doing well, but it is horrible when the schools cram everything in at the last minute! So, mine and Rom's schedule last week was like this: Monday morning, Johnette's awards; Tuesday morning, Gavin's Father's Day Breakfast; Tuesday, Ana's field trip; Tuesday evening, Kyara's awards; Wednesday morning, Romney's awards; Wednesday evening, swim party for the older kids; Friday morning, Gavin's Kindergarten graduation and Ana's awards, both at the same time; Friday evening, neighborhood movie night; Saturday morning, Kyara's ACT testing.
I slept until 9 am this morning. Bliss... Anyway, I'll be catching up on my blog this week. I'll try to space it out a little, so there's not too much information at once!
