This Week at Our House #9

1. John was sick half the week, which means he slept half the week.
2. I feel redundant by saying it was a busy week for me. Actually, I am wondering when things will calm down, and this next week is not it. I started running outside early in the morning for the first time. I ran 2 miles and walked 1 on Monday. I ran 5 miles and walked .5 on Tuesday, and I ran 3.25 miles on Thursday. I was supposed to run Saturday, but I cleaned the fridge instead. One of the biggest events of my week was my trip up to the State Capitol to see the committee meeting on the non-discrimination bill. This is what I wrote to my fellow United Families Utah friends: I have to complain about the meeting today. The author of the bill said that it only effects jobs and housing. He was deceitful in that statement.  (No one thinks that people should not get and retain jobs or get a home because of sexual orientation. There is actually no documentation of this being a problem in Utah. If there was there would be lawsuits. Gay people use judges all the time.) The fact that the other senators took him at face value made me wonder if they read the bill. I read the bill last night. The Bill also stated that employers had to allow people to use which restroom or dressing room or shower room according to the gender they feel like with maybe some medical record documentation. The bill also said that this applied to selling goods. The selling goods could mean a fertility doctor that only wants to help married heterosexual couples conceive, or wedding photographers that only want their art to support their beliefs, or t-shirt companies that don't want to print gay pride shirts.You guys know this has been a real problem in other states with these sorts of laws. It really seemed like most of the senators had their minds made up before they came and really they just want to feel like they embrace diversity and so does UT, without any serious reflection on how this will affect UT families and businesses.
3. Ruth got contact lenses this week. Yes, I skipped the whole glasses thing. I bought glasses for her 2 years ago and she lost them after a mere 3 months. She also complained about how ugly she looked in glasses. This time, I went straight for contacts, but since she is know seeing at 20/40, she will need glasses as a second choice for when she begins driving soon.
4. Kate came with me to the State Capitol. She left feeling rather unhappy. One of the people to speak for the bill declared that she is a good Mormon, the Young Women's president, and apparently one of the leaders in her chapter of Affirmation and Mormon's Building Bridges. (They are a group lobbying the church leaders into accepting gay marriage. They feel like the homosexual lifestyle fits in well with the gospel. They also participate in gay pride parades.) This is the first time Kate has been exposed to this. We've spent much of the last few days reading talks and scriptures on the matter of sexual purity.
5. Johnny has been spending a lot of time building intricate lego ships. It is nice to see him doing something creative without prompt. I am always very glad that I made the computer/wii 2 days a week rule. Johnny does a whole lot more these days.
6. Adam's enjoying reading!!!! For months, Adam has been telling me that he hates reading and it is just not his thing. Since he has been off track (3 week school vacation as part of year round school), I have been making him read an hour a day. After a week and a half of forced reading, Adam is reading on his own in the mornings and at night before he goes to sleep. Then Adam tells me about what he's reading because he's excited about it! Yay!!!!!!
7. Rachel is reading on her own too. Rachel yanked for a long time on one of her top front teeth and got it out with some of the root still part of the tooth. She really wanted a dollar. I always think it is cute to see those two front teeth missing and hear the lispy talk.
8. Anya is having a hard time right now. I think she really just needs more personal time with mom and dad. I have been trying to find ways to work in some one on one time. I think it is hard being in the middle of a large family. Hopefully, I can peacefully help her work through her little issues. She is such a sweet girl.
9. I am now Joseph's primary teacher. I am actually glad to have those two hours a week special for Joseph. I have been making Joseph spend a lot more time around me and doing chores with me and such in order to keep a better eye on him. Hopefully, we will have fewer things broken by the time he turns five.
10. Josh looked at the seams down Kate's jeans and happily declared, "A Track!" Josh LOVES cars, and trucks, and trains! He sleeps with a couple of cars every night. Josh learned how to jump out of his crib this week. Fortunately, he is still staying there long enough to fall asleep.
11. Arwen came with me to the Capitol too. She was really great the first two hours, but she fussed on and off the next two hours. Still, she's such a cutie and so friendly with everyone. I quite love bringing her along with me.