This Week at Our House # 20

1. John is plugging along and about to get to the part where his job is really hard. His final deadline is at the end of this month and he still has a lot to do. He was originally hired to write a prototype that accurately measures things from photos taken from airplanes and satellites. He finished that, and then they asked him to stay on and get the prototype up and working on the internet with thousands of photos. He said yes, but he has never done front end web development before now. He's learning as he goes. 
2. I had a busy, tiring week. I am definitely counting down to summer vacation. Two and a half more weeks to go.
3. Ruth had pms. Every month for a week she thinks everything in her life is horrible and that she is a miserable failure, everyone hates her, and that she is fat, ugly, and stupid. I am always relieved when that week is over.
4. Kate and Ruth read what I write on my blog every week. Kate said it was not fair that I said all of these wonderful things about Ruth,but just said, she is smart. So Kate's turn. Kate is a hard worker. She had a hard time learning to read and as a result, she learned that she can work hard and still do really well. Kate is oh, so, so good. She knows the scriptures very well.  In Kate's seminary class, each student has to take a turn standing in front of the class, and the kids that want to can raise their hands and say something nice about that classmate. When it was Kate's turn to stand in front of the class, instead of saying how she makes the class better like he has for every other student. He simply said, "It is obvious that you read your scriptures everyday." Well, that may not have made Kate feel all flowery good and loved, but it did make her parents proud. Kate knows that scriptures. I think of this quote from the Ezra Taft Benson manual that says, "The honest seeker after truth can gain the testimony that Jesus is the Christ as he prayerfully ponders the inspired words of the Book of Mormon." And that is Kate. She is an honest seeker of truth, and she has a very firm testimony. Additionally Kate is good. In her seminary class, she raises her hand to say something nice about all of the quiet kids in her class when everyone else doesn't. Oh and Kate and Ruth are on the same pms schedule. For Kate her whole life isn't awful, but people definitely irritate her.
5. Johnny's such a good boy. I ask him to do a lot and he just does it without complaint.
6. Adam had his end of the year art and music program. John and I snuck into his class when he did not know and we saw him flirting terribly with a girl. Whenever the teacher was not looking, he would tell her to punch him in the stomach. She would and Adam would proudly act as if it did not hurt him. That was awesome to see. (Spying on your kids can be fun.)
7. Rachel is just fun to watch on stage, She dances and sings with vigor.
8. Anya told me that she is trying to make friends by playing with the other kids. She is just very shy. I am glad that she trying to get out of that so that she can have the friends she desires.
9. Joseph was funny to watch on stage because he was just so much himself. Between songs and when he just had to stand still, he did not. He wiggled and fidgeted and touched the kid beside him. But when the music was playing and he was supposed to be singing and dancing, he did just that. He sang and danced with all his might.
10. Josh loves and needs lots and lots of physical affection. That little boy just loves to hug and kiss and cuddle a ton.
11. I potty trained Arwen this week. I think that in another week she will have it down perfectly. She tells me when she has to go already. She pooped on the floor Monday morning, but told me when she had to go every other day. She wet her pants a few times on Monday, but only once the other days. She stayed dry during church and even told me when she had to go. This is such a relief after potty training Josh who still pees his pants on a regular basis.
12. Suzy likes to sneak off by herself and play in quiet places. I think that must have something to do with being baby # 10.

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This Week at Our House # 19

1. John's contract position extended to the end of May. We are hoping to then get a job closer to my parents, so somewhere in the southeast. 
2. I came home from North Carolina on Tuesday and got right back into the swing of things. I left just 20 minutes before they broke out in a stomach flu, so I count myself lucky. I am proud of myself because I have now done piano lessons and daily practice for 4 weeks straight. Hopefully, that means a habit is forming. I've finally come to terms with the fact that if I want my kids to play piano, I have to be organized enough to be their teacher, and I have to sit with them and help them practice every day. 
3. Ruth had her AP chem test on Monday. More than half the people do not pass, and that's nationally. Ruth felt like there was a lot of stuff on the test that she did not know, so our fingers are crossed, but no big deal if she does not make it. Ruth works very, very hard everyday. She studies for hours. She babysits and cleans houses to make money. I am very proud of Ruth. She's decided that math and science are not her thing, but she is growing into a very good writer. She's really good with French. She loves playing sports and is quite competitive. She reads her scriptures daily and has a strong testimony. I cannot believe she only has one year left before graduation. Go Ruth!
4. Kate had her Calculus AP exam. She thought it was pretty hard, but she has been getting 5's on her practice tests and testing within the top 3 of all of the calc. classes in her high school. She's afraid she got a 4. I hope she gets that 5. 
5. Johnny is looking so teenagery and grown up. He still has a high pitched squeaky voice, though. And he never has homework! Ruth and Kate had hours of homework each night and Johnny has homework when he has a project due and about 20 minutes of math once a week.
6. Adam was fun to come home to. He seemed so happy to see me. I sure love that kid. 
7. Rachel 's sassy! I'm working on it and with it. She can be the sweetest when she chooses. Rachel's grades are really, really good! She's learning how to work hard.
8. Anya's been really good at picking up and doing her chores when she is told. She's doing really great at the piano and will practice by herself when she wants to.
9. Somedays I think Joseph is the funnest, sweetest kid. Other days... nevermind... I think he'll grow up to be a really good guy.
10. My mom bought Josh these crocs (the shoes) that he picked out at the store. When he saw them he said, "I want the robot shoes." He knew exactly what shoes he wanted as soon as he saw them. and he LOVES them. And he will finally put on his own shoes. I think I love these robot shoes too. 
11. As soon as we got off the plane, Arwen said, "Where's my Amber. Where's Grandma." But she was quite happy to see her dad when he pulled up and got out of the car.
12. Suzy, my little doll, is growing so fast. I want her babiness to last longer.

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A Valid Interest in Mother's Day

"One cannot degrade marriage without tarnishing other words as well, such words as boy, girl, manhood, womanhood, husband, wife, father, mother, baby, children, family, home." 

Boyd K Packer

Good people trying not to offend are adding to the break down of the family. It ends up being part of the push to remove the importance of mothers and fathers. It fits so well into the idea that mothers and fathers are not important and are not needed. 

I contemplated skipping church this Mother's Day. I probably won't, but I am sure I will go home with unpleasant feelings.

Our ward has never done much for Mother's Day. Last year was the worst. The topic of mother's didn't even come up. The best we got last year was a "Happy Woman's Day" after some boring talks about something that had nothing to do with family. I have heard tons of complaints over the talks about super moms or someone's wonderful mother that other mother's couldn't possibly measure up to, but at least they recognized that mothers and motherhood exists and is something to be celebrated. 

I'm tired of the complaints, the criticism, and the offense surrounding motherhood and fatherhood. I'm tired of hearing how Mother's Day is painful because one mother doesn't feel like she is good enough, or another person feels like she had a terrible mother or that it's sad because some people want desperately to be a mother and haven't had that opportunity. 

I am tired of hearing how hard it is to be a mother-- how difficult our children are-- how we just need a break from motherhood. I am tired of the sarcastic or angry responses given to mothers with three or more children.

And then to go to Church on Mother's Day and to have no mention of motherhood-- no celebration of mothers, as if the day does not exist or that the Church has no interest in mothers.

But you know what? Motherhood is bigger than someone's feelings, and it is not a competition. Motherhood is much, much more than what we see in mortality, and the Church does have an interest in motherhood-- an exalted and eternal interest. We are all here on Earth contemplating mothers today because we all have a Heavenly Mother who brought life to our Spirits. We are all here on Earth contemplating mothers today because we all have a mortal mother who sacrificed to provide a body for our spirit. And if a woman accepts God's plan of happiness, there are two rewards she will have and that is wife and mother for eternity. It does not matter if she is married during her mortal life. It does not matter if she had children during her mortal life. Every woman that desires it will have a husband and will have children without number in the Eternities. And that is something to celebrate. Honoring motherhood is honoring God. Denying the divinity of motherhood is denying one of God's greatest gifts and crowning blessings.

So last year my ward did not celebrate Mother's Day at Church because we didn't want to offend anyone. Some schools have stopped mentioning Mother's Day because some households do not include a mother. Soon all schools will stop mentioning Mother's Day and Father's Day. It will probably become illegal for a school to do so. Many places have already removed the word "mother" and "father" from birth certificates. Most marriage certificate's don't say "husband" and "wife" anymore. I have no doubt that there will be no Mother's Day at all because someone somewhere is offended for some reason. And even at Church, we are losing sight of the importance and necessity of mother.

This Week at Our House #18 Visiting my Parents

I left on Tuesday, just after the kids got home from school to visit my parents in their new home in North Carolina. I took my 3 youngest kids on a flight all by myself. Josh talked loudly the whole time, and Suzy kept trying to crawl away. The kids were a little couped and anxious, but we had no crying. We all survived!

My parents picked me up. When we got to their new home, Josh cried and said that he had wanted to go to his house. But all 3 kids have had so much fun since we've been here. Suzy has been such a sweetie and has loved everyone holding her and talking to her. She's such a friendly, happy little baby. Josh has had fun playing with Sadie, my sister Monika's daughter.

I have loved talking to my parents and hanging out and doing fun stuff with my sisters.We went to a movie together one night and stayed up late to watch a scary movie the next. Hopefully, we will be able to ditch the kids and take off for a swim before I leave early Tuesday.

The family at home seems to be doing fine. From what I hear from Ruth and Kate, they have been very, very busy trying to keep things in order. Ruth has her AP Chemistry exam on Monday, so she has been studying while doing all the dishes and such.

Joseph had a field trip, so John went with him. I think they both really enjoyed it. As far as I know, work is going very well for John. They are keeping him on the project until the end of the month.

I never knew how easy three little kids are. I thought it was hard and busy all those years ago when I only had 3 little kids. Life is so mellow and almost boring at my parent's house. I am used to being on my feet and going all day long. It's been a nice break, but I look forward to diving back into my life as a mom of many. I am glad that I have John and all 10 of my kids, and I am really glad to get some time in with my parents and sisters and niece and nephew. Life is good.

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