Bowers Museum

We spent Saturday at the Bowers Museum. Brent and I enjoyed the main museum. The kids tolerated it for the most part. Then we went to the Kidseum where the fun really began..

(It rained the night before. Can you believe that sky?!!)
What I love about the Kidseum

• everything was for playing, touching, handling.. you get the idea..
• there were trunks and trunks of multi cultural dress-up clothes. I'm talking beautiful stuff here folks, and in all sizes.
• hundreds of different instruments to try.
• wooden masks of every variety.
• craft room
• face painting
• reading nook
• puppet show play house

I think I'll stop now. Overall, it was great. Here's a few pictures from the day.




Who says I never post pictures of myself?

on children growing..

I've been thinking about something a sweet friend of mine said the other day. She's a grandma and therefor knows lots of things I do not. She said her children grew up and disappeared into adults. It pulled at something in my heart when she said it. Will my beautiful children really grow up and disappear into some ubiquitous pool of independent adulthood?I suppose they probably will. At least to some degree. I mean, the alternative isn't very attractive. A thirty five year old, single, unemployed child living in the basement? No... no. I don't want that.
It's hard to think about sometimes. These little ones growing up. I'm starting to realize that this business of raising children is really all about me. Sounds funny doesn't it? But it's true. They won't remember how their birth shook me to the core (in a good way) and changed the way I was able to love.
These lessons I'm learning about giving and loving and serving are changing me. They won't remember themselves as small children. Those lovely memories belong to their mother. A treasure more valuable than.. well anything really.
Hopefully the memories they take out of childhood will be flavored with love and joy and belonging. I would love nothing more than to see those things passed on to beautiful grandchildren. So yes, I suppose my children will grow up and disappear into adulthood someday. I'll try to be ready for it when it happens. But, thank heavens, it isn't going to happen today.

Our mockingbird

He dazzled me one Sunday morning last spring. In a tree near our front door I heard frogs, crickets, and dozens of other bird's songs one right after the other. All coming from this little grey bird! He started before the sun was up and kept going until long after dark. Something about him was so thrilling. Sure, he was imitating other's songs.. but he did it so well! And his combinations were never the same. We enjoyed him for about a month before he moved on. I thought of him often.. amazed that a bird so simple could possess such a talent.

Last week Brent told me he was back, and this morning I heard him outside my front door as prolific as ever. He sat in his tree and sang until the sun went down. Something about this nondescript little bird just tickles me. He reminds me that life and people.. and even simple little grey birds.. are just full of surprises.

A random thought

I was perusing a couple of blogs the other day written by college age girls. Quite frankly, their writing was lovely. Poetic and powerful. It took me back to those days when I filled journal after journal with "poetic heartbreak and pain" along side some tremendous growth. It's when I decided to grow up and let me tell you.. it wasn't easy!

I get them out every so often and remember my life back then. I appreciate it and then feel so grateful to have moved on! To be where I am now. The emotional drama was necessary I suppose, but I prefer calm waters.
And I realize these "calm water days" could thunderstorm at any moment. Life can change on a dime. So I will savor today. I was reminded of all these things as I listened to President Monson talk about gratitude this morning.

"My brothers and sisters, to express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

So, so true.

Mormon.org

Hey All,
My mormon.org profile just went up. Check it out by clicking on the link below.
Brent

Rain Rain go away..

ten months

My baby is ten months old yesterday. His first tooth came through last week and I realized I'll be done nursing him in only two short months.

Such bitter sweet thoughts! I'd be lying if I didn't say it makes me a little giddy. I'm ready for the next stage in life. I want to travel with the kids and there is no way we can backpack Europe with a baby in tow. (Hey, a girl can dream.)
But OH MY GOODNESS is he a sweet baby! And he's my last. I'll never get to give birth again, or nurse, or cuddle a newborn in quite the same way again. Ok, I'm crying now. Tight throat, tears. Oh man, somebody help me!
But it's ok, right? Life moves on. I'm ready. I just have to eat up every baby moment I have with this little guy. He'll be out of diapers soon enough and I can actually carry a real purse again. In a back pack. Through Europe.

My baby's a tween!!

Before

After

Park Day WWF

At the park today my friend borrowed my camera and took some shots with me in them. Which never happens. I mean, me being in the pictures. Truthfully, it's sort of.. a little bit.. well ok.. completely intentional. For some reason I never look like a super model. Go figure.

This series of shots made me laugh really hard. Enough so that I wanted to share them with you. Doesn't Tyler look sweet? I thought he was giving me a hug and kiss.
So I gave him one right back.
Apparently, the boy had other plans.
Like a complete and total..
Mommy take down!
I don't think Owen had a clue that anything happened.

Or maybe he was just pinning my legs so Ty could work his mojo?

Hey!! I think the two little bandits were in on it together!!

Well.. lets look at the bright side. That was some pretty awesome teamwork.

I heart cookies

A sweet friend gave me a stack of these lovelies today. The boys were in cookie heaven!

Happy Lover's Day

I often tell Brent he couldn't possibly be any more attractive to me than when he's washing the dishes. How's that for romance?

Girl cheese sandwiches

Our pre-lunchtime conversation:

Me: Ty, you want a grilled cheese sandwich?

Ty: NO! I want one of those sandwiches with bread and cheese that you cook.

Me: yeah.. a grilled cheese sandwich.

Ty: (insert look of disgust) NOOO! I don't want a girl cheese sandwich! I want a boy cheese sandwich!

Family Home Evening Board

I've been trying to finish up some old projects lately and this one's been haunting me for a couple of years. I mean literally, like two or three years. Rather than buy vinyl lettering I decided to wing it and just do my own with paint. This is as close as I'm going to get to a tutorial so bare with me ok?

1. Bought a bamboo cutting board on clearance at TJ MAXX. (I have a serious love/hate relationship with that store!)

2. Painted words on it.

3. Set it on a shelf for two years.

4. drilled holes in the bottom and screwed in some hooks

5. Set on a shelf for six more months

6. Made pictures to hang on the hooks.

7. Attached a wire to the back to hang it up.

What I don't like about it:

1. The size. Too big. I mean, it's bordering on obnoxiously big. The problem is that it took me almost three years to actually finish the project. This baby's stayin!

What I like about it:

1. The pictures. Now even the smallest can see their part.

2. Love the bamboo.

3. Most of all.. it's finally done!!

Lovely Lauren

That's what I call her. My Lovely Lauren. The Middlest. She bore her testimony on Sunday for the first time. If I just lost you there, remember.. I'm a mormon. On the first Sunday of the month we have the opportunity to tell the congregation why we believe in Jesus Christ. It comes from the heart and feels a lot like a prayer.

Brent and I do it occasionally and we let the kids practice at home during family home evening. The rule is, if you want to do it in church, you do it alone. I want them to be old enough to say what's in their heart.. not words I whisper into their ear.
I wanted to say "no". I reminded her she had to do it alone. But she was determined and so confident.
She really did surprise us all. My lovely Lauren got up and said just what was in her heart.

All dressed up

Ty wanted me to take his picture this morning so he could show Papa his new bow tie. So this ones for you Papa!

New Friends

We had some new friends over tonight. In a nutshell, I love making new friends!

Any guesses?

I downloaded some pictures this morning and found these. I think Brent's toying with me.. in fact, I know he's toying with me. Any guesses as to what they are of? I guessed one really easily but the other two had me stumped until..oh..about two minutes ago when I finally broke down and asked him. So annoying!! And then I had to listened to him snicker in victory!! Please excuse me while I go soap his car windows. We're mature like that around here.

croup and such..

I realize that, in truth, I have no right to complain about the weather. Especially considering that half the U.S. seems to be snowed under at the moment. My sis called to tell me it was four degrees in her town today. Ouch!! Well, despite our moderate weather, we are still having a nasty cold and flu season. And I really, really, really can't wait for summer!

you know you have five kids when...

..toilet paper rolls in your house look like this.