If the crown fits...: September 2007

Scouts and Poodles

Making the decision to have a child--it's momentous.

It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.

Friday night, Tyler went on his first overnight scout trip. It was a whole 3 miles away at Erwin Park. He was so excited to go. He got home from school and just completely got himself ready. The boys met at the McFarland's at 6 and then they came to our house to pick Ty up (we live en route to the park) and he started pacing at 6:05. "When are they gonna be here...?" Well, they came and there were 3 cars full of more excitement than I wanted to think about...glad it was them, not me! We have some great scout leaders and some neat boys. Tyler got to cook bacon over the fire, which he thought was pretty cool. And all the boys smeared ash all over their faces as a "mom's not here to make me stay clean" rebellion thing. The first thing Ty showed me when he got home was his dirty face. He had a blast and was able to pass off some of his first Boy Scout requirements. On Friday night, Maris and I seriously debated taking a drive up to the park to check on them, but ultimately decided not to. It was strange to have him gone, but I am happy that he had a good time!

So, for my annual craft project, I finished poodle skirts for Aliza and me for the sock hop on Halloween at the elementary school. And they turned out quite nice, if I do say so myself. Aliza picked out the colors. Red and black for her and pink and white for me. The poodles still need eyes and a few sequins to add some much needed bling!! I may put a cute little bow in the poodle's hair, too. On a side note, the women in the 50's must have had great self-esteem to walk around in skirts that make their back sides look triple, no QUADRUPLE their normal size! Maybe that is why they embellished them with poodles, phones and records, to detract from the billowing A-line!

Now I just need to figure out how to make a Hannah Montana outfit and we are good!

And, let me just tell you another awesome thing about the Dallas North Tollway. Last night we went down to our Stake Center in Carrollton for the Relief Society broadcast. We cut 10 minutes off the commute on that slick little road! It only took us about 40 minutes to get there! On a side note, Sister Thompson's talk on family was awesome, if you didn't get to see it, the text will be available here tomorrow.

Also, poor little Parker is not feeling well...he has a pretty good fever going, as well as the aches and pains and headaches that come with it. Poor kid! :(

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Works for me Wednesday-Journal Blogging

Over the years I have started many journals, but it always felt weird, like who am I writing to? I knew that my kids would someday find my journals after I was gone, but would they think, "wow, mom lost it years ago"? After I was married I found scrapbooking and loved it...it was such a creative way to document what was happening in our lives and something I felt the kids would really like later. But it was sooo time consuming, and after child #3, I just fell waaaaay behind. Don't get me wrong, I plan on catching up on those scrapbooks because I do love them. But I have always been looking for a creative, fun and EASY way to keep a more daily log. Then I found blogging. I lurked on some of my friends' sites for a while and thought it looked like so much fun. But what crossed me over from lurker to blogger was our move from Utah to Texas. I wanted to share what was going on in our lives with our family and friends who are soooooo far away. It also makes it easier to write, because it feels like I am talking to someone not just a random person who finds my journal in the future. Every couple of weeks I print off my blog and put it in this boring 3-ring binder where it will remain for future generations to do with it what they will!

After it is printed out, if there are more private details or thoughts I want to add (that I didn't necessarily want opened up to bloggy land) I can hand write those thoughts directly in the journal. Here are some reasons I feel like keeping a personal history is important:

Gordon B. Hinckley—“May I suggest that you write, that you keep journals, that you express your thoughts on paper. … You will bless the lives of many—your families and others—now and in the years to come.”

Hartman Rector, Jr.—“I personally believe that the writing of personal and family histories will do more to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to children than almost anything we can do.”

Spencer W. Kimball—“Your story should be written now while it is fresh and while the true details are available. …
“Write [about] your goings and your comings, your deeper thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. …
“Those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.”

So, blogging has been a fun way for me to journal our daily happenings. One way or another, what is on my blog is what is going on with us, whether it has been a fun activity, a show we are watching, a book we liked, or maybe what I have been thinking about a lot. Hopefully, one day, my children and grandchildren will find it and learn something about me and about our lives that makes them happy, or makes them want to be better, or makes them feel more connected to me as an ancestor. And that is what works-for-me!

To check out more WFMW stuff click here.

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sick.

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So, I understand...

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No school for us...

The whole motley crew.

...because today is parent-teacher conferences in our school district. So I had my three conferences this morning and the kids are doing really well both academically and socially.

Tyler scored in the top 5 kids in the 6th grade on the AMI test, which is a test that covers all of the 6th grade curriculum in math to see what needs to be taught. He is doing great in both of his AP classes and is also doing great in his others.

Parker scored high on all of his reading recognition and comprehension and did really good on his AMI also. What stinks for Parker is that in fourth grade everything they cover is about the state (Texas history, geography, topography, regions, etc.) and he is completely unfamiliar with Texas in that way, so it is all new. I asked Miss Phillips if they would have to memorize counties like they do in Utah, but thankfully she said no! There are a ton of counties here!

Aliza is doing great...I was worried especially about her because she is so independent, and also sooooo hard on herself. She scored great on the spelling test for the 2nd grade words, above where they are expected to be. She also scored great on her reading (independent) and is almost ready to move on to the next section. I was especially glad she is going ok in math...they are already doing placement value (1's, 10's, 100's), and dealing with numbers above one hundred. They are doing grids and getting ready to work them into double digit add/sub and by the end of the year they will have introduced them to times tables. So I thought they deserved to have some fun on their day off. Maureen and I took them to McDonald's (woo) for lunch and then to Allen to "the Edge," a fun skate park.

I told my kids how lucky they are to have such a cool mom. They just looked at me weird and rolled their eyes!

Poor Tyler, I don't know where his "extreme sports" helmet is (for snowboarding and skateboarding) so he had to wear his baseball helmet!

Liza also wore baseball helmet. She was, of course, the only girl. Good thing that she can hold her own with the boys! She was out there trying it all!

Parker and Mateo.

Livin' on the edge...

Liza Lu (up) and Tyler (down)

Well, I gotta run, the pool will be closing for the season in a couple of weeks, so we are heading over there to swim...these kids have it pretty tough! (But they work hard at school all day!)

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Erwin Park

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On my mind...Timing

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Saturday is a special day...

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Angry, frustrated, and yes, a little bitter

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Done!

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Domestic Goddess Extraordinaire

Once every few months to a year, depending on external factors, like Halloween costumes and Scout badges, I crack out the sewing machine and show off my excellent sewing skills. The big trick is to make sure that you use the same color of thread as the patch, and then you can't see if the line is straight or not. (Mom, you might not want to read any further.) As you know, as a 12 year old, Tyler is now a Boy Scout. His leaders have been gently reminding me that I need to get him a Circle 10 patch and numbers, as well as a Boy Scout book. So, on our way home from Dallas this morning Maris and I stopped at the Scout Store to make the change from Utah scouts to Texas scouts. Parker needed a Weblos book, a Circle 10 patch and the new numbers of our new troop, as well as the Weblos color ribbon thingee for his shoulder and a Weblos handkerchief. Or whatever it is called that goes around your neck. When we got home I unpicked the old numbers and Council patch (I wish I hadn't glued them on and then sewed so little, but I didn't want them coming off in the wash or at day camp.) Then I glued and sewed on the new council patch, new numbers and Parker's Wolf patch and arrow points that he earned last September that I had never sewn on. I can't believe I didn't lose them in the move. Can I tell you how badly I hate sewing on arrow points? If a woman was in charge of arrow points, they would be bigger. Then I glued on and sewed Tyler's stuff on his new tan colored scout shirt. One incentive to stay here a while is that I am never unpicking those patches again!

Out with the old, in with the new!

My boys' scout shirts showing off my excellent talent of sewing on patches.

Last night at scouts/Young Men (Parker: Weblos at 6:00 and Tyler: YM at 7:00) Parker caught 2 little geckos at the church. He loves going to YM because while we wait for Tyler, he and a bunch of other boys (and Aliza, of course!) run around and chase the lizards and the bunnies that live on the church grounds. So last night he caught these little geckos that he named Pinky and Tiger...can you tell which is which? Pinky's tail fell of in an attempt to fool Parker, but he is no fool, and the poor little thing is now living in a plastic shoe box in Parker's room!

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International Talk like a Pirate day

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Works for me Wednesday: Laundry Day

It's another rocks in my dryer Works-for-me-Wednesday. Anyone who knows me very well knew it was only a matter of time before I shared my feelings (which sometimes border on obsession) about laundry. Let's get this out of the way. I like it! But it is because it is one thing that I never feel is out of my control. I feel like is is one thing that I am capable of FINISHING in one day or less. People who I tell this to always have the argument that it never is finished, because as soon as you are done, the kids get undressed and it starts all over. My solution to this is "out of sight, out of mind." This is how I do it:

Monday is laundry day. I used to do laundry on Mondays and Thursdays. If you have a lot of laundry (like during baseball season, or winter when the clothes are bigger and heavier) 2 laundry days works great. When we moved here, I got a huge washing machine, so I am able to do it all quickly and in only a few loads, so I only do it on Mondays. (This is not to say that I don't sometimes throw in a load or two outside of this day, if the mood-or need-hits!)

Everyone keeps a laundry basket in their closet in their bedroom. ('out of sight') This makes it easy for them to put their dirty clothes in it in the place where they take them off.

On Sunday night, after they have showered, but before they go to bed, everyone brings their laundry basket to the laundry room. I got these baskets at IKEA, they are easy for kids to carry up and down stairs and they fold up when I am done with them, so the kids can return them to their closets when they get home from school.

I wash sheets first, because no sorting is necessary and I can start as soon as I am up and can get them off the bed. While those first loads are washing, I quickly sort the remaining laundry and get it started, not forgetting to use my yummy Gain-Apple Mango Tango detergent and dryer sheets. I fold and/or hang up the clothes as soon as they are done drying, eliminating or reducing the need for more ironing, which I do not love.

The socks are mated and put in a small Rubbermaid container for the kids to sort through and claim their own socks. This way, the boys are not telling me I put the wrong socks in the wrong pile! Each of the kids also has their folded pile of clothes that they then take up to their rooms and put away.

This system totally works for me, and at the end of the day, when I climb between my clean sheets, I am happy and satisfied, feeling that I accomplished a whole entire task in one day! :) *sigh*