Grateful Thursday

Because I'm not only grateful on Friday.

Yesterday was kind of a wild ride.  My mom's surgery was delayed by hours.  That was frustrating.  The good news is that I was able to have a nice visit with my parents all day.  We were buoyed by texts and silly memes and gifs from my siblings and kids.  Together was a nice way to spend the day (except for the fact that we were in a hospital and my mom was hooked up to IV and prepped for surgery).

Weeks ago, I mistakenly told my mom we had a stake youth fireside last night.  I wished I hadn't told her.  Because my parents were worried all day I was going to miss it.  They kept telling me to go.  Go now, before the traffic gets too bad.

I kept telling them they weren't the boss of me.

After they took my mom to surgery (finally!) my dad was adamant I leave.  I was extremely torn.  I did want to go to the fireside but I didn't want to leave him but I also didn't want to make him feel bad by me staying.

Ugh.

I got in and out of my car a few times in indecision, but I ended up heading back to PG.  I passed a burning inferno that used to be a car at the point of the mountain.  So that was exciting.

The fireside was wonderful and after it, I got back on my phone.  Ammon had filled my place after work and parent teacher conferences for his kids and I was grateful.

The thing that made me most grateful?  My mom went through the surgery with flying colors.  I know she has a recovery ahead of her but this hurdle is over.  I'm so grateful for that.  I'm grateful for my good parents and their steady faith.  I'm grateful for the wonderful unifying feeling of all of us praying together (and sending texts).  It felt like we went through yesterday together and that helped.

I didn't realize how much tension I had been holding in my body all day.  After I got the texts that all was well, I got really shaky and Adam said I was pacing around and needed to sit down.

He said, "It's like you're coming off of something."

I said, "I am.  Adrenaline."

My mom

The last thing my mom wants is extra attention and especially internet attention, but here I go anyway.

My mom is having surgery today.  I feel a mix of worry about her and trust in the Lord that all will be well and wishing it was over already.

I'm going to the hospital to spend the day with my parents and I felt a little dreary after leaving school because I had to explain to everyone why I would be gone and I'd rather just not.

Started by Marianne, all my family is on the Marco Polo bandwagon except me.  I tried but lacked the interest or capacity to figure it out.  The last thing I want to do is send a video of myself and I'd rather read a text than watch a video I guess.  Still, that's the way these people are communicating so I renewed my efforts last night.

I had over 90 videos waiting for me (full disclosure:  I did not watch them all).

I watched the latest one from my mom.  She talked about how much she appreciated everyone's love and concern and in her assured and assuring way, she proclaimed her faith and trust and optimism and just made me feel better like she's been doing for 45+ years.

I'm grateful for that lady!

Mark doesn't know what he's missing

Except he usually does because I tell him to check his phone.

Those Fam-a-lam text conversations are solid gold.

This happened yesterday:

She's never not been a bit of a drama queen.

A few hours later, she sent this:

(Adam was happy enough to send a gif--although I just took a screen shot so you don't get the full effect of Tevye dancing.)

Then Emma sent this:

Last night (when I had Mark read it because I need to expose that kid to good literature), Adam wondered where Braeden was anyway in the "uncomfortably silent room."  Some kind of detention?  As complete as Emma's description was, I guess it left questions.

This, my friends, is why cell phones exist.  Getting missives from Emma isn't the only reason I have a cell phone, but if it were the only one, it would be a good enough reason.

Braeden and Mark

Last week Braeden had a cold and texted me this:

I could relate.

When I'm sick I want my mom to come and pick me up too.  I want to lie on the couch and watch The Price is Right and drink juice. (Is The Price is Right still on TV?  I have no idea.)

Braeden did come home Friday though, for the weekend.  Mark and Emma went to the International Cinema together and then Mark brought Braeden back from Provo.

I still have a hard time believing my little baby boy who still looks like this in my mind...

...can just up and drive to Provo.

But he can.

Braeden slept until about 11:00 on Saturday which is what he obviously needed.  Mark kept wanting to wake him up and I said no.  Mark said, very skeptically, "Well, I guess you're the mom so you know best...."

Yes.

Always.

(Not always.)

Later in the day I noticed this out the window, which is a clear indication of Braeden being home:

I know when she reads this, my mom will say Braeden shouldn't be putting bare footprints in the snow if he's recovering from a cold.

And I'd agree except our children never have cold feet.  Never.  And they get it from Adam.  I have cold feet seasonally.  They're just cold during the winter.  That's all.  I think they're the strange ones and they think I'm the strange one.  Adam says, "Your feet should at least be room temperature!"

And I guess he has a point.

I don't know.

I did enjoy having a weekend with Braeden and Mark (even though Braeden slept/did homework and Mark did homework/hung out with friends).  I counted myself lucky during the intermediate hymn at church while I was standing between my two boys, listening to their voices blend as we sang.  I like those guys.

Grateful Friday

A little girl who only spoke Spanish just started at my school.  Within a span of a week, she has learned to say "Please" and "Thank you" and "OK" and "Yay!"  She is learning the English names of colors and probably a lot of other things too but I'm not around her all day.  I am in awe of her grit as she goes to a school every day where most of the people can't communicate with her.  I'm grateful I get to interact with such a superstar.

I'm also so grateful for the other little ones who have had one foot in each language for awhile and can seamlessly switch between English and Spanish so they can help her and me communicate.

Are these kids here legally?

I couldn't possibly care less.

We have plenty of room and I have plenty of love and Skittles. (I indeterminately give Skittles at any sign of improvement.  And high fives.  And hugs.)

I'm not one to enjoy a political debate and you won't find me engaging in one very often, but I'm going to leave this here:

Also, Adam and Mark and I read this the other night during our scripture reading:

Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand of the Lord.  Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

2 Nephi 1:5-6

I say, come on in.

Two unrelated but wonderful things

This morning on my way into the school (and I was neither late nor cranky), I saw one of the darlingest of the darling 2nd graders and he excitedly told me he had a wiggly tooth.

Later, I was working with a group of second graders and he was one of them.  He was lamenting about his tooth because it had turned from exciting to annoying.

All the kids at the table started giving him their tips and tricks for dealing with loose teeth.  "Chew in the back on the other side."  "Eat an apple."  "Get someone to pull it out really fast." (He asked me to pull it out and I declined.)

They started pointing to ones they suspected to lose next in their own mouths and indicated where teeth had been.  I thought how nice it is that we have each other.

I don't really remember too much about losing teeth and it seems like a pretty low cause for concern in the big picture of life, but if you're seven and have a loose tooth and your body is going to get rid of all the teeth you've had as long as you can remember, it's a Big Deal.  How marvelous that shared experiences allow us to have empathy and to feel understood in the world.

**

*

Tuesday, after the BYU Devotional, Braeden texted this:

Yesterday, Adam texted this:

I decided to listen, and I was not disappointed.  There's not a text available for it yet online.  I typed some up while I was listening, just because I wanted to record it here in this space that is basically my journal.

I can't do it justice:

There is a God in heaven, who is our Eternal Father.  I know that by my experience, all of my experience.  I know that by the evidence and the evidence is overwhelming.  I know it by study and most surely I know it by the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.  Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Redeemer of the world.  I know that by my experience, all of my experience.  I know that by the evidence and the evidence is overwhelming.  I know it by study and most surely I know it by the Spirit and power of the Holy Ghost.

I'm grateful for what is and for what I know.  I can echo Elder Corbridge.

One person makes a difference

actual photo of me at work yesterday morning

Everything that could go wrong, had.  I woke up with a sore back, the upstairs heat is lately working 90% of the time but this was the 10%.  It was 60 degrees in the upstairs hall (luckily we have a fireplace in our room).  Also, Mark slept late and threw off the whole delicate shower balance so I didn't have enough hot water. I was just on the edge of on time and realized I'd forgotten my boots so I headed back home.  Then I was late.

I got behind THE slowest car ever.  I consoled myself that they must be carrying a wedding cake so I needed to be patient.  But really?  A wedding cake at 8:45 AM on a Tuesday?

There were no parking spots.  Of course there weren't.  So I parked on the street on a sheet of ice.  I almost fell, twice.  I was in just enough time to head to traffic duty, too late to stash my stuff in the school and put my lunch in the fridge.  I did traffic duty then headed BACK to my car, back across the duplicitous ice that was trying to kill me to get my stuff.

I decided to skip the icy parking lot and instead trudged through the snowy playground, willing spring to come sooner rather than later.  The previous day I had thought the snow pretty, now I just viewed it as the enemy.

I had finally gotten myself all in order and was heading to 4th grade to help with math.  I met my friend Luz in the hall.  We greeted each other and she stopped in her tracks.  "I love the color of that scarf with the sweater!" she exclaimed.

And just like that I felt better.  (I guess in the photo above, Big Bird is Luz.)

Snowy day

Neither Adam nor I had work yesterday (I never do on Mondays, Adam didn't because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day).  Mark didn't have school but had rehearsal all day.

And it was snowy!

Here's the view (between the slats of the blinds) from my office:

It was beautiful and I felt grateful that we have cars that can make it up our street.

Adam took Mark to the school (Mark drove) and Mark got his first taste of treacherous roads and an increased respect for driving carefully, even when you're driving a Subaru.

I picked Adam up at the school and he went with me to Salt Lake for my hair appointment.

Braeden sent this cute picture of him and Anna:

So Adam and I took a (possibly less cute) picture and sent it:

Our next door neighbor called Adam and said that he had come over with his snowblower and cleared off our driveway and sidewalk and accidentally cut an extension cord our Christmas lights guys had left behind by our steps.

We have good neighbors (and even if the extension cord had been super important, neighbors that are that kind are more important).

When we got home Adam went to Provo to spend time with Braeden (they went grocery shopping including Adam picked up things Emma texted him that she needed...he's a good dad) and I stayed home and did the cleaning I didn't do Saturday.

It was beautiful and peaceful and quiet:

I love a good snowstorm when I am in my warm house.

Marianne and Carolina were in town and Marianne wanted to take us all to dinner.  We met up at a Thai restaurant with all of our college kids and had a marvelous time.

I asked Marianne what she was doing the next morning and she said going to the temple.  I said, "So does this mean you won't do traffic duty for me?"

Rats.

The kids left (the Johnson girls went to the Hale Theater; Braeden, Emma and Zack went back to Provo and Mark went to the car to sit with the seat heat and snooze). Marianne said, "We should move to Pleasant Grove so I could see my kids all the time like you do."

DO IT!

Adam and Marianne and I sat around talking.  We kind of forgot about Mark.  Like he said, "It's not the first time that has happened."

We had a nice time chatting and decided someday we would go on a couple couple mission together.  Marianne said, "OK, but let's serve somewhere warm like Hawaii."

Maybe we should make it a triple couple mission and have Olivia and Edgar go too.  We could go to Mexico and let Olivia and Edgar do all the talking.  (I'll make cookies for people.)

My dirty kitchen didn't go anywhere

Saturday I had big plans.  They involved giving Mark a haircut, lots of housework and then repairing and painting a cradle my dad made for me when I was little girl.  I had added the last project because Adam was going to be gone a lot for church meetings and sometimes a creative project is what I need when he is gone.

I eyed Mark's thick and unruly hair and asked if he would rather go to Great Clips.  He said a resounding yes because I use clippers and it takes a long time (So. Much. Hair.) and I cut it shorter than he'd like.

If I didn't have to cut it, so much the better (especially since he drove himself).

Now I'd have more time to do all the things.

But I just talked on the phone with my sisters most of the morning.

Adam had a few hours break mid-day so we went to Home Depot for paint and wood (for the cradle).

We worked together on the cradle in the kitchen.  I decided the garage was too cold and I was going to clean the kitchen later anyway.  I had sanded and he was screwing in reinforcements to the base.  I knew there was a BYU Women's basketball game that day but I thought it was in the evening.  We had a stake conference meeting so I was going to miss the game.  Bit I realized that the game was at 2:00 PM!

It was about 1:30 and I said, "I want to go to the game!"

Adam said, "Go for it."

And I did.

I told Adam to LEAVE the mess because he had meetings and I felt sort of guilting dashing off leaving him in the middle of the project anyway.

I forgot my phone in Joan but I knew where Stephanie usually sits.  I caught her son Dillon's eye who was seated behind Stephanie.  I pointed to his mom.  Dillon poked her shoulder and Stephanie turned around and her happy face reflected my own joy of getting to see my dear friend for the second time in one week.  Also, she had an empty seat next to her right there on the front row.

What a game!  BYU trailed most of the game and in a heart-stopping last quarter, pulled ahead and won!  Stephanie is in general a pretty tranquil and unflappable person.  ALL of her cheering is positive and she never criticizes a player (or come to think of it anyone).  But this was intense and like she said, probably shaved a year off of our lives.

Paisley is amazing!  She has talent and just a fierceness that is sort of at odds with her sweetness when you talk to her.  I love to watch.

Look at me, turning into a sports fan.

I called my grandma on the drive home from Provo so we could chat about the game.  And my dirty kitchen was waiting for me, right where I left it.

It's nice that housework is so patient.

Grateful Friday

Here's what I'm grateful for today:

The quiet hush when the world is covered in new snow.

Joan (see above).

Book club.  We met last night.

Going to BYU Women's Basketball games.  I forgot how much fun they are.

Seeing Stephanie (see above).

When I was buying tickets for the game for Braeden and Mark, the lady at the ticket counter asked if they were general admission then she looked up at Braeden and asked, "Oh, unless you're a BYU athlete?"

Braeden said, "Not even close."

He's not only honest but also quick-witted.

Olivia helps me understand some of the students I work with.  She explains Spanish sounds and grammar and it clears up what is tripping them up.  Also when I call her, I might get to talk to one of her cute kids. (Ammon for example and did you know he's learning multiplication because when did he get old enough for that?)

It's Friday!  Which among other things, means I can wear jeans to work.

It's the little things.

Puritan proverbs

I'm sure your daughter is awesome.  But is she writes-Puritan-proverbs-awesome?  Because mine is.  I can think of no good reason why Emma would decide to write Puritan proverbs except she has a whole cache of witty lists on her phone and why not add another?

So here you go, straight from my girl Emma:

An inch of skin is an inch of sin. 

An angel cries when a woman lies. 

Burn the witch or get the switch. 

The woman who meddles is loved by the devil. 

You'll be beaten by the staff if you even think to laugh. 

A show of affection is cause for correction. 

Mead by morning, dead by evening. 

If church you miss the devil you'll kiss.

She was reading us her Puritan proverbs on Sunday and Freja said, "Emma, I'm so glad I'm friends with you."

I'm glad Emma and Freja are friends too.  And I'm glad to have Emma in my life.  Since I taught her English and sort of taught her to read and write (she mostly just picked it up), I'd like to take a little credit for her way with words, but I don't think I deserve much credit.

She's just Emma. Very thoroughly Emma.

Winter weather

I wear some combination of t-shirt, leggings, socks, and sweatshirt and take an extra blanket to bed when it's cold.

I carefully decide when it is time to add or subtract a quilt based on the season.

The night before work, I check the weather report and think about what I should wear the next day.

Before work, I look at the hourly weather report to decide what shoes to wear and if I need base layers.  Will it be raining or snowing at 9:00 AM?  What about 10:00?  What about 12:00?

I wear layers so I can remove a jacket or cardigan in a classroom that is warm and put one on in classrooms that are cold.

I have mittens and one of those ear warmer headbands in my coat pocket.

I have an umbrella in my bag.

**

*

Adam keeps a coat in his car in case of emergency, but he doesn't wear it.  He goes outside in whatever he's wearing (short sleeve or long sleeve).

We confront winter weather...differently.

Keeping me humble

Last night I drove to Provo to take Emma a late arriving book she needed for one of her classes.  She asked me if I wanted to get some dinner but I declined because I had Mark and Adam dinner plans.

I was telling Mark about it and he said something about me starving Emma as a child.  (It's true.  When Emma was an infant,  I had mono and she was not getting enough to eat.  When the doctor told me I immediately switched her to formula.)  Mark wasn't even born yet but he still knows how to make me feel guilty.

Mark also periodically brings up the time we forgot him at our hotel in Lake Chelan.

I am basically mother of the year.

I asked him, "So I starved Emma and forgot you, what terrible thing have I ever done to Braeden?"

He said, "You let him believe for too long that he was the handsome brother."

Weekend

Mark drove himself to school Friday and to hang out with friends both Friday and Saturday nights.  I hate it and love it at the same time.

Friday, Braeden the birthday boy and 12 other lovely BYU students arrived to watch a movie.  I bought a bunch of snacks that mostly didn't get eaten because they'd gone to Pizza Pie Cafe on the way here.

Heather (one of my former laurels) was among the kids and it made me happy to hug her and catch up.  Braeden said she mostly came to see me.  I'm glad I could tip the scales.

They watched Paul Blart Mall Cop and I watched a little too because I love that movie.  While I watched, I worked on my multiplication kaboom game.  (You know, like you do on a Friday night.)

It's for the third graders I work with.  Basically I do activities with them that I hope are worthwhile and give them candy.  It's pretty much like being a YW president.

Adam came home from refereeing so then I was with him and didn't have to crash the college party (although Adam and I went downstairs eventually and watched the end of the movie...it was Paul Blart Mall Cop after all).

Saturday was the typical errand and housework day.  Then Mark went out and Adam settled into his office to work.  I said, "Do you mind if I work in here too?  I've got to print a bunch of stuff."

He said sure, so I sat down and worked on a math Jeopardy game for school.  Every 30 seconds I asked Adam for help with either formatting or paper was jammed in the printer or it was printing on both sides.

I said, "I bet you wish I weren't in here."

"It is busy," he agreed.

Then, Adam and I went to Costco to pick up his car (he was having a flat tire repaired) and decided to "walk around" while we waited for the time to go to the theater.  I was sitting in front a spot with my blinker on, waiting for someone to back out.  A little car came fast from the other direction and zipped into my spot.  I said, "I'll bet that guy doesn't know how big my husband is."  We found a nearby spot and sure enough, the guy stayed in the car until we had walked away.  Adam is a gentle giant though, so he didn't need to be worried.  (Although I saw him later in the store and he was wearing a stocking cap and shorts and socks and sandals so maybe he should be a little worried because someone stole his pants and it's January.)

A hundred dollars later (Have you ever walked around Costco without buying a cartload?  I don't know if it's possible), we emerged and made it to the theater with little time to spare.  Emma greeted us on the sidewalk with our tickets on her way to the box office to call us and see if we had forgotten.

We saw The Odd Couple and I laughed so hard I almost choked on my Peanut M&M.  I love the theater and I love sitting next to Adam in the theater.

Sunday we had our kids over (and by our kids I mean more than the ones I gave birth to).  We also further celebrated Braeden's birthday.

Here's an aside and a cautionary tale.  When you have a two year old (and mind you this was pre Pinterest times) you may get the idea to make a frog cake.  Just a regular cake with cupcakes for eyes and frosted green.  If you pursue that idea and your child is sentimental, you may just be making that frog cake every year.

I texted Braeden and asked him what kind of cake he wanted.  I assumed chocolate with mint frosting.  He texted back yes to that, but he wanted a frog.

So I did it and it's the ugliest frog cake yet and it seems I'd be getting better at them but apparently I'm not.

At least the kids are cute.

Except why can everyone except my children be normal in a picture?

Braeden, Mark, Emma, Leif, Freja, Anna, Desi, Liberty and Zack (or Zaberty as our kids call them)

Braeden opened his gifts.  He had requested a silky robe because a fellow EFY counselor had one.  I thought they seemed sort of creepy so this one is more of a satiny cotton.  He tried it on (of course) and sat down and said he needed a hound (of course) so Mark ran over to be his hound (of course).

I love our big Sundays.  Adam was the real champion.  After seven hours of church, he made ten pizzas.  Desi said about Adam churning out deliciousness from the kitchen, "Adam's like Edgar."

Which Adam and I both thought was the ultimate compliment.

We had our gospel study time together and I love hearing the discussion of those good kids.  BYU gave me good friends and a husband and an education and that place is still blessing my life.

Grateful Friday

The other day I told Mark, "I've been feeling kind of meh about my job lately."

He said, "That's because it's a meh job.  You're not there for the job.  You're there so you can be a teacher."

And he's right.  Being a teacher's aide is not my end game.  Being patient is not my strong point.

Here's what I'm grateful about.

It seems like every time I start feeling meh about my job, something happens that reminds me how much I like to teach.

Yesterday it was factors and multiples.

I was tasked with reteaching three 4th grade girls about factors and multiples and then venturing on into prime and composite numbers.

They went from saying, "I don't get it," to "Oh, I see!" and "Hey, what if I did this to find all the multiples?"

It is thrilling.

So even when my job feels meh, I'll keep going.

**

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Another thing I'm grateful for is my Braeden.  Today is his birthday.  He is sunshine personified and the only person I know who would text me a link to Taylor Swift's song 22 at 6:30 AM.

After school with Mark

On my way home, I picked up Mark from school.

We went home and he had a snack because he won't do much until he's had his snack.

We got in the van this time and I drove and he delivered fliers about our Relief Society meeting to houses in our neighborhood.

After the last house, we switched and he drove.  He drove to the high school and we considered good parking spots and routes to take to try to avoid some of the crazy.  (He's going to drive himself to school today since the ice is mostly gone.)

We drove to the gas station so I could fill up the tank one last time before handing that pleasure over to him.  (Well, he filled up the tank but I paid.)

I got him a soda, promised payment for delivering fliers.

I gave him my presentation for Relief Society as he drove us home.  At one point I said I was going to read a quote from a book.  He said, "Give me the gist."  So I did.

When we got home, he said, "Can I just give you one suggestion?  For your presentation?"

"Sure," I said.

"Be more confident," he said.  "You sound all polite and like you're giving them a suggestion.  Tell them how it is!"

The night before, Mark had been telling me about William the Conquerer and The Battle of Hastings. I think Mark would be much better suited for rallying troops for battle than presenting at Relief Society.

We all have our thing.

I'm glad he's mine.

Adam (and Mark) to the rescue

My purpose in being on the Relief Society meeting committee is to be pushed out of my comfort zone.  That is all.

I got a phone call asking me to teach a 10 minute segment on home organization.  For the girl who preferred sorting and organizing the Legos to building the set, that wasn't a problem.  I love to organize.  (I love the topic more than the act of presenting but still.)

Then I got another phone call a few days later.  This time, I was supposed to make a video to email out and post on Facebook "advertising" our upcoming Relief Society meeting, particularly my segment.  "Make it humorous," she said.

Um.

I felt the familiar dread I feel when I'm confronted with something I don't want to do and feel ill equipped to do.  Adam walked in the door on the heels of the phone call.  I told him my tale of woe and in 20 seconds, he had an idea.  "I don't want to be in the video," I said.

He said OK (although my hand ended up being in it).

And then he called Mark.

They are my knights in shining armor and here is the video they created:

You should know we didn't alter Mark's room in any way for this video.  That's how it looks.  Organization isn't genetic and bedroom doors are there for a reason.

Not for the faint of heart

That's a picture of a boy with a driver's license.  (But he's not driving because it was snowing and we had Joan and I'm not going to let any of these children drive Joan.)

It is a specific kind of terrifying to have a newly minted teenage driver.  Especially when you consider he'll be driving in the scariest place I know:  the high school parking lot.

Another terrifying thought?  The car insurance.

I will calm my fears with rosy thoughts of not having to be his personal taxi driver.  (Although I will miss that time when he is captive and tells me about his day.)

I never know if he's my sidekick or I'm his, but Mark and me?  We have history together.  I love that kid.

Dolls and freckles

Little girls with dolls and freckles.  That's what we were once upon a time.  It blessed my life to be born between the two powerhouses that are my sisters and it continues to bless my life.

They were my best friends growing up, the ones I told my secrets to and the ones who told me frankly when what I was wearing didn't work.  At. All.  They never minced words.

They have also always been my biggest champions and supporters and comforters.

What I didn't anticipate is how their husbands would bless my life too.  They both married stellar men whom I love.

Yesterday Robert, fresh off his trip to Hawaii where he broke a finger and had emergency surgery in addition to seeing his eldest daughter married, got up early early to drive here so he could ordain Adam to the office of a high priest.

Despite the similarities between Marianne and me, when we were all newly married and living in the same ward in Provo, someone asked if Adam and Robert were brothers.  And they are brothers in every way that matters.

After church we sent Robert on his way in a blizzard with a sandwich and our gratitude.  Back when I was borrowing Marianne's clothes and holding the steering wheel on the way to seminary while she was applying her mascara, I never could have imagined what a blessing her someday husband would be to our family.

Grateful Friday

I created a little space with a jar, pen and paper so people can record what they're grateful for.  I asked Adam what I should write on the jar and he said, "Thank Bank."

I went with "Be Grateful" in a nod to President Hinckley and his 6 B's

I thought I would be the only one to write anything but I haven't been.  So that makes me happy.

**

*

This was the temperature yesterday morning, about an hour after traffic duty (so it had warmed up a little).

What am I grateful about?  Canceled recess.

Everyone had to stay inside.  Including me.

**

*

I was also grateful to stay inside when this ENORMOUS bird was behind our house earlier this week.  I thought it was a golden eagle but I had never seen one up close so I wasn't sure.

The picture doesn't really give you a sense of how huge it was!  I googled golden eagles to see if I was correct and there were pictures of golden eagles hunting deer and mountain goats.

So yeah, they're big guys.

**

*

Braeden and Mark declared the living room their favorite room in the house after I hung up the black squares and rearranged the furniture.

That means this:

It 25% annoys me because I had the pillows and blankets nicely arranged and you don't have to literally throw the throw pillows to sit on the couch or chair.

(But my offspring don't know that.)

It 75% makes me happy though.  Houses and pillows and blankets are meant to be used and I am glad to have my people here.

All good things must come to an end

I have all the Christmas things put away and all the house back to rights except the basement.  (I might do it after Braeden goes back to school because it is sort of a scary boys' domain down there and I maybe should wait until the odds are more in my favor.)

I brought Trayvion to the living room (he's been rehabilitating in my office upstairs but I decided it was time to let him try the living room again).  I rearranged furniture because I felt like it and hung up these black squares that I haven't hung since we lived in Washington.

It made the kids happy to see them.

That sunshine makes me happy.  Every day.

Mark is back to school and I am back to work today.  I'm looking forward to seeing smiles from some cute kids but my phone says the temperature when I get to school for my little traffic duty will be 15 degrees.

My mom said, "Dress warmly!"

But there are only so many layers one can don.  I'll try.

I don't mind going back to school, but I am a homebody and have delighted in being home. We've had a nice vacation and it seems like it has gone by too too fast.  I've enjoyed the easy pace and quiet mornings and raucous evenings.

Time marches on.

Books I read in December 2018

Between starting to listen to books and Christmas break, I read more books in December and I'm glad.

The Dry by Jane Harper ****

I may pick this one for bookclub.  It was good.  It's a murder mystery set in a small town in Australia and it kept me guessing and kept me intrigued.

The Secret of the India Orchid by Nancy Campbell Allen ***

I mostly read this one because it was immediately available to listen to.  I did like it though.  I liked it more at first but it's a romance (a "proper romance" which means it's G rated) and it started to feel a little repetitive and swoon-y.  It was also a murder mystery and it was pretty compelling too.

High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews ***

This book is about four friends and then decades later, about some of their grand-daughters/grand-nieces and how the stories all intersect.  It dragged sometimes but I liked the characters and it entertained me.

Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin *

This book was interesting at first.  Then, ugh.  I listened to about half of it for bookclub and then I was DONE.  I think it made it worse because I was listening and couldn't skim.  Here's the thing, Gretchen Rubin is annoying.  She is the queen of unsolicited advice (unsolicited advice = the worst) and then she brags about how she gave unsolicited advice to hapless friends and family members. She   is so self satisfied with her good habits that it reminded me of the kids who had perfect attendance in school.  I always sort of pitied them for their lack of imagination.  She is smug and condescending though so my pity turned quickly into gratitude that I could quit reading the book.

The White Stag by Kate Seredy ***

This is a Newbery winner and gift from Braeden.  It's about how Genghis Kahn became Genghis Kahn I read it in one sitting and at first was sort of shocked by how brutal it was, considering it was a book for children, but then I recognized the genre. It is a myth and those are brutal, even for children.  I liked it.

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamilla ***

Another Newbery winner.  This is a book I thought I'd read but then realized I hadn't.  I liked it a lot.  It's about a brave little mouse, a princess, a sad servant girl and a rat who is sort of lovable but also loathsome.

The Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillyn Smith ****

(four stars don't feel like enough)

I loved this book!  I had to read it in smallish doses because it gave me so much to think about and it wasn't a good thing to read when I couldn't sleep because it made my mind whirl.  I love thinking about my home.  I love tweaking it and taking care of it and trying to make it better.  So it was a good book.

New Year's Eve in Greenland

I'm not going to say I feel about New Year's Eve like I feel about Halloween, but it's not my favorite.

I am an early bird, always have been (my mom used to hate it when I went to sleepovers because I was such a hot mess the next day) and it's only getting more pronounced as time passes.

Staying up until midnight seems arbitrary and weird and I know this makes me curmudgeonly and weird.  But still.

Emma had to work the midnight/New Year's show at the theater so she had to leave early anyway so we celebrated New Year's Eve in Greenland (at 8:00 PM).

Instead of watching the ball drop in NYC, we drop our gingerbread houses.  I have to think it's more satisfying.

I went first and here was my target:

I completely missed.

Mark sent his with the house down and it landed perfectly.

Braeden did the same.  Besides having better aim, Mark knew that would work better to have the heavy part go first.

He's smarter than me a lot of the time.

Adam let me try his chalet house too--as Emma told me, "Make the chalet pay."

I missed it too.

I have other talents (for example, I'm the one who swept and vacuumed up afterward).

Emma went to work and the rest of us finished up our Lego set.  I'm also not very good at those Lego sets.  I'm a whiz at separating the pieces and my mind loves to come up with the categories to sort to make them easy to find.  I'm really bad at following the intricate directions.  Too many details and too short of attention span.  Adam kept saying, "Wait, you're getting ahead...you haven't finished step 3 billion here."  (There were a lot of steps.)

I did love the finished product though.  Here is where we added it to the other sets we had from previous years:

The whole thing, which is almost as long as the table, is impressive but we are all delighted by the details:

It's fun for me to hear the kids name everyone and come up with back stories for the people but also watching Mark build with Legos is poetry in motion.  He's logged the 10,000 hours needed to become an expert and he implicitly knows with a quick glance which pieces he needs (and what original set they come from--he'd say, oh, that's a Bionicle piece).

On a scale of me to Mark, mostly everyone else is closer to Mark so we were able to build the set.

I went to bed around 11:00 so the New Year came without me.  I like New Year's Day.  I love the fresh clean slate of a new year.  It feels like a blank notebook and a sharp pencil.

Happy New Year!