Happy Happy Happy

It's been a wonderful time.

I feel better.  Medicine!  That's where it's at!

We had a lovely Thanksgiving with the Porters.  It is a blessing to live across the street from people who have so much in common with us.  We ate glorious amounts of delicious food. The kids went across the street to play Quiplash at our house and Dave and Nola and Adam and I sat around and talked.  I can imagine that if we'd lived across the street from each other the entire time our kids were growing up, there would be a well-worn trail across the cul-de-sac.  We have children that love to sing and act and crack wise.  Also, the two youngest boys in each family are weirdly athletic.  Where did that come from?

In the evening on Thanksgiving, our family went to see Ralph Breaks the Internet.  (Why they didn't call it Ralph Wrecks the Internet is beyond me.)  It wasn't an original idea so we had to go all the way to south Provo for a theater and even then we weren't all on the same row.  The kids were behind Adam and me.  At one point, Braeden nudged us so we could see Emma who was cry laughing/hyperventilating.  There was a pun in the movie that just tickled that girl's fancy.

Friday, after making good use of the internet and my credit card, I gathered up the autumnal decorations to ready the house for the big changeover.

In the afternoon we went to my grandma's to decorate her house for Christmas.  It's a highlight for all of us.  I feel grateful for our kids diligently and enthusiastically carrying boxes up and down stairs and unpacking decorations.  At the same time, they thank me for taking them and they tell me how much they love it.  Talk about a win win.

We had had a big lunch of Thanksgiving leftovers before heading to Salt Lake City to my grandma's.  After decorating though, she said, "I have some pie."

"Oh, Grandma, we just ate and we're too full."

She said, "Well, I got it just for you so you have to have some."

So we did.  There are some people in the world that I can argue with and my 91 year old grandmother is not one of them.  (I'm not too good at arguing with pie either.)

We came home and got busy on our own decorations.  We sent Adam, who is still battling sickness, to bed.  Braeden and Mark are perfectly suited for schlepping boxes and climbing on ladders and Emma, with her artistic eye, is perfectly suited for arranging and decorative deliberations.

Emma and I decided to cut some branches from an evergreen bush in the front yard for the mantle.  Emma said, "Let me scrummage some shoes and I'll be out."

(Emma is also good at making up words.)

She scrummaged some shoes of Braeden's and looked like a little kid wearing their parent's shoes trying to keep them on her feet.  I cut branches and Emma winced because clippers make her nervous (ever since Grandpa Linn accidentally cut Grandma Geri's finger).  We brought in a big hamper of branches and just went to town on the mantle.

Decking the halls is my favorite.

Grateful

In a world full of sickness and sorrow and loneliness and longing and trust broken and sin and hate and all the things, I stand back and look at my life and realize that although it is never picture perfect, it is a pretty good life.

And I am grateful for it.

I know that the blessings I have are gifts from God.  On none of my own merit, I was born into a loving and good family.  I have been given privileges and opportunities I did nothing to deserve.  I married very well when I was in no way smart enough to make such a big decision.  I was permitted to raise three amazing humans that delight me every day.  And they came amazing.  I didn't do that.

So does Heavenly Father love people less that don't have these blessings?  No, and also I don't understand how it all works.

I know we are all loved and I know life isn't fair.  Maybe someday it will all make sense.

In the meantime, because I have been given much, I too must give.

Also, the biggest blessing God had to bestow was freely given to all.  I'm grateful this Thanksgiving for the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I'm grateful for peace in storms and forgiveness in stupidity and enabling power when I'm spent.

Have a wonderful holiday and I'll see you back here Monday!

Another sick day

I went to the walk-in clinic yesterday and left the proud owner of 5 prescriptions.  I have a sinus infection/fluid in my ears/bronchitis.  She gave me a prescription to treat pneumonia which I'm supposed to take if I get worse.  (She didn't want me stuck over Thanksgiving with no doctors/pharmacies open.)

So I'm going to lay low another day and put all my trust in the magic of modern medicine.  Because I have stuff to DO.

While I was gone, Braeden came home.  Every once in awhile he does that to sequester himself in Adam's office to write a big paper.  (He was in there when I went to bed and he was in there when I woke up.)

I walked in the house to his warm greeting and big embrace.  He was emptying the dishwasher and had happy music playing.

You just can't be uncheered by Braeden.

He and Mark both need haircuts (and giving Mark a haircut was something I was planning to do yesterday).  They held their curly heads together and said they wondered if they'd act like velcro.

It's good to have both boys around.

Emma, also in the throes of busy paper writing, texted me throughout the day.  She wants to bring me some Cranberry Sprite when she comes tomorrow because she saw that it is in stores now.

It's good have a daughter.

Adam is also sick but infinitely tougher than I am.  He drove to pick up my prescriptions and hugs me when I'm whiny.

It's good to have Adam.

So I'm tired of being sick, but I'm grateful this Thanksgiving week for my family.

Mark is back!

We're so happy to have him.  He had a wonderful time and we loved hearing all about it and watching him fake duel with Braeden.  They got light sabres and Mark showed off the skills he learned at a rapier class at the Thespian Convention.

Can you imagine?  There were 8000 drama kids there.

This x 8000:

one of Mark's friends

They stayed at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center and it seemed pretty swanky.

Adam and I will now go back to being parents and making dinner and things like that.  I was going to go pick up Mark at the airport yesterday but then because of an unfortunate incident called Thelma Took Too Much Cough Syrup, Adam and I both went.  (He drove!)

We were fighting sickness all week.  I kept going about my day and then coming home feeling trashed at night thinking the next day would be better.  It never was.  All week.  Then, I couldn't sleep from all the coughing and I was desperate + irrational and I shouldn't be left alone in those circumstances.

I slept much better last night and I am officially taking a sick day today (I don't have work on Mondays).  I'm hoping for better things.

For one thing, Mark is back.  Everything's better with that kid around.

Grateful Friday

Things I'm grateful for today:

Empty nest + Adam

We miss Mark and it seems like he's gone for an awfully long time.  His super communicative texts are comforting though:

Mark would have saved a lot of money during telegram days when you had to pay according to how many words.

Adam and I have been muddling along without him though.  We turned the heat off before we both left for work.  Later in the evening we realized we hadn't turned it back on.  "Should we?"  We both just shrugged.

So picture us in our golden years in a cold house because we can't be bothered.

Last night we wrapped Christmas presents because no one was around and we could spread out on the table and counter.

We even turned on Christmas music for the occasion.

(Maybe the lack of heat helped create a certain wintry holiday atmosphere.)

My parents

They are awesome.  I'm grateful for their goodness and steady faith and courage.  They've always been an anchor in my life and those two together feels like everything is going to be right in the world.

Being around kids

A kindergartner with stick straight hair told me I had tangled hair.  I said, "I know; it's curly.  That's just how it is."

She said, "You should brush it."

(I hope when that little girl is a teenager her mother has a thick skin.)

**

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A second grader told me about something he did back when he "was a child."

**

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I was helping a little girl, who is a Thelma the Unicorn aficionado, with math.  She was reluctant to work on her math and said, "I don't even know how you can do math, Thelma the Unicorn.  You live in a field."

I said, "It's because I'm a unicorn."

**

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Multiple grades are working on writing opinion pieces and a lot of the kids have written about how we should have hot dogs instead of turkey for Thanksgiving.  The number one reason most of them site is that turkeys are animals and you have to kill them so you should have hot dogs instead.

I don't want to be the one to tell them what hot dogs are made of.  (I don't really want to know myself what hot dogs are made of.)

**

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Mark's doppelgänger has been asking me to bring my phone to recess.  I kept forgetting and then yesterday I happened to have it in my coat pocket.  He demanded I hand it to him.

Ha! No.

He wanted me to play Sonic Mania Invincibility music for him.  I googled it.  It was the kind of techno annoying music that Mark plays (not surprisingly--I'm telling you, they are the same kid) that prompts me to change the radio.  His doppelgänger stood next to me with a huge grin on his face and listened to the music.  He wrapped his arms around my arm and blissfully leaned his head against me.

Then later he threw a paper airplane and it hit me right on the nose.

(I didn't want you to think it was always sunshine and roses.)

Hidden talents

Yesterday I substituted in a second grade.  They have the aids sub sometimes if they can't find enough subs.  I enjoyed it (and it also works towards relicensing points!).

Before recess, a boy asked me to tie his shoe.  I knelt down and started to tie.  "Double knot?" he asked.  I always do, whether they ask or not.  Not my first rodeo with shoelaces.  I sent him on his way and children were lining up to go outside.  The boy was at my side again, "Will you tie the other one?" he asked.  "You are so good at tying shoes."

**

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I was working with a small group at a table and I read a poem to them while they marked the rhyming pattern with crayons.

One of the boys asked, "Can I just say something?"

"OK," I said.

"You are really good at reading upside down."

Yep.  I am.  That's why I get the big bucks.

(Except I don't get big bucks.  I get very very small bucks.)

(But I am having a good time.)

Empty nesters

Yesterday at work, a lady, who is also in our ward, told me about their empty nesters activity they had had the previous night.  It was sort of startling to realize that we would be in that category in just a few years.

When you have kids, it feels like it will last forever and then it doesn't.

Mark is leaving today for Texas.  He is going with his drama teacher and a group of drama kids to a Thespian Convention.  It sounds really fun and like I wish I were going too.

Last night I went over Mark's packing list and looked at what he'd packed and said about ten, "What about this?" and he'd say, "Oh yeah," and run and grab whatever it was.

I am excited for him and I know he'll have fun but I am also nervous.  He's going far away without me.

Every time it reminds me a tiny bit of someday sending him on a mission, I tamp down that feeling quickly.

I am not ready for that (neither will I be when the time comes).

Adam and I don't have any big plans for our empty nest while Mark is away.  We have one tiny plan and that is to wrap Christmas gifts.  I'm not sure when; I hope we have time.

When you have kids, it feels like they're the ones making you busy and then they aren't.