Primary Makes Me Happy

Today was quite an eventful one for our family. Nathan started Sunbeams. I had to keep myself from crying while sitting in the front of the Primary. He just looked so sweet sitting there, not quite sure if he liked being in 'the big Primary' with the older kids. I sat with him through most of his class and I listened to the cute lesson on being a Child of God. And how Heavenly Father is the Father of our Spirits; I remembered back when Casey was a Sunbeam.

It seems like yesterday. He had a wonderful teacher, Sister Humphrey. She's a sweet grandma with a quiet, feisty disposition. She tells me regularly that she will never forget the lesson Casey taught her when he was just three years old. She was teaching about our Spirit and our bodies. She had a glove to demonstrate how our spirit moves our body, much like a hand inside a glove. Casey called it our 'bone body' and our 'Spirit body'. She was quite impressed by his intellect. She is one that always saw Casey for the great missionary he is. She saw past what a lot of other people failed to. She recognized that Casey's spirit was simply too big for his body. That explained it all. I truly believe that is why he was so challenging as a baby and even sometimes, now.

After I sat with Nathan through most of his class, he warmed up and answered questions in Sharing Time...according to Randy who peeked in...I was off doing singing time with the Nursery....which is always fun. It was Emma's first day without her big brother there with her. She does really well. She tries to act out the motions to the songs, and is genuinely interested.

As I watched Nathan struggle at first, I could help but think of the conversation we had the other day. We were getting in the car to take Hannah to school and he asked about his birthday. It's no wonder- Hailey just had hers and Hannah asks daily how many more days until her...and so it begins...Randy's and Hannah's within the next week or so and then it's one big party 'til the end of May. I told him it was still five months away and then asked him how old he was going to be. He replied that he was going to be four... and then five. When I asked him what happens when he turns five, he answered, "I turn six." He sure has it down. So as I watched him in Primary, I thought, he acts so big and knows so much, yet he is still so little. He gets excited to get bigger, yet when it comes down to it, he really still wants me and his Dad.

Hailey and Casey are in the same class, now that we combined classes. It has it's advantages and disadvantages. Casey is no longer the only kids in his class (he actually really loved being the only one.) He was sad to not have his teacher anymore, but we couldn't justify having four classes for 6-7 active kids. We decided we'll just use his old teacher as a sub. And it's not like he won't see him anymore- his teacher is also his 11 Year-Old Scoutmaster- until March, anyway. Hailey was a little disappointed that she was still going to be in the class with the boys. LOL. I remember feeling the same way- that I couldn't wait to be rid of the obnoxious boys. She has been the only active girl in her class, so now she has two more girls to support her. It's a good thing. I hope Casey and Hailey have fond memories of being in class together. They really do like each other- even if they don't act like it sometimes. :)

Hannah was so excited to get a new CTR ring. Until she lost it. In sacrament meeting. Luckily, I have a few extras! All my kids have great teachers and I look forward to a fabulous year with them in Primary. I really feel blessed to be able to experience this with my kids. Five of them are in 'the big Primary' and I am 'over' the nursery, so I get to see Emma, too. Some people made negative comments to me when I was called to Primary as if it was a bad thing that I couldn't 'get away' form the kids. There is no place I would rather be right now. With my kids, and the great women I get to work with. It couldn't be better!

Tonight was Tyler's "It's Great to be Eight" fireside. I can hardly believe he is getting baptized this year. Where has the time gone?! I know I keep saying that, but WOW! I can't believe it. He is so quiet, sometimes I forget he is as old as he is. The fireside was a great time to reflect. Just like at Casey's Priesthood Preview, I watched these kids I have known; some of them their whole lives. And to think they are now old enough to be baptized amazes me. I also came to the realization that in four years, We will be sitting there with Nathan, and Tyler will have his Priesthood Preview, and Casey will be ordained a Priest. That will be a big year. I don't like to think ahead like that, but it will come too soon, I'm afraid. So I need to brace myself and enjoy these days.

These are the days to remember.

The Poor Cutie: A Nathan Chronicle

We got the kids a Wii for Christmas. We all love it. The kids can all play it and they actually can all do well at it. For any of you who don't know what it is, it is a game system different than any of the others. It's main difference, is the fact that you aren't sitting on your bum trying to beat the next level. There are games you can buy for it that are like that, but the games we play are bowling, baseball, tennis, golf, and boxing. We have four remotes, so half our family can play at a time. And the games move pretty quickly, so you aren't waiting forever to play. And the watching is almost as much fun as the playing. There is always a lot of cheering and laughing.

We recently let the kids watch Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time. So, when Nathan gets a strike in bowling, he gets a little upset. He prefers 'sparrows' (you know, Jack Sparrow....lol)
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Nathan came to me very upset one day. He was crying hysterically...

Me: Nathan, what's wrong?
Nathan:Tyler tookted away Casey's candy!
Me: Were you getting into it?
Nathan: No. I was sneaking.



At least he's honest.
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Last year, I was part of a cooking club. We met monthly and exchanged recipes, but mostly we socialized. I looked forward to our get togethers, and apparently it made quite the impression on Nathan.

When he is upset at me or somebody else, he says, "Fine! Your not in my cooking cwuv, then!"


And when he is especially liking you, he'll say, " You can be in my cooking cwuv. I'm the cuko."
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Nathan came down the stairs with wet pants yesterday...



Me: Why are your pants wet?
Nathan: I was baking.
Me: (a little puzzled, but mostly worried...) What were you baking?



He takes me to the table where I find this:





The poor Cutie...

Which One of These Things is Not Like the Other?

(There is only one left hand glove/mitten.)

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE? Out of seven pairs, we have somehow managed to lose SIX of the LEFT hand gloves! How is that possible?! I got the gloves out for the kids and this is what I had. I didn't even have the option of sending them outside with a mismatched pair. Now if I six one-armed kids, we'd be in business!...

...maybe it was a one handed pack-rat...

Inspiration

I so did not set out to do this tonight. But one thing led to another, and you know how it is. I haven't done a layout 'just because' in FOREVER! I must have been inspired by my awesome friends! So here it is....

My Christmas Slideshow

My camera died. Luckily, Hailey had her camera, and we have some pictures....enjoy!

Tipping the Scales

Emma had her 18 month check-up today (Yes- it's 5 weeks late. Leave it to me to totally space that she had an appointment back in December!) So at 19 months, she is a whopping.........drum-roll, please.......18 pounds, 3 ounces!!!! So technically, she should be out of the infant diapers. I actually bought some size 2-3 the other day. They are way too big. The problem is, she may exceed the '12-18 pound' weight recommendation for size 2 diapers, but her weight is distributed over 31 inches, instead of a squattier 25 inch infant. So she just has a skinny little waist, as evidenced by the fact that her pants never stay on her. Her weight finally follows a tiny curve of her own...far below the chart. All in all, she's doing very well. He said I could try her on Pediasure to help her gain weight, but he's doubtful that she would gain much. Especially since she won't drink milk. She has always been tiny and slow to gain weight. I think she is just built like that. he kept commenting on what a good baby she is. I know I am blessed. She was quite the trooper and didn't even cry during her shot.

Routines and Resolutions

Tomorrow I will get a rude awakening. We will have to go to bed before midnight, because we need to get up before 10 AM. We have really been lazy this Christmas break. We have definitely been spoiled having Randy around. My normal routine (if you can call it that) has gone completely out the window. Tomorrow it is back to alarm clocks, laundry, doctor's appointments, homework and ballet. Having the kids home for a week and a half has been fun. I will be sad to see them go back tomorrow. Not to mention the help Randy has been around here. After having not seen him much for the past...oh I can't even remember...the kids and I have loved having him home. It almost makes me want to pack up and move my little family to the middle of nowhere and live off the land...well, almost!

Some of my goals for 2008:
1. Spend less time doing chores by being more organized
2. Spend more time playing with the family
3. Get back into daily scripture reading as a family
4. Be more complimentary to my family
5. Go on a date weekly with Randy

I think that should give me plenty to strive for this year. As I look back on the past year, I can't help but contemplate if I am at a better place than I was a year ago. I think in some areas, I definitely am, and in others, I am not. It seems like each year flies by faster than the last, and as hard as I try, I can't slow it down. There aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish all I want to. My kids are getting big, way too fast. Casey is almost 12. And my baby will be two before I know it. It is all good, but I wonder where the time has gone.

When Emma was born, I had a really hard time imagining I would never go through pregnancy or childbirth again. I don't know if I necessarily feel like there is another spirit for our family, but it is so weird to have that phase of my life over. I think the thing I had such a hard time with was that since we always planned on six kids, I was kind of always waiting for our family to all be here. But what I failed to realize was that we were here all along. We just kept growing. And now, I can't believe my oldest is almost 12. So I think there is a certain amount of regret. Like I didn't enjoy it as much as I should have. And there are times, I hate to admit, that I just plain can't remember. That is the main reason I started this blog. I hope over the next year, I can continue to record our family's story and at the same time, learn to enjoy it all a little more- and provide some entertainment while I'm at it!