Literary Euphoria

Thomas, my husband, gave me the gift of $100 to spend on anything I wanted on my jaunt around town last Friday. The text with the announcement came after I browsed through a few stores where I probably could have easily found something on which to spend the money (all the pretty art). I could not find anything the rest of the day; however, I was not deterred. Exhausted and sore from walking through several stores and malls I returned home resolved to get something out of the adventure. I turned to my trusty friend Amazon and purchased 12 books. The second book in the new Beyonders series by Brandon Mull will arrive next year. I also got the final book in the Alchemyst series by Michael Scott which will also arrive next year. I guess you can call me a die hard. The rest of the books are themed around the American Revolution. (We loved Johnny Tremain so much I decided to dive into more books on the topic.) Titles include books written by Avi, Collier and Brady. I am especially excited for three of the books in particular.

The first is Ben and Me: An Astonishing Life of Benjamin Franklin by His Good Mouse Amos by Robert Lawson. Disney made a short cartoon called Ben and Me that I loved as a child. When you love the movie you often love the book more. I figured I can relive a childhood love. It is my playful take on two birds with one stone. The second book is Francis Macon and the Legend of the Swamp Fox by Kate Salley Palmer. It is a picture book. A picture book always has a place in a home library no matter how old the readers are. Again, I can attribute the excitement to receive this book on good old Disney. I am still heard singing, "Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox, tail on his hat. Nobody knows where the Swamp Fox at." And, I will sing this a lot until the literary euphoria wears off. Finally, I got Swamp Fox: General Francis Marion and his Guerrilla Fighters of the American Revolutionary War by William Dobein James who fought side by side with the Swamp Fox, Francis Macon (I wanted to call him Sir Francis Macon but the irony was too much even if he is a knight in shining armor of the American Revolution.). It's a first hand account: A primary source. It cannot be more cool than that. If you were here you could palpitate the excitement that has a strangle hold on the air.

Now I just hope I can make it until Tuesday. I love Amazon but sometimes the lack of instant gratification is too much to bear. I plan on being quite happy on Tuesday when my dog goes berserk at the sound of the doorbell.

The Best Thing My Neighbor Saw This Summer

I crossed paths recently with the only neighbor I know. His name is Tim. He said he saw the funniest thing this summer in my backyard. My three youngest children took the recycling bin filled it with water and then crammed themselves into it like a can of sardines. I guess you will resort to anything in the dog days of the Aridzona summer. I must admit I got a bit of a chuckle out of it too.

Recovery

The Sunday before last my sister (Kelly), her nine year old twins (Raef and Zach), her three year old (Eli) and two year old twins (Harry and Julia) arrived after a LOOOOONNNNNGGGG trip from Reno, Nevada. (I hope you got that straight because I am not sure I can explain it again.) It did not seem too bad at first then the havoc broke loose. Oh, they are all great kids. But, no matter how great kids are, when you stick them together in a house for too long it is liable to be a circus. The biggest problem was probably the littles. I usually refer to my youngest two angels as the littles but in this case it references anyone three and under. Or, what I call Kelly's triplets. Heck, they might as well be. You see, my house has not hosted littles that little for quite sometime. So it was not prepared for what was about to happen to it. For example, I forgot that markers and crayons need to be put out of reach. Until I learned that, the children's bathroom got decorated in a lovely shade of deep blue and a book became altered art. Kelly claims I live in black and white, no color, apparently her littles also agree. Little plastic critters were everywhere. (Kelly scored a sweet deal at Goodwill.) Raisins were everywhere. Gum was in a few places, carpet included. And the kitty cats were shaking in their paws. (The best picture I did not get was when my placid cat Harry reared up on his back paws and slapped one of the two year olds in the face several times. It was only a slap because his claws went bye-bye a long time ago.) That was until they got a reprieve when they escaped.

The active littles had me physically frazzled. (I gave up trying to clean up after them by Wednesday.) The opinionated big kids had me emotional drained. While Kaylee played the rodeo clown, Lije (my oldest son) and Zach had an alpha male showdown. It was interesting because they both had a definitive point-of-view and, technically, both of them were right until they were expected to see the other's point-of-view. When all the facts were considered they were both wrong. But, that doesn't mean two alpha males can stop their showdown. Things calmed down a bit when the magic formula was stumbled upon. Raef and Lije. Zach and Chance. It was like magically linking together yin and yang. Peace ensued. That is unless it was nap time, bed time or food time. It is always one of those. I guess calm is relative.

It may have been easier for the children if Kelly and I could have given them our undivided attention. That would defeat the entire purpose for Kelly and her gaggle of geese flocking to my house. We were getting ready for a wedding. My littlest, figuratively and physically, sister was getting hitched. Thankfully, the only time the children got along was while everyone was in the temple. That is as long as Eli got to "sit in the car for just five minutes." That is just five minutes and a movie later.

Kelly seemed determined to be the Mormon David Tutera. Once she decided she was providing the reception she talked big. She eventually provided big too. Although we ran around a lot, sometimes shopping for Kelly's closet, it did not feel like we were cramming everything into that one week. Thankfully, Kelly preempted some of the wedding psychosis by doing a lot of projects at home and packing them all the way down here. Still the Tasmania wedding devil hit my house. After deciding to paint a couple of the walls in my, ever so white house, green she opted to pursue a previously planned painting project (like that alliteration?) indoors. She had the older children (much to Eli's chagrin) paint a bunch of wood blocks turquoise blue. At this I take a very deep breathe because I am still scrubbing turquoise blue paint off of the sink, walls, cabinets and floors. Now you are probably imagining the worse: paint strewn everywhere. It is really a bad case of tears and pox. A streak here and there that, I believe, are Kelly's fault and not the children's. Pox, well, those are probably a kids' disease.

The highlight of the week was when I got to pick up my Grandma Nay from the airport. Sky Harbor makes me ill but it was worth the tummy rumbles to see her again. I am so very thankful for my Grandmother. Although Kelly and her family ventured to Tucson to prepare for the reception it did not necessarily mean calm or quiet. The pace picked up drastically. I got to bake a lot of snicker-doodles and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. The whirlwind just did not stop so I ended up warming up the pumpkin chocolate chip cookies at the church. I also crafted all the syrups there too. Mind you, I did not cook or bake anything at the church (against the rules) I just warmed them up. The last couple of hours felt like I was boxing a few rounds with Ali. Kelly paints a much more pleasant picture of these moments, but she doesn't battle horrible anxiety. I managed to scrape by after taking a Xanax. I waited until after clean up and a long drive home to climb into a hole. This week I am in recovery.

Crossroads

The entire talk this quote comes from is definitely worth the read:

We stand at the crossroads, each minute, each hour, each day, making choices. We choose the thoughts we allow ourselves to think, the passions we allow ourselves to feel, and the actions we allow ourselves to perform. Each choice is made in the context of whatever value system we've selected to govern our lives. In selecting that value system, we are, in a very real way, making the most important choice we will ever make. Those who believe there is one God who made all things and who governs the world by his Providence will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who hold in reverence that being who gave them life and worship Him through adoration, prayer, and thanksgiving will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe that mankind are all of a family and that the most acceptable service of God is doing good to man will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who believe in a future state in which all that is wrong here will be made right will make many choices different from those who do not. Those who subscribe to the morals of Jesus will make many choices different from those who do not. [Those who believe they are sons and daughters of God, created in the image and likeness of the Only Begotten Son, will make many choices different from those who do not.] Since the foundation of all happiness is thinking rightly, and since correct action is dependent on correct opinion, we cannot be too careful in choosing the value system we allow to govern our thoughts and actions. And to know that God governs in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayers, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, is indeed, a powerful regulator of human conduct.

[Benjamin Franklin's The Art of Virtue: His Formula for Successful Living, ed. George L. Rogers, 3rd ed. (Eden Prairie, Minnesota: Acorn Publishing, 1996), 88­90]
Changes added by suggestion of Richard C. Edgely

Quotes for My Daughters

Be Loyal to the Royal within you!


"But there is a beauty every girl has, a gift from God as pure as sunlight and sacred as life. It is a beauty that all men love, a virtue that wins all men's souls. That beauty is chastity. Chastity without skin beauty may enkindle the soul. Skin beauty without chastity may enkindle only the eyes. Chastity enshrined in the mold of true womanhood will hold true love eternally."

"The flower by the roadside that catches the dust of every traveler is not the one to be admired and seldom is ever plucked. But the one blooming way up on the hillside, protected by the perpendicular cliff, is the flower with the virgin perfume, the one that the boy will almost risk his life to possess."

–President David O. McKay


"I say to you girls beware of the man who comes to you professing that he loves you and then seeks to destroy and rob you of the most precious thing you have in life. No man loves the girl that he wants to harm, and don't you forget it."

–President Harold B. Lee

"Whenever we live to the best that is in us, we live up to the ideals He gave us."

–Elder Adam S. Bennion

The 15th Anniversary of the Day We Met

Today is the fifteenth anniversary of the day I met my husband, Thomas. It is a source of some debate. Let me share our story.

I lived in college housing in St. George, Utah. My Grandmother Carpenter lived in Madisonville, Kentucky. She was very ill. My father told me she did not have much longer to live. (Mind you, she did not pass away until 30 April 2011; yes, fifteen years later!) I scraped together what little money I earned after paying all my bills and purchased a plane ticket that took me to Evansville, Indiana just north of her locale. I did not have any transportation. My roommate and very best friend, Brittany, just returned from Finland so I asked her to drive me to Las Vegas, NV. She did not like the idea of two young women driving to Vegas and having to drive back alone. She contacted the Elder's Quorum President and asked if there was a young man available to drive down with us. The Elder's Quorum President volunteered the Elder's Quorum Secretary. This was Thomas.

I talked to him briefly over the phone and thanked him for doing this. I told him I would cover the cost of the gas and I would like to take him and my friend out to dinner to say thank you for going out of their way. He added that he would need to pick up his brother from the airport before dinner. So it was four for dinner on my tab.
I will never forget the moment Thomas showed up at my doorstep. He was wearing black denim shorts and a black Hard Rock Cafe t-shirt with a few tiny holes in it. He was carrying a book. I remember thinking, "All this guy needs is a little duct tape on his glasses and he would be a bona fide NERD!" Thomas, Brittany and I left for the two hour drive to Vegas. On the way down Thomas was rocking out to the Kingston Trio. I had never heard of the group but thanks to my Dad I knew all the lyrics! We sang almost the entire way down. Thomas even quizzed Brittany and me on why one of the Kingston Trio songs was banned from the airwaves for a while. Of coarse, I instantly got it right.

Thomas, Brittany and I went to the airport first. While going through security (Remember, this is well before 9/11.) Brittany was selected to be searched, or more specifically her miniature (super teeny-tiny) day planner was searched. I had never seen this happen before I asked the normal questions: who, what, when, where, why, how, grrrrr..... The airport security said it came down from President Bill Clinton. I emphatically said, "What a jackass!" The airport inspector proposed. I smiled and we left.

I wanted to take our little group to one of my favorite Vegas restaurants: Steven Spielberg's Dive. Brian sat down first. Brittany sat next to him. (Do I squeal on my best friend and mention she had a crush on Brian at the time?) I sat down across from Brian and Thomas sat next to me. This is where my version and Thomas's version GREATLY diverge. I have several nervous habits. I talk more (Yes, I already talk a lot!) and I fidget. So I was probably babbling up a storm but more specifically I was bouncing my legs up and down. According to Thomas, I was rubbing his leg the entire time. I, quite frankly, think he is out of his mind. I do not remember that happening and based on the details I am recounting here and my acute attention to detail I believe it supports my supposition that it NEVER HAPPENED! They dropped me off at my hotel, Circus Circus, and they were off; I was set to fend for myself.

Thomas and I disagree on when we started dating. He changes his date constantly and the latest version insists that this was our first date: a blind date set up by my friend. Poppycock! Although he insists on this being our first date I do not think any of this account supports his position. Yes, I may have paid for dinner BUT not as a date. I absolutely hate putting people out. Or, asking anything from others. I really wanted to make it up to them and since we were going to be in Vegas at supper time what better way, eh? Food does not always a date make. There was never any mention of thinking of this as a date until today. And, I would bet Brittany and Brian would both agree it was not a date. Thomas is just making fact out of fiction. I do believe that after I allegedly rubbed his leg he thought I liked him because he started hanging out at our apartment all the time. But that part of the story is for another time during our Fifteenth Anniversary Year. (There are practical jokes, toilet papering and proposals to write about.)

Reading Aloud: Captains Courageous

Yesterday we started reading Captains Courageous by Rudyard Kipling. I must admit I love Rudyard Kipling even though he is no longer in vogue in academia. This novel is a stretch for my children because the prose are not what they prefer, but read aloud time is not always what they prefer or what comes easiest. It is also about stretching their listening ability and exposing them to literature they may not chose to read and literature their mother loves. I remember loving Captains Courageous because of the general theme of the young, spoiled brat enduring trials and tribulations to become a man. Troop is not the ideal role model but some of the qualities and skills he uses to mentor Harvey in becoming a man are qualities and skills we can all examine. This book is also affording the opportunity to discuss common courtesies and the language we use to address other people. I am grateful when a book challenges my ideals and values cementing what is important into my children's hearts.

A Favorite Quote

"Those who seek to be offended are easily satisfied."
I do not know who this is attributed to or where I read it. I do know its impact on me is profound. I often alter this to remind myself of greater aims and to recalibrate my thinking, because of this my children often hear me say, "Those who seek to be grateful are easily satisfied." Or, "Those who seek to be happy are easily satisfied." The possibilities are endless.

It's Not For Learning...

Mya Bella sits in church each week occupying herself with drawing and writing as she listens to the speakers. Two Sundays ago she was drawing pictures of levers, pulleys, fulcrums and other simple machines. She was inspired by a computer game my husband purchased which we call Crayon Physics, because her renderings looked very similar the game's graphics. She is constantly asking to play physics on the computer and when she cannot she creates other opportunities.

Today she was writing lists of words corresponding with letters of the alphabet. She chose A, B and C. She was sounding out words, switching out vowels and leaning over for an assist on more complex words that were very important to her. She wanted to see how many words she could write on her list. At one point she leans over and whispers in my ear, "It's not for learning Mom. I'm just having fun."

Reading Aloud: The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

I decided to switch it up a bit. Instead of starting a new book I went for a poem relating to the book we just read. The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is a great rhyming read. It makes Paul Revere an American Folk-hero. Unfortunately, the rhyme-ability of Revere overshadow his compatriots who also participated in the ride: William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott. It also ignores the fact Paul Revere never made it Concord, Massachusetts as planned. Three cheers for poetic license; however, no matter the inaccuracy, no matter the type of literature, it is still a valuable teaching tool and gives an avid learner the opportunity to question validity and learn something new.

Reading Aloud: Johnny Tremain

For a short, but insane, period of my life I attempted to educated my children at home, start a charter school and complete 17 credit hours a semester at Southern Utah University. I cannot say I handled myself with the grace and intellect I desired; however, what can one expect when they are juggling that much in their life. While attending SUU I took an English class by professor Charles Cutherbertson. The end of the semester involved a paper about Beloved by Toni Morrison. I wasn't too fond of the book but used the symbolism of the trees the author verbally illustrated throughout the novel and tied it to the themes of freedom and liberty.

Mr. Cuthbertson (an English professor with more toys than books on his shelves) and I discussed my choice and my examples at one point. I chose to illustrate and link the symbolic nature of trees in Beloved to the Sons of Liberty and the Liberty Tree. I share this with you because I was befuddled and dumbfounded to discover my professor had heard of neither of these. Neither. Neither! I could not believe what I heard and being emotionally transparent I know my voice oozed of disappointment. He knew the longing for freedom and individual power expressed by Malcolm X. (A book on his top ten published by the SUU library.) But, knew nothing of the people who incited the call to revolution and the symbolic nature of trees attached to it. It demonstrated to me something I take for granted.

I was not going to let me children miss out on the love and passion I learned as a child for this great country and the people who paid the high price to make it so. It started a mission. I began to work on my membership to the Daughters of the American Revolution. And soon plan to add their membership to the Children of the American Revolution. I also wanted them to hear stories of lives from that time period.

I remembered watching the movie, Johnny Tremain, by Disney as a child. I loved it then. So I decided to share the book with my children. (Maybe I will also hunt down the movie.) It was an amazing and touching read. One I would definitely recommend to anyone. It was written by Esther Forbes. It is Newberry Award Winner.

Johnny Tremain is a magical historical fiction. It deals with an array of emotions from pride, humiliation, perseverance, personal triumph and forgiveness. It intertwines these lessons with the events of Boston and the surrounding areas just prior to the American Revolution. It includes the Boston Tea Party and the marches on various forts from the Bostonian perspective. It ends on a solemn and sacred note as the author details the lives lost on the morning of 19 April 1775 in the green at Lexington. (I believe.) It is apparent the author revered and reverenced these events. It is a wonderful depiction of the internal emotional struggles and the external physical struggles of these events. I am grateful for the opportunity to read this to my children.

In the Middle of Johnny Tremain

My children and I are currently reading Johnny Tremain. We are loving the book. (Of coarse, what book don't we love.) Johnny is on the eve of the Boston Tea Party, 16 December 1773. Although, I love the colorful interactions between the protagonist and supporting characters as they illustrate, with words, the struggle of the Whigs and Tories at the commencement of the American Revolution. It is great to share a historical fiction with my children and know the excitement of the writing teaches the concepts and events of the America's struggle for freedom far better than I can, even though my heart swells with gratitude as I think of the patriots, both male and female. These stories invigorate the mind, inspire questions and stimulate the desire for more information. It is, probably, the most wonderful turn of events in reading with and to children, whatever their ages.

In the book Johnny Tremain, Johnny, the protagonist, is confronted early with his Achilles Heal. Pride. The designs for his life are uprooted and rearranged for something else. Possibly something greater! But, he has to face down the seeds of bitterness his pride plants in his heart. Luckily, the author inserts a wonderful supporting character and mentor in Rab. A character that teaches Johnny but shares brilliant lessons for the reader and teacher without sounding preachy or talking down to Johnny or the reader. He confronts Johnny's poor demeanor in a very kind, simple and straightforward way. It gave pause for my children and I to discuss the matter.

Johnny struggled with going off "half-cocked." Not only were we able to discuss the term and what it meant but discuss how there are times when we all face the same struggle. My eldest son struggles mercilessly with his temper. It has come to be a habit to always jump to an extreme with his siblings. He usually chooses frustration, anger or hurt. I cannot even begin to tell you how much he has improved but it is still quite the struggle for him. The book provide a great illustration of how a change in behavior creates positive consequences and opens doors for Johnny. Johnny expressed his gratitude too.

My children even commented that if there Mother was alive during this time period she would definitely be a Whig. Probably an inflammatory one too. I do not talk much politics: it gets me in trouble. I avoid it most times because it depresses me, but, like the characters that color the pages of this book, I love freedom. I would do anything for it. My children know that. It is hard to say whether I would be more like Abigail Adams or Molly Pitcher. I will have to find books about those individuals and see what my children think.

Ooooops!

Last week, Kaylee popped into the car after Seminary with a question. Would I be willing to teach Seminary on Tuesday while the teacher was in a meeting? When we signed her up for the class the teacher jokingly wrangled my husband and I into volunteering to teach; however, he did not expect us to say yes. I told her to let her teacher know I was willing.

I would love to share all these wonderful insights from the experience but, quite frankly, I failed miserably. Maybe because I allowed time to rush by me and read over the lesson at the last minute. Maybe because I did not get enough sleep. I rarely do. Maybe because the teacher's meeting got canceled, he sat in the class and I allowed myself to get nervous. Who knows? I do know that education is my dream, teaching is my love. Although I puttered along during this attempt and I am working with my already pummeled heart to keep my head up, I am going to keep working at it. And maybe I will find that if [I advance somewhat] confidently in the direction of [my] dreams, and [endeavor] to live the life which [I] ... imagined, [I] will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. Hopefully, sooner than later.

365 Day Challenge So Far

Grrrr....there isn't much else to say, really. Like New Year's Resolutions gone awry, my personal challenge to read to my children for 365 days is lacking consistency. Consistency is a constant struggle for me! I am finding weekend outings, birthdays and holidays to be some of my obstacles. I am problem solving these situations to overcome them. Weekend outings are a relatively easy fix: take the book on the trip and read while we are traveling. (My husband's idea.) Birthdays are a little more difficult I can think of a thousand things to do to preoccupy myself on these days but I am going to hunker down and do it or get over not having a perfect track record, but why would I want to lower my expectations. Holidays are another stumbling block. My husband is home then and I would much rather spend time with him and stay in bed. My normal expectation is to read to the children in the morning. I struggle to complete an activity if I miss its schedule time. I am going to have to work on adjusting my expectations on holidays. And again I am probably going to have to hunker down and just get it down, whenever or give up sleep to get it done. I guess I am looking at a little more effort, discipline, dedication and possibly an adjustment in my expectations.

Reading Aloud: Frindle

Frindle by Andrew Clements is a fun, fast read aloud. It is a great jumping off point for learning about words and dictionaries. Although Nick's precocious behavior has you rooting for him, Mrs. Granger is the true hero in my eyes. Not because she is a teacher. (I struggle with the idea of most traditional classroom teachers.) But, because, as a mentor she knows the role to play to create success for her students. Sometimes one must seem evil to provide the necessary opposition for the amazing end results. The characters may be one dimensional but they definitely give you some food for thought and some great conversation starters with your children too.

Reading Aloud: The Secret School

After the emotional tumult of reading Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls my children requested a read that would give our heartstrings a bit of a break. The Secret School by Avi was the answer. It is a simplified version in fictional form of my educational ideals. Although it is set in the 1920s it demonstrates what children and young adults are capable of when given the opportunity to invest in their own education. At one point, somewhere around page 94, Ida figures out how to make teaching less burdensome. The lesson is one every parent instinctively knows and every teacher deserves to learn.

This is a fast read. It is definitely a good read. I look forward to reading many more books by Avi by myself and with my children.

Reading Aloud: Where the Red Fern Grows

My children and I just finished reading Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I read it many, many, many years ago. Although I remember the basic premise of the book, I had long since forgotten the details of the plot. It was an amazing read. I was grateful for the experience I shared with my children.

Within the first few pages, my children and I were laughing so hard our sides hurt. In fact I had to reread the portions about the family cat several times because they could barely hear me through the riotous laughter. By the end of the book, we finished up a box of tissue. Many days it was difficult to put the book down because we just had to find out what happened next.

I was extremely impressed with Billy, the protagonist. He is an amazing mentor of hard-work, faith in God and obedience to parents. His choices offered many opportunities to talk about how important it is to talk and share experiences with parents. This is a book every family deserves to read and every child deserves to hear.

365 Days of Reading Aloud

One of my educational goals for this year is to read aloud to my children for an entire year. Reading aloud is an important component of literacy often over looked by teachers and parents. It is one of my favorites.

I recently read Reading Magic by Mem Fox. I also reread The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease. Both authors had great insights. Although, I did find I disagreed with Ms. Fox on a few points. I can validate many of their points from my experience of reading to my children. I also agree with their insights as a child who was read to. In fact, some of my best memories included listening to my Father read White Fang by Jack London, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

Since starting this adventure with my children I have read the Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis and Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. Today we finished The Secret School by Avi. Tomorrow we start Frindle by Andrew Clements. I am not completely consistent yet but I am almost there.

So far my experience with this adventure is absolutely wonderful. It provides opportunities I never imagined. Books are probably the best mentors available not just in teaching knowledge but values and morals. Even if the book fundamentally disagrees with your families values and morals: It is those moments where my kids and me have great discussions about choices and consequences. They leave with little doubt as to what my expectations are and how I measure my expectations.

If I could give a gift to every child it would be the simple act of reading and being reading aloud. It is an amazing opportunity and a lot of fun.

The First Day of School

I love education. Probably because I love learning. I wish I could figure out how to learn more, faster. It is amazing because no matter how much I love it the school year always seems to sneak up on me.

This year I was forced to think about school much sooner than usual. My eldest, Kaylee, turns 14 this year and decided it was time to start LDS Seminary. Technically, she could have waited until next year but she was undeterred. In her mind, it was time. I am glad she wants to take on this adventure. I am not sure I am too excited about the schedule. Attending Seminary means we get to wake up at five in the morning. Thrilling right?

So our school day starts at five in the morning. Kaylee gets ready for the day and I get ready for the gym. We usually are so quick about it that we spend a bit of time getting morning chores done. It is our fun time when we get to talk about whatever. After I drop her off I hustle over to the gym. It is the only time I get to myself all day. So, even though, I trudge along doing my best to improve my running time and endurance I cherish this time I get to carve out.

When we get home my husband, Thomas, gets the other children up for the day. Before he leaves for work we gather as a family to read the Scriptures. We are back to basics: The Book of Mormon. I get breakfast together for my husband. (I have made him breakfast almost every morning since moving into this house.) Then the children rustle up some grub. They usually want such different things that they make their own breakfast. I am not too fond of playing short order cook. We finish the rest of our chores then start our open exercises.

This year both of my boys, Lije and Chance, are in Cub Scouts. Lije is a Webelo. (Lije managed to finish is Bear three days before his birthday. Congratulations.) Chance is a Wolf, but is working on his Bobcat. I am excited for both of them but somehow this makes me feel way too busy. To ease the craziness of Cub Scouts, we are incorporating it into our school day. As part of the open exercises, we go over all the scout ideals. I am hoping Chance is able to pass off his Bobcat requirements sooner than later.

In order to give my girls a fair shake, after making them recite all the Cub Scout ideals, we do the LDS Young Women's theme. Slightly modified for the boys because girls are yucky and have cooties! (Thank goodness.) We are also working on their Faith in God requirements.

After opening exercises we break off into individual lessons. This sounds a lot more formal than it actual is. I must admit I lean towards the un-schooling philosophy. Now that I look back on my children's development I do not regret that decision at all. We do not delineate between learning, fun and playtime. They all exist together. Every moment is a learning moment. Every moment is a fun moment. Even if I am the only who thinks so!

Starting Over

My husband and I purchased a house in Arizona for our family in December 2009. I had great plans for a fresh start and fun activities when I moved here but life and consequences inflicted on me by other people's poor choices had something much different in store. What happened afterwards was probably the worst and most difficult experience of my life; Something I would not wish on the most vile of human life.

I am barely starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I still struggle. In fact, some days are still very, very difficult. Almost impossible. I find myself veiled in tears as triggers of painful memories pour over me like Niagara Falls. I am laboring to put one foot in front of the other and move forward. It truly is a shear labor of love some days. Whether people read this blog or not it is my therapy. My opportunity to overcome. My work of mending a totally broken heart.