Dinner

Princess E has been learning how to do more cooking.  Tonight we had spaghetti and a fresh garden salad.  The only thing I did was make the sauce and strain the noodles.  Princess E did all the rest including using her knife skills (with the huge knife) to make the entire salad and get the pot of water boiling.  When we were done she asked me if she gets all of her homework done early each night (I usually make dinner while they are doing homework at the table) if she can help me.  :)  Love that girl!

Tender Sister Moment

As the girls climb into the van every day after school I have a little routine.  I always say "Well hello beautiful girls.  I missed you."  To which they reply "Hi mom, we missed you too."  Then I always ask about their day as we are driving off.  Usually I get the normal 'fine'. 

Well Friday Princess E burst into tears.  She began to tell us about how her closest friends were shutting her out that day.  They kept telling her to go away or stop asking so many questions or just whispering to each other and not including her and it really hurt her feelings.  That her other friends were telling her that she should break up with those friends.  She said in a new burst of tears, "but that would just break my heart mom!  They have been my friends for the longest time and I just can't break up with them even if they are mean to me."  I told her that maybe her other friends were right.  That maybe it was time to look at the friends who WERE treating her right and who were kind.

It was about this point that Princess M piped up.  In a tender loving voice she said "Maybe you can try what I did yester day when Piper came over.  You know how she always just wants to go home and we don't know why?  Well she was doing that again yesterday an I just said, I wish I knew what it was like to be you.  And she turned around and said to me, Why?  And I just said because I just wonder what your life is like?  And you know what she turned around and stayed and we talked all about it.  So maybe you can say something like that to your friends and they will want to talk to you."

Of course I was in the front seat beaming ear to ear and wondering where this sage advise had come from deep inside her little self.  And that she was SO sincere in wanting to help her very sad big sister.

Princess E didn't take the advise very well, but I reaffirmed what a great suggestion it was and how great I thought it was that she had thought of it all by herself and used it the day before.  I was so proud of her.

As we were walking up the stairs into the house I said "Hey girls, if you didn't have any other friends in this life, who is the 1 best friend you will always have??"  They both looked at me and said, "um I don't know."  I stopped them and made them face each other and give each other a hug.  "Each other.  Your sister will always be your bestest friend even when no one else is."

 

 

Saying NO

There are lots of things that make being a parent hard. 

 One that we seem to face over and over again at our house is saying NO to pets and breaking their little hearts. 

Our kids are very much pet lovers.  But unfortunately their parents are not.  Not that we don't like animals, but we don't love the physical or financial responsibilities that go along with pet ownership.  We would love more than anything to make our girls dreams come true if it were a perfect world.  But we don't have it in us to add all that is required to have a dog or cat, which are the pets of choice.

 

We have gotten pretty good friends with a couple in the ward that has 3 teen aged boys.  A really great family.  King J and I both work closely with them in our callings at church.  They have helped us out the last few months watching the girls for us so we can attend the temple. 

 

This family is a pet family.  So much that they raise and breed German shepherds.  We thought it would be a match made in heaven.  The girls would LOVE going to their home, and we wouldn't have to pay a babysitter. :)  Last night King J and I went to the temple so the girls were pretty darn excited because one of the dogs had a litter this week, 11 puppies.  When I got there to pick them up they were sitting in the basement in the puppy cage. (it was huge, an indoor dog run)  Each girl had a puppy in her lap and they were in love.  I was in trouble.

 

Princess E informs me that she has bonded with her little girl and that Sister T said she would sell her to us at half price and make payments because she knows me!  Oy.  Sister T, who I'm good friends with, comes down and tells me the same thing.  That both girls have been so good with the puppies and that the mama is super protective of them, as German shepherds are to their people and puppies, but let the girls get right in there without as much as a bark.  That the puppies generally go back to being with their brothers and sisters, but that night preferred to sit in the girls laps. 

Of course they did.  I wish it was a perfect world.

 

They both plead their case.  A great deal, half price, at $350 each.  They would be our back up if we needed to go out of town.  They are loyal to their owners and very protective of their people.

 

I couldn't say yes for so many reasons.  In front of me, this dear sister, who I adore, turns to princess E and says,"It's not all lost.  When I was a little girl I really really wanted a little brother.  My mom said no, that she was done having kids.  But I prayed really really hard and a few years later she had my little brother.  So you need to pray that your mom's heart will be softened and maybe next year when we have more puppies your mom will say yes."

 

Ok, great advise, BUT isn't it kinda parent code of conduct/respect that you support the parents decisions for their kids?  I was pretty upset.  Both because of how it happened, and because I knew I was crushing their little hearts because they were SO in love with these puppies that they had already named and planned how it was all going to work.  The crocodile tears came on the way home and didn't stop.  It was even said on the ride home that something in them died.  That they had a dream that they would get a pet, a dog, when they were kids and not when they were grown up and on their own.

 

There have been lots of tears today, and prayers offered that we would change our minds.

 

Oy, its so hard being a parent and not letting them have something that they want SO badly.

 

 

Testimony

I am hesitant to write this post because I don't want to offend anyone or lead them to think that I don't respect their thoughts, feelings and where ever they may be with their own beliefs. 

But I feel I need to share what has been weighing heavily on my mind this morning.  I also realize my little blog doesn't get much traffic and the friends who I refer to in this post may not ever see what I have to say anyway.  But my hope if they do, is that we can continue to be friends and continue to respect each other despite our differing views on the Mormon Church.

 

This morning as I was doing my usual routine of viewing face book and seeing what my friends on the west coast had posted while I was sleeping, I came across one of the posts that says your friend has posted a comment on someone or a group page comment.  You know the one's I'm talking about right?  Anyway it was a comment on a page that was not really anti Mormon, but a group that exposes the "real" history of Mormonism. And it made me sad.

 

I have read some of these blogs before. In fact I found myself following a few of the links this morning.  I have struggled with my testimony before.  I have questioned things.  I have prayed my guts out for answers.  I have stayed home from church because I just couldn't put on the happy church going face that day.  I have been there wondering where God was in my hour of need. I understand wanting to know if it's all true or if we are just blindly following?

 

As I have stewed about what I read from this friend this morning and thought about other times I have seen or read posts from other friends who have decided Mormonism isn't for them any more,  I felt I needed to share my testimony of what I, Queen M, believe. 

 

I KNOW God lives!!  I KNOW his son, Jesus Christ, lives too and died for each and every one of us.  I know that the church isn't perfect.  I know everything in the church doesn't always seem balanced and fair.  But I still believe.  I believe in a perfect God with a perfect plan.  But that we as mortals, screw it up sometimes.  I KNOW the Book of Mormon is true.  Just as I know the other books of scripture to be true.  I believe in trials.  Gut wrenching, wish you could die trials of the spirit so you didn't have to keep enduring, trials that in turn cause us to look to the Savior and turn the burden over to him and in turn become more like him.  I believe in tithing.  I have seen the blessings in my life over and over again of being a full tithe payer.  I know the power of prayer, and I also know I should use it more than I do.  I know Joseph Smith was a prophet.  I also know he was a man, who wasn't perfect, just as I'm not, but who tried his very best to do what the lord wanted him to.  I know we have a living prophet today and living apostles who give us divine guidance and council.  But most importantly I believe in the power and influence of the Holy Ghost and that it is up to me to be living the kind of life that allows me to have it as my constant companion.  And then act when I am given impressions.  Because when I listen, it is Heavenly Father speaking only to me and giving me the guidance or testimony that I seek.

 

I know I am a Daughter of God, who is pleased with me, my life, and can't wait to have me back home someday.

 

 

For the love of Musicals

I think everyone has a favorite type of entertainment.  For some it is listening to classical music.  Others playing video games.  I also think we all have a favorite type of movie. 

 It may be comedies or action and don't forget drama's.

Well ever since this little sweetheart was a toddler she has had a favorite too.

 

 

She loves musicals!  Can't get enough of them. 

This is her today watching the original Bye Bye Birdie from the 1950's. 

 

 I had downloaded a bunch of music to my phone and some of the songs from this were on there and she asked if she could watch it on Netflix.  Unfortunately it wasn't in their streaming section so she had to wait a week for it to come in the mail.  It was a little bit strange for her that all these girls were so in love with this one guy who dressed up in a gold jump suit.  (It's loosely based on Elvis being drafted)  I explained to her it would be like if Zac Efferon or Justin Bieber were drafted to go to war today how so many young girls would go crazy over him.  She agreed.  It also made me think someone should do a current version.  The music is so catchy and I'm sure it would be good.

 

What are some of your favorite musicals?  I need more options for her to see.  I'm getting a little tired of Hairspray, Grease and the High School Musicals :)  

 

 

Creative Blog Topic (CBT)

So it is now 5:50  pm and I have just a few minutes before King J gets home and we have to run out the door to cub scouts.  (wolf den leaders)

 

I have been thinking all day long what I should blog about and I got nothing.  I knew my window for writing was getting smaller since we usually get home late from scouts and then rush to get the girls in bed followed by ourselves.

 

So I just looked up journaling prompts and liked this one.......

 

 Imagine you opened your own restaurant. Tell the name of your restaurant. Explain what the restaurant looks like, who works there, and what you serve

 

 

Several months ago I made tomato soup from a can to go with our grilled cheese.  I was feeling rather uncreative in the dinner department and we were low on funds.  Well you would have thought we had taken the girls to a 5 star restaurant.  They had so many compliments.  Including, "this soup is our most favorite soup mom.  You are the best soup maker!  You should open a restaurant that only sells grilled cheese and tomato soup.  People would love it and we would make lots and lots of money!"

 

So I think it would be called the Grilled Tomato, the staff would be small since the menu would be simple.  It would be a homey place with a big fireplace, because I love having a fire, and people from all around for the worlds best grilled cheese and tomato soup from a can. :)

Spelling

Every afternoon the girls have spelling homework.  Every day they complain. 

 I am so glad they are normal kids.

 

Well today we got creative with the sidewalk chalk. 

 

Our little neighbor friend, who is the same age as princess M, even got in on it too.  And they didn't complain,  much, about doing their homework today. 

 

 

We have done other creative things like;

 

 Writing them on the mirror with dry erase

Finger in a pan of dry rice

Finger with a sealed ziplock baggie filled with paint

Word pyramids

Sand in a pencil box and a pencil eraser (this one was NOT a good idea)  :)

Rainbow letters

 

 

What are some creative ways you have practiced spelling with your kids?