Potpourri

We haven't had much of a Winter here in Utah this year.  The few times it has snowed I have encouraged the kids to get bundled and go outside and play.  We were at my parent's house for dinner and it was snowing, so although Emmy and Ady were in their pajamas,

(lately they come home from school and get straight into their pajamas to be cozy for the evening), they still went outside to make a cute snowman.    It kinda reminded me of when we lived in Washington...when the sun would peek out for even a few minutes in the Winter we would drop everything and go outside to catch some sunshine rays.   I guess the moral of the story is: you tend to always want what you don't have.  Just appreciate what you have and embrace what you get when it comes.  Got it? 

When Kaden had his birthday party in January I went to the party store and got some balloons.  I got them the night before and even paid the extra 20 cents for a squirt of whatever it is to make the helium last longer.  The party store guaranteed the helium to last 5 days.  Well, guess what?  Over 2 months later, even as I write this post we still have a balloon that is up high on the ceiling.  Guess, we got our money's worth with those balloon. 

One day I was so exhausted of helping each children with every single nitty gritty thing that they needed help with.  It felt like they weren't doing anything for themselves and I was trying to do it ALL.  

Sometimes I tell them that they are being ducks... pecking me to death. 

"Maryn, you're being a duck!" 

Of course I know that although I am the mother I don't have to do it ALL.  

If I am not in charge of everything for my children why do I try to be?  I learned the greatest question that I will ask them when they become needy and whinny: 

"What are YOU going to do about it?" 

They can now have ownership.

They can think for themselves.

They can take responsibilities.

It has taken a load off of my stress in feeling like I have to answer to their every beckon call.

Nope, not no more!

Also, I was feeling like they needed to do more for each other. 

So, I gave them each an adopted mother... a buddy... a tutor.  They can now ask each other for help.  Their "mother" can help them find their lost sock.  Their "mother" is also their tutor who can help them with their homework.  Their  "mother" can help them with their jobs.

The afternoon that I set this in motion I was feeling like the most brilliant person in the world because they were all so happily busy with each other.  Two kids got the white board out and played school in order to get their homework done.   As you can see, Kaden brought up the stuffed animals to join in his school class.  We had the best dinner that night and the happiest mommy in the world.

Maryn is working towards trying out for a ballroom team.  She has been having lessons with Merrill several times a week in Marty's basement.  (the proper ballroom lingo that I am still learning is that Maryn is having privates.)  It does my heart good to see her dancing again and I know she's loving it.  It's also fun to have Merrill around cause he's so nice. 

Cute thought for the day that I got from my friend who works for the company, MonaVie:

**Don't worry about the world coming to an end today.  It's already tomorrow in Australia!

**Be Yourself.  Everyone else is taken.