Today as I sit, wishing for something different to do, and tiring of Facebook, I decided I should blog. Last week Todd was in Ohio for the week. I was determined to get caught up on my house and it was the perfect time to do it.
I got in 3 days of exercising
completed all the kids' laundry
got the dishes all done up
worked on my calling
got dinner started before kids came home from school
helped with homework
completed dinners
went to Alex's football game and remembered all the necessities
got the boys to scouts and attended my Wednesday night meeting
felt great about what I had accomplished
Todd came home on Friday and this weekend has been a bit crazy. Toys are everywhere...I mean everywhere!! Boxes are strewn around the family room. Dishes were piled in both sides of the sink and all over the counters, stove and table. And I was about to go crazy! Luckily we had a special church activity for the Relief Society sisters in our Stake (Women's organization at church).
I was able to get out of the house and help complete some service projects for Warm Up Columbia. After which I was blessed to sit among these wonderful women, most I do not know yet but I felt of their spirits, and watch the Relief Society General Broadcast from Salt Lake. I adore listening to the General Relief Society presidency. They are awesome women who have been called to guide and direct us in our efforts in becoming more like Him.
I must confess, though, that my most favorite part was when our Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, spoke to us. I absolutely love his sense of humor. I have admired this man since I was young enough to pay attention to General Conference talks. I love the stories he tells, I love his passion for the Gospel and his love for the Saints. I have always felt a great love for this man, whom our Loving Heavenly Father called to be our Prophet today. So, when he was sustained as Prophet of the Church it was easy for me to sustain him. What an amazing man he is. I can't wait to get the November Ensign to read the message he shared with us last night and refresh my memory.
He talked a lot about not judging others. If we spent more time focusing on making sure we were the type of people our Savior wants us to be, we wouldn't have any time left to judge others. Here is a little quote from his talk:
"My dear sisters, each of you is unique. You are different from each other in many ways. There are those of you who are married. Some of you stay at home with your children, while others of you work outside your homes. Some of you are empty-nesters. There are those of you who are married but do not have children. There are those who are divorced, those who are widowed. Many of you are single women. Some of you have college degrees; some of you do not. There are those who can afford the latest fashions and those who are lucky to have one appropriate Sunday outfit. Such differences are almost endless. Do these differences tempt us to judge one another?
Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” The Savior has admonished, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” I ask: Can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa—“No; we cannot.”"
This really made me think a lot about myself and search deep within to see where I may have made judgments when I should have been focusing on my own flaws instead. I love the quote President Monson used from Mother Teresa! It's amazing how love for others can change our outlook...and theirs as well.
Inside of each person is a spirit son or daughter of God. He loves them. He loves us.
I went away feeling uplifted and filled. I was able to get to know a few of the sisters in my new ward a little better. It was a great night. The wonderful weekend continued as I attended church meetings with my family this morning and enjoyed the lessons that were prepared and taught there. And it didn't stop there...
I went out with my new Visiting Teaching companion to see one of the sisters we are assigned to. Over the years I have learned that it is vital for women to have other women. It's so important to our wellbeing. We got lost on our way to this sister's home but eventually found our way to her sweet, comfortable home. There we visited and got to know each other a little more. We laughed and talked and shared stories.
So, when I arrived back home to the mess yet again, I sighed and decided it would just have to wait until tomorrow....when I can start all over again with the new routine I created last week....and get my home in order again. But I will have the wonderful spirit that filled my heart this weekend with me throughout the week to strengthen me and lift me and keep me going each day.
I am so thankful to be blessed to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. All the chaos of life seems less difficult with the knowledge of the gospel to guide our lives.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
On with my Day!
Yesterday was Todd's 36th birthday. In his usual style, he had me laughing to start the day out. He was standing in front of the mirror, plucking out one white hair after another. "LOOK at this one! It's all squiggly, it's not even straight!..." Each time he pulled one out he would exclaim something new. "LOOK how WHITE this one is! It's as white as your shirt!" And the whole time he was plucking and wowing I was giggling! The signs of aging are beginning to show and yet we don't feel old. Okay, some times we feel old. We don't have the energy we once had, but our Spirits are young!
We were able to spend the morning of Todd's birthday in our first IEP meeting with the new Elementary School. What fun! They started out by telling us that they didn't understand how Alex even qualified for services in our previous school. As they continued and I stopped them and asked, "So if he doesn't qualify, what will happen to this child?" They could tell I was a bit distressed and quickly let us know that he could be put on a 504 plan which would allow for additional help. Whew, I thought, with a mental brush of my brow. I couldn't let Alex slip through the cracks. He has improved so much and needs to continue to improve.
So we moved on and decided what testing needed to be done for Alex and read through his IEP. Next we moved on to Max. His didn't take as long because Hyde Elementary has just done a bunch of testing for him at the end of the school year to assess his needs. We quickly determined what was needed there and moved on.
I think the one shocker was that there is no SpEd bus in the entire district. Todd nicely, but firmly, told them they needed to get one. I was chuckling inside. I don't enjoy driving them to and from school everyday and it does put a dent in our gas budget, but there is something I've noticed...During the small amount of time in the car I have a captive audience. Each day I ask each of the boys how their day went, what they liked about their day and if there was anything else they wanted to share. Each child gets his moment, uninterrupted. At least that's the rule. I remind them of the rule each day. I realized yesterday how much I enjoy the time, no matter how crazy, talking with the boys because once we hit that door they're done talking. They want to run off and play. So, even though it's a pain to drive them every day and walk Max to class, I think the benefits out weigh the negatives.
Max currently has a part-time one-on-one in the class room. She is there for the morning. We are concerned that once the student teacher, who is currently in Max's classroom, leaves there won't be any extra help in the afternoon. We have told them about the issues that can arise and so we wait...hoping that he will do just fine and they won't need any extra help.
We came away from the meeting feeling good, feeling like they would be taking care of our kids. It's nice to know that when your kids head off to school there are people there who care about them and their needs.
Since we have moved the one thing that I have struggled with is keeping up. The laundry is piled high all the time, the dishes are almost always piled in the sink and on the counter, the floors are in needs of being cleaned, the bathrooms are dirty, and I'm tired! I realized that I have less time now to take care of the home than I did before. Plus Todd comes home almost an hour later than he used to. By the time he gets home I should have dinner done, but I'm just barely getting kids finished with homework. Lyssa-Loo is teething and clingy. She would rather be on-the-go than at home. So I spend a large amount of time helping her to be happy, which I love. So, my question is, when is there any time to get anything done? I ask this with a smile on my face! I know that eventually we will move past this phase into a new one.
Today I am making more phone calls to find a new doctor. I keep praying that one will turn up, one that will be supportive, one who is perfect for our family.
We were able to spend the morning of Todd's birthday in our first IEP meeting with the new Elementary School. What fun! They started out by telling us that they didn't understand how Alex even qualified for services in our previous school. As they continued and I stopped them and asked, "So if he doesn't qualify, what will happen to this child?" They could tell I was a bit distressed and quickly let us know that he could be put on a 504 plan which would allow for additional help. Whew, I thought, with a mental brush of my brow. I couldn't let Alex slip through the cracks. He has improved so much and needs to continue to improve.
So we moved on and decided what testing needed to be done for Alex and read through his IEP. Next we moved on to Max. His didn't take as long because Hyde Elementary has just done a bunch of testing for him at the end of the school year to assess his needs. We quickly determined what was needed there and moved on.
I think the one shocker was that there is no SpEd bus in the entire district. Todd nicely, but firmly, told them they needed to get one. I was chuckling inside. I don't enjoy driving them to and from school everyday and it does put a dent in our gas budget, but there is something I've noticed...During the small amount of time in the car I have a captive audience. Each day I ask each of the boys how their day went, what they liked about their day and if there was anything else they wanted to share. Each child gets his moment, uninterrupted. At least that's the rule. I remind them of the rule each day. I realized yesterday how much I enjoy the time, no matter how crazy, talking with the boys because once we hit that door they're done talking. They want to run off and play. So, even though it's a pain to drive them every day and walk Max to class, I think the benefits out weigh the negatives.
Max currently has a part-time one-on-one in the class room. She is there for the morning. We are concerned that once the student teacher, who is currently in Max's classroom, leaves there won't be any extra help in the afternoon. We have told them about the issues that can arise and so we wait...hoping that he will do just fine and they won't need any extra help.
We came away from the meeting feeling good, feeling like they would be taking care of our kids. It's nice to know that when your kids head off to school there are people there who care about them and their needs.
Since we have moved the one thing that I have struggled with is keeping up. The laundry is piled high all the time, the dishes are almost always piled in the sink and on the counter, the floors are in needs of being cleaned, the bathrooms are dirty, and I'm tired! I realized that I have less time now to take care of the home than I did before. Plus Todd comes home almost an hour later than he used to. By the time he gets home I should have dinner done, but I'm just barely getting kids finished with homework. Lyssa-Loo is teething and clingy. She would rather be on-the-go than at home. So I spend a large amount of time helping her to be happy, which I love. So, my question is, when is there any time to get anything done? I ask this with a smile on my face! I know that eventually we will move past this phase into a new one.
Today I am making more phone calls to find a new doctor. I keep praying that one will turn up, one that will be supportive, one who is perfect for our family.
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