What a Cutie

So I thought I'd try to update the blog.  Do you like this series of shots of Clark?  What a heartbreaker.

TP

I feel like I've written about this before, but I can't find the post.  Forgive me if you've heard this before- those of you who know me well know that I can tell the same story over and over again (while you patiently listen...)

When I was young my aunt and uncle lived in our town.  They had a lot of kids, both older and younger than me.  It was always fun to go to their house because it felt so different from our house and there was always a lot going on.  One time when I was probably 5 or 6 I got stuck in the bathroom with no toilet paper.  I yelled and yelled for someone to bring me more "TP" (our family word for toilet paper).  Finally my cousin Jared came running to see what I needed.  When I told him he went off and didn't come back for a long time.  When he finally returned, he was dragging a play Indian teepee tent behind him.  "That's not what I need!  Toilet paper!  To wipe!" 

It still cracks me up every time I write "TP" on my shopping list to remember my earnest cousin dragging that huge tent behind him. 

And, one more toilet paper story for you, because the young me was quite embarrasing, and the old me doesn't mind sharing these stories- now that I'm a mom it's nice to see the humor in things...

Our family used to go on vacation every year to this mountain resort town.  We stayed in this huge house, and all of my dad's sisters and their families would stay there too.  Those are some of my happiest memories.  Except for this embarrassing one: being shamed in front of all those people!  You see, I was using the bathroom, and there was no toilet paper.  Perhaps remembering the tent mishap of years ago, I didn't call for help.  Instead, I somehow tore off the cardboard roll and used that to wipe.  Needless to say, that didn't flush down the toilet.  My dad wasn't very happy about having to fish it out, and he let everyone know it.  And the rest, as they say, is history.

This is Now

  Being pregnant is usually not very fun for me. The sickness coupled with the later largeness don't make for a very happy Sarah. This time around, though, I've been lucky to be able to see things through a different lens than previous pregnancies. I feel more aware of myself and my baby, certainly. There is nothing better than pregnancy to make one more self-aware (and dare I say, conceited?). But, I feel more aware of changes around me, big and small in a way that seems particularly timely. The two front teeth coming in on both of my girls seem to mean a lot as I watch them squeeze into their tiny spaces a little more each day. Is it because I'm remembering their baby teeth making the same progress? These same girls learning to ride their bikes without training wheels overnight, making smart choices at school and in their interactions with others, showing amazing kindness to younger children- each little word or observance feels so big to me, and I can't help feeling immensely proud of them.

  Changes in season, tastes, smells. The way the I spend my day, interactions with others. Each thing feels big, but not in an overwhelming way. Meaningful, I should say.

  My prayers have different meaning too: "Thank you for sending that person to talk with me. It was nice being able to smile, and I was grateful that he expressed gratitude for his children. Thank you for helping me not to be sick after eating. I'm thankful that I can feel a little better today. Please help the kids to be safe at school and help us to be happy." I am far from perfection, but I am thankful for time to reflect. I'm thankful for a watchful and generous Father in Heaven. Even though I wouldn't choose to feel ill or unwieldy, I'm more thankful now for the times that I feel well- and I'm obviously thankful for the blessing of another child in our lives. And I'm thankful for you, dear friends, who help me in temporal and spiritual ways. You truly are angels on earth.

For those of you who haven't heard, our baby is due in early March.  We're excited!

Climbing

About a week ago Camille climbed up a giant rope at the Santa Monica beach all by herself. You know how you get that unpleasant vertigo feeling when you look over the side of a tall building? Watching Camille near the top gave me that same feeling--it's weird to be perfectly safe yourself, but feel all jittery for someone else. But she made it--congratulations to one of our fantastic climbers!

Here is a picture of Camille climbing:

Here is a picture so that you can see how tall the rope is:

That's What You Think About

Enjoying this sentiment today:

"Heavenly Father has given us all talents and gifts that can help us provide for ourselves and our families. Learning to recognize our talents and gifts—and interests—is an important first step in career preparation. President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, learned from his father, Henry Eyring, to choose a career that complemented his interests.

Because of his love for science, Professor Henry Eyring encouraged his sons to major in physics as preparation for a career in science. While President Eyring was studying physics at the University of Utah, he had an exchange with his father that changed his career direction. He asked his father for help with a complex mathematical problem. “My father was at a blackboard we kept in the basement,” President Eyring recalls. “Suddenly he stopped. ‘Hal,’ he said, ‘we were working this same kind of problem a week ago. You don’t seem to understand it any better now than you did then. Haven’t you been working on it?’”

A little chagrined, President Eyring admitted he had not. President Eyring recalls his father’s response: “When I told him no, my father paused. It was really a very tender and poignant moment, because I knew how much he loved me and how much he wanted me to be a scientist. Then he said, ‘Hal, I think you’d better get out of physics. You ought to find something that you love so much that when you don’t have to think about anything, that’s what you think about.’”

From an Ensign article by Bishop H. David Burton, Ensign, December 2009

Word Problems

Clark is into rhyming and word problems lately.  This morning's rhyme:  "What rhymes with Meggie Mys?"  Don't know the answer?  It's "veggie fries", of course.
One of my favorite word problems lately is:  "If Clark was playing outside and stepped on a thorn, how many thorns would be left?"  Another favorite: "If the birds ate a bird berry, how many would be left?"  He's still learning to give us the first value before he asks for the difference, but I love how creative most of his problems are.

Caught in a Lie

Today was our first day of Joy School.  4 moms and I have joined forces to teach our Clark-aged kids, and have a little free time on our days "off".  One of our activities today was talking about our favorite things.  I said that I liked cookies, reading, and playing with my kids.  Later when we were playing outside, Clark kept bringing me stuff:  a hula hoop, 4 pool noodles, a car.  When I got annoyed that he kept wanting me to play his weird accumulation game, one of his friends said, "Sarah, you said that you liked playing with your kids.  But now you're not playing with them!"  This is my A student.  I know that she's going to get good grades for the rest of the year, the little rascal.