Things That Are Sharp

Today at Macey's I got a balloon for Nathan and Alexandra. Nathan kept hitting Alexandra in the head with his balloon and I told him he had better stop it or I was going to pop his balloon.

We got in the car and as we were headed home he asked me:

"Mom, what pops a balloon?"
"Things that are sharp." I answered.

He thought for a minute and then asked, "Are toenails sharp?"

Nice Addition to My Day

Today I was in the middle of my scripture reading when the doorbell rang. Standing at my door were 2 nice ladies who were knocking doors in our neighborhood sharing spiritual messages from the bible. I told them that I just happened to be in the middle of my own scripture study. They asked what I was reading about and I told them that I was reading in the Book of Mormon, which is another testament of Christ. I told them that I was in the middle of reading about Korihor and I gave them a summarized version of that story. I also added how everything on our earth denotes that there is a God and how interesting it is that people can act like they don't believe when there is evidence all around us that He lives.

They then related that to a story in the bible and started talking about how angels visited people in the bible and it's so important for us to read the word of God because angels don't visit us now and we need to learn from the people who have been visited long ago.

I told them - oh, I do believe that angels still visit us. They looked a little surprised and said, "Well, they don't visit people on earth anymore, but we can read about them in the bible and learn from what they tell us." I said, "No, I believe that God loves us just the same now as he did then. Our world has changed so much since then and I believe that God has a continuing interest in us. There is no reason why he wouldn't be talking to us now just like he did then. We can receive personal inspiration from him and I do believe that He and his angels still talk to prophets today."

They just stood there with a nice smile on their faces. I then thanked them for being willing to come and spend their time sharing spiritual messages with people and told them to have a nice day.

I didn't really know that I would have the opportunity to share my testimony with someone today because it doesn't seem to come along that often. The knock seemed to come at the perfect time. I do know that God lives, that he loves us, and that he continues to reveal His word to us so that we may know the truth and live righteously. He wants us to return to live with Him again. I love the Lord and am grateful to have this knowledge in my life instead of having to wonder and have unanswered questions.

Busy Brain

I have so many things going through my head lately that I have to remind myself to take it all just one step at a time. I really like being busy and I'm actually considering starting to make lists! I just got called to be the 2nd counselor in the Primary for our ward. I'm excited about the calling and I'm excited to serve my ward. In thinking through this week, I just started to feel so super overloaded, so I thought maybe if I write it out I won't be quite so overwhelmed with everything that I need to be doing.

Here is what is in my head for this week:

Monday:
-Cut coupons from 15 coupon magazines and file them in their correct categories in my coupon book.
-Reorganize Nathan's closet by taking out clothes that are too small. Replace all the old little hangers with the new normal sized hangers I bought at Walmart on Saturday. Hang all hand-me-downs that fit now in their new reorganized places.
-Keep eye on Max for every time he has to go potty so he has no more accidents and take him out
-Fold laundry, clean, vacuum
-Post to blog and index 50 names
-Come up with dinner and dessert for FHE
-Teach aerobics to community class
-Preschool for Nathan
-Contact everyone about Samantha's baptism and plan big family meal

Tuesday
-Go visiting teaching to Jenn at 9am
-Read through some of primary manual
-Athena choir
-Samantha dance
-Make dinner for family and then make casserole to furnish for Enrichment night.
-Go to Enrichment meeting
-Primary meeting to discuss writing primary program
-Make it to Macey's and hope they still have the eggs for 58 cents/doz, oh and buy sour cream

Wednesday
-Go visiting teaching to Laura at 9am
-Read through more of primary manual
-Sort through 4 big bags of hand-me-down clothes for Athena and Samantha
-Athena dance
-Wedding shower for good friend
-Athena, Samantha, and Nathan soccer pictures
-Athena, Samantha, and Nathan soccer games
-go to aerobics and possibly teach kick boxing

Thursday
-continue reading primary manual and hope I'm retaining some of it
-Nathan gymnastics
-Athena, Samantha, and Nathan soccer games
-Bring treats for Athena's soccer game
-teach aerobics to the community class

Friday
-breath and play settlers with Daddy for the afternoon

Saturday
-Play 2 volleyball games with the relief society for stake volleyball
-Go to BYU game with Jeremy

I think by the time Friday comes this week I'll be so grateful! And yes, it most certainly did help to type it all out. I hope I didn't forget anything.

Playing School

I am a cheapskate.

I had Nathan signed up for preschool this year, but the $50/month chunk of change wasn't sounding so good to me, so I called and cancelled and decided I can teach him some things at home. Well, I think that preschool would really do both of us some good - him for the learning, me for the sanity - but it's really hard to justify spending that much money just so I can send him off.

Anyway . . . I told Nathan I was going to teach him preschool from home this year. He was pretty excited. I planned on starting doing extra things with him after Labor Day. So, yesterday he came upstairs with Samantha's old backpack on his back and said with a big grin, "OK Mom! I'm ready for school!" I knew he was pretending that he was going to school, but he just looked so cute and excited and I decided to play along.

I told him that he would be going to pretend school in just a minute. I got a few things out of the cupboard for him and started talking to him in my "school teacher voice". In a very orderly fashion I told him to find a hook to hang his backpack on, sit quietly at the table with his arms folded, and then wait for the rest of the class so we could get started. He went and hung his backpack on the pantry doorknob and very quietly sat down at the table with his arms folded! I've never seen this side of Nathan! It was so cute!!!

We continued playing teacher and student. I got him to write his name (which he was SUPER excited about) and then I got out the paints and let him try painting a little. He was very respectful and obedient the whole time. At the end of "school" I told the "class" that I would call their tables to get their backpacks and sit back down. His table was the green table. I called a bunch of different colored tables to get their backpacks. When I said, "OK . . . now green table go and get your backpacks" he hurried over to where it was hanging, put it on, and sat in his seat. Then I had him line up behind me with his backpack on and we walked to the front door like he was headed out to meet his parents. Then I went in the house and left him outside.


When he came in the house to be home from school, I was back to being his mother. I asked him how school was and what he did at school and he sat and told me ALL about it. Then he said with a quirky giggle, "Mom, it's funny. My teacher looked just like you. And she had the same clothes as you."

I guess if this works to get him excited about school, then we will be doing this a couple of times a week!