Moving at a Comfortable Pace

I have this photo posted in a Facebook album entitled The Inherent Madness That Is My Life. Someone commented "Would you have it any other way?" Of course not! But that does not mean I won't call it what it is. That's what defines Motherhood, in some small part--madness wrapped up in laughter and hard work and flaws of all kinds.

I live for moments like this:

(The Baby during a record THREE HOUR nap) 

and this (The Boy mugging for the camera, guitar in hand, at a playdate).

Sometimes I play at being a domestic goddess, baking lovely wonderful things for the family to eat during the week.

But I feel the most guilt and frustration when I'm surrounded by crying children, a dirty house, and I just haven't got the energy to DEAL with it all. So I was quite happy to run across this quote a few weeks ago on Pinterest:

"We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are."

That was said by the incomparable Marjorie Hinckley, whose biography I need to acquire (that may or may not be a Christmas gift hint...). I've printed it and posted it next to the recliner I sit in most, so that I can be reminded often that I'm allowed to move along at a pace that is comfortable for *me*. And that I should be gracious enough to allow others to move at their own pace. (Except for the children, of course. Them I get to chase around with a whip...).

With school starting up for Miss Bubbly and The Eldest, I'm anticipating a lot of changes and anxiety for a few weeks as we try to re-mold our lives around other people's schedules. And anxiety is energy-zapping for me, so I'm going to have to find ways to work around it while still keeping my home as a haven from our crazy, crazy world. But I'm more aware, now, of how that works, of the importance of my stewardship as a homemaker, and hopefully all the things I've been learning for the last 16 years, ever since I left my parents' home, will come together and I'll actually be able to pull it together.

(Us last year--November 2011. I'm looking forward to comparing with this year's photo.)

For all of us.

Miss Bubbly Had A Birthday Too!

So dear Miss Bubbly has a birthday just six days after The Baby. She's very good about sharing the attention and we're very good about keeping the cakes coming. It's a win-win for everyone but our waistlines!

Anyway, we threw a Mad Scientist party for Miss Bubbly, but of the four who RSVP'd, only one made it. Also, one child's family forgot, and another child's family is away for the ENTIRE summer. So we had fun anyway. When you have your sister and your two-year-old brother, it's already a party!

First was a game of "What am I--Animal, Person, Place, or Thing?" just in case people wanted to show up. That didn't work, so we grabbed our one party guest and ran around the house, pursuing birthday treasure hunt clues to fill the laboratory with equipment. THAT was mad fun, I tell you!

 Next we built marshmallow toothpick towers (pictured in front of each girl below) and awarded prizes. That took MUCH longer than I anticipated, so we had to skip right to the food and present opening to finish the party on time!

Can't you just hear the delicious mad scientist giggles? Anyway, our party guest's father and siblings came to pick her up and we fed them extra cupcakes and juice. In return, Miss Bubbly was serenaded with one line of "Happy Birthday" in Spanish, opera-style, which induced much giggling.

So Miss Bubbly was sad that she couldn't share her awesome party with everyone who was invited, but she tells me she still had a lot of fun. And that made all the work completely worth it.

The Baby's First Birthday and Other Fun

Remember how last year I gave birth to a little girl? 

Well, here she is, one year later, enjoying the traditional first birthday chocolate cake in true one-year-old fashion.

This is how you know she enjoyed herself--she got cake EVERYWHERE. Like The Boy, she was hesitant at first, but once I got a bit of frosting into her mouth, she was all over it.

A few weeks ago I gave into The Boy and The Eldest's pleadings and let them play with the camera. I'll let you, my two dear readers, come up with the captions. Just know that The Boy's favorite pictures are of the toys in portacrib.

I'm pretty sure I have a picture of The Eldest like this, reaching for the camera. Same camera, even.

The Boy Says The Darnedest Things

We read our scriptures around the table before breakfast. Sometimes The Boy lets me help him read, but more often he insists on reading himself, flipping pages all the while. His reading goes something like this:

"Amalikiah went to the river and he crossed the river and Amalikiah had the candy..."

You get the picture. Also, can you tell we were in Alma 49 for a while?

A New Era of Darnedest Things

First, the biggest news: The Baby took her first steps yesterday! As per normal with our girls, WE WERE NOT AT HOME. What is it with them? Anyway, she toddled quickly between her Nana and her Daddy and looked quite pleased when we all cheered for her. Quite the way to celebrate the Fourth, I suppose, by declaring mobile independence. Also, I foresee the end of any peace I thought I had.

And now, we come to one of my favorite installments: Isms. The Boy has developed an interesting little mind and makes us laugh with his two-and-a-half-year-old insights. To wit--

"Dad! You're squishing on me!"

"Momma, I'm drinky."

 Talking to The Hub: "Who are you? You're crazy!"

"Look at me! I'm the cowboy from the crypt!"

While we were on vacation, The Boy slept on a mattress in our room, next to The Hub's nightstand. One morning The Hub woke up and couldn't find his phone, which had been charging on the nightstand. He finally spotted the cord leading under The Boy's pillow. The Boy was still asleep. Who knew an iPhone could replace a teddy bear?