Always Prepared

Katie: Miriam, why did you make a bed on the floor?

Miriam: Just in case I fall out of bed again.

Pennies for Haiti

On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake hit the impoverished country of Haiti, damaging much of its capital and killing thousands. There have been many donation sites since this happened-- over the Internet, texting on phones, and donating at the grocery checkout stand.

The girls came home telling me that there was a jar at school to collect pennies for the people of Haiti. They were excited to bring in their own pennies to add to the donation jar, so they could help the children of this faraway nation.

I was so pleased to hear them talk about wanting to give to others. I hope this is a sign that they are learning compassion and empathy for others. I hope they realize the importance of helping others. I hope they learn that giving their abundance to those in need will only bless them.

Time to Learn

As a child, we are put into a formal education system where we are constantly required to learn new things. Math, reading and spelling. So many things to learn before we are deemed competent to be a part of society as an adult.

After this, it is so easy to stick with things that are comfortable, easy and enjoyable. It is easy to forget to learn and progress.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we are obligated to fulfill responsibilities to help and serve others. We teach, lead and organize. And often these callings are in areas where we are not comfortable. We have to learn.

I have been able to teach classes, organize agendas, take attendance, make calendars, befriend teenagers, calm leaders, and inspire others. And that was just in the past year as the Young Women's Secretary.

But there is an end to every assignment, a release to every calling. And with the release comes a new challenge, a new opportunity to learn.

I don't know anything about Boy Scouts besides what I gathered from the time Jack was the Scoutmaster. I figured I didn't really need to know much because Joseph is only 2 (10 years before Boy Scouts) and with an Eagle Scout for a husband, he would probably be able to take care of things even then.

But as the new Boy Scout Committee Chair, I not only need to know about all that Scout stuff, I need to organize it for the boys and leaders in our ward.

So it is a time to learn something new. But I'm not worried. That's what makes life interesting.

First Call

Rebecca is 7 years old, almost 8. Sometimes I think she is so grown up, and other times she seems still so young. But I find I am always surprised when she does something more grown-up.

She got her first phone call this week. A boy? Jack asked. No, just one of the little girls she plays with at school. Their conversation lasted about 2 minutes, and mainly consisted of them telling each other what they were doing. (Rebecca was coloring, Mackenzie was bored.)

Hopefully we have a long time before it is a boy on the other end!

Experience

I have been thinking about the purpose of life recently. There are good days and bad, sorrow and joy. There are times when everything is going your way, and others when the world is out to get you.

And sometimes I feel like when I am trying my best to do what's right, I should only have brief moments with the sorrows and pains that this life brings.

But that's not part of the plan.

The plan is to live here on this earth to gain experience. Hmm. Experience. The most powerful experiences are those that bring the greatest emotion-- great joys and great sorrows. These are the experiences that remain the most clear in our memories. They teach us the most about ourselves. They help mold us into the people we are to become.

But experience is not a gentle mentor. And pain is a good teacher.

I have considered the sacrifices of the great prophets-- Abraham, Moses, Joseph Smith, to name a few-- and thought that I will have to successfully traverse my own wilderness to qualify to be with them in the eternities.

I have decided the real challenge is to keep my Savior as my focus-- through the good times and bad. Then I will be able to know for myself the truth of the Lord's words, "...all these things shall give thee experience, and be for thy good."

Cute Quotes from 2009

• 10/6/09 Miriam: Silas at school said that I have a crush on James. Katie: And what do you think about that? Miriam: Well, I did ask him to be my bride while we were standing in line for P.E.
• 9/26/09 Miriam: Mom is like the principal of our house. She takes care of the whole house, just like the principal takes care of the whole school. Jack: What am I? Miriam: You are like one of the kids. Jack: I'm one of the kids? Miriam: Well, maybe you are the assistant principal...
• 8/26/09 Miriam: Are humans meat?
• 8/17/09 Miriam: When I go down the twisty slide, I have to hold my tummy because it makes me sea sick!
• 7/2/09 (Miriam is throwing balls from our T-Ball set over the fence to her friend next door.) Miriam: Katelyn, this is a tea ball because it has tea in it!
• 6/15/09 Mom: Miriam, I need you to hurry and get ready. Miriam: (mumble mumble mumble) Mom: I can't understand you. Miriam: (looking indignant) I am talking to myself!
• 5/23/09 Mom: Where is that library book? Rebecca: I can't find it. Joseph ate it. (I found it under her bed.)
• 5/7/09 Rebecca: I wasn't rolling my eyes. Mom: What were you doing, then? Rebecca: I was looking at the ceiling.
• 5/5/09 (We are watching the news and there is a piece about the coffee wars between Starbucks and McDonalds.) Miriam: What's coffee wars? Rebecca: It's like drug wars.
• 5/1/09 Mom: You are a big five year old! Miriam: And you're 98!
• 4/28/09 Miriam: Mom, do you know how to friendship braid? Mom: What's that? Miriam: You know, like a normal braid except it goes down the top of your head.
• 4/13/09 (Rebecca was in time out for being rude to me.) Katie: You need to apologize for being rude to me. Rebecca: But I know I will do it again.
• 3/31/09 Miriam: Dad, did you know it isn't a good idea to play hide-and-seek in Disneyland?
• 3/19/09 (We are listening to a song with the words, "God said it, I believe it, that's all that faith demands.") Miriam, singing loudly: God said it, I believe it, that's all that makes me mad!
• 3/14/09 (Katie just said goodbye on the phone and pulled it away from her ear to turn it off.) Miriam: Did they shut up already?!
• 3/14/09 Jack: Are you ready to go to Great-Grandma's? Miriam: Is it Great-Great-Grandma? Jack: No, just Great-Grandma. Miriam: So she isn't that great.
• 3/6/09 Miriam: What is a servant? Mom: A servant is a person who cleans the house and does the work for other people. Miriam: Are you a servant?
• 3/5/09 (We were talking on the computer with Jack this morning.) Katie to Jack: Have you looked at my blog recently? Joseph: Bloh (blog), Bloh! (Jack was pretty pleased with Joseph's tech talk!)
• 3/1/09 (Miriam hasn't been feeling well, and this morning Jack took her temperature. When she came out of her room, we had this conversation.) Mom: How are you feeling, Miriam? Miriam: I don't know. Dad didn't tell me.

Fashion Sense

When the girls were about 2 years old, I remember getting so frustrated in the mornings. They were intent on dressing themselves, in some of the strangest clothing combinations known to man. I tried several different techniques to limit the chaos, from the traditional battle of the wills, to folding their clothes into a matching outfit (which they would ignore) to hanging the outfit together in their closet, no changing out allowed. Eventually they became more accommodating to suggestions on improving their clothing choices and now Rebecca is nearly always matching, and Miriam is doing pretty well also.

When I had Joseph, I was excited not to have this battle. I remember lots of people telling me how their boys didn't care what they wore. Even at 4 and 5 years old, I was told, they just put on anything laid out for them. I wanted that!

Children grow out of clothes so fast, especially at this age, so I am thrilled to get bags of hand-me-downs. Because of this, I have a few outfits for Joseph that I wouldn't have picked out myself, but they are clean and neat and I don't have any major objections to them, so they are in his wardrobe. Mainly these are character clothes.

And, of course, he loves them. Here he is wearing a Mickey Mouse baseball outfit. This is probably his all-time favorite. An Elmo with a hoodie.

Here is another Elmo shirt.

And here is his Winnie the Pooh.

Now every morning, I am faced with a battle. My 2 year old boy wants to pick what to wear. But he isn't satisfied with just any choice from his closet. He wants these same few outfits every day. And if they are in the wash, we are in for a fit. He wants to just run naked if he can't wear his favorites. Luckily a few minutes alone in the crib usually convinces him to listen to mom.