I am planning to write a lengthy explanation of why my dad is a great dad. But I don't have time tonight and I am going out of town in the morning. So, this blentry is a little personal reminder to do that next week.
I will say this: I have often made choices based on the fact that I don't want to disappoint my dad. I count it as among the greatest blessings in my life that I have a dad I worth not disappointing.
And I would also write a lengthy explanation of why my sweet husband is a great dad. But I don't have time...
I will say this: Nothing makes me happier than watching Chris enjoy being with the kids. They so love him and love his attention. He spent a lot of this weekend playing with them and they have been in heaven.
Well, we're off to Yellowstone. Here's hoping this year is the one we meet a wolf. From a safe distance.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
School
Well, it should be summer vacation. Unfortunately, I was a little less than productive during the school year. We have much to do. It is time for some serious schooling before we go to England. I think I will give a description of the attitudes I have to deal with everyday.
Ammon: Ammon loves to learn. He wants to do more and more school everyday. He is a good reader and gets his math and enjoys science most of all. However, Ammon needs me. I have to sit next to him and prompt him. "Do the next one, Ammon." "Remember we're doing math right now." "You wrote one spelling word. Write another one." etc. He is fun to teach because he loves to learn. But he is draining because he needs me so much.
Sarah: Sarah is self-motivated. She comes up to the table and tackles whatever is in front of her. I explain what to do and she gets it done. She is easy to teach. She is having difficulty learning to read, but we are working hard on that. The difficult thing about Sarah is her surprise mood changes. She'll suddenly announce she is done with school. And when she is done, she is done. It takes a lot of effort and energy to pull her back in. If she doesn't want to be here, she will yell and pout. Luckily, she doesn't get in that mood very often.
Nathan: Nathan has recently become interested in school. He is in preschool and I have no official curriculum for him. I just have some little workbooks. He refuses instruction. He just does what he wants to do. He is beyond self-motivated. Today he was working on number pages. He was to practice writing numbers and then circle groups of that number. He was counting so loudly and he was so oblivious to the other kids trying to study, it was hilarious. Sarah finally got dramatically frustrated and refused to do her own math because Nathan was so loud. I asked him to count in his brain. He hit his head with his pencil and began counting silently, but still dramatically and hilariously. He did it those pages all right and was so proud of himself. I can see that my main challenge with him will be to get him to do things the way he's instructed instead of just doing it his own way. If any of you know my husband very well, you will see yet another way Nathan is mini-Chris.
Elisabeth: Bethie is 2. She will participate in saying the pledge, checking the weather, reading stories, and reciting verses of scripture. She likes to sit up at the table to draw while the kids are working. She is not demanding of my time and lets me take care of the other children's needs.
I love all these crazy kids and their different ways of making my school day enjoyable. I love teaching them at home because it helps me to get to know them so well. There are times when I wish they would go away to school so that I could get some housework done and not be held responsible for their lack of education. But today is not one of those days. Even though we are behind in finishing our school year, they are learning and progressing.
Ammon: Ammon loves to learn. He wants to do more and more school everyday. He is a good reader and gets his math and enjoys science most of all. However, Ammon needs me. I have to sit next to him and prompt him. "Do the next one, Ammon." "Remember we're doing math right now." "You wrote one spelling word. Write another one." etc. He is fun to teach because he loves to learn. But he is draining because he needs me so much.
Sarah: Sarah is self-motivated. She comes up to the table and tackles whatever is in front of her. I explain what to do and she gets it done. She is easy to teach. She is having difficulty learning to read, but we are working hard on that. The difficult thing about Sarah is her surprise mood changes. She'll suddenly announce she is done with school. And when she is done, she is done. It takes a lot of effort and energy to pull her back in. If she doesn't want to be here, she will yell and pout. Luckily, she doesn't get in that mood very often.
Nathan: Nathan has recently become interested in school. He is in preschool and I have no official curriculum for him. I just have some little workbooks. He refuses instruction. He just does what he wants to do. He is beyond self-motivated. Today he was working on number pages. He was to practice writing numbers and then circle groups of that number. He was counting so loudly and he was so oblivious to the other kids trying to study, it was hilarious. Sarah finally got dramatically frustrated and refused to do her own math because Nathan was so loud. I asked him to count in his brain. He hit his head with his pencil and began counting silently, but still dramatically and hilariously. He did it those pages all right and was so proud of himself. I can see that my main challenge with him will be to get him to do things the way he's instructed instead of just doing it his own way. If any of you know my husband very well, you will see yet another way Nathan is mini-Chris.
Elisabeth: Bethie is 2. She will participate in saying the pledge, checking the weather, reading stories, and reciting verses of scripture. She likes to sit up at the table to draw while the kids are working. She is not demanding of my time and lets me take care of the other children's needs.
I love all these crazy kids and their different ways of making my school day enjoyable. I love teaching them at home because it helps me to get to know them so well. There are times when I wish they would go away to school so that I could get some housework done and not be held responsible for their lack of education. But today is not one of those days. Even though we are behind in finishing our school year, they are learning and progressing.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Parents say the darnedest things...
My parents are serving a full-time proselyting (or is it proselytizing?) mission in the Utah Salt Lake South mission. They live at home (with us) while they serve. They cover two stakes and have a LOT to do! They have spoken in 4 sacrament meetings in the last two weeks.
This morning, Dad woke up and said with alarm, "I spent so much time preparing my talk for the 7th ward, I totally forgot to prepare anything for the 8th ward!"
"Just throw a bunch of scriptures at them and perfuncticate, like you normally do," replied Mom comfortingly.
I think Mom was still a little asleep, as what she said was neither comforting nor that polite, not to mention the fact that she was making up words. She insists she meant "pontificate," which doesn't make anyone feel any better. Just to be clear, let's define the words she used (or meant to use, or tried to use):
pontificate: "to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner"
perfunctory: "performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial" Also: "lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic"
As Mom said, "They haven't quite caught up to me by making 'perfuncticate' an actual word."
After hearing the official definitions, Dad said, "That's it. I'm staying home today."
This morning, Dad woke up and said with alarm, "I spent so much time preparing my talk for the 7th ward, I totally forgot to prepare anything for the 8th ward!"
"Just throw a bunch of scriptures at them and perfuncticate, like you normally do," replied Mom comfortingly.
I think Mom was still a little asleep, as what she said was neither comforting nor that polite, not to mention the fact that she was making up words. She insists she meant "pontificate," which doesn't make anyone feel any better. Just to be clear, let's define the words she used (or meant to use, or tried to use):
pontificate: "to speak in a pompous or dogmatic manner"
perfunctory: "performed merely as a routine duty; hasty and superficial" Also: "lacking interest, care, or enthusiasm; indifferent or apathetic"
As Mom said, "They haven't quite caught up to me by making 'perfuncticate' an actual word."
After hearing the official definitions, Dad said, "That's it. I'm staying home today."
Growing up
Ammon had his first sleepover last night. Can you believe he's old enough to have a sleepover? I can't. My mom informed me that it was not his first actual sleepover. Afterall, he slept at her house following the births of his brother and sisters. Yes, but Grandma's is not the same as Keenan's. Ammon did fine. He did not get enough sleep, but he was perfectly comfortable and had fun. It helps that he likes Keenan's parents as much as he likes Keenan. It's a great place for him to be.
He came home this morning and rode his bike all day. That may seem like it's no big deal. He is 8. Eight-year-olds ride their bikes all the time. But keep in mind that we've never had a place to ride bikes. Our parking lot at our old house just didn't invite young children to ride around. And Ammon's bike has had flat tires for about 3 years. Yesterday, Chris cleaned up Ammon's bike and fixed the tires. So Ammon got on his bike this morninig--with no help from training wheels or a parent running behind--and rode it. I said, "How did you do that? Where did you learn to ride a bike?" He said, "One day I tried to ride Trevor's bike. Lisa told me, 'When the bike leans to the left, you lean to the right.' And Riley showed me how to get started." That's it? They TOLD you how to ride a bike and so you thought you'd try it today? Yes, yes, that is what happened.
He came home this morning and rode his bike all day. That may seem like it's no big deal. He is 8. Eight-year-olds ride their bikes all the time. But keep in mind that we've never had a place to ride bikes. Our parking lot at our old house just didn't invite young children to ride around. And Ammon's bike has had flat tires for about 3 years. Yesterday, Chris cleaned up Ammon's bike and fixed the tires. So Ammon got on his bike this morninig--with no help from training wheels or a parent running behind--and rode it. I said, "How did you do that? Where did you learn to ride a bike?" He said, "One day I tried to ride Trevor's bike. Lisa told me, 'When the bike leans to the left, you lean to the right.' And Riley showed me how to get started." That's it? They TOLD you how to ride a bike and so you thought you'd try it today? Yes, yes, that is what happened.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
What?!
This was a great conversation:
Sarah: What is Keenan's dad's name?
Me: Whit.
Sarah: What?
Me: Whit. But you should probably call him Brother Reid. It's more respectful.
Nathan: I'm going to call him Kent.
Me: Kent? But his name is Whit.
Nathan: Yeah, but I like to call him Kent.
Sarah: What is Keenan's dad's name?
Me: Whit.
Sarah: What?
Me: Whit. But you should probably call him Brother Reid. It's more respectful.
Nathan: I'm going to call him Kent.
Me: Kent? But his name is Whit.
Nathan: Yeah, but I like to call him Kent.
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