suck. I don't use that word very often, but in this case it's absolutely appropriate. Today was our first day back at school. Overall, it went really well...except for that stupid songbook that I can't find. I have Book One and Book Three. I need Book Two and I can't find it. ARGH!
But other than that, it was a good day. Then I came home. I put the towels in the dryer and took a Facebook break. From there, it was all downhill. My shoulders and neck are so, sooo tight. My head has been pounding all night - off and on. It's all from my shoulders.
I wonder which of the children I should blame today.
Crazy week ahead: Tuesday - RS dinner; Wednesday - pinewood derby car weigh-in (the car which we haven't even built - don't know what we're doing about that); Thursday - Camey choir, Pinewood Derby; Friday - party; Saturday - Saturday school and hopefully some yard work.
Can I just hide in bed? Nah...it's gonna be fun! If my head quits hurting. On the positive side, we have free chair massages at school tomorrow. Think that's coincidence? I don't either. :-)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
First of Many
Today was my first Sunday as the official Primary President. I am amazed at the ideas and thoughts that keep "popping" in my head at random moments. I'm amazed at how I'm not nearly as interested in my Facebook games as I used to be. (Oh...don't worry. I'm still playing them.)
I'm excited to be working with my awesome counselors and secretary! I think there will be lots of laughter, lots of lightness, and lots of spirit. I was told by a teacher today that she could really feel the Spirit in the room today. Well, that wasn't me. That was Suzanne. But, hopefully, we can foster a spirit in the room that invites the Spirit.
Of course we're constantly in need of callings and teachers. We're constantly in need of cub leaders. It's a program that is always in some state of flux. But that just might be a good thing. We're making a few changes in the way we're organizing everything and that will take some time to implement. There are some ideas that we came up with that we haven't been able to figure out how to do yet.
I think we need to have a teacher training - where we introduce these ideas and things to them and let them know how important they are to the success of the children. We, as a presidency, can give opportunities and ideas, but in the long run, it's the teachers themselves who interact the closest with each of the children.
I look forward to Sundays again. I look forward to going to primary. I look forward to working with my friends and sisters in the gospel. It's gonna be a great year in The Colony 2nd Ward Primary!
I'm excited to be working with my awesome counselors and secretary! I think there will be lots of laughter, lots of lightness, and lots of spirit. I was told by a teacher today that she could really feel the Spirit in the room today. Well, that wasn't me. That was Suzanne. But, hopefully, we can foster a spirit in the room that invites the Spirit.
Of course we're constantly in need of callings and teachers. We're constantly in need of cub leaders. It's a program that is always in some state of flux. But that just might be a good thing. We're making a few changes in the way we're organizing everything and that will take some time to implement. There are some ideas that we came up with that we haven't been able to figure out how to do yet.
I think we need to have a teacher training - where we introduce these ideas and things to them and let them know how important they are to the success of the children. We, as a presidency, can give opportunities and ideas, but in the long run, it's the teachers themselves who interact the closest with each of the children.
I look forward to Sundays again. I look forward to going to primary. I look forward to working with my friends and sisters in the gospel. It's gonna be a great year in The Colony 2nd Ward Primary!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
What Is Going On?
Seriously! Earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear disasters - all horrendous. But they seem to pale in comparison to the heartaches being suffered by so many of my friends these days. Friends have lost parents (three off-hand in the last six months,) we lost our Webelos leader who was only 33 and left behind a wife and three children, a member of our ward and primary board lost her son this week (after losing her mother about six months ago) and now I find out that another friend's brother just died. He was 35 and leaves behind a wife, three children age 5 and under and one on the way.
If bad things come in threes, I think I've seen enough to last for a while. Although many of these tragedies has affected me because I know the people involved, none of them have affected me directly. I don't know whether to feel blessed or worried - or both.
I talked to Dad yesterday - just to check up on him. He's doing fine - especially for a 92-year-old. I was hoping to go see him this week (SPRING BREAK!) but I'm needed here for a presidency meeting (last night), dinner for a ward family (the one who lost their son), and as a chauffeur for my sil when she has her gall bladder out on Friday.
Suddenly, being called as the primary president isn't nearly so daunting. In the face of what everyone else is going through, I think I'll just shut up and be grateful for my blessings.
If bad things come in threes, I think I've seen enough to last for a while. Although many of these tragedies has affected me because I know the people involved, none of them have affected me directly. I don't know whether to feel blessed or worried - or both.
I talked to Dad yesterday - just to check up on him. He's doing fine - especially for a 92-year-old. I was hoping to go see him this week (SPRING BREAK!) but I'm needed here for a presidency meeting (last night), dinner for a ward family (the one who lost their son), and as a chauffeur for my sil when she has her gall bladder out on Friday.
Suddenly, being called as the primary president isn't nearly so daunting. In the face of what everyone else is going through, I think I'll just shut up and be grateful for my blessings.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tender Feelings These Days
I'm just not sure how I feel about 2011. Richard went back to work at the end of January and it's been downhill ever since. His back still hurts and his mood is awful. I find myself not doing much of anything around the house - just no real energy to do it.
Then this week, a good friend lost her husband suddenly. He'd been battling MRSA for a good two years, but he became septic and died last Tuesday. He was John's Webelos leader. His wife had been John's Bear den leader.
The funeral was today. It was sad and uplifting all at the same time. Sad because he left behind a wife and three children, ages 11, 7 and 4. Uplifting because I got to see my sons show their emotions and comfort their friends and each other. Many of the boys wore their scout shirts to the funeral as a sign of respect and honor.
So...if the dust bunnies don't get vacuumed up today, if the dishes pile up for a couple of days, if we eat hot dogs for dinner tonight...it's okay. But we will have FHE, scripture reading and prayer tonight. And we will remember our friends in our prayers. We will remember and learn more about the Plan of Salvation and be grateful for that knowledge. We will honor our friend and scout leader, Jack Wright, by continuing to learn from his example in our lives.
Then this week, a good friend lost her husband suddenly. He'd been battling MRSA for a good two years, but he became septic and died last Tuesday. He was John's Webelos leader. His wife had been John's Bear den leader.
The funeral was today. It was sad and uplifting all at the same time. Sad because he left behind a wife and three children, ages 11, 7 and 4. Uplifting because I got to see my sons show their emotions and comfort their friends and each other. Many of the boys wore their scout shirts to the funeral as a sign of respect and honor.
So...if the dust bunnies don't get vacuumed up today, if the dishes pile up for a couple of days, if we eat hot dogs for dinner tonight...it's okay. But we will have FHE, scripture reading and prayer tonight. And we will remember our friends in our prayers. We will remember and learn more about the Plan of Salvation and be grateful for that knowledge. We will honor our friend and scout leader, Jack Wright, by continuing to learn from his example in our lives.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
First Sunday
It's the first Sunday of the year. The first Sunday as the first ward using the building. The first Sunday at 9:00 in quite some time. This makes for some interesting confusion at the beginning of the second hour.
Specifically, somebody suddenly realized that we can't have Gospel Doctrine class in the chapel because the next ward will need to get in there before the end of the class. Oops. So...we move it to the second overflow. But that's right by the nursery (in the 3rd overflow) and that would interrupt the class. The Gospel Doctrine teacher made a unilateral decision to kick the nursery out and put them in the too-small normally-used nursery room. The newly-assigned nursery assistant (the nursery leader and her other assistant (husband and wife) were out sick) did a fabulous job of dealing with the whole thing and within 10 minutes we had them moved to another spot where they had more room. Oh...did I mention the primary president was out sick? Suz took care of nursery and by the end of the first hour, we had a plan in place for next week and the rest of the year. Yay! Flexibility is the key!
The sunbeam classroom was filled with chairs from the Relief Society room. What? ARGH! Richard (the new sunbeam teacher!) and I moved them all out in the hallway and got his room ready for the new sunbeams. He escorted them from nursery and we made a big deal of welcoming them into primary. They had a GREAT day! They went home with crowns that they had decorated and huge smiles on their faces. (They're teacher did too.)
While the presidency was running around like chickens putting out the nursery and sunbeam fires, the rest of the primary was sitting in their chairs, listening to piano music and talking quietly and reverently. I was so proud of them! Fast Sunday at 10:00 am - they were tired and hungry? ;-)
Even though we got off to a rough start, I think we ended on the positive side. All the kids got a lesson and felt our love. In the end, isn't that what primary is all about?
Specifically, somebody suddenly realized that we can't have Gospel Doctrine class in the chapel because the next ward will need to get in there before the end of the class. Oops. So...we move it to the second overflow. But that's right by the nursery (in the 3rd overflow) and that would interrupt the class. The Gospel Doctrine teacher made a unilateral decision to kick the nursery out and put them in the too-small normally-used nursery room. The newly-assigned nursery assistant (the nursery leader and her other assistant (husband and wife) were out sick) did a fabulous job of dealing with the whole thing and within 10 minutes we had them moved to another spot where they had more room. Oh...did I mention the primary president was out sick? Suz took care of nursery and by the end of the first hour, we had a plan in place for next week and the rest of the year. Yay! Flexibility is the key!
The sunbeam classroom was filled with chairs from the Relief Society room. What? ARGH! Richard (the new sunbeam teacher!) and I moved them all out in the hallway and got his room ready for the new sunbeams. He escorted them from nursery and we made a big deal of welcoming them into primary. They had a GREAT day! They went home with crowns that they had decorated and huge smiles on their faces. (They're teacher did too.)
While the presidency was running around like chickens putting out the nursery and sunbeam fires, the rest of the primary was sitting in their chairs, listening to piano music and talking quietly and reverently. I was so proud of them! Fast Sunday at 10:00 am - they were tired and hungry? ;-)
Even though we got off to a rough start, I think we ended on the positive side. All the kids got a lesson and felt our love. In the end, isn't that what primary is all about?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
1-1-11
Happy New Year!
Today's the day we watch the Rose Parade, take down Christmas, make some resolutions and eat black-eyed peas for luck. Maybe that's why 2010 was such a hard year - we didn't have our black-eyed peas last year.
We celebrated the entrance of 2011 with a jigsaw puzzle, 80's music and some Martinelli's. Chris was at a church youth dance and then the after-breakfast at another house. Richard slept until 9:00. PM. Seriously. We didn't have enough people to play our new board games because Richard was asleep and Chris was gone, so we worked on the puzzle. It was a lazy New Year's Eve, but I think it was enjoyed.
Now to the new year. January 1st doesn't really seem like a new year to me. When both parents are teachers and all the children are in school, the new year is really in the fall. That's when everything "feels" new. But we did roll over from 2010 to 2011, so I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon.
I hate resolutions. As I said before, I always make the same ones and I always break them by about February. But I'm going to try. I have three personal goals for this year:
1) Lose the weight I lost and regained last year. I know how and I know I can - and I think I'm motivated again.
2) Read my scriptures daily. It doesn't have to be in the morning. It can be after school when I to my email and read them online. I think I have this idea of curling up by the fire for 30 minutes and reading in absolute silence and reverence. That's not really my life right now so why not read how I can?
3) Get back on track with our debt-reduction plan. With all the surgeries and holidays, it kinda fell apart. We didn't go into any more debt (whew!), but we weren't doing very well at reducing it either. Well, technically I guess we did go into more debt with the medical bills that are arriving daily. :-( But what can you do?
Family goals: more focus on the Spirit in our home. With the trials of late, I've realized that the spirit has been missing more often than not. We need to do spiritual FHE's, and we need to TALK. Better dinners. More together time.
So those are my goals for the new year. Wonder if I'll make it to February....
Today's the day we watch the Rose Parade, take down Christmas, make some resolutions and eat black-eyed peas for luck. Maybe that's why 2010 was such a hard year - we didn't have our black-eyed peas last year.
We celebrated the entrance of 2011 with a jigsaw puzzle, 80's music and some Martinelli's. Chris was at a church youth dance and then the after-breakfast at another house. Richard slept until 9:00. PM. Seriously. We didn't have enough people to play our new board games because Richard was asleep and Chris was gone, so we worked on the puzzle. It was a lazy New Year's Eve, but I think it was enjoyed.
Now to the new year. January 1st doesn't really seem like a new year to me. When both parents are teachers and all the children are in school, the new year is really in the fall. That's when everything "feels" new. But we did roll over from 2010 to 2011, so I guess I'll jump on the bandwagon.
I hate resolutions. As I said before, I always make the same ones and I always break them by about February. But I'm going to try. I have three personal goals for this year:
1) Lose the weight I lost and regained last year. I know how and I know I can - and I think I'm motivated again.
2) Read my scriptures daily. It doesn't have to be in the morning. It can be after school when I to my email and read them online. I think I have this idea of curling up by the fire for 30 minutes and reading in absolute silence and reverence. That's not really my life right now so why not read how I can?
3) Get back on track with our debt-reduction plan. With all the surgeries and holidays, it kinda fell apart. We didn't go into any more debt (whew!), but we weren't doing very well at reducing it either. Well, technically I guess we did go into more debt with the medical bills that are arriving daily. :-( But what can you do?
Family goals: more focus on the Spirit in our home. With the trials of late, I've realized that the spirit has been missing more often than not. We need to do spiritual FHE's, and we need to TALK. Better dinners. More together time.
So those are my goals for the new year. Wonder if I'll make it to February....
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
29 Again!
It's my birthday! I'm 29 again. Ok, not really. I'm really two score plus five. You figure it out.
Overall it was a good birthday. I started the day with a good hour or more of peace and quiet by getting up before anyone else in the house. Always a good present. Then I had an hour-long massage and an adjustment. Ahhhhh!
Then I got my hair cut. Thanks to Elisha for sending an email out about her new studio. And for having an opening this afternoon. And for taking extra "birthday time" to give me a cool new 'do. It'll never look this way again, but it was cool for a day! :-)
She straightened it out and then curled it with a flat iron. It would've been even cooler if I'd gone anywhere the rest of the day besides Kohl's. I scored big at Kohl's - long black skirt, brown sweater and purple sweater all with a gift card. Woo hoo!
Then came the disappointment - which usually seems to come on my birthday. Richard said he wanted to take me out to dinner. So I waited to open presents. I came home and he took a nap after taking some pain meds. I'm trying to be understanding, but he's been in a mood all day today except when he's been asleep. He finally woke up at 7:00. By then it had started raining and was already cold and there were wrecks and traffic all over the place. I gave up. Got into my pj's at 8:00.
At 9:00 he got up and made GF brownies, put some candles on them and they sang "Happy Birthday" and I opened my presents. I got "Apples to Apples Family," "Blokus," and a food processor that I'd forgotten to wrap for Richard for Christmas. I told him he could give it to me for my birthday - but I was really joking. Guess he took me seriously.
So...I should focus on the happy part of the day and not the disappointing part. I should remember that James wished me a happy birthday at 8:30 this morning and over 90 people have wished me a happy birthday on Facebook. The fact that no one else in the family remembered until this afternoon should not bother me.
Well, tonight it does. But I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow. Happy birthday to me!
Overall it was a good birthday. I started the day with a good hour or more of peace and quiet by getting up before anyone else in the house. Always a good present. Then I had an hour-long massage and an adjustment. Ahhhhh!
Then I got my hair cut. Thanks to Elisha for sending an email out about her new studio. And for having an opening this afternoon. And for taking extra "birthday time" to give me a cool new 'do. It'll never look this way again, but it was cool for a day! :-)
She straightened it out and then curled it with a flat iron. It would've been even cooler if I'd gone anywhere the rest of the day besides Kohl's. I scored big at Kohl's - long black skirt, brown sweater and purple sweater all with a gift card. Woo hoo!
Then came the disappointment - which usually seems to come on my birthday. Richard said he wanted to take me out to dinner. So I waited to open presents. I came home and he took a nap after taking some pain meds. I'm trying to be understanding, but he's been in a mood all day today except when he's been asleep. He finally woke up at 7:00. By then it had started raining and was already cold and there were wrecks and traffic all over the place. I gave up. Got into my pj's at 8:00.
At 9:00 he got up and made GF brownies, put some candles on them and they sang "Happy Birthday" and I opened my presents. I got "Apples to Apples Family," "Blokus," and a food processor that I'd forgotten to wrap for Richard for Christmas. I told him he could give it to me for my birthday - but I was really joking. Guess he took me seriously.
So...I should focus on the happy part of the day and not the disappointing part. I should remember that James wished me a happy birthday at 8:30 this morning and over 90 people have wished me a happy birthday on Facebook. The fact that no one else in the family remembered until this afternoon should not bother me.
Well, tonight it does. But I'm sure I'll be over it by tomorrow. Happy birthday to me!
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