Author: Superpaige (Page 6 of 180)

2015 brought a lot of good. So much good.

-Missionary returned. He worked and started school again. He’s also got himself a cute girlfriend and we’ll see how that goes.
-We have TWO kids in college, now. Both of them are about halfway through their sophomore year. Megan will need to decide where she wants to apply to go next year, as Snow College is for getting your associates. I’m so glad she has good roommates this year (all of them) and that she is having fun.
-Natalie started teaching piano lesson AND got herself a part time job at CVS. She’s doing well at school, has lots of friends, enjoys debating, and is even out there dating.
-9th grade is good for Jenna. She is creative, always drawing, or playing video games. I think she may be a game artist someday.
-John is dyed his hair for halloween, and we are finally used to it being brown. Although he got a haircut today and it’s a bit blonder. Scouts is great for him. He enjoys school, too, which is great. He got a pogo stick for Christmas, too.
-Ryan continues to work at Control4. At home, he tinkers, fixes things, uses his 3-d printer, takes long bike rides, and works on all kinds of projects. He tolerates the cat, likes the chickens, now. He had too many days off that he didn’t take, so he’s ended up with every Thursday and Friday off for the past 6 weeks. He’s loved having the time to work on some things. Today, in fact, he installed speakers in the basement. I’m hoping I can talk him into painting the entry way this year.
-A big change for me this year was being called to be the Relief Society President in April. It was totally unexpected, and not something I thought I could do. But I did receive an answer that I would be blessed for accepting this calling, even with my time consuming bells calling. Playing bells is kind of like my part time job that I go to once a week and for three weeks a year. And I love it. I can honestly say the RS gig is not as bad as I thought it was going to be (at least not this year). We have such a wonderful ward. I love that my ability to care for people has increased. I don’t know if I can help them as much as I would want to, but I do my best. I love my counselors and really love the sisters we serve. I didn’t do a play this summer because of that calling, but we’ll see what 2016 brings.
-We did also host quite a few people this year. For a month in the winter we had those two Brazillian boys. That was really not a great experience, but we’re trying to put that behind us. We took a risk and hosted again, with Rika from Japan, who stayed for 2 1/2 weeks in the summer, and then Nozomu, who came from Japan to and stayed with us a week in October. Robin and Ron also came to stay with us twice. We are even considering hosting a full year exchange student again. Thinking about it.

Our chicken count is up to 14 right now. I was disappointed that the three chicks I got in the spring all turned out to be roosters, so I got three more chicks. I’m pretty sure one of them is a rooster, but if the other two are girls, I’ll be happy with that. 14 is a lot to keep through the winter, but I hate to get rid of them. I really enjoy the chickens, even if they aren’t pulling their weight right now in egg production.

For 2016, I’m sure we will see more changes. I’m hoping to get my teen chime choir going. Cole will maybe decide that she’s the one. Or she will break his heart. Megan will finish up at Snow College. John and Jenna will both move up to middle school and high school. So, even though I hope that not much will change, I do anticipate changes this year. Good ones.

May 2016 be a great year for you, too.

The church bag. Every mom has one. The church bags evolve through the years. What was once filled with cheerios, books, crayons and toys, now carries a huge Relief Society Binder, calendar, and many papers. It was time to get ready for church, and I had to make sure I had everything I needed. Can I take some stuff out so it’s not so heavy? Where’s my journal/notebook I like to have with me at church? Down at the bottom of the bag was a birthday notebook, tied with a bow. It’s not my month to deliver birthday gifts anymore. Just more stuff to lug around. Mine is the only birthday left this year, anyway. I should take it out. But in looking for something else, I didn’t take it out.

At church, I tried to take advantage of the few minutes before sacrament meeting to talk to a few people. I haven’t been in sacrament meeting for two weeks because of other music commitments, so it felt like I hadn’t talked to certain people in a while. I slid into the bench next to Ryan with about a minute to spare. Behind me, a young college student was sitting with her family. I haven’t seen her in quite a while, but thanks to facebook, I remembered that it was her birthday. “Happy Birthday!” I turned and said.

During the meeting (which was awesome, by the way–6 of our young single adults spoke on challenges they have had this past year, and what they have learned), I remembered that notebook in my bag. It was still sitting there, and it was her birthday. After sacrament meeting, I turned around and handed it to her and told her happy birthday once again.

Later, in Relief Society, the person conducting decided that everyone should sing happy Birthday to both this young sister and to me. We both could have done without that, but maybe people will remember our birthdays (Remembering my birthday is BIG with me, and I’m quite impressed when people DO remember it, since it’s right after Christmas and all).

Later, when hubby came home, he made a point to tell me that this young sister’s dad had come up to Ryan. He told him to tell me that he really appreciates the job I’m doing as the Relief Society President, and how sweet it was that I was prepared and gave her a gift. That touched me that he would think to pass along his gratitude. Today I didn’t really feel like I’m doing such a great job in this calling. Things have been so busy, and I feel like I haven’t been as available or as on top of things as I should have been. So it was so nice to hear this man’s sweet comment. As I thought about the birthday notebook in my bag, I realized that I was about to take that out, but a loving Heavenly Father knew that this sister was going to be there today, and he knew that she, like me, would really appreciate being remembered and thought of on her birthday.

It’s moments like this that remind me that we are here to help each other, and Heavenly Father will help us to help each other. He will plant ideas in our heads, he will place people in our path, he REALLY is in the details of our lives. So many little coincidences go unnoticed, but if we pay attention we will notice. And we will feel His presence.

I’m thankful that I was able to fulfill a tiny need, and I’m also grateful that someone noticed, and was able to comment, thus helping fulfill My tiny need. I’m thankful for the church bag.

Dear Daughter needed to find some shoes to wear to a debate thing last week, and in her frantic looking, I tried to help her. I brought a few pairs of black shoes for her to choose from. She didn’t like any of them, and found her own grey shoes. (Maybe that was my evil plan all along–Find your OWN shoes, kid.)

Well, then I remembered that she needs black shoes for work, and thought I would try to find some good shoes on sale.

These came yesterday, and I showed them to her. “Look at these cute shoes! You could wear them for work.”

Um, no. and she would find her own shoes, thank you very much.

WEll, how about these ones?

So cute, and comfy!

I could wear either of these shoes for bells, I thought.

Her response was basically a no thanks. More specifically, a no thanks with an eye roll. “Mom, those are old lady shoes.”

“Old Lady shoes? I do NOT wear old lady shoes!” I said, as I looked down at my Birkenstocks sandals I was wearing with socks. Ok, bad example. But then as I was looking through my shoes, I realized that I don’t wear anything with a heel more than about twice a year. I spend most of my time in my pink Birkenstocks or running shoes with heel inserts in them. Plantar Faciitis, dude.
Comfort!
When I get dressed for Wednesday night bells practice, I think, What’s the most comfortable shoe I can wear and still have it look ok with a skirt? And those black shoes? I’ll probably use those for concert shoes. In the 10 years I have been in bells, I’ve probably bought 10 pairs of black shoes.

On Sunday, I do wear cute shoes, but that’s only because I know I will be sitting most of the three hours that we are at church.

So, I guess I’m an old lady and I wear old lady shoes.

Darn.

It’s a slippery slope.

I’m such a slacker.

Blog, what blog?

Anyhoo, how’s everyone doing? Me? I’m a little busy. Yesterday I was setting up the PTA dinner for the teachers, and my favorite kindergarten teacher said, “Are you SURE you aren’t subbing this year?” I had another teacher ask me that just the other day. Yes, I’m sure. I want to be thinking about my sisters in Relief Society and my family, not using all that’s left of my brain to figure out how to manage a squirly bunch of kids. And $65 dollars a day? Please. So, no, I won’t be subbing for a while.

I am super pleased with my chime choir, though. I have 25 kids in my two groups, and they are progressing so quickly (most of them). Because I have several returning kids, it makes it so much faster for the group to progress. John is in 6th grade, and I’ve been thinking about what to do next year. Should I quit teaching at the elementary school? But I’ve finally “built” a program. It’s my 4th year teaching there, and I feel like I’ve finally established the choir. And where would I go? I tried to break into the Jr High charter school, but it didn’t really take. Maybe I didn’t do all I could to promote the choir, but maybe this isn’t the year for that.

Change of subject.

This morning we had a little drama. Natalie has a debate tournament that is tonight and tomorrow. She thought she asked for Saturday off, but maybe she didn’t do it in time, because she is scheduled to work 3-10, and she hasn’t been able to get anyone to cover for her. So, we’re down to the wire, and she doesn’t know what to do. Add to that, she’s late, and doesn’t have shoes.

Which problem to work on first?

I went upstairs and brought down an armload of shoes from my closet that she could choose while she called her manager at work. She’s trying to keep it together while her manager tells her that she HAS to work her assigned shift, or get someone to cover it, or else she’ll get written up (or something like that), while stuffing her feet into my shoes.

After she got off the phone, she was even worse.

Mom takes over. Yes, I will drive you to school (text the neighbor to let her know).
Give me the numbers of everyone you can call or text and I’ll see if I can get someone to work even an extra hour.
Worse case, we come pick you up at the U of U and get you home in time to work at 3:00.
After I dropped her off at school, and put lunch money in her account, I sent a text to all her work people, begging them to please help us. I’ve already gotten one response, and I think if we break it up into small bites, we can get this shift covered.

I’m trying to help her understand that this is a SCHEDULING issue, not a catastrophe. No one is in the hospital. No one is in jail. It’s just a problem that we can solve.

Hopefully she can calm down and enjoy her debate event without super stressing about work, but she does need to realize that we keep our commitments, even if that means missing out on something else (which is also a commitment. Catch 22 there).

I’m hoping I can work my mom magic and I’m happy that I can be there to help her with these things. I only wish I could step back and be this calm when it’s MY problems that I’m stressed about.