I Wrote a Book!

 I wrote a book. Much like other things in my life, it has been a project in the works for many years. I usually have about 300 projects in progress at any moment. This one has been going for a while...since 2017 when my son used to say "flamango" instead of "flamingo". His mistake was the genesis of this book. He was 3. Now he's 8! 

I crocheted the animals that are the main characters. It was a fun and challenging way to illustrate. I have never seen another book done this way. I spent many hours making the animals, photographing them, painting backgrounds, and formatting....But IT IS DONE! 

And you can search for it on Amazon! 

And put it in your cart. 

And buy it. 

A book. 

That I wrote. 

Surreal. 

This is a goal on my bucket list. Now it's done! How exciting!

Here's the link if you want to buy it. It's pretty cute. 

https://amzn.to/3EK4sfy

Cereal, Poop, and Shooting Stars (WARNING: The following account is real and may disturb the faint of heart...)

About four months ago I had a day that went as follows:

• 4-year-old and 2-year-old fought all morning (like full out wrestle-mania style)
• 45 minutes of me telling said 2 and 4-year-olds to eat their cereal
• Internet died while working on the new business we started
• Tried calling communications company about lost internet and was on hold for 25 minutes
• Son pooped in the tub
• Put kids in shower while I cleaned up poop in tub...Wrestle Mania resumed
• Kids ran out of the shower and got water all over the floor that cannot get wet (worst part about laminate flooring)
• Kids went outside and crossed the fence to sneak into the old man's yard (He has asked us not to let them over there before.)
• Son cut open his back while crawling under the fence to go into the neighbor's yard
• 2-year-old took finger nail clippers and clipped 6-month-old baby's hand with it!!!!

And this was all before 11:00 am. 

While all this was going on, I was not doing any of the list of things I had to do: 

1. Laundry
2. Finish the renovation on the bathroom
3. Complete the accounting for the new business 
4. Work out to loose the baby weight
5. Get a haircut
6. Unpack the bathroom supplies (just moved in May...only 5 months ago!!)
7. Wash the sheets the baby pooped in...yesterday
8. Finish making the kids' Halloween costumes
9. Bathe the baby (How long has it been??)

People look at my three small children and often tell me something to the effect of, "Oh, you are going to miss these days! They go by way too quickly." And after a day like this one, I'm thinking, "Whatever! I have no idea what I could POSSIBLY miss about any of this!"

But so many people say this, and I know they know it to be true. So I tried to think...long and hard...about what it was that I might miss. I came up with something pretty important.  

My kids still love me. Seriously, they still want me around and want to do things with me and want me to take them to bed and spend time with me. I have totally freaked out at them, and they still want me to play with them. I will never get such forgiveness so easily from them again. If I acted to them in 10 years the way I do now, they would probably never speak to me again. I'm learning, and they know that, I think. What a blessing to have little ones around to forgive me. What an example. I wish I could be like them. 

Now I know this Godlike attribute is nothing to be taken for granted. Just because I CAN be forgiven by them so quickly doesn't mean I should act in a way where I NEED to be. And I really feel like I'm trying and getting better. But there are still some days that I think, "What am I going to miss about this stage of life again?" Then I think about the hilarious things my kids say.

"I have huckleberry yogurt!" -R

"No. You have Boysenberry." -A

"There are no boys in it!" -R

"I had a dream about a lady in water and her eyes opened and it scared me out of my crap." -A

"Bye! See you next later!" -R

I mean, those are just a few of the things they have said that could make me laugh out loud on any of my worst days. What is not to miss about those things? 

The Savior said to become as a child. I even think my children would qualify for His recommendation. Pure, sincere, forgiving, and really just trying to learn. 

I played a song on the piano tonight, and for the first time really listened to the words. 

Lyrics

1. (Child) Mother, do you love me?
   Mother, will you care for me?
   Even if I turn away, or disobey, or go astray,
   Then will you love me still?
   Mother, will you teach me?
   Mother, help me choose the right.
   When I do not understand the Lord's command, please take my hand
   And lead me safely with his light.

If my kids asked me this, I would cry. Of course I would still love them. They do disobey, and I still love them. But do I show them that? I know I can do better at showing them that love. 

1. (First time child only.)
   I need your love, I need your light
   To show me how to be like Jesus.
   The Savior's love will light the path
   To lead me safely home.

They really do need me to show them, to teach them. That is what they want.

1. (Mother) Oh yes, my child, I love you.
   My child, I'll always care for you.
   And with the Savior as our guide,
   I'll share the light I feel inside,
   And you will feel his love for you.
2. Oh, yes, my child, I'll teach you.
   My child, I'll help you choose the right.
   And when you do not understand
   The Lord's command, I'll take your hand,
   And he will lead us with his light.

This last part is sung together, and it is true. I need my children to show me how to be like Jesus just as they need me to show them how to be like Him. It is symbiosis, as my daughter would say. 

1. I need your love, I need your light
   To show me how to be like Jesus.
   The Savior's love will light the path
   To lead us safely home.
2. Words and music: Michael Finlinson Moody, b. 1941. (c) 1986 IRI

I took out the garbage tonight and saw a shooting star in the still, clear, and truly magnificent night sky. It made me think, "What am I complaining about? There is a whole universe out there with much bigger problems in it than the fact that my son can whine the same 4 words for a solid 10 minutes! (Seriously.)" When I remember that, I remember that my life is good. My kids are good. And I really do think I will miss this time of life.  

Oh, I Have a Blog? What Can Happen in 9 Months

So the last time I wrote, the Hubby was about to leave for a deployment, we only had one child, and I had just started making a quiet book for A. Rae to take to church. Now that I am writing, the Hubby is back from deployment, we are expecting our second child (a boy) in 2 weeks, and I just finished the quiet book for A. Rae. Apparently building a baby and sewing a quiet book take the same amount of time.

A. Rae is getting so big and we just love her to death. She is excited to be a big sister, and we are hoping she sets a good example for him. One way is at church. Generally, she does a really good job about sitting still in the pews. We, from the beginning, have not allowed her to get down and walk around during the sacrament service. She can either sit in our laps or on the bench. Period. This has helped a lot with management. But being 1, it can get a bit long to sit still for over an hour. Hence the need for a quiet book. I am kind of glad it was finished a bit later because now she has a bit more dexterity and understanding for how the pages work, so I think it will be more enjoyable for her and me. I hope we don't spend most of church picking up pieces. Humm.... Well, at least it is done!!!

Front Cover: It took me forever to decide to finally go with this type of cover, and best of all, it was easier than any of the other versions I had in mind. 

Noah and the Ark. The template for this and other similar looking pages came from laurathoughts81.blogspot.com.

This was my first page.... The Hubby always remarks on how scared the boy turtle looks to be getting on the ark, and he also says he's not quite sure what animal the lioness is (It's a lioness. Although A. Rae often calls it a puppy dog. Close enough I guess.).

These are some pieces I fear we will be picking up All The Time. 

Jonah and the Whale

David and Goliath. A. Rae is really good at going "peewh" when she throws the rock at Goliath's head. 

Lehi's Vision. It will take some convincing to get A. Rae to believe that Nephi is not a removable piece. 

Ammon and the Sheep Scatterers. By far, my favorite page. But sometimes I worry about what the other members of the congregation will think when my daughter rips off their arms.... Oh well. 

Armour of God

The Word of Wisdom

Tithing

Hill Cumorah

And the ever necessary doodle supplies page

Back cover

And that's that! Whew! So happy that project is done. Now I feel like this second baby can make his appearance. It only took finishing a quiet book to get me ready. 

A. Rae's Adventures

Our little A. Rae is growing so much! She has learned so many wonderful things in just the past few days. Allow me to enumerate.

1. The Nutritional Value and Delectableness of Certain Foods

We have been truly blessed with such a great eater. No matter what it looks like, she eats it. And will mostly always respond to the question of, "How is it?" with a resounding, "Nummy, nummy, nummy." Spinach, radishes, fish, salad...you name it, she will eat it.

A couple days ago, she crawled up to me and declared, "Nummy, nummy," with no prompt from me. I didn't think too much of it at first. (She is often finding crumbs of yesterday's meals on the floor. I know, I know. I need to sweep them up more. The following story has really driven this home to me.) I usually check what she is eating. This thing seemed a bit big for her mouth. So I opened it up to find a giant MOTH!! in her mouth. All black and powdery. Yuck! Why did she think it was "nummy"? It took a couple good wipes with a paper towel to remove the menacing residue of this unsuspecting insect. (I have also caught her trying to stick a live fly in her mouth. Where does she think up these things???)

2. Knowledge is Power

Sign language has been a lifesaver in our home and I highly recommend it. It has been a long process (I started signing "milk" at 3 months.), but the rewards are sweet. Slowly, she has been able to learn and sign properly many words.

• Milk
• Please
• More
• Food
• Drink
• Thank you
• Yes

And just two days ago we can add to the list

• Potty!!

We are currently potty training her and have been doing so since she was 7 1/2 months old. Crazy, but so great! I can't handle poopy diapers, and this way, I hardly have to deal with any! So her being able to sign "potty" is a great step in the right direction. She is so smart! Now she will be able to tell us when she has to go or doesn't.

3. Children Are Amazing (Especially Mine)

I sing a song to A. Rae every once in a while about the alphabet and the different sounds each letter can make. As I sang it to her yesterday she repeated the sounds for A, B, D, F, M, N, P, T, and Y! She is only 13 months! Some of them were just attempts, but others were implicitly clear! We certainly have a smartie on our hands. Man, I love being a mom.

Deployment, Here We Come

So we found out today that the Hubby is deploying, and I don't think it is like the last time we found out he was deploying and then 3 days later they said, "Just kidding." They told him at the beginning of June that he would be flying to Afghanistan on July 8th. We thought, at the time, it would be perfect. We could go home for the family reunion the end of June. I could just stay there with my mum for a couple months and not have to buy another plane ticket. He would only have to be gone for 3 months. He could get the deployment patch and a chance at career advancement. It would be perfect!

Then they said, "No." The rest of the population would take a sigh of relief at knowing he wouldn't have to go overseas to the war. But from an Army perspective, it was lame. The Hubby would have to stay at a desk for at least 3 more months doing a job he doesn't enjoy and not utilizing the skills he worked so hard to get. He felt mistreated--as the top graduate in his battalion at university, 127th graduate in the nation, top of his platoon in IBOLC, straight through Ranger School with top marks, and great recommendations from the colonel he worked throughout university, why weren't they using this amazing soldier? Why was he sitting at a desk doing exactly the thing he didn't sign up to do? We felt cheated and mistreated. Like little toddlers (or my cute little A. Rae as I am coming to find out), we were throwing tantrums.

But as the cliche goes, hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes even 20/15. (That does mean it's even better, right?) A few days before the Hubby was told he was deploying the first time, we had arranged for his brother to come and visit us in addition to going to their older brother's to help with some yard work. The Hubby's oldest brother was recently diagnosed with his second round of cancer. They were unable to get the projects from last summer done because of his personal battle, and this announcement made it impossible for them to catch up on that list this season. So we decided to make the trip and help out. Unfortunately at the time, the deployment had been sprung on us and the Hubby wasn't going to make it for the first 2 days of work. His youngest brother had already bought plane tickets and I can see how it was frustrating to learn about the deployment. With the fear of offending others by not having the Hubby there to help, I prayed that somehow it would work out.

Now I know that God answered my prayers. And then I complained about it. He delayed the "perfect" deployment, not cancelled it. The Hubby was able to work his little heart out at his brother's, and he will still get the patch, the pay, the platoon, and the promotability brought on by deployment. Visiting my mum will be a bit trickier, but it will still work out. I have to say I feel much better about this announcement of a deployment. Not so nervous.

So with a bit more head shaking from above, we move forward into this next great adventure (that really does seem to be an answer to prayers). Now I ask for prayers that my love will return home to us safely.

Digging in the Dirt...I Mean Rocks

A. Rae makes me laugh. This is why.

Oh man. She is a cutie. 

We sure love digging in the rocks.

Loving the Learning

It is so fun to watch my little girl learn and grow. I had an experience on Thursday of last week that filled me with love for her and for being a mom.

She did such a good job with me as we went about doing errands. Her hair is getting so long that I wanted to get some clips to keep it out of her eyes. I purchased some from the dollar store. One clip was already broken, but they didn't have another package and I thought, "They are just a dollar." So, purchased they became.

When we got home, I sat A. Rae on the floor, got the clips out of the bag, and pulled off the broken one to discard of it. She held out her hand for the package, signed "please", and I gave it to her. She looked at it for a second, then held out her hand again, signed "please" again, and I realized she wanted the clip. I handed that to her as well and she immediately started to stick it into the empty spot on the package.

I know it is so simple, but I was overcome with love and joy for this beautiful girl who is so smart and understands so much. What a pleasure to watch her learn seemingly insignificant things like this every day. I don't want to miss out on these moments.

I love being a mom!