Mom Remembers

Yesterday was Michaelmas, the holiday that (as Soren put it) "no one celebrates but us."  I think that's one of the things I love about it.  Since no one I know celebrates Michaelmas, there is no commercial pressure attached to it.  That means that the only expectations are the ones we create ourselves. I asked the boys in family council on Sunday which traditions were most important to them, so we could be sure to meet their expectations.  Thankfully, no one said "presents!"  So there weren't any.  The traditions that were mentioned were:    1. checking out dragon books from the library    2. decorating the house    3. making dragon bread    4. sharing the scripture story in Family Home Evening We did those things so--hooray!  Expectations met. I have my own personal expectations, of course.  I like to tell my Kindergarten story of St. Michael and the star children.  I like to sing songs abou...

SOREN: (cutting across the grass on his bike) My bike is like an ATV!

This year, I turned thirty.  And you know what?  I am really happy about that.  I feel like I have been doing "thirties" stuff for a long time and that I have totally earned the official promotion.  I'm thirty.  It sounds a lot more mature than twenty-nine.   Although, I'm not sure how "mature" it is to worry about how mature you sound.  And right on the tails of my big 3 - 0, Carl turned 7.  The jump from six to seven seems almost as huge to me as the jump between twenty and thirty.  Seven is approaching big kid territory--and Carl is totally ready for that.  He's learned so much  in the past year.  He can now do chores without being reminded, read, carry his youngest brother, make meals, and drum up his own neighborhood playmates.  This year, he made the transition from being a fully dependent member of our household to being a very helpful contributor.  It's awesome. To celebrate: 1. His Grandma, Gra...

Oh, how I welcomed Midsummer with open arms this year!  I was ready for summer: no school means time to write, time to plan, time to swim, and time to rest.  The kids went with wide-open eyes into our media fast and I had a plan to teach them lots of skills and chores.  I love that summer is unique in all the year; at least for stay-at-home moms and kids, it is a gift of time large enough to explore different skills and new ways of being. And, of course, we kicked off summer with our traditional camping trip.  Here's a recap: 1. We went somewhere new this year: Lake Le-Aqua-Na.  It's a man-made lake in Lena, hence the silly name.  I find it ironic that even though I associate Midsummer with the desert, we will probably always camp near water now that we live in Illinois.  The fun thing about choosing a campsite this year was that we made it an item of business for our (newly-formed) family council.  We voted not to return to Apple River, th...

CARL:  When we get home, can we sit in the fridge? MOM:  No.  The fridge is for keeping food cool. SOREN:  And you could freeze in there! CARL:  But you don't understand how hot I am! I am as hot as a toenail on fire! MADDY: I know; I was almost cooked to a rotten chicken.

The boys are all eating breakfast together in the kitchen.  (Today it's eternal bowls of cheerios.)  I'm studying the scriptures in the other room, wondering if I should move to sit on the vent, where it's warmer.  Then I overhear this comment, from Carl: CARL: Some people are so poor, they don't have any brothers.  They are so unlucky.  But we've got exactly the opposite of that.  We have a lot of brothers!

I have been blessed in the last year by many experiences that are spiritual in nature.  My faith in God and His miracles has grown as the voice of His Spirit has testified to me.  I know better than before of the reality of an unseen world and the love that reaches out to me from that place. Because of that growth, Easter held extra meaning for me this year.  Christ's triumph is real  to me--and so is the hope I felt this season.   Hallelujah . Our family's celebrations this year included: 1. Soren and I kicked off the season by watching the world's largest virtual Hallelujah chorus , a project produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  That was an amazing way to get into the celebratory spirit. 2. This was our first Easter in our own home.  We set up the Easter table in the dining room.  This is one of my favorite traditions: we decorate a table with symbols that remind us of Christ and keep a candle burning there in t...