This, That, and the Other

Oh, my, where to begin??? Life has been crazy busy around here, so I guess it's time for a quick catch-up. I've been busy all month with PTA planning the Fall Festival for Miss Priss' school. It turned out great, and I'm THRILLED it's overwith. The girls had a blast. Free games, prizes, popcorn and candy, pizza and cupcakes, balloon animals, face painting and pictures; it was kid heaven. Miss Priss and Devil Child both went as ... drum roll, please ... brace yourselves ... try not to die of shock here ... PRINCESSES!!! Lucky for them I no longer care if they wear the same costume for the next ten years. I'm done with the month-long search for the greatest costume ever saga. Frankly, I was pretty happy they were content to rummage through their dress-up closet for costumes. As for Mini Man, he was suited up in a striped Halloween sleeper and bat hat. He could not have looked cuter. Seriously. I just want to eat those cheeks!!!




Kindergarten is the best place ever in the eyes of Miss Priss. She looks forward to it every single day (and is sad that there's no school on weekends ... I wonder how long that lasts???), and loves to be the one to remind me it's time to get homework done. She spends her days finding books and papers around the house to sound out words. She brings them along with her everywhere she goes; in the car, to her friends' houses, outside to play. And her hard work is paying off. The girl is READING!!! I know, I sound like I'm bragging, but I'm just so darn proud of her! And no, it's not like she can pick a book and sit down and read the whole thing, but she sounds out each word all by herself, and then repeats the whole sentence after she's figured it out. What a smartie. She must get it from me; right?


The doors of heaven have opened up and smiled down on me in the last couple of weeks. Devil Child is "potty trained." Can I hear an AMEN!?!?!? What a battle that has been. But I'll tell ya, I can be in a totally foul mood one minute, and my entire day changes in a second when I hear her yell those five blessed words from upstairs, "Mommy!!! I went POO POO!!!" I'm not even sure how it happened, but everyone I had talked to was right. One day it just clicked for her. I know every kid is different, but I was certainly beginning to wonder what was taking so long with her. She must have gotten that from her dad; right? Now all we have to work on is the finger sucking. One thing at a time.

My sweet, fat little chunk, Mini Man, is such a joy. He makes me so happy just by looking at him. Of all three babies, he is definitely the fattest. At six months he's weighing in at 18 pounds!!! And I finally have a baby with actual rolls on his legs. This has been a big month for him. He's really liking his solid foods, and now gobbles up his Cheerios. He has finally decided (after months and months of lying around without moving) that rolling over is worthwhile. And he loves the cheers he gets from the ladies (his sisters) each time he does it. He's also begun sitting up for short periods of time. Didn't I just bring him home from the hospital? How on earth did six months fly by without me even noticing?

Sometimes I get so caught up in "getting things done" that I don't take the time to just enjoy the stage of life we're in. I fear that one of these days I'll turn around and my kids will be gone, having families of their own. I think that is one of the reasons morning prayer is so important for me, personally. As I thank my Heavenly Father for each person in my sweet family, it reminds me not to take for granted the time that we have together. It reminds me of what is REALLY important. It's not the list of things the PTA President gave me to do by Wednesday; it's not spending half the day cleaning my house; it's not even updating this blog. Although they're all good things, and they're ALWAYS on my "to do" list, they certainly shouldn't come before daily quality time with my family.

With a recent change in my church calling, I was eagerly awaiting the evening when I could be set apart by the bishopric. I always love the blessings they give me, and I know that it is through their prayers and my faith that I can do what has been asked of me. During this particular blessing it was mentioned that I would be better able to prioritize the important things in my life. And I felt happy inside. There are many days that go by when I feel like I just don't have enough time to do everything I was supposed to do. And now I know I've been granted help to place things in their proper priority so that I can make the most of my time each day. So the next time you come over to my house, and it looks like tornado just blew through, try to forgive the disaster and remember that I had more important things to do.