Nostalgia

I have been missing my husband a lot lately. I sometimes like to reminisce about our past together. Tonight I ran across this document. I'll share a part of it. When we were first married we decided to write down the story of our courtship for future generations before important details were forgotten. And so he and I spent part of our early FHE's writing the story out. Here is how it begins.

"During my last interview with my mission president he gave me some marriage advice, as I am sure he does with most of the missionaries. He said, “Elder McDaniel you will be married in few months.” I thought that was a little bold, and I asked a few of the other elders if he had said that to them, and they said no. Sure enough, just a few months later I was being sealed in the Oakland Temple.
One of the first things that I did when I got to my singles ward in Arizona was talk to the Elders Quorum president. I asked him for a good home teaching route, if he knew what I meant (wink, wink). On my route was a pretty schoolteacher named Christine Telford. I had noticed her before at some of the socials, but we had never talked. I remember thinking that she was very cute but at the same time very serious, almost contemplative, a mixture that I found appealing. When we sat and talked during our first home teaching visit on September 21, 2003, she flirted with my companion, and I looked around at her apartment which was covered in books (another very appealing feature). Needless to say, I was a very diligent home teacher from that moment on.

Now let’s set the record straight. Jason came into my home on that first visit, noticed my bookshelf and went directly over to it. He spent the first several minutes looking at my books while I made small talk with his companion. Later, he asked if I had ever read anything by High Nibley. I said that I hadn’t and he suggested vigorously that I should. He even offered to bring me his favorite book by the man. I remember it being a good lesson (taught by Brother McDaniel) and that he asked if I would like my home blessed. I thought that that was very spiritual and brought on feelings of respect on my part. However, after they left, if someone had asked me which of the two was interested in me, I definitely would have said it was Jared, his companion.
Our next meeting was at FHE the next night. We were having a ward talent show (if you could call them talents). At the opening we all gathered in the Relief Society room for announcements. Jason found me before we started and brought the book that he had promised. It was “Brother Brigham Challenges the Saints”. It was very big and looked hefty but I accepted and planned to read it soon. As we filed into the cultural hall I sat in a row of empty seats, just in case “someone” might want to sit by me. It was kind of a test to see if he was interested because he had remembered the book – it wasn’t just small talk. He, however, sat on the other side of the room next to his friend, Jared. The talent show was very long and I left at intermission without talking to him again. "

Funny how things began and how they turned out. :)

The newest fascination

Bowls serve many purposes at my house. The newest and most popular is as a hat. Every day these bowls end up as hats. Even Darby seems a little confused. She calls them "bowls" and "hats". But she joins right in.

And shoes end up as "action master hands" (as Brendan puts it) when placed on your hands. Seriously, why do I even buy toys?

Swimming lessons

In an effort to be safe and to keep us busy this summer, I signed the older two kids up for some much needed (and wanted) swim lessons. Eva is fearless and Brendan showed us on our trip to Vegas that his fear of water is no longer what it used to be. When I told him he was going to have the lessons, he shouted, "Hooray!"
They have gone to four lessons so far. They are in the same class (ages 3-5 years) and they both love it. Too bad it is only a two week course.

The instructor is teaching them to be comfortable in the water and a basic stroke of two. They have both shown improvement since we started.

Though Eva is more athletically inclined and coordinated, Brendan learns faster and his strokes are not too bad. And his summer camp goes to the pool every Friday, so he might just be able to swim (enough to be safer in the water) by the end of summer.

One cool patient

I love it that my kids think the "tooth doctor's" is an awesome place to visit. It makes my life that much easier.

Potty thoughts

I wonder if Darby will start to potty train before her sister finishes. She is certainly more interested in it. She follows anyone in the bathroom and sits on the little potty while they do their business. She even says, "potty" and points to it. Maybe, just maybe, I can catch a break with this one.

P.S. If you hadn't guessed, the Eva potty training is back on. However, things are progressing oh so slowly that I wonder if she won't be in preschool before she actually goes to the bathroom before the pee-pee process starts. Sigh. I hate potty training.

It was only a matter of time

I knew Eva would be the one. The one child of mine who would give me a run for my money, physically speaking. She is fearless (in fact, I can only think of one thing that scares her). Remember when she slipped out of the apartment complex alone at age 2? Yea. So this story, or something like it, would have come sooner or later in her life.
We were going to be leaving for the Primary BBQ in half an hour. The kids were playing in the living room. Eva decided to climb on the back of her dad's recliner, which is very near a bookcase. I hear a crash and then Eva comes to me crying. I cuddle with her and figure that she fell. That's not all that uncommon. Then I notice wood splinters on the floor near the recliner, and take my hand away from her to see it covered in blood. Yep, I am officially freaking out now. I take her to the bathroom so I can see where the blood is coming from. She is crying lightly now and looking at me oddly. I can see that the blood is coming from her head. As I get her to hold still so I can investigate further, I see through her hair, a gash about an inch long on the back of her head. She had fallen off the recliner, against the bookcase and hit a shelf with her head on the way down, breaking it and splitting her head open. I hold a washcloth on it to try to stop the bleeding and it stops somewhat. Her hair is matted in blood and her shirt is soaked. I am still panicky. I found out that I would be horrible in a crisis involving a bleeding child. Anyway, I scamper around trying to get together what we'd need for a potentially long time in the ER and we all get in the car. Eva is fine now, even smiley. Brendan is upset because we will miss the BBQ.
When we arrive I spend about 20 minutes trying to get parking. I end up having to park in a garage where it requires paying. Seriously? Emergency rooms need to have plenty of parking, don't you think? Anyway, we wait in the ER for about an hour and a half to get taken back to a room. Eva's head is no longer bleeding at all and she is having a ball in the waiting room with another little girl. Finally we get back to a room (Eva even dances while following the nurse back) where three different people come to ask me questions about her medical history. Annoying. Then we wait more but at least I feel like we are making progress. Here she is, happy as a clam on the "special bed".

Then a PA comes in and puts two staples in her head. She cries a bit but when they offer her a Popsicle and stickers she calms right down. She is a trooper the whole time. I was/am more traumatized by the whole thing than she was. She hasn't even been in any pain since.
Sigh. That girl. Gotta watch out for her.

Shenanigans

Guess who ate a crayon while Mom wasn't looking?

Guess who didn't like being caught?

Darby's latest trick. Standing on her head. She does it all the time.

She even gets the older ones to do it too. I couldn't get a shot of all three on their heads but it did happen. And they all laughed hysterically. Good times.

Summer

I think summer has officially begun. We have had HOT weather all week and no rain. One morning it was almost 80 (before it go too hot) and so we enjoyed some outside time. The rocking bench is under a shady tree. We bought some shade for the patio and a few more outside toys. The kid table with umbrella is a big hit too. Man, I love having a backyard.

However, I really miss Marin County public parks. Now that is an area what knows how to do it right when it comes to places to play. Oh well. There is seriously something to be said for just being able to send your kids outside without you.

Dental Daughter

Eva had her second dental appointment ever yesterday. The first time she was a little scared and I had to hold her while they checked her teeth. This time she showed her big girl status by voluntarily sitting by herself and being extremely compliant while they checked and cleaned her teeth. She loved the chair that could move up and down, and the promise of a sticker made it even more worthwhile. She opened and closed and suctioned and smiled all on cue. She was the perfect patient, even if she's only three. Daddy would be proud.
By the way, no dental concerns except to expect crowding when the permanent teeth come in and the possibility of teeth removal to make room for them in a few years. Poor girl got my big teeth and her dad's small mouth.