Primary programs are beautiful things that always bring tears, testimony, and a bit of mirth.
Today the joke was on us as one of our children determined to singlehandedly meet the challenge to "use a really big voice." She out-sung the whole group on many of the numbers, and the poor girl in front of her spent much of the program with her fingers in her ears. Too far away to make a change, I just grinned and wondered about opera lessons.
Later someone told me that my Emma was the best part. I chuckled, thinking of all of my covert smiles over the years at other people's children. For all you laughing out there, just wait -- you never know when the parent you will be embarrassed for will be you.
October 28, 2007
October 27, 2007
Allegiance
Did you know that my children now pledge allegiance in school each morning to both the USA flag and the Texas flag? This was a surprise, and I must admit that when I happen to be in the school during announcements my voice is silent after the USA pledge as I listen with some disgruntlement to the children pledging allegiance to a state. Now, I was a history major in college, and I think I understand at least a little bit about the critical need for a balance between state and federal governments. However, I consider myself foremost a citizen of the United States of America and don't think any length of time spent in Texas (or any other state) will ready me to pledge my allegiance to it.
Interestingly, when Ben and I visited Colonial Williamsburg a few years ago we sat in an interactive lecture with the Colonial Thomas Jefferson (or at least someone who had studied the man enough to portray him as well as anyone could portray someone gone that long) and learned something about the portrayer's view of the pledge of allegiance. The subject of flag burning came up and "Jefferson" seemed untroubled by it, allowing for it as a healthy outcome of freedom of speech. An audience member pressed "Jefferson" further and applied to what many of us consider the sacred words of the pledge of allegiance. I'll never forget the Colonial "Jefferson's" comment: "You pledge allegiance to a flag?!"
So, I looked up the pledge to the Texas flag to include it here so you could be disgruntled along with me, but I learned something that made me pause, something that brought new meaning to the words my children recite each day. The Texas pledge was created in 1933 and has remained basically the same since then. However, just this year it was amended to include the phrase, "one state under God." To me, this critical change at a time when so many are moving the opposite direction says something incredible about Texas!
Will I say the pledge now? No, I'm still not ready to pledge allegiance to a state; but now when I hear the Texas pledge I will think of the many Texans who want their children to know that they believe in and request the merciful help of our Father in Heaven.
Here is the Texas pledge, for your benefit: "Honor the Texas Flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."
{I have wondered how Jefferson might have felt about the Pledge later in life. Would he have answered as his Colonial portrayer did? Also, you may enjoy reading about the Pledge on Wikipedia where there is any interesting account of how the Pledge came into being and also what prompted Eisenhower and the US Congress to add the words "under God" to the US Pledge in 1954. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance).}
Interestingly, when Ben and I visited Colonial Williamsburg a few years ago we sat in an interactive lecture with the Colonial Thomas Jefferson (or at least someone who had studied the man enough to portray him as well as anyone could portray someone gone that long) and learned something about the portrayer's view of the pledge of allegiance. The subject of flag burning came up and "Jefferson" seemed untroubled by it, allowing for it as a healthy outcome of freedom of speech. An audience member pressed "Jefferson" further and applied to what many of us consider the sacred words of the pledge of allegiance. I'll never forget the Colonial "Jefferson's" comment: "You pledge allegiance to a flag?!"
So, I looked up the pledge to the Texas flag to include it here so you could be disgruntled along with me, but I learned something that made me pause, something that brought new meaning to the words my children recite each day. The Texas pledge was created in 1933 and has remained basically the same since then. However, just this year it was amended to include the phrase, "one state under God." To me, this critical change at a time when so many are moving the opposite direction says something incredible about Texas!
Will I say the pledge now? No, I'm still not ready to pledge allegiance to a state; but now when I hear the Texas pledge I will think of the many Texans who want their children to know that they believe in and request the merciful help of our Father in Heaven.
Here is the Texas pledge, for your benefit: "Honor the Texas Flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."
{I have wondered how Jefferson might have felt about the Pledge later in life. Would he have answered as his Colonial portrayer did? Also, you may enjoy reading about the Pledge on Wikipedia where there is any interesting account of how the Pledge came into being and also what prompted Eisenhower and the US Congress to add the words "under God" to the US Pledge in 1954. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance).}
October 25, 2007
Mission Accomplished!
The other day while we were shopping Daniel noticed that Christmas had already come to Walmart, so naturally we went over to see. Before long we discovered all of the noisemaking Christmas "toys" -- the seals singing "Let it Snow," Santa on a Harley, a grandfather bear reading the story from the Bible, and some unknown creature singing some Christmas song I had never before heard.
He pushed buttons slowly at first, and I followed behind him, "shushing" the ones that we had passed. However, after a while I just let him go at it, and WOW! the cacophony!! But, it was early, the store wasn't crowded, and we will never own one of those, so I figured it was best to just get it all out of his system at once.
He enjoyed it, I got a good laugh, and we both left feeling some sense of accomplishment. Quite a successful outing.
He pushed buttons slowly at first, and I followed behind him, "shushing" the ones that we had passed. However, after a while I just let him go at it, and WOW! the cacophony!! But, it was early, the store wasn't crowded, and we will never own one of those, so I figured it was best to just get it all out of his system at once.
He enjoyed it, I got a good laugh, and we both left feeling some sense of accomplishment. Quite a successful outing.
September 28, 2007
Ben on the tramp
I need to get a picture for this: last Family Night Isaac chose jumping on the trampoline for the activity. Ben got on with the older boys and they played a "jump-as-high-as-you-can" game.
You should have seen Ben, knees nearly up to his chin with each jump, sending children sky-high all over the tramp. Isaac was propelled to heights that to him felt like a dream come true! It was all pretty comical.
You should have seen Ben, knees nearly up to his chin with each jump, sending children sky-high all over the tramp. Isaac was propelled to heights that to him felt like a dream come true! It was all pretty comical.
Ahh . . . A/C!!
Our A/C went out yesterday, and it got up to about 90 degrees in the house. When you add in the Austin humidity, the air felt heavy and even breathing took more effort. I was amazed at how much the heat distracted me. It was as though something pesky was always poking at the back of my mind, and I felt pretty lethargic and ineffective, not to mention almost wringably wet.
Today a neighbor mentioned that I probably had a second breaker box, which I searched for and found hiding outside behind a very large bush. With a flip of the breaker that had partially tripped, we are back in the cool!! (Well, we will be when it gets back down to a comfortable temp.) We won't have to through another night of children struggling to go to sleep because they were sweating. HURRAY FOR A/C!!!!
Today a neighbor mentioned that I probably had a second breaker box, which I searched for and found hiding outside behind a very large bush. With a flip of the breaker that had partially tripped, we are back in the cool!! (Well, we will be when it gets back down to a comfortable temp.) We won't have to through another night of children struggling to go to sleep because they were sweating. HURRAY FOR A/C!!!!
September 26, 2007
What a great word!
"Can you help me finish my 'cwackanoni'?"
(Daniel, age three, asking for some aid with his macaroni and cheese so he could have a treat.)
Holding the quints
A family in our ward just had quintuplets -- maybe six or eight weeks ago -- and there are shifts set up around the clock to help them. I signed up for the 7-10pm shift last night. Wow, what a joy!
There were four adults there (the parents, a grandma, and me), the quints, and also the two older children (ages 7 and 4). All four of us adults were BUSY the whole time! It was not uncommon for one of us to be holding two babies at once, something that will only be possible for a few more weeks before the babies get too big.
I was interested to see some of the organizational set ups to make things workable. The baby room is right as you enter the house and has five cribs lining the walls with a five foot open square space in the middle. Right now, only two cribs are in use. Across from the baby room is a formal dining room that has been converted into a sitting/caring/changing/feeding room for the babies. There are two changing tables and a large shelf with baskets in all of cubbyholes to hold bibs, burp cloths, 0-3 month sleepers for girls, 0-3 month sleepers for boys, 0-3 month onsies for girls, 0-3 month onsies for boys, all of the same categories in premies, blankets for boys, blankets for girls, etc.
In order to help all of the people who are assisting, and also probably the tired parents, each child has been given a color that he/she wears solely (as much as possible). That way you can keep track of who has been fed, who's diaper was changed, and who is who.
The quints are still pretty small (about the size most of my babies start as), but quite alert and seem to be growing well. Lots of miracles in that family! I can't help but wonder how the parents are coping and if they try to avoid too much forward thought and planning right now. There is SO much to occupy the whole family (and myriads of others!) with just the minute to minute needs of the household. Others have taken over the care organization for the quint shifts and the daily play dates for the four year old. Friends and businesses have donated a lot (a 12 seater van, dental work for the quints until they leave home, formula for a year, etc.). But wow, huh? You can read more at their website:
http://www.wilkinsonquints.org/
The media page has some great spots. A short but very good one is the Austin-American Statesman Slideshow.
I have signed up for another evening shift in a few weeks. It's hard to find a free shift -- amazing, huh? Even the eight hour overnight shifts that happen daily are full! The parents also attend all of the three hour Church block together with their two older children. This is a community effort, and I sure felt blessed to help for a little while. What an eye-opening experience.
There were four adults there (the parents, a grandma, and me), the quints, and also the two older children (ages 7 and 4). All four of us adults were BUSY the whole time! It was not uncommon for one of us to be holding two babies at once, something that will only be possible for a few more weeks before the babies get too big.
I was interested to see some of the organizational set ups to make things workable. The baby room is right as you enter the house and has five cribs lining the walls with a five foot open square space in the middle. Right now, only two cribs are in use. Across from the baby room is a formal dining room that has been converted into a sitting/caring/changing/feeding room for the babies. There are two changing tables and a large shelf with baskets in all of cubbyholes to hold bibs, burp cloths, 0-3 month sleepers for girls, 0-3 month sleepers for boys, 0-3 month onsies for girls, 0-3 month onsies for boys, all of the same categories in premies, blankets for boys, blankets for girls, etc.
In order to help all of the people who are assisting, and also probably the tired parents, each child has been given a color that he/she wears solely (as much as possible). That way you can keep track of who has been fed, who's diaper was changed, and who is who.
The quints are still pretty small (about the size most of my babies start as), but quite alert and seem to be growing well. Lots of miracles in that family! I can't help but wonder how the parents are coping and if they try to avoid too much forward thought and planning right now. There is SO much to occupy the whole family (and myriads of others!) with just the minute to minute needs of the household. Others have taken over the care organization for the quint shifts and the daily play dates for the four year old. Friends and businesses have donated a lot (a 12 seater van, dental work for the quints until they leave home, formula for a year, etc.). But wow, huh? You can read more at their website:
http://www.wilkinsonquints.org/
The media page has some great spots. A short but very good one is the Austin-American Statesman Slideshow.
I have signed up for another evening shift in a few weeks. It's hard to find a free shift -- amazing, huh? Even the eight hour overnight shifts that happen daily are full! The parents also attend all of the three hour Church block together with their two older children. This is a community effort, and I sure felt blessed to help for a little while. What an eye-opening experience.
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