Darin puts together a monthly newsletter for his family. All his siblings and parents email an update and he compiles them all, along with birthdays, anniversaries and such, then sends it to everyone in the family.
So this month as we were writing our family stuff, he asked me what I wanted to report about myself.
I was stumped.
I didn't have anything to say.
I have done things.... thoroughly cleaned the oven with homemade green cleaners and lots of elbow grease for one....cleaned two window blinds one slat at a time for another....but nothing really newsletter worthy.
So I have been thinking about it all month, mentally making note of what I have been doing, and here it is (for your enjoyment), in no particular order.
I have thrown away a candy zoo, and ninja house bit by bit in a sneaky fashion so the kids didn't even notice when they were gone.
I resisted the urge to spend $1.50 per card for gorgeous letter pressed baptism announcements, and made homemade ones myself (with computer help from Darin). I put a picture of Miriam on them so they would be gorgeous no matter what.
I made a birth to 1 year scrapbook in 3 days for Soren when Shutterfly was offering a free 8X8 book. I shuffled through lots of pictures, and then cried a bit (and a bit more) as I remembered my kids looking like this:
I've written this before but I have to say it again. I love who they are, but I miss who they were!
We've had 3 out of the 4 Baptism prep Family Home Evenings before Miriam's special day.
Faith, Repentance, and this week - Baptism. We ended this weeks lesson and game with a "Dunk Party" featuring Oreos and milk (idea from my friend Diedre). Darin stole one of Soren's cookies and then magically pulled it out of his ear. Soren may really believe that pennies, pearls, and cookies can be pulled out of his head.
I have been reviewing East of Eden for this month's book club. I read The Christmas Experiment (which has a little blurb about my in-laws in it!). I'll need to re-read that one in September. I just started Moon Over Manifest because my sweet sister-in-law lent me a copy.
I haven't made any New Years resolutions (other than the ongoing ones) but I did discover my word for the year.
Buck
Have you seen that documentary? Cried my eyes out. I want to parent the way Buck trains horses. My favorite quote from the movie:
"Some say they are too old when they are 40 but I say....."shut up".
It was something like that anyway.
Then of course laundry on Mondays, bathrooms on Tuesday etc. etc.
Piano practice, reading, sounding out words, Sesame Street etc. etc.
Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, too many snacks.
Downton Abby, hate to admit this but Say Yes to the Dress, Pinterest, blogs, and the month is now, unbelievably, half over.
