Glad it's over

It's just been one of those weeks where it felt like there was too much to do, and not enough time to do it all in. But all in all, there were more good moments than bad.

Kaitlyn performed in the last two performances of Beauty & The Beast. I went to closing night on Tuesday, & it was better than the first performance. Kaitlyn performed really well and she said she loved the whole experience, & wants to perform in another play in the future. But I don't think she realized how much energy it took out of her until Wednesday. She came home from school, and went straight to bed until dinner. She ate dinner, then went back to bed. Next week, she starts training for track. & resumes piano lessons. Always on the go. Oh, & she played basketball today & her team won by a land slide!

Jonathan is adjusting to getting up at 5 am for Driver's Ed. So much so, that he has decided that he will start a weight lifting class that starts at 6 am. He has 2 more driver's ed classes, then he'll begin weight lifting. I'm glad he'll be getting his licenses soon. He is always needing to go somewhere it seems.

Emily passed off her last two skill sets at Gymnastics on Thursday! She will be advancing to the next level. I think she has two more levels to go, & we plan on keeping her in gymnastics all summer, so it is possible that she'll start competition levels in a year. She loves the sport.

Remember a few weeks ago, I wrote that Hannah's teacher was concerned over her spelling? Well, we have been working hard on studying each week, & she has earned 100% on her last two spelling tests! She is very happy with herself, & we are pleased she has a strong desire to work hard in school. She also passed her math test with 100%

Hunter, the dog that wandered onto our doorstep two weeks ago, officially became ours on Monday. He is a good dog & we've had very few problems with him, so we decided to keep him. On Wednesday, we took him in for his shots & to be fixed. I have some cute pictures of him wearing "the cone of shame" and I'll try to remember to post them sometime this week.

Stephen's schoolwork load has been very intense this week. He had to write at least 5 papers, take two tests, & analyze 8 ECG strips. He has been very busy. So far, he has straight A's. Go Stephen!

Stay Tuned

I found a deal on Saturday at a printing shop that binds & prints 12 x 12 pages. The deal is to have 100 pages printed & bound for the price of 25 pages. It works out to .25 per page with a $8 shipping charge. The only catch is that as of Saturday, I only had about 75 pages from 2010 completed! I have been scrapbooking like crazy since Saturday trying to finish. Usually, it takes me 2 months to scrapbook 25 pages, I can't believe I have scrapped that many 5 days! It has been interesting, but I am almost finished! No one has starved and they've all worn clean clothes to school, so I feel pretty accomplished!

I just need to scrap one more layout & figure out a title page, then click submit. The offer expires tomorrow, so I better get moving!

Just Funny!

Well, nothing too interesting has happened around here since Thursday. Stephen is plugging away at school. Now that he has a routine down, it isn't as stressful. He is enjoying his clinical on ICU & still feels like a little boy in a candy shop working around all the cool equipment. They have a new bed specifically design to improve lung capacity & help people breathe easier. A bed, it's amazing!

Kaitlyn had her first basketball game Saturday & scored 2 baskets. Her team won. Jonathan went to a Maple Dell Staff Party last night & was 45 minutes late coming home, without calling home. I was ticked. I think being 16 has gone to his head & we need to have a talk.

But other than that, life is going as usual. Although the kids have made me laugh a lot this weekend. Today, Kaitlyn did Hannah's hair for church. She pinned her bangs back in with a barrette. Later, after church, Hannah & I were sitting on my bed talking. She unclipped her bangs, & they looked like that big poof I was so fond of wearing when I was a teenager. I told her I used to wear my hair like that when I was Kaitlyn's age. Her eyes grew very wide & she said, "Way back in the 50s?" No silly, the 80s!

Yesterday, we started lunch & Hannah wanted a PB & J sandwich. The Jelly was brand new, so Kaitlyn asked Jonathan to open the jar. He twisted the lid, he tapped it on the edge of the table, he twisted it with all his might. Wouldn't budge. Emily asked to give it a try.Jonathan didn't think she could open it. She did without effort, Wounded male ego!

Here to stay... I guess

A few posts back, I mentioned that a dog had wandered up to our house and we have been looking for his owner. We learned that there is protocol to follow when you find a missing animal. Who knew?
1. Notify animal control. It took me 3 days to get a hold of the officer. When I did, he came out & looked at the dog, & asked if we wanted to take him to a shelter or foster him. If we put him in the shelter, they would hold him for 5 days, then try to adopt him out within 7 days. If that was unsuccessful, then they would put him down. After 3 days, could we let that happen? No, the attachment process had already begun!

2. Call the shelter to see if anyone has come looking for him. Sadly, no one has. He is a really good dog, well trained & very loving. It surprises me that no one seems to miss him.

3. Make posters. I ran out of ink, but I bought some tonight. I will make them & distribute them
around where we think he came from tomorrow.

Animal control said if no one claims him by Monday, & if we want him, we can have him. He is a great dog & the kids are in love with him. But I know if it were my dog, I would want him back. The kids feel the same. So we feel like we need to do everything possible to find his owner by before we officially call him ours.

We also decided we couldn't keep calling him dog, so he needed a temporary name. So we call him Hunter.

Eventful Day

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both, and there you have the facts of life. Old theme song to an 80s show I used to watch as a kid. That about sums up our day yesterday.

First, the good. Beauty & the Beast Jr. opened last night. Kaitlyn looked beautiful & performed wonderfully. It was fun to watch all of the hard work they've been doing finally come together.


Village Girl


Feather Duster in the Beast's Enchanted Castle. I took the picture during intermission since the castle scenes were pretty dark.


Onto the bad. I have had several days in a row where I feel pretty tired. I haven't been sleeping too well. I call these days "survival days" where I do the bare minimum to keep life afloat. That means my first goal is to make sure everyone gets 3 meals, everyone has clean clothes to wear, & homework is completed. I consider anything else I accomplish a bonus. These days frustrate me, & I feel especially discouraged when I have 2 or 3 days in a row. I'm hoping to get good sleep tonight. I know I tend to have more of these days in the winter than the summer. I think I'll ask Stephen to pick up Kaitlyn from her performance at 9:30 pm tonight, & try to take a long hot bath, read a good book, & hopefully fall asleep before 11. I think I just need to somehow hit the reset button.

Not Again

Look who showed up on our doorstep last night:



We have combed the neighborhood, been to the vet/ pound. No one knows who he is and has not seen him around. There is no microchip in him. We are putting up posters tomorrow. He is a good dog so far, but hopefully we can find his owner!

Kaitlyn said she prayed that Stephen & I would have a softened heart toward the dog, & let him stay with us until his owner can be located. Who can compete with that?

Lots of Little Things

There have been a few things I've failed to record about this week......

The good news is that Stephen finished week one of his first semester at BYU-Idaho. The other news is he has 14 more weeks to go. Notice I used the word "other" instead of "bad." It's all about attitude!

The semester ended for the kids. Kaitlyn, as usual, had the highest grades this term, but the other kids did really well. Stephen & I went to Parent Teacher Conference for Emily & Hannah, & I had a startling realization... I am getting OLD! Hannah's teacher is a very sweet, dedicated YOUNG woman. She just graduated from BYU last year. Her teaching methods are very textbook. For instance, she is concerned that Hannah's reading level is above average, but her spelling test scores are average. She thinks that since her reading level is so high, her spelling scores should be too. I am not as concerned. Emily has had teachers (usually brand new) that have had the same concerns, and other teachers (who have taught for 10+ years) that aren't as concerned. They have told me spelling comes with time & practice. So, I just nodded my head politely, & listened to her suggestions. I asked to see Hannah's free write journal, & was pleased to see that words like "friend" and "family" were spelled right, but the word "their" was misspelled as "thir". I think Hannah just feels rushed during spelling tests & that it why she makes so many mistakes. Anyway, I am glad I'm getting old & I don't take everything a teacher says to heart like I used to in my younger days!

Jonathan & Kaitlyn both started playing Church ball this weekend. Jonathan loves all sports & Kaitlyn loves basketball the most. I'm glad they are enjoying themselves.

Today was Church. I admit, I didn't want to go. My body does not like this cold weather, & I woke up stiff & achy. I just wanted to snuggle down in my nice, warm bed & sleep. I thought of a lot of justifications & convinced myself not to go. But, then I decided it wasn't a good example to the kids, so I got up. We were late again, argh! And of course there were a lot of visitors due to Kyle Davis speaking before he leaves on his mission, so we had to sit on the front row! But, I am glad I went. The second speaker was a young lady who had just returned from her mission & she directed her comments toward the young women. She spoke about how Heavenly Father loves us individually & doesn't compare us to others, so we shouldn't either. She also shared an experience where she was very upset with someone over some hurtful comments someone had made about a friend. She prayed to forgive & felt peace, Kaitlyn had similar experiences this week, comparing herself to other girls, & getting mad at a friend who said something mean to another friend. I was glad I was there to hear the talk, & nudge her, & say, "this talk was for you."

Jonathan was ordained as a priest today in priest quorum. It was neat to witness. Stephen ordained him, but all the boys in the quorum stood in the circle. Jonathan is blessed to have such good friends in his quorum!

All in all, it's been a busy, but good week. Beauty & the Beast, Jr starts on Tuesday & we are excited to see Kaitlyn perform!

Jan 14- Get In Shape

Today, I found an awesome deal for season passes to Seven Peaks! I am so excited, I love water parks almost more than the kids so! Today, I have been dreaming of warm sun, a cooler packed lunch, & floating in the lazy river or riding down the wild water slides with the girls. It's a bonus that the water park is right next to Stephen's work. Hopefully, he can join us for lunch on the days he works. Then I realized, I will be in a bathing suit most of the summer. Eek!! I need to get in shape, so starting tomorrow, I am going to work out for 30 minutes a day. I hope to drop 20 pounds by May. My reward will be buying myself a new bathing suit.
Jen (my sister) also invited us to go to the Oregon Coast this summer. I'm not sure if it will work out or not financially or schedule wise, but just in case, I want to be healthy & fit!

January 12- Busy, tired family

This morning, not one of the children wanted to go to school. They all expressed being too tired to go. Jonathan & Kaitlyn both have good reasons. Jonathan is up at 5am for Driver's Ed. He is not a morning person, & this is really hard for him. But the good news is, only 2 weeks left of the course! Kaitlyn is one week away from opening night of Beauty & the Beast, Jr. She goes to school at 7am, and then has dress rehearsal from 3pm until they finish running the show. She has comeshome & flopped into bed each night this week.
I am trading services with a friend. I am helping her with some house cleaning and she is teaching Hannah ballet. Her first lesson is today, right after school. She is excited. Emily has Activity Day Meeting at 4 today, & Gymnastics at 6 pm. Stephen has his first clinical in the ICU in Provo tonight from 6pm- 6 am.
Busy, busy!

January 11th- Another Injury

I think when a baby boy is born, he should come with a warning label. WARNING: I will break, twist & sprain many parts of my body multiple times!
In November, Jonathan bruised his collar bone very badly playing football. It took almost a month to heal. He was finally all healed, & he sprained his ankle pretty bad last night playing basketball. He has been getting up at 5 a.m. all week to attend Driver's Ed. So, he is really tired, in pain, & frustrated by the injury. All in all, he is not a very happy boy right now. He insists he will be well enough to play basketball Saturday night & go snowmobilling on Monday. We will see.
I also learned a lesson last night on parenting a child who is 16. At 9pm, he asked to go play basketball at the church. I was editing a paper for Stephen, & I was concentrating pretty hard, so I distractedly told him yes & he left. I assumed that he knew he should be home by 10pm on a school night. Nope, wrong. Stephen had to go get him at 10:25 pm. And yes, he had sprained his ankle much earlier in the game & just kept playing. Stephen gave him ib profen, ice & sent him to bed. But, the lesson I learned is I have to be specific on what time curfew is, or who knows when he'll decide to come home!
On the bright side, Jonathan has really struggled all semester with Pre- Calculus. I was worried it would ruin the GPA he needed to get a reduction in car insurance. Insuring a male teenager is VERY expensive. But, he aced his midterm, which pulled his grade up high enough to get the reduction. Yay!

January 10th- A thoughtful daughter

Yesterday, I really didn't think I had much to post. Stephen went to work. The kids went to school. I stayed home and did housework and laundry. Jonathan, Emily & Hannah came home from school, ate a snack, & did their chores & homework. Still, nothing too exciting.
Then around dinnertime, things got interesting. One of my goals this year is to teach the children to cook. I am especially concerned about Jonathan as he is getting older and once he is out on his own, I don't want him to live off of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. I also want my girls to have the skills they need to feed their own families one day. So, I assigned them each one night a week to cook dinner. I assist as needed, but they are the primary cook. Last night was Jonathan's night to cook & he made spaghetti and a chef salad. We try to prepare dinner so that we are putting it on the table just as Stephen gets home from work, but it doesn't always work. We were dishing out the food when the phone rang. It was Stephen. They had a medical emergency at work, & he wouldn't be leaving until all the paperwork was completed. So the kids & I ate, cleaned up the kitchen, & put the leftovers in the fridge.
Stephen always calls me as soon as we walks out of the door from work. We use his commute time to chat about the day & talk about how the kids are doing. As soon as the phone rang, Kaitlyn said, "Mom, tell me when Dad is 5 minutes away & I'll go upstairs and warm up his dinner." I was touched. Kaitlyn didn't get home from a dress rehearsal until 5:45 pm. I knew she was exhausted. Yet, she was thinking of her dad, having to work late, and how hungry he might be.
Stephen's cell phone battery died half way through the conversation, so I went back to scrubbing pots & pans while I waited for him to finish driving home. Kaitlyn was heating up his dinner as I worked. After a few seconds, she said, "Mom, I'm grateful I have a dad. especially one as good as mine. I just don't know what I would do without him."
I'm grateful Stephen is such a wonderful father too. He has taught the girls how men should treat women. I am also grateful that Kaitlyn recognizes what she has, and doesn't take her dad for granted.
It's the little things in life that bring us the most joy!

January 9th- Be Happy!

I woke up this morning at 7:30am, and thought, "yesssss, it's Sunday, I can sleep in!" and rolled over and snuggled down into my warm comforter and fell back to sleep. 45 minutes later, I woke up with an uneasy feeling that I was forgetting something.... and then realized Church starts at 9 am, not 1pm like last year! EEK! I jumped out of bed, raced to wake up the children, then ran to my room to get ready. Amazingly, there were very few arguments (maybe there was no time?) while we were getting ready, and we made it just as the opening prayer was being said. Of course, I dislike being late, but we weren't as late as we could have been.
I was surprised when the Bishop called Jonathan up to have the congregation sustain him as a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. I knew he had been interviewed last Sunday, but with the busy week that we had, I hadn't thought too much about it. Stephen will ordain him next Sunday.
The Smith Family spoke in Sacrament meeting about finding happiness in this life. I enjoyed all their talks, but I think the things I reflected most upon is that happiness doesn't come from things, and it isn't about waiting for some big thing to happen. Happiness is for today, and it comes from the relationships we have with those around us. I thought about this. I do feel the happiest when I am spending time with my family & doing things for them.
Stephen is pretty stressed about school. There is a lot of work to do, & it seems overwhelming to him right now. He has to balance work & family along with it. Today I made his favorite foods, Beef Stew & rolls for dinner, and banana pudding for dessert. I hope he enjoys it. Sometimes, it's the simple things that can bring us happiness.
I feel really blessed to have the kids I do. They aren't perfect, but each one of them is really, really good. Yesterday, I had a lot of errands to run. I left a huge chore list at home & put Jonathan & Kaitlyn in charge of making sure it all was completed. I hoped all day that they would get it done. I arrived home to find a fairly clean home. They all worked together, & did their best. It made me happy.
Of course, today, the house is a disaster again!

January 8th

It's been a busy week and everyone was feeling the need for down time. So I let the children skip chores, and we watched movies all afternoon & into the evening. I felt pretty satisfied that Netflix and the Wii had remained off all week, but I think we made up for it last night! Now, it's Saturday & we must get to work again. I admit, I don't want to, I rather play all day. But, I need to go grocery shopping, and the children have homework & chores to complete. Stephen is at work, & will come home to study for 2-3 hours. I often tell the kids that life is more about work than play, but sometimes, I wish it were the other way around! A big kid at heart I guess!
Yesterday, Jonathan came home & said he had good news & bad news. The good news is that Driver's Ed starts on Monday. The bad news is the class is held at 5:30 am! It's a 3 week class, & he doesn't know how he'll survive being at school from 5:30 am to 2:25 pm! As for me, I'll be asleep. Stephen usually leaves for work at 5:20 am, so he'll drop him off on the way! Yay for me!
Well, grocery shopping calls!

January 7th.. reality sets in

This is becoming a common scene in our house. Lots & lots of homework. Most days, I have a positive attitude. It's a blessing for Stephen to have the opportunity to go to school to advance it's a career options. It sets a good example for the kids to work hard in school & value education.
But then there are days like today, when I realize how much work it is. For Stephen, lots of studying. For me, taking care of the kids & the house on my own for the most part. I feel less than enthusiastic.
But tomorrow is a new day......

January 6th

A few weeks ago, I asked Jonathan what he wanted for his birthday......
Me: A video game party with the guys, pizza, soda & lots of junk food?
Jon: Naw
Me: Lazer tag? Invite 3-5 friends
Jon: Naw
Me: All you can eat pizza with friends...........
Jon (eyebrows raise, he considers it a few minutes) no
Me: Money for your first date?
Jon: (dark blush) NO!
Me: Well, then what do you want?
Jon: A copy of the van key, the car key, & key to the house. German Chocolate Cake, & a nice big dinner.
Me: That's all?
Jon: Yep!

So I made him a 3 layered German chocolate cake from scratch. It took me 3 hours, but it tasted incredible! I also made him a steak, cheesy potatos, & garlic bread. He said it was perfect. I didn't have time to get keys made, but I will do that tonight while I'm waiting for Emily while she's at gymnastics. He had a ton of homework, so that's about all he did last night besides eat.

Speaking of homework, Stephen offiically started school yesterday. I was pretty busy cooking most of the day, but I did observe that he took 3 tests, met with his clinical instructor, & read for hours in his critical care nursing book. He also helped Emily with her math, grilled the steaks for dinner, ate dinner with us, & gathered everyone for prayer & scripture study. He amazes me!

January 4th

I learned that part of being a good mom is being able to admit when I was wrong & apologize to my children. I am blessed to have a close relationship with my extended family. I was on the phone the other night with my dad & I told him something Kaitlyn told me in confidence. I told him because I thought it was cute & knew it would make him smile. Well, Hannah overheard me, & promptly told Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn was very hurt & upset. To her, I shared a secret that was only meant for me. I realized she was right, & I apologized right away. I still felt bad until I realized part of parenting is teaching children that everyone makes mistakes, & everyone, even moms, have to apologize when they are wrong. I'm also relieved that Kaitlyn forgave me, & told me another secret the very next day. But I'm not telling what it is! :)

January 5th

Jonathan Spencer Daisson, 1 week old, 5lbs 14 ounces. We had to
strip him down to his diaper to feed him to keep him awake & alert
enough to eat. He only took 2 ounces at a time,

Well, I remember what I was doing on January 4th 16 years ago. I was laying on an air mattress in our living room with a backache so painful, I thought I was going to die. Of course, I was 20, and just a tad overly dramatic. Instead of dying, I slept nearly 24 hours straight, and I woke up on January 5th, realizing my water had broke, and I was in labor with my first child. I was so scared and excited at the same time. This baby wasn't supposed to be born for 5 more weeks, & I was terrified that the early birth would be a hardship for my baby. But I was excited too, because I had been in labor for nearly 5 weeks, and had to go to the hospital each time to have it stopped. I was tired emotionally & physically. 4 hours after my water broke, a baby emerged from my womb. As I laid there, in complete awe that I had delivered naturally and without complication despite having Cerebral Palsy, I heard the loudest cry I had ever heard! In less than a minute, I heard the doctor tell Stephen he had a son, & then they placed my baby son in my arms, & he opened his eyes, & looked into mine, & my life changed forever. He was perfect, & he was as healthy as though he had been born on his due date. The next day, Stephen & I took him home.




Fast forward 16 years. Last night, I sat in the passenger seat of Stephen's Dodge Neon as Jonathan drove on icy roads to meet with a Scout official to have his Eagle Project paperwork approved. I was nervous about him driving on the icy roads, & kept reminding him to drive carefully. On response, he revved the engine & laughed. Oh, how he loves to tease his mom! I laughed too & quit nagging him. We arrived at the scouting official's office & I sat in the car and waited. Once again, I was excited and nervous. Nervous, because last time he met with the man, he came out discouraged because he had to rewrite the paperwork. I was worried he would find more things wrong with it. But I was excited because I knew Jonathan had worked really hard on the rewrite & hoped it would be accepted. Jonathan came back, all smiles. The paperwork passed inspection & all that is left is a board of review! Now, Jonathan can start looking for a job and get his driver's license's. Again, because of him, our life is about to change forever. He is no longer our baby, but a mature young man who becomes more independent each day.
WE LOVE YOU JONATHAN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING YOUR EAGLE!

January 3rd

Well, I had a lot to post today, but only about 12 minutes to write, EEK!
I went through Stephen's class syllabuses today & made a to do list for him. The man has ALOT of work to this week. I will pray for him, I know he'll feel overwhelmed.
I signed Jonathan up for Drivers Ed. It cost $95, but it will be worth it to have a 3rd driver in the house!
I really need to get a few more things done before the kids get home, but tomorrow I will blog about an experience I had with Kaitlyn & how it has changed my perspective on parenting.

January 2nd

Our time to go to church switched from 1 pm to 9 am, and I LOVE IT! Being the first week of the month, it was fast & testimony meeting. We have lived in this area for over 10 years now, so the people we go to church with seem like part of our extended family. I love the warm, familiar feel whenever we walk in. I was truly edified by the testimonies that were shared. People, our friends, encouraging each other to live the Gospel a little better, to come to know Christ better. I just feel very blessed to be a part of this ward & neighborhood.
A funny story about fast & testimony meeting. Jonathan's friend Jared bore his testimony. 7 minutes later, his friend Russel, stood up. 2 seconds later, Jonathan stood up. What's funny is that earlier, their Young Men's President stood up, & was bearing his testimony about the importance of living a righteous life as young men & respecting the Priesthood. He looked over at the Young Men who were sitting together because they had passed the Sacrament, and as usual, they were goofing off & not paying attention. The YM president commented on their behavior. Apparently, they are great multi-taskers because at least one of them heard the comment, and as a result, the three, Jared, Russel, & Jonathan stood to bear testimony to prove they were indeed paying attention!
For the past several months, I've had the opportunity to help a little girl in our ward with special needs transition from nursery to primary. She moved in our ward in June. She was 4, & due to being a little behind developmentally, she was put in nursery. I bonded with her almost immediately. I was given the assignment of transitioning her from the nursery to the primary. By September, she was in Primary sharing time for the entire time, and I was assigned to be her Primary teacher for the Sunday School portion. Today, she went to her regular class with children her age and did really well! There are two teachers in her class, so I am no longer needed. And it feels great! It means I did my job well, and she has the skills to be successful in a regular class. I did love working with her, & I will miss her, but it is a great thing that she is able to move on.
So, I returned back to the nursery today. Most of our nursery kids were 3 years old, and moved on to Primary. Now, we only have 4 children, & it is a delight to be with them again!



Stephen also returned to the Elder's Quorum after serving in the Young Men's for 3 years. He said he enjoyed it. It was wonderful to take a nap after church.
The kids & I had to help Stephen with a little homework for his religion class. He is required to take Family Foundations class this semester. His first assignment is to post a picture of our family. Well, you would think with all the pictures I take, we would have a family picture. nope! So we set the camera up on the tripod & snapped a picture:



And now, for the most exciting news (hopefully)! Jonathan finished his paperwork for his Eagle and set up an appointment with the person in charge of reviewing the paperwork before scheduling his board of review! This is his second attempt, and hopefully, it will be accepted. His appointment is tomorrow!

January 1st

One of my goals of the new year is to blog a little something about each day. Some posts will be bigger, maybe even more exciting than most. Some will have pictures, other's won't. The purpose is to keep a record of our daily life.
Yesterday, I think we hit that point where we are ready to back to our normal routine. It has been really cold & snowy. Bitter cold, it is no fun to be out in, even to play in. So we have been cooped up all week & the kids are going stir crazy! They are bored of playing games, watching movies, & playing on the Wii.
Jonathan & Kaitlyn went to a New Years Dance & had fun. The rest of us stayed home, played Disney Scene It & watched a movie. Earlier in the day, I took down the Christmas Tree & decorations.
Welcome 2011!