Tornado Alley

Well hello.

Did you know the word succor is from the Latin succurrere, which means "to run to the rescue" -- did ya? I love that translation. I love it in context of what the Savior does and what I can seek to do. I've been reading some mighty fine books lately, and they are helping me. They are not helping my house. But they are helping me!

Yesterday was the third grade "Wax Museum." This was a lot of work for K.J. He had to research a famous person (he chose Dr. Seuss), put together a presentation, and create a big tri-fold board to display. Luckily, Daddy was off yesterday and so we both got to go see him. When you walked into the room, all the kids were frozen, and you had to push the "push me" button on their shirt to get them to come to life. It was so darn cute! I was proud of him for his diligence, and for taking the job seriously. I was also so happy his Dad could be there to support him as well. Sometimes it feels extra special to have both of your parents, you know?

My parents were so supportive of me, and went to about ten million performances -- they would go to multiple nights, not just one. I remember as a senior my Dad had to work out of town as I was performing as the Wicked Stepmother in 'Cinderella.' We didn't think he would be able to come, but lucky for me (and I know at a sacrifice for my parents), he made it to one performance, and it meant so much. I think my Mom went to every one, which was a big deal, because my performing arts high school was about forty minutes from home and we already had one car out there. Who's the luckiest kid out there? ME! None of my friends could believe how supportive they were. The Double B and I hope to be able to offer the same thing to our children, because we know how important it is.

To celebrate we had a special treat -- we went out to eat at our favorite place, Pizza Ranch! This worked out marvelously, because kids are free on Tuesday nights. Nice. On the way there, K.J. was double proud to announce that he had passed off some more times tables -- his 4, 6, and 7's. Wow! He is totally almost there! We were super excited for him. He said the sixes were still so hard and took him FOREVER to pass off, but he did it. He has really had to stretch his growing brain for those wretched things, but literally, he's almost made it. I think he just has the 8's and 12's left.



Math is hard. Especially when you're an imaginative little soul, it's just hard to focus for long periods of time on... numbers. Numbers, of all things! I get it, K.J., I get it.

The Double B is very good at math, and enjoys it a lot, so I'm very hopeful that K.J. will be able to have it come a little easier as we continue to help him. We're hoping for a different outcome then his Mom's. For instance, we're hoping he'll be able to divide when he's 30. Call us crazy for dreaming so big -- but we're doing it!

Here's Daddy and his girls at awesome Pizza Ranch.

Liv was just so excited, she really couldn't relax.

Let's all notice how skinny the Double B's neck is.

I feel concerned. How is it holding up his head?

He is emerging from the Ethiopian status I found him in when we finally joined him in KC (no one ever suggested that losing thirty pounds in six weeks through excessive stress was a good idea... ever), but he's still a slender little guy. After fleshing back out a little, he's just a few pounds more then when we got married. This is very insulting. I wish he would have consulted me on this! And then put me in a padded room with Jillian Michaels, or something.

Just kidding. I don't worry about size, I'm more a health person. So if I'm finding some activity and not shoveling food into my mouth in the closet (this has happened before), I'm good. I'm an apple. Slender limbs and soft and delicious in the middle. And the Double B LOVES apples. Win win! 

The Double B. He's so cool.

So it's been a pretty big week here in Weather Central. We finally got off Tornado Watch yesterday, but we were spared the horrible things happening below us. It breaks your heart watching the footage of Oklahoma. Kansas got socked pretty good, too. If you're not familiar with Kansas City, we are right on the border of Kansas. Hence, half of KC is in Missouri, half in Kansas. We're on the Missouri side by about fifteen or twenty minutes. A little more then an hour from Topeka. Kansas was hit around the Wichita area, which is south again. We got some very excited Severe Thunder Storms, and let's face it -- I never like being on Tornado Watch, it really does give you the heebie jeebies -- but we were really lucky. On Monday night a few counties down from us went on Tornado Warning and they had a few small tornadoes, but they had more damage from the wind and hail from the thunder storm. I'm getting tough. People here just go on with life as normal -- because it totally is normal to them! Imagine that! It is really interesting to watch the storm systems roll across the sky with nothing to impede them. Very powerful. I'm practically a Midwesterner now. 

The End.

K.J.

I had to post these.

Saturday night we were all outside for a while -- Daddy and Liv playing frisbee, Kate snoozing, and K.J. showing me his cool balancing trick. He's been working so hard on it. He was asking me to take a picture to show his BCF (Best Cousin Forever) Addie, and I love EVERY ONE OF THESE PICTURES. I am so happy I had my camera at that moment so I could capture the real K.J.

K.J. is getting to the age where he's not that interested in me taking his likeness, and it is nearly impossible to get a natural face. So imagine my joy...

K.J. is such a special guy. 

He's so talented and expressive.

Could this be my favorite?

He's just so sincere.

He's a serious thinker.

 He's so kind and friendly. 

 He's such a handsome boy, and has a legion of female fans.

Very best of all, he is MY boy. I am so proud of who he is. He has the most tender little heart, and I am so blessed to be its keeper for these most special years.

The Good Ol' Days

I haven't felt well yesterday and today. You know how it is. The headache that comes and knocks you out and convinces your body that the two of you were never friends.
I guess that's part of old age.
While lying on the couch feeling yucky, I decided to watch 'The Office' series finale while Kate was taking her nap. The Double B and I absolutely adored 'The Office' for the first four seasons, and even enjoyed season five and a few of the later episodes. We have watched those episodes over, and over, and over again. We have just always adored those characters and they have brought us lots of laughs and felt -- like all television series that you let into your life -- like they were family.
So I've paid a little more attention this last season and was interested to see the finale. There was one moment that really made me think. One of the characters, Andy, says something along the lines of "I wish you could know you were living in 'the good old days' while you were in them."
I thought that was a very profound point, and it kind of tapped me on the shoulder. And while this has been an interesting season in my life, I am absolutely sure that I am living in the good old days -- right now.
I want to soak it up.

Fooor Reeeeal?

A few days ago a friend posted something on facebook about where they were three years ago. That got me curious, and inspired me to look up on the old blog all of the posts from May 2010 to see what we were doing. It was hilarious, and of course I had to read them to the Double B. We both laughed so hard! I was about a million months pregnant with Katelyn at the time, and life was very adventurous. Plus, I'm always a little coo-coo for cocoa puffs when pregnant.
Good times. Good times.
Then the Double B, who never reads my blog, grilled me about if I'm currently writing here. Then told me I need to be more faithful! We don't want to let this baby fall off the train tracks! I thought that was funny. But see, he likes to hear what was written in the past. I do, too, really. Brings back a lot of fun memories.
I am thankful for my blog. I started it in January 2009 and have kept a pretty faithful record ever since. And while I've tried to keep a personal journal since I was young, that was always iffy. Plus, blogging gives you the sense that you are really writing to someone listening, so for me personally -- I feel like I am a better communicator. Which translates as, for four and a half years now, we've all gotten to listen to Special Marie. Sometimes I flip through old journals and just sigh -- I am so spazzy. But I just keep going. One thing is for sure -- my offspring will have a REAL GOOD IDEA of who I am. This will help inspire them that if Great-Great-Great Grandma Marie can do it, ANYONE CAN. For real.
"For real" is a phrase I have picked up in Kansas City, by the way. The Double B says I use it all the time now, but let's be for real -- I don't say it as well as the native Kansas City-zians. Theirs is like "Foooooooor REEEEEEEAL?!" Not sure that can translate here. Try saying it out loud exactly as written, but add a nasal drawl (not a strong drawl, it's all in the nose), and don't spend too much time with the R's. The actor in me has spent a lot of time trying to get this down. I think it would be easier but most of the people I spend time with are from church, and they are almost all transplants. I still have to put a finger on my nose to get it -- telling my brain where to put the sound, I guess. Foooor REEEEAL.
The Double B has had a big few weeks at work. Mother's Day last week and graduation starting this week (plus, he always gets a ton of sick calls around holidays), then a big walk from a mighty and powerful Costco person yesterday. Lots and lots of hours. Of course, he knocked it out of the ball park! He is so stinking awesome. He has worked his guts out, and he is finally getting that department, that was so full of serious problems, where it needs to be. Basically, he has moved a mountain. The Lord has helped him so much. And yesterday in the mail, he got his fancy "Ten Years" congratulation card from his store managers. I was pretty proud. I told him we were gonna frame it, but he said we can frame the twenty year! But I'm keeping that one. It's a big accomplishment.

Hearts

 Mother's Day breakfast in bed:

The Double B ended up having to work yesterday morning... he still thought for sure he would get back in time for breakfast since he was in there by five and thought it would only take a couple of hours. Oh, the joys of being a bakery manager! As it turned out, there was a sick call AGAIN, and he was stuck for awhile. No prob. K.J. snuck in my room to get my phone and the Double B got a phone call a little before seven. It went a little somthing like this: 

 

K.J. - Dad, do we have a plan?

 

Dad - Well, K.J., I did, but now I'm stuck at work! I'm sorry, buddy.

 

K.J. - It's okay, Dad. Liv and I can still do breakfast in bed for Mom!

 

Dad - You can?

 

K.J. - Yes!

 

Dad - Okay. Maybe you could get her some cereal or something?

 

K.J. - Don't worry about anything. We'll take care of it!

 

And they did. It was the best soggy sugar puffs, orange juice, strawberries, Brazilian candy -- and gum -- that I have ever had.

The fact that they did that for me with no help was so sweet.  But when the Double B got home and told me about K.J.'s rescue phone call, I just melted.

I'm the luckiest Mom ever.

Madre

 So this is my Mom. Cutest, right?

In honor of Mother's Day, and every other perfectly good day where it's a nice idea to talk about your Mom -- let's talk about mine. I've been thinking about her all week.

I'm very fond of my Mother.

We're pretty darn tight.

And I can honestly say that I have felt a deep and abiding admiration for her -- and friendship towards her -- for many, many, many moons. My lifetime? That seems about right. Especially since becoming a Mother myself, I have felt that spiritual umbilical cord become even stronger, binding us together tightly.

So that hasn't really changed as far as moving across the country goes.

I was thinking as I was driving back home today -- wondering what has changed living a thousand miles away from the woman who brought me into this world (and, frankly, could still take me out of it. My Mom is the real deal). I've really felt a profound appreciation for my Mom for so long, so it's not really more appreciation -- I guess what it is is an appreciation of TIME with my Mom that has come to mean so much more.

Time with my Mom.

That's what I have realized is a really golden commodity. It's memories I cherish, excitement for the next opportunity, and a longing to just be in her presence that is so powerful.

'Cause wherever my Mom is -- that's always really home.



I'm pretty much still just her little chicken.

I love you, Mom. So, so much. Happy Mother's Day!

You're pretty much the best! The ab-sol-ute best.

The Fam

 It is finally, finally, a beautiful spring.

We have learned that in Kansas City that includes lots, and lots, and lots of rain. However; since this rain has saved the great plains from a terrible drought, we'll take it. Plus, I guess I'm just getting used to it -- doesn't really bother me anymore! Miracle One.

This morning it was Ride Your Bike To School Day, and being the faithful citizens that we are, we hopped on the ol' scooters and away we went. We're supposed to have scattered thunder storms today and it is very wet and cloudy, but come rain or shine -- we were riding our scooters. It was actually beautiful... fifty-six degrees... and ninety percent humidity. So I still came home drenched in sweat! It's like it's raining even when it's not raining... weird! (Interesting Side Note: I totally saw a little girl get hit on her bike today. It was intense. But she's okay. So thankfully it's only an interesting side note!)

On Monday we had our very first hot dog roast in our very own fire pit -- it was so fun! It was a great Family Home Evening, because the kids ran around and played, we visited together, and somehow a fire just always makes things cooler. We even had s'mores! Go ahead -- you can tell us we're the coolest parents ever! I told the kids we were all going to give the lesson. I told them about how President Thomas S. Monson often talks about having an attitude of gratitude, and how I have had a personal witness in my life that having that gratitude in your heart is critical. So I invited everyone to share three things they were grateful for.

Olivia was, of course, the very sweetest. She just has such a huge spirit. She wanted to start, and here is a pretty good recreation of what she said: "I am grateful that Jesus made the trees -- well -- that Jesus made the seeds so we could have these beautiful trees behind us! I love them so much! I am grateful for my family, and I love you all soooo much. And I am grateful that I can learn and grow at school. I don't always like to go, but I am glad I get to learn!"

She has such a specific way of talking -- love it.

K.J. was next. His gratitude list was not quite as thoughtful (it's so strange and fun to watch him morph into this young man), but he did put in his plug for Mom. He said I was the number one thing he is grateful for, but of course, I think what he REALLY wanted was for me to list him as number one on my list! He's so funny -- he's always trying to get me to say that A) I have a favorite child, and B) that it's him. The Double B doesn't think that is so great, and always gets after him that Mom and Dad don't HAVE a favorite child, we love all our kids equally. But I just have to laugh, because I remember my brothers and I always trying to get our parents to "slip" that we were their favorite one.

Yesterday was such a beautiful day, and so once the kids were in bed I went out to sit on the deck and enjoy the evening, and called my Mom to chat. Of course, the kids have a hard time going to sleep with daylight savings time, so they'd keep sneaking out with various excuses. But when Liv snuck out with this masterpiece, I about died. It's a picture she made for her teacher. It is "Super Chipmunk to the Rescue!"  

She is a talented little Kindergartner, and she works very, very hard on her art. She wants to be an artist when she grows up, and is hoping if she works hard enough she'll never have to go to college! Isn't that funny? She's had this idea that college was like prison for at least two years, and no matter how hard I try to convince her it's a good thing, and TOTALLY OPTIONAL, she doesn't budge. So she's decided to just work really, really hard on her art and hope for the best! Silly girl. She does a good job of it, too.