Tattle-Tell

This morning I carried Olivia across the street on my back. She said "Wow, you are a strong and beautiful young woman, Mom!"

Why, thank you, darling child. I feel it, too.

Last night for Family Home Evening I had the lesson (which happens most of the time, but hey, whatever. I love the Double B with all of my little pea-pickin' heart, so let us be honest and proclaim that FHE is not his strong point. For some reason, he is harder to manage then the children during that taxing hour. If he's not falling asleep, he's sarcastic and snip-snip-erific. If he's not slightly rude, he just forgoes sarcastic and heads straight to that rarest of all Double B Lands, Super Rude. It's like it is the ultimate test of his spiritual stamina. I don't know why. Someone should conduct a scientific experiment). So anyway. Let's all take a moment and smile knowingly at Marie's mind and how it wanders. Isn't it cute?
Okay. I gave the lesson. And it was a short lesson, because I have short children. Maybe 5-7 minutes. But we covered pretty much every topic in the gospel library. Temples. Our bodies are a temple. Talk to Mommy and Daddy if someone ever tries to hurt you. The Word of Wisdom. Joseph Smith. Thomas S. Monson. General Conference. At one point I'm pretty sure my darling husband mumbled "really?" But really. I was chopping through these issues. Apparently I felt the need to speed. Also, the need to cover some ground. After bearing my testimony of this lovely variety of topics, I asked:

Mom: What is happening this weekend, does anyone know?

Olivia: I have no idea!

K.J.: General Conference.

Mom: Correct. We are so lucky because we get to listen to the prophet talk to us!

K.J.: Except (or as he pronounces it Ex-stepped), it really is boring. It's so boring, Mom. We just have to sit, and sit, and sit and stare at the t.v.!

I thought that was funny and charming. I myself used to think it was a rare form of torture. There was the tease -- no church! -- and then the truth -- 8 hours of church in your living room! I tried to convince the Kaje-Meister to see the awesomeness of this event, but I didn't worry too much. I figure it will sink in sometime in his late teens and all will be well.
The subject of ice cream was then brought up, to which the Double B replied, not in his nicest voice: "Are you going to pay for it, K.J.? What about you, Olivia?"
I had to laugh.
Don't worry, good won out over evil yet again and K.J. got a twist cone and Liv enjoyed her Butterscotch Dilly Bar very very very much. Katelyn screamed the whole way home because Mom wasn't shoveling her ice cream in fast enough.

I honestly like being a Mom. Or to quote my teenage nephew Steven who was the most adorable four-year-old ever and once said "I don't just like it, Aunt Mawee, I love it!" I just love it so much.

Speaking of the Double B, I just love to tell this kind of story about him because I like to prove that he is, in fact, a human being. I have always admired him so much as a person, ever since he came over to my house as a teenager and in the most humiliating moment of his young life, accidentally touched my bum in a round of 'toilet bowel' on the trampoline (he blames my brother Matt for pushing him, by the way). I just think he is cool. Cool to the -nth degree. Coolest person I know, and I happen to be in love with him, so that is very handy, indeed. And he likes me, too! Smashing. Anyhow, I was trying to prove his human-ness both to you and to myself. So I will continue to tell these tattle-like stories on him, because they amuse me. And also, for the good of humanity.
But here is a little secret: lately, there has been a subject discussed in our home for hours and hours over the course of three or so months. And his kindness, his compassion, his patience and his determination to help another sojourner here on planet Earth has made me feel absolutely tender towards him. And even though we've been married almost a decade and I feel like I know him and his goodness pretty darn well, I have still been surprised by him. Pleasantly, pleasantly surprised.
Happy just to know him, actually.

Speaking of surprise. Sometimes I surprise myself. I had no intention of writing all mush-like about my husband there. I actually had no idea what I would write today, I just missed my friends, is all, and had complete faith that this blabber-mouth could come up with something. But apparently, that has just been hiding in my heart waiting to get out. So I share. You know the truth about me, anyway.

Have a lovely day, friends. You are loved more then you know.
And I really believe that.