Random Post, Limerick-style

We just celebrated 13 years!
'Cause we're Mormon, we didn't drink beers.
It was nice just to be
With my Honey and Me,
As we clinked our sodas for "Cheers!"

*****

Ben is loving his old public school.
Old and new friends and a teacher who's cool.
His biggest complaint?
His friends think he's a Saint!
They all believe his word to be rule.

*****

Brianna's just biding her time
'Til she starts Preschool, with Nursery Rhymes
Her best buddy will be
In her class, luckily,
For, to separate them would be a crime!

In Which Hormones are like Smoking Pot

Each month, for about a week at a time, I experience amotivational syndrome which occurs concurrent with PMS.
Well, to be perfectly honest, I looked up "amotivational syndrome" to make sure I was using the term correctly. You see, I use it to mean: lacking motivation of any kind (i.e., I should probably shower at some point today, ... meh; I should probably feed my children, ... meh; etc.). I have been using this term freely for a good decade or so, but somehow, wanting to put it into writing, I felt I better know what I'm talking about.
This is what I found on Wikipedia:

"Amotivational syndrome is a psychological condition associated with diminished inspiration to participate in social situations and activities, with lapses in apathy caused by an external event, situation, substance (or lack of), relationship, or other cause."

Oh good! I was using the term correctly. But, then it goes on to say,

"empirical studies suggest that there is no such thing as "amotivational syndrome", per se, but that chronic cannibas intoxication can lead to apathy and amotivation."

No such thing??! But, ...but, ...but there HAS to be, because I experience it. My dishes and laundry pile up, we live in jammies, we eat frozen meals or whatever is readily edible from the pantry. And then, one morning, after about a week, I wake up and again feel like cleaning and doing laundry and reclaiming my home from the clutter-monsters (they're like dust-bunnies, only scarier).

Did you know what "cannibas" is? I had to look it up. It's marijuana, pot, Mary Jane, whatever you want to call it. So, I guess that somehow the same hormones that cause PMS are equivalent to smoking pot for a week at a time, once a month.

At least for me.

The Parable of the Guy on the Side of the Road (re-run)

As I said my prayers this morning, I was feeling down, and the words that I used to describe how I was feeling were “robbed” and “beaten”. (And they were, perhaps, a bit dramatic.) I didn’t mean them at all in a physical way, and it wasn’t until after I had said them that the connection to the parable of the Good Samaritan came into my mind. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the man on the side of the road had been robbed and beaten, physically. I realized that we usually just try to relate to the Good Samaritan in the story. Suddenly I felt that we should remember that we are all, at one time or another, the guy on the side of the road.

This life can be very hard. There are many ways that we can be, or at least feel “robbed”: robbed of time with loved ones; robbed of experiences we longed for; robbed of opportunities; and “beaten”: beaten by circumstances beyond our control; beaten by the cares and worries of life; etc.

With this in mind, we can each be the Good Samaritan as well. In the parable, the Good Samaritan could see the wounds, and the physical needs of the man were evident. The parable states that the Good Samaritan had compassion on this man and went to him and bound up his wounds, and gave him relief and placed him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

Our dear Sister Hinckley has said, “Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle." Remembering that, and realizing that the wounds of those around us are often invisible to the naked eye, our “binding up of wounds” and our “giving of relief” must truly be guided by the compassion of our hearts and by the Spirit. Compassion is an attribute of Christ. The more we practice this attribute, the more we will become like Christ. Perhaps that is why there is so much opportunity for practicing this in the world. Perhaps there are so many chances to be both the guy on the side of the road, and the Good Samaritan, because there are so many lessons to be learned from both sides of the street—so to speak.

P.S. I'm really o.k., the Lord, Himself, is very good at binding up wounds when we allow Him to see them. I'm feeling much better. Plus I felt like I got a nice insight.

If you haven't ...

Written the date today, you should. It's fun.

The Quiet Heart (re-run)

There is a line in a hymn that I love that says, "In the quiet heart is hidden sorrows that the eye can't see." I love that. It is so true. We all have sorrows past or present. We all have trials and hardships, challenges and difficulties. Some are more obvious to outsiders, and some are perfectly hidden.

There are parts to each of us that we would prefer others not know about. Usually things that we dislike about ourselves or refuse to accept. Some are things we can (or think we should be able to) control, and others are beyond our control.

I believe there is an innate fear surrounding these hidden sorrows. A fear of rejection should anyone discover. We each long for acceptance and true love, but fear holds us back from sharing with one another the things that we believe would bring about the feared rejection. Then, ironically, even when we find "acceptance" and "love" we don't fully trust it, believing that "if they only knew the real me," this love and acceptance would be lost.

In reality, the more we share with one another, the more mutual understanding, the more connected, the more actual love and acceptance we find. I'm not advocating T-shirts advertising our greatest weaknesses, or any of our hidden sorrows. I'm only observing that, in the right time and place, sharing with one another those sorrows that we usually keep hidden can actually be a validating, freeing, and therapeutic exercise. I think exercise is a good word for that, because it's not easy or comfortable.

In the MTC, they taught us not to share 'past transgressions', which I lovingly dubbed, "trans-pastgressions". I do believe there is wisdom in this for the most part -- especially as missionaries who carry that mantle and are teaching those with the first tender shoots of budding faith. There are times, however, when the lessons learned from our trans-pastgressions can and, perhaps should, be appropriately shared; times when that sharing could actually help lift another. Definitely discretion should always be used in this.

I used to put people up on pedestals and think they were completely infallible. Then, when I would find out, to my horror, that they were just regular people, I would be crushed. Boy have I come a long way! Much of my journey came through the trials of my life. I am grateful for the things that I have learned along the way. They have blessed me with more compassion and empathy, and with the sure unwavering knowledge that we truly each have our own sorrows hidden in our quiet hearts. No more pedestals here, just a lot of slack! Slack that I hope is afforded me in return.

Something You Never, NEVER Want to Hear

"Mom! Mom!! Mom!! The BEST news EVER!! They had babies!! They're so cute!!"


Yes, what are the chances that the two snakes he would have for only TWO WEEKS would have FOUR BABIES!!?

I'm outta here .....

Something You Never Want to Hear:

"Uh, Mom, ... the big snake got out up here!"


P.S. They are NOT rattle snakes. I was just trying to be funny. This was not so funny.

Random Thoughts

* "Man cannot live by bread alone" ... just curious, does that include zucchini bread?

* How 'bout banana bread?

* Since living here, we've gone through (which is the detached way of saying "killed") something like 4 toads.

* I'm thinking of putting up a sign on my front door, "Home Sweet Home, the place where amphibians come to die."

* That will also make it easier for PETA to find me after they read this post.

* Does it make me a good mom or a bad mom that I've allowed Ben to catch and keep two snakes?

* We're pretty sure they're not rattle snakes.

* I'm also pretty sure that I'll need a longer sign for my front door: "...amphibians AND reptiles...".

* Does it make me a good mom or a bad mom that I fed my children zucchini bread for dinner last night?

* At least I kept saying, "Eat your vegetables!!"

* James is having a birthday next Friday.

* I think I'm all done shopping for him.

* Although he did give me another gift idea after I said I was done.

* He has a beard.

* He's a babe with or without a beard!

* I'm pretty sure Ben gets his fascination with and lack of fear of reptiles and amphibians from James.

* I think I'm gonna take my kids to a movie this afternoon.

* I'm doing a terrible job being creative with my kids this summer.

* I have taught them how to sort laundry.

* And make their beds.

* Brianna and I cook together a lot.

* Ben can now make great lemonade,

* and strawberry smoothies.

* And we have had a lot of fun this summer.

* But it's the regular day that is most likely filled with too much TV, too many snacks, jammies for most of the day, etc.

* And for that, I beat myself up regularly.

* It seems like I should have amazing activities planned for every day.

* I should be feeding their minds and their creativity.

* Instead, we're mostly hanging out.

* Hmmm. Never know where random posts will lead.

* Have a great day.

* If not, have a great piece of chocolate!

Fun at the Pool

Yes, you read that right: FUN at the pool! Amazingly, the same two children who I had to literally pry off of my body and hand, screaming, to their swim teachers last year, have become little daring fish! They are loving the water and water play! They even rode on an inflated tube pulled behind a ski boat at the lake this weekend! They kept asking to go faster and faster and faster! I guess they'll just continue to do things at their own pace, and I should just chill. :)

Photographer: Brianna, 5 minutes, 37 photos