I wanted to interview Brianna as well, but thought it would be more enjoyable if you could hear her responses from her own mouth.
Unfortunately, she is just a wee bit obsessed with seeing herself in the camera.
Still cute, but I guess we'll never know what her solution for the current financial crisis would have been.
When someone we love is threatened or injured -- physically or emotionally -- we as women are a force to be reckoned with.
Recently, my family and I ate dinner at a local fast food joint. Afterward, the kids played in the play area, and James and I got caught up in a conversation with another parent who was sitting there.
After a while, Ben came and sat on my lap and was visibly upset. He wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but wanted to leave. So, we got Brianna and our things and headed to the car.
In the car, he broke down. He said there was a kid in the play area who hated him. He said that he said mean things to him, and kept grabbing his foot each time he tried to climb anywhere. He also said the kid hit him.
Oh, was I mad. Ben wanted me to go back in and talk to the kid. I wanted Ben to know that I would fight for him, so he and I went back in. We couldn't find the kid in the play area, but then we spotted him. by himself. getting a napkin. I made my move. "Excuse me, were you mean to my boy in the play area?"
He stammered, and claimed that Ben had done all of those things to him. Being a realist, I decided that it was possible that the truth lay somewhere in the middle. So, I made them both apologize to each other.
*********
I want to thank each of you for wanting to protect me and fight for me. Thank you for being willing to go into the Nursery and talk to the leader.
I try to not write things when I'm upset like my last post, because the written word is a powerful thing. I want you to know that I'm o.k. now. I really, sincerely believe that she had no intention of hurting my feelings, and that she sincerely believed that she was helping. I'm not quite ready to be her best friend, and, to be honest, I may avoid her for a while, but I am really o.k. now. Thanks, in large part, to your encouraging words.
When I actually get to know her, I'll have to post an update so that we can all see the good in her.
Here's a letter that James' office manager received. I will take out any identifying info.
Mr. [office manager],
I am writing this letter to compliment you on your wonderful staff. Please have patience while I tell you my story.
During my yearly physical exam my general practitioner . . . took a biopsy of a growth underneath my tongue. . . . While with my three sisters, [my doctor] called and gave me a diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. Now, if you are going to get a diagnosis such as this it sure is nice getting it while eating ice cream with your three sisters who all just happen to be nurses!
After giving me a big hug, my sister . . . called [your office] to get me an appointment. An appointment was made with Dr. James . . . for the next day. . . . When Dr. [James] walked in the examination room, there sat my three sisters, two with notebooks in their hands, and my husband. He was not in the least bit intimidated. Dr. [James] looked so young one of my sisters asked him if he shaved yet. He had obviously had that question before because he had a good answer. Dr. [James] examined me and told me that my condition was type one, superficial and very treatable. The tension in that room just evaporated. We discussed options and everyone was in favor of surgery. . . .
Two weeks after diagnosis I was having my tongue operated on. Your staff . . . all made me feel at ease. Believe me, I was scared but knew I was in good hands.
The surgery went well and at my post-op appointment Dr. [James] had a big grin on his face and told me he had been waiting all day to give me good news. He told us that all of the cancer was gone. The margins were clear and we didn't have to do any more surgery. We would do follow-up appointments to keep an eye on the situation.
Mr. [office manager], after the initial surgery I knew there was a possibility of more surgery. All of the possibilities were explained to me in detail. The biggest compliment I can give Dr. [James] is that if more surgery was needed I had no qualms about him working on me again. He was so compassionate, caring, down to earth.
. . . Please let everyone know how grateful my family and I are for all everyone did.
-Patient signature
O.k., so, one of the things I hate most about moving, is starting ALL over in the friendship department. I experience some social anxiety. (I don't know, maybe that's normal.) It takes me a while to get comfortable, and to feel close to people. I had such a strong wonderful group of friends in my last ward, that I've been in mourning over not being able to associate with them now. It literally wears me out to go to things when I know nobody. It's exhausting to feel like I'm "putting myself out there." Yet, I know that I need to keep going to things and to keep trying if I'm going to make the kinds of beautiful friendships that I've been priviledged to enjoy in the past.
So, last Sunday I was home from Church with sick kids. James comes home and says that there is a BBQ dinner being put on by the YM/YW as a fund-raiser this Saturday (today). We put it on the calendar and promptly forgot about it.
Well, tonight, as I was passing the calendar, I noticed the reminder about the dinner. This was at 5:30, and the dinner started at 6:00. James had just been called in to work. So, I called him to see if he thought he'd be back in time. My social anxiety goes down dramatically with James at my side. He said that he had three different people to attend to, and not to count on him.
So, the debate starts in my head: do I pack up the kids and go alone? Brianna does have pink eye, maybe we should sit this one out. Although, I was just thinking that I needed a Church get-together to start to get to know people. But, this really isn't convenient tonight. It is for a good cause, and I haven't started anything for dinner yet. This would be a good opportunity to support the YM & YW in my Sunday School class, and maybe I would even get to know them better.
So, in the end, I decide to buck up, be an adult, and take the kids to the dinner. Because it was a fund raiser, I knew there would be a charge for the dinner, so I stopped at an ATM. When we arrive at the Church, there are LOTS of cars in the parking lot. I get the kids out and go inside.
We walk in and are greeted by a friendly stranger -- not uncommon, as we are still "new". So then we walk over to the food, and on the way, I'm desperately searching the tables for familiar faces. Not one. O.k., don't panic, just get your food, and look again as you find a seat.
Not a single familiar face at the food table. They're friendly, though, and I introduce myself.
After we get our plates and head toward the tables, I'm scouring the faces again, looking for ANYONE who looks the least bit familiar. No one. So, we sit in some empty seats across from an older couple. I introduce myself, they introduce themselves, and then they explain that they are from another ward, and had thought that their ward was invited. I explain that I wouldn't have known the difference, since I was new. They don't stay long, and soon we're sitting there alone.
Again, I'm looking at all of these faces, and start to think, "I can't believe that there isn't a representative from the Bishopric, or from the Relief Society in sight. . . . In fact, there's not even any of the YW leaders that I know here."
S-L-O-W-L-Y understanding dawns. This. isn't. our. Ward. party. Nope, we're interlopers. Oh. boy.
So, I gather our dishes and clean our table. I quietly direct the kids toward the place to pay. On the way to the payment table, there are plates and plates of goodies that are up for auction. I think to myself, "I should buy one plate to kind of make up for our faux pas." I let Ben pick, and he chooses a plate of sugar cookies, but before I can say, "Oh, my GOSH I'm embarrassed!" Brianna has swiped a cupcake from another plate. Then, Ben starts to melt down, because he KNOWS I'm going to have to buy the cupcakes, and he was SET on the cookies.
So, I grab both plates of goodies, both kids, and march over to the payment table. I hand them all the money that I had on me, which was a $20. I'm feeling like that isn't nearly enough, especially considering the two plates of goodies that I'm now carrying. The YW are looking at me like I'm an idiot, and, at the moment, I'm in complete agreement with them.
I'm ready to bolt out the door, when they say, "We need to give you a reciept." So, I stand there for several moments more, with two melting down kids and two plates of goodies, while they ask me for my name and address. Seriously? I just wanted to kind of melt away into the night, thank you very much. If I'd had another $20, I'd have offered it to them to just let me leave and not prolong my humiliation.
Before we got married, I gave James a "Get out of the doghouse free" card. He has held onto it all these years. . . . Tonight may just be the time to redeem that dang thing!
Ben has caught several living creatures since our move! Here is a praying mantis.
He was a BIG bugger (no pun intended) and he was ready for a fight!
Here is an ENORMOUS tiger swallowtail butterfly! Isn't that beautiful?
Ben's confidence and willingness to try new things has grown dramatically since our move. I attribute this to more "Daddy Time". Here Ben is, doing bungee cord jumping on a trampoline at a festival we attended. He loved it and even did flips and everything. We have since put him in gymnastics and he is loving it. 
Ben loves to make his mom and dad smile (and his sister, too.) He does funny things, like dressing up silly; but also, lately, he has taken to cleaning different rooms in the house without being asked. He actually does a good job. Recently, when he was sick and home from school, he cleaned three rooms, then came to me and said, "Would you like a tour of the cleanness?"
It is not uncommon to find these sorts of pictures on James' phone. Hmmm, I wonder who might have taken that picture??
Situation: You have dressed your two year old in the cutest outfit, hoping to get her picture taken. Her hair is done, she's fed and happy.
Do I know how to sew? No. Not really. I can sew a straight line, but that's about it. When my son fell in love with this fabric (he carried the bolts around the store), and begged me to make him a blanket, it raised all those feelings of inadequacy as a parent and homemaker. So, what did I do?? I decided that, hey, it couldn't be that hard, could it?? And I bought all of the supplies to make a blanket.
I whipped this baby out yesterday. It really wasn't that hard! And, with the left-over fabric, I made a pillow to match!
He picked the green fabric because, as he explained, it looks like the dinosaur's scales!
Last week, I had this brilliant plan to cover some cork board bulletin boards in cute fabric to hang in the play area, and to display the kid's art work. I think they turned out pretty cute! I LOVE the monkey fabric! (We have yet to hang them on the wall.)
With a large scrap, I made a valence. (It's a wonder what you can make by sewing a straight line.) Sorry this picture is so dark!
And, with the other scraps, I made more pillows!
Yesterday, while out running errands, Ben ran ahead and opened a door for Brianna and I to go through.
Brianna said, "Thank you, Ben. You are sooo good!"
Ahh! Melt my heart. They really can be so good to each other.
