The boys and I traveled down south to visit this small amusement park and visit Grandma. Henry, at three feet tall, was just barely tall enough to go on all the rides. I put him on this frog hopper. It started, and his face filled with fear and apprehension. This was not fun!

But he looked around and found his Mom. And she had a smile on her face and told him it was just fine. The fear left, and gradually it was replaced with joy! He laughed on went on multiple times. Sometimes it just takes one reassuring look to make all the difference.

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My husband has a habit of calling a misbehaving child, “You little punk.” Curtis now uses that phrase in his vocabulary all the time. Make sure you only say things you don’t mind your kid’s repeating.) When Peter decided to use his bumper boat to squirt the crowd, I used the same phrase to describe him!

Peter made cloud dough at summer camp, and when he found out we had the ingredients, he wanted to make it at home too. It’s really simple, just a mix of shaving cream and cornstarch, so I agreed. But we did take it outside. That was a good decision because the kids basically dumped it all over when I had my back turned.

Watching the boys play together is often waiting for a fight to explode. The youngest two get along really well, but the older two do not. They are constantly mad at each other for little incursions. I have to play referee and break up a lot of fights. But when they do get along, it is joyful to seem them look after each other and care about each other. They are actually really good friends, even if we can’t get through a day without some sort of fight!

On Saturday we went to the Hill Aerospace Museum with my brother and his family. The kids had fun time making paper airplanes and throwing them off a balcony.

After, we went up to the Ogden Nature Center for a very hot small hike. We had lunch at the treehouse. Peter was very excited that he could climb all the way in a tree.

And I have a new goal to remember my camera more, so I don’t have to keep taking low quality photos with my phone.

It’s a strange holiday. It’s only in Utah, celebrating the first Europeans that settled here. There wasn’t any change in schedule. (My husband doesn’t get many holidays off.) But there was quite a fun celebration at the park in our town. They had music, games and crafts for the kids, food, and an opportunity to do genealogy. We have a lot of ancestors that were pioneers, so I did take the opportunity to share some of their names and stories with the kids.

Curtis finished tee ball! He did a great job. But I have to admit I’m looking forward to soccer. Tee ball is a bit boring for everyone involved.

I guess I could be considered a “stay at home mom.” That’s the normal term used for what I do everyday. I have called myself that plenty of times. Lately, I haven’t like the phrase at all. I wasn’t sure why, it just didn’t seem to fit what I did and what I aspired to. Housewife and homemaker were not that better.

I read this book, and she suggested the phrase “full time parent.” I’ve been using it ever since. When I think about my current employment status, I think full time parent. I never refer to myself as a stay at home mom. Even at time when I hear or read stay at home mom, I’ll replace it with full time parent in my head.

The side benefit of this is I’m more willing to spend time with my children. I look at my job as more of a career that is is worth investing my best effort. I can learn and grow as a full time parent, and I’m more likely to pick up a parenting book. I look hard at what I do every day do make sure it’s the best for my entire family.

I can also look at myself and still see Liz: not just Mom. I don’t have to feel guilty if I need a bit of time off, or I need to delegate responsibilities. If my children are well cared for, I feel free to pursue other interests, although I’m also finding that I don’t as much. I don’t need an escape as much as I once felt I did.

Being a stay at home mom was suffocating. Being a full time parent is hard, buy joyful. Terminology does make a difference.

It has been a week full of family. We had a family reunion with my mother-in-laws family on Saturday. The following Monday we had a family reunion with my dad’s family. We got to talk to a lot of cousins we don’t see that often and enjoyed it immensely.

My mom decided she wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday. I’m glad Grandma is thinking of her grand kids, they had a great time there.

Cousins plus one random bystander

My sister also came up and visited with me. We basically repeated what we did last time she was here and went out the Crystal Hot Springs. I’d been there last Saturday as well. I like swimming there, and I’ll drag anyone along who will go.