I love this kid. He just keeps getting cuter the older he gets. And now he’s two!
We enjoyed a visit to the train museum/mode train festival in Ogden too. Mr. C loved it. He managed to derail a train too, after falling down on top of it.
Apperance
My appearance has been something I have been thinking about for a while. I stumbled across this website (which I explored but did not purchase anything). I had Curly Girl 
Part of me was enthralled that I could actually study how to look good. I was a nerd in high school, and I was never quite comfortable with how I looked. To re-study fashion/style was a lot of fun, thinking about how I could actually look great if I wanted to.
But after a few weeks of thinking about it, I realized that I liked how I look. While studying style, I started to want to fix something that just wasn’t broken. I like my clothes, my hair, my make-up and ultimately had no desire to change them all.
I’m not even close to fashionable. But I also do not go around in my pajamas. I strike a nice medium: I do go around in clothes that I don’t mind dirt and spit on (as a homemaker and avid gardener, I get a lot of both). But I still feel cute and not frumpy in what I wear.
I will never fit in with my looks. Being a gawky 6’1″, with short curly hair ensures that. But I’m learning it is better to be true to myself and what I like than trying please other people.
Snapshot of the Living Room
Welcome to the living room. This is the room in our house where we spend the most amount of time. I prefer to keep it pretty simple to allow for the influx of toys, people and stuff. I love bright green and used it as the bases of most of the design.
We have it set up withe the couches back to back, creating two separate spaces in the area. It allows for the functions we want, and also creates a fun space to jump and dive between couches. After all, I do have two small boys and the more spaces they have to keep moving the better.
The total budget for this space is just under $1300. That includes two couches, two computer desks, shelf, two chairs, side table, wall decorations, two area rugs, and the Ficus tree.
Preschool Master List
I read a lot of kid activity blogs and other preschool related things…I decided to bring a lot of what I read and pull it together in a large category list. Here it is. Feel free to comment if you want any elaborations.
Sensory
- dough like
- water/liquid
- dry goods
- texture materials
- smelling
- tasting
- hearing
Build
- blocks, tower
- legos
- tracks
Fine Motor:
- re-fill and empty
- cutting
- snaps/buttons
- string
- sewing
Gross Motor:
- sports
- exercise
- movement
Matching and Categorizing
- colors
- shapes
- puzzles
- size
- location
Art
- collage (contact paper)
- markers
- crayons
- watercolor
- tempura paint
- chalk
- glue and paper
- photography
- cutting/paper folding
- sculpting/constructing
Language
- read-to
- identify to read
- writing letters
- spelling words
- constructing stories
Imaginative
- small worlds
- dress-up
- mimic/pretent
Music
- listen
- create
- dance
Math:
- recognize numbers
- count
- arithmetic
Social Studies:
- follow directions
- interact with others
- games
- geography
- history
Practical Life:
- time
- care of self
- care of environment
Science
- experiments
- cooking
- botany
- zoology
Quiet Time
Photo by PB
This is what my house looks like when I do things like post blog entries. And it is how our lives have been lately: pretty low key.
Truth is Aboslute
We believe in absolute truth, including the existence of God and the right and wrong established by His commandments. We know that the existence of God and the existence of absolute truth are fundamental to life on this earth, whether they are believed in or not. We also know that evil exists and that some things are simply, seriously, and everlastingly wrong…
The philosophy of moral relativism, which holds that each person is free to choose for him or herself what is right and wrong, is becoming the unofficial creed for many in the United States and other Western nations. —Dallin H. Oaks, from this talk.
Morality should not change with the times. The way I think about this, some things have always been good. Telling the truth, being kind, raising children with both a father and a mother. Just because I might think differently, doesn’t make things less wrong or right. There is an absolute truth, a defining of right and wrong that never changes.
In my life, I have tried to live to achieve absolute goodness. I’m not even close to achieving it, but I try. Can you really be too good? I never want to give up my pursuit, or even worse change my thoughts about what is right and wrong.
There have been times in my life when I wanted to give up and run away from the stupidly hard perfect life I was trying to live. I wanted to go away from what I knew was good and right, because it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I didn’t, and I am so glad. I wanted to run from my family, and that is the very thing that has brought me the most joy.
There is an absolute truth of family–and I firmly believe that every child has a right to a mother and father and a good home.
There is absolute truths of goodness, decency, truthfulness, kindness.
It doesn’t matter if I feel differently, it doesn’t change the fact that right is right and wrong is wrong.
If I am creating individuality, defining myself, it will only work if I also hold true to the principles of goodness, truth, and right. To lack a moral compass is like lacking a compass. You don’t get anywhere. I look at many celebrities lives, even the lives of the people around me. If they pull away from right and decent behavior, they start being defined for the inappropriate behavior, instead of being defined for who they are.
This is a short series outlying the fundamental beliefs I have. For more see:
Conscience
Redeemed
Pruning
I love to prune. This year had the added benefit of sharp pruning tools. I didn’t buy new tools, just sharpened the ones I had. The wet stone I bought years ago finally got some use. And I attempted grafting the first time outside of a class. We’ll see if the grafts take. I could put in some how-to, but if you want to prune go to a pruning demonstration. It will be far more beneficial than anything I could write. As for the sharping and grafting, I watched online videos. Even thought I do remember learning it in school, I don’t actually remember the details.
The only downside is all the pruning and grafting was none of it was on my own property.
Family Pictures
Apparently my Family is not photogenic. I wanted a new family picture for my wall so I had my sister take some pictures…We didn’t spend a whole lot of time trying, because all of us were done pretty quickly. Observe.
This one is just a little awkward.
It’s not getting any better.
Some were just a bit painful.
Or devoid of real happiness.
Say cheese!
Someone likes funny faces
Hey, this one actually looks great!
Come on, a teeny smile?
Okay, that’s not really what I want.
And that isn’t a smile PB
You guys just want to stop don’t you.
I still love my boys even if we can’t get a decent picture.
Funny Kids
I found C outside sitting at the top of the hill on a sled. There hasn’t been snow there for quite some time.
Although an early spring is nice, I also wouldn’t mind some more time to sled. The kids have been riding tricycles down the hill instead.
We were looking at the calender, and I told PB it was President’s Day. He then tried to correct me, “Present’s Day was yesterday.” We had a birthday party for Grandma the day before.
We were watching a Piano Guys video. PB ask, “Who sang the song.”
I said, “The Piano Guys.”
PB said, “No, who sings the song with the words.” He meant the original song the Piano Guys were remixing. I didn’t know. He said, “It’s One Republic.” He was right. My kid knows music better than me.
I am a Mormon Because…
I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, more simply known as Mormons. I was born into this church, and I’ve remained active in the church my entire life. I do not remember a week where I have skipped church.
I believe that this Church teaches the full gospel of Jesus. But it wasn’t until I got into adulthood that I started to wonder what exactly that meant. What made my church different and more desirable than any other Christen church out there? I’m actually still trying to answer that question. There are many in my church who have answered it. (You can look at this talk, and this summary for examples.)
But words are very different than actual feelings and experience.
What will follow is a three part series on why I remain a Mormon, and why I think people should become Mormons.
But before I get there, here is my simple answer:
I am a Mormon because it brings me joy.
In the spirit of this blog, remember this what I do in my own life. If it doesn’t ring true and right to you, than disregard it. It is more important to find your own truth than what adhere to what other people say are true. (Although what people maintain are absolute truths are certainly worth looking into.)
Liz Braithwaite 