Dusting Off the Keyboard

On January 1st, I wrote two pages of New Year's Goals.

Study all the General Conference talks between sessions. Eat more fruit. Read The Memory-Keeper's Daughter. Practice empathy with my children. Paint our master bedroom. Write more blog posts. Spend less time on the computer....

I realize these last two are contradictory. The upside is that when I'm not working on one of them, I'm accomplishing the other. Judging by my lack of recent posts, I've made a great deal of progress on the second one.

Anyway, before I go on about basketball season and valentines and Grace's birthday, here are a few random updates on the kids:

Jacob spent the evening of Valentine's day in Urgent Care, where the nurse practitioner diagnosed an ear infection in his right ear, and a piece of red playdoh in his left. Jacob adamently denies knowing how it got there.

Isaac is on the fast track to becoming a national foosball champion. He beats me by a large margin at least twice a day. He is also naturally skilled at ring toss and pretty much any physical challenge I invent to occupy the cooped-up children. Marty thinks it is hilarious that I am constantly losing to a five-year-old. "Oh yeah?" I retorted when Marty teased me the other day. "Well I can beat him soundly at breastfeeding."

Grace's favorite sentence right now is "I don't wanna find somefing good ta do!!" A pretty accurate description of her mood lately.

Abram is delightful and perfect in every way (as only a five-month-old can be.) Although, his perfection is slightly less evident at 2:00 and 6:00 in the morning when he thinks it's happy hour.

The Eleventh Commandment

During dinner last night, we were discussing the Sacrament meeting talks we'd heard in church. The subject was the Ten Commandments.

In an effort to refresh the boys' memories, I began listing some of them:

Thou shalt not kill

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness.

Thou shalt not covet.

Which was when Isaac interrupted:

Thou shalt not sin.

Our Christmas in Pictures

"Cheer up, Santa. It's Christmas!"

A favorite family holiday tradition: driving around town to see the best light displays, and decorating sugar cookies.

Christmas Eve at Grandpa's house.

The boys spent most of Christmas Eve playing foosball. And a good portion of every day since, thanks to Grandpa's gift to them!

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house not a creature was stirring except for two tired parents.

Christmas morning stockings - and the long-anticipated Chapstick.

Grandma and grumpy Santa.

Isaac made a special ornament out of clay for Abram's first Christmas.

Christmas dinner: Grandma's famous ham and scalloped potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato puff, applesauce, rolls, and the traditional and much beloved Aunt Arlene's chocolate cream pies.

The annual game of Settlers of Catan.

(Because we have to have something to do with our hands while we eat pie.)

Santa Abram bids you farewell, until next year....

{Yes, I know there are an overabundance of pictures of Abram in this post. That is because 1) this was his first Christmas and I am his mommy, 2) all the other kids were too busy playing with toys/uncles to pose for pictures, and 3) he has a cool hat.}

Merry Christmas!

A little late, I know. Our December was a whirlwind of projects, traditions, family get-togethers, and, to be honest, work. The house doesn't clean itself and the children don't suddenly become angels, even if it is Christmas. :)

More pictures to follow....

Message from the Elf

As I mentioned a few days ago, Mr. Peeps has come to our house to stay with us until Christmas. Each night, while the children are sleeping, he moves to a new location. Each morning, it is great fun to search the house and find him. The children all love this game.

Well, a couple days ago, Mr. Peeps forgot to move. He showed up this morning with the following note:

Dear Taylor children,


I apologize for sleeping
Its different for an elf
By four-hundrend twelve years old I’m tired
even sitting on a shelf.

But I have this little secret
I thought you’d want to know
I borrowed your Dad’s camera
To get your video.

So if you have been good
Or if you’ve been a goof
I’ll have it here on tape
And show Santa all the proof.

So eat all of your vegetables
And be good and kind
And keep the Christ in Christmas
Always on your mind.


Parley E. Peeps, Elf

{penned by my very clever husband - but don't tell the kids}

An Excuse to Post Baby Pictures

Would you believe it? My baby is three months old today.

And still nowhere near sleeping through the night.

He is something of a night owl. This is him at 10:30 p.m., bright-eyed and ready to play.

This is what he thinks of the camera flash.

Happy birthday, Abram!

From Our Turkeys to Yours

I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving!

We sure did. Family, The Farming Game, rest and relaxation (ha!). Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, fruit salad, rolls, lemonade, pie, pie and more pie....

And the next day, Mr. Peeps arrived. Bring on December.

Standing on the Threshold

{portrait by my dear friend Chantal}

Tomorrow I will turn 30. I never thought that would happen. Not that I have a problem with it – it just always seemed so far away. In pondering the last ten years, I find myself quite surprised at the wealth of experiences those years have brought.

I stepped into this decade with a brand-new husband and big ambitions. Graduate from college. Have some children. Raise them in Utopia surrounded by friends and family. Develop my faith, talents, and attributes, all in my well-controlled comfort zone. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated.

Well, that lasted for about five minutes.

I did graduate from college and I did have children, but Utopia and my comfort zone went out the window. Detours and U-turns and stop signs were numerous. Highways became backroads and vice versa. Sometimes I think I accidently picked up the wrong map. But what a ride it has been.

In the last ten years I have been to places I never dreamed I would go. I have walked the beaches in San Francisco and Delaware. I have visited the Sacred Grove in New York, and been through the Nauvoo Temple. I have dined with the Amish in Pennsylvania, and caught catfish off the coast of Florida. I have pulled a handcart in Wyoming and a shopping cart in Baltimore.

In the last ten years, my family has grown. Four children, three sisters-in-law, a niece and a nephew. I have also been blessed to find other “sisters” along the way. Women who have taught, served, befriended, and put up with me. Friends I know I was meant to meet.

In the last ten years, there has been a healthy mix of joy, disappointment, hope, frustration, comfort, loneliness, excitement, sorrow, gratitude, anxiety, and love. Trials I didn’t ask for, and blessings I didn’t imagine. I hope I am a better person for them.

Twenty-nine finds me firmly entrenched in motherhood. Trying to find a balance between selfless and sane. (Not that they should be opposites, but I’m still working on that.) Beginning to accept drastically lower expectations in some areas (like shower frequency or the ability to read more than two sentences of a novel without interruption) and infinitely higher expectations in others (patience, charity, and humility, to name a few.) Searching for hints of fulfillment within the hours of frustration. Waiting for the assurance that it is all worth it.

The transition from college student to stay-at-home mom hasn’t been easy. For a while I mourned the absence of A’s and the lack of measurable accomplishment. Nobody cheers when I load the dishwasher, practice the piano, or de-clutter a closet. Motherhood requires a different grading curve. But I am beginning to understand…. Every meal I cook, every load of laundry, every book I read aloud to a child, every homework sheet I sign, every game of Uno, every thank-you note I write, every lullaby I sing, every scrape I bandage, every kind word, every trip to the park, every lesson I teach, every hug and every kiss count for something. Not in somebody’s grade book, but in somebody’s life book. What I do matters. The last ten years have taught me that.


Going into 30, I’m taking these life lessons with me and hopefully beginning with a bit more perspective. No less ambitious, but perhaps more centered.

Part of me knows that the only difference between 29 and 30 is one second’s time. But another part knows that that second is the difference between two eras. The last ten years are stored up, with all of their experiences and emotions, in the person I have become. The next ten years lay ahead of me like an unexplored scenic highway, full of promise, opportunities, and unexpected side streets.

One more step and I will enter that road.


I hope I have the right map this time.

Couch Potato

We've been having a standoff here lately between Mommy and Boy-who-wants-to-play-video-games-24-7. (It should be noted that by "video games," Boy means educational computer games. We do not own a Wii, an X-box 360, a Nintendo Game Sphere or whatever. We don't even own a cell phone.) Every day the conversation goes something like this:

Isaac: "Mom, can I play a video game?"

Mom: "Sure, as soon as you earn it."

Isaac: "Awww, Mooommm!"

End of discussion.

He rarely pursues this argument any further because he knows that to earn the privilege of using the computer, he must a) do his chores and b) get some exercise. (One downside of him being such an avid reader is that he doesn't move much anymore.)

Today's version went like this:

Isaac: "Mom, can I play video games?"

Mom: "No. You've been sitting on your bum all day. I don't think I've seen you move once."

Isaac: "Yes I have. I walked!"

Mom: "Oh yeah? When did you walk?"

Isaac: "I walked to the table to eat some pretzels and walked back here (the couch)."

A total of about 30 feet. I'm not impressed.

But it's okay, because now that brother is home from school, there will be more "exercise" than I can stand.

Mommy, Save Me

Oh the joy of having a big sister. :)

Signs That It's Monday

It's almost 2:00 in the afternoon and I haven't had an opportunity to shower yet.

I paid the bills this morning, only to discover that I had put a 42-cent stamp on every letter I've sent in the past two weeks. So if you didn't get your thank-you card yet, that is why. Ugh.


Grace's Fisher-Price minivan is stuck repeating "Potty...potty...potty...potty...."


A headline on the front page of today's newspaper reads "Germany celebrates fall of Berlin Wall." Except I read "German celebrities fall off Berlin Wall." Really, I was close.


The kids are fighting over who gets to put stuff away. Yes, gets to.


My afternoon plans consist of making cherry cheesecake for FHE tonight, and trying to come up with a lesson addressing one of the kids' many behavioral problems without making it sound like said lesson is actually aimed at them.


I'm blogging instead of doing the dishes.



Happy Monday, everyone!

Oh, the Love

Isaac and Abram

The Zoo Went Trick-or-Treating

This year we had a panther, a gray wolf, a ladybug, and a baby monkey.

Not the happiest monkey in the world. (I think he wanted the M&Ms.)

Grandma dressed up as Grandma.

The great Sort and Trade. Notice Jacob's serious expression as he contemplates the Skittles.

At first Grace was deathly afraid of her own costume, but as soon as the concept of "wear costume = get candy" sank in, she was totally on board.

Milestones

On Saturday, October 10th, Jacob was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Marty performed the ordinance and gave Jacob a beautiful blessing. We were thankful to have most of my family in town for the occasion. My father and my brother David were able to assist in the confirmation. I can't believe my "baby" boy has reached this important milestone already. We are so proud of you, Jacob!

The next day, Sunday, we blessed our baby Abram in Sacrament meeting. It was truly a special weekend for us as we reflected on the past eight years with Jacob - how much he has grown in both body and spirit - and at the same time, celebrated this brand new life.

What a wonderful time this has been for our family! These are the moments that shine through the monotony and difficulties of everyday life, and make it all worth it.

Things I Really Don't Enjoy

{Based on a true story}



Getting up at 1:30 a.m. And 4:30. And 6:30.



Dinosaur Train.



Grocery shopping with three children age 5 and under.



20 mph school zones with a screaming toddler kicking the back of my seat.



The way the kids use a whole bottle of shampoo in a total of three showers.



The words "He kicked/pushed/bit/ran over me first!!"



Mysterious wet spots on the carpet.



The entire hour before dinner every day. Nothing good ever seems to happen during that hour.







Things I Really Do Enjoy:



Naptime.