Parental Duties

I have been thinking a lot about my responsibility as a mother. I am often tired and extremely impatient. I find myself yelling at my kids and getting so frustrated that I should put myself in time out. I love to read my friends' blogs and often venture off into their friends' blogs. I ran across a beautiful quote from President Hinckley in one of the blogs I came across that helped put my responsibilities in perspective.

“Never forget that these little ones are the sons and daughters of God and that yours is a custodial relationship to them, that He was a parent before you were parents and that He has not relinquished His parental rights or interest in these His little ones. Now, love them, take care of them. Fathers, control your tempers, now and in all the years to come. Mothers, control your voices; keep them down. Rear your children in love, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Take care of your little ones. Welcome them into your homes, and nurture and love them with all of your hearts. They may do, in the years that come, some things you would not want them to do, but be patient, be patient. You have not failed as long as you have tried. Never forget that” (Salt Lake University Third Stake conference, 3 Nov. 1996).

Finally, We Have a Home!

The last few weeks have flown by. We closed on the the 14th of November. We did not run into one hitch and were able to pull it off 5 days before planned. Mark flew out to Idaho on the 15th and spent the weekend driving the stuff we left in a storage unit in Rexburg down to Houston. I spent the weekend painting one really pink room for the girls and our Master bedroom. I had no idea what a project painting is. I don't really enjoy the process but I love to see the new color once it drives. We finally got moved in on Monday the 19th. Mom and Dad came down for the Holiday on the 20th. We shopped for essential furniture items and unpacked boxes. I was so busy I forgot it was Thanksgiving.

The funny thing is that 90% of the time it is nice and warm here. On Thanksgiving day the wind started to blow cold. When our home inspector checked our heater and air conditioner, it worked fine. When we went to turn on our heater last week, it did not work and we froze all weekend. Finally on Monday, the technician came out and the weather started to warm up. Just our luck!

Here are some pictures of our closing.


Mark and the massive pile of paperwork


Finally Done!

Sleepless Nights and Video Games

Everyone is familiar with a sleepless night , except my husband (he can sleep through anything). Well, it is 4 o'clock in the morning and I think I have been awake since midnight. It seems that the older I get, the more I suffer from insomnia. Of course, my children contribute to this whether they are newborns, toddlers, or little girls. I find it very difficult most nights to go back to sleep after being awoken. This particular night, Sarah lost her binky and let out a tremendous scream that woke everyone in the house. Once I got Sarah back to sleep, Avery woke up and decided she wanted to be rocked. Avery goes back to sleep but when I go to lay down, my head is full...What about money? We close on our house this week. We need furniture. We need to get the house ready to move in. How do I want to decorate? What about money? Sleep is a lost cause tonight.

I don't play many video games. I have found that unless it is Tetris or Dr. Mario, a video game requires too much time and effort for me. Mark loves to play video games when he has the time. Mostly, he loves to play when he has someone to play with. He tries very hard to find things I will like to play. Recently, he invested a little money in Guitar Hero II. I was interested in this new concept and gave it a try. I sucked!! However, after a few tries I was hooked. Of course, I can only play on the easiest level but who cares. For the most part, the music is great and the game is very interactive. This one gets a rare thumbs up from me.

Dad and Avery rocking out to Guitar Hero

NO MORE TV

I am a little slow about finding things out these days especially when it comes to the news. Mark and I haven't had cable for a while and I feel a bit out of it. I found out this morning all of the writers have gone on strike. I must admit that even though I have not been able to see much of what the season has to offer, I was looking forward to some good television. I understand that the writers need more money but I am upset by all this business. How am I supposed to survive without new episodes of House, The Office, Lost, Heroes, etc. I know there will be some episodes but when I go to buy the seasons on DVD next year, two discs will probably cover the entire season. SAD, DREADFUL news.




What I find most amusing about it all is just how devastated I am. Really, whatever will I do without my evening television. I mean I look forward to it all week. The nights The Office comes on I hurry and put the kids to bed at least half an hour before the show starts so they will be asleep by the time it comes on. If they aren't asleep or I have neglected putting them down when I should, they end up watching the show with me. I can honestly say that there are times when my life is ruled by that crazy tv. This writers strike could be the best thing that happened to me. Heaven forbid I should have to spend more time with my kids and have real conversations with my husband. I could even find some time for a walk after dinner. WHAT? That is outrageous.

Sibling Rivalry Aready?

Avery has a wonderful pastime. When she has run out of toys to play with and movies to watch, she focuses completely on her sister. When I see that look in her eye I get a little scared. Avery enjoys following Sarah around torturing her. She tries to take away any toy Sarah has. She can't keep her hands off of poor Sarah and it drives poor Momma insane.

I must say, however, I am very proud of my little baby Sarah. She is learning to hold her own. Every now and then I see Sarah running as fast as those little legs will carry her with a toy. Avery is usually not far behind screaming at the top of her lungs about how mean Sarah has been to her. I try to treat the situation seriously but I can't help but laugh a little. Those kids can be really cute sometimes.

Sarah and Avery don't always fight. They truly do enjoy each other. As is the case with siblings, they really can't live without each other. They think it is important to give hugs and kisses in the morning when they wake up and right before they go to bed. Avery is learning to take good care of her little sister and is willing to be momma's best helper most of the time. It is fascinating to watch their interactions.

I love the Fall

Aaaah. Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons. Ilove the change in the colors and the mild temperatures. Festivals and flowers--what's not to love! Here in Houston, Fall is still quite warm. The evenings are cool but we're still wearing flip flops and shorts in the day. Still, there is something in the air that reminds me of walking into the potpurri section of Micheals.

We had a blast on Halloween. We are absolutely loving living close to family. Avery and Sarah got to spend the entire day with cousins, aunts and uncles. We partied at Chuck E Cheese in the afternoon. After dinner, Avery dressed in her princess dress and jewelry. Sarah dressed like a chubby pink butterfly. Mark was a werewolf. You see, I love all things pretty and cute. Mark likes bloody and scary. We went trick or treating around the cul de sac, pigged out on candy and finished the night swimming in the hot tub.


My Princess Avery


Squishy, Pink Butterfly

Avery, Wyatt, Kole, Sarah

Mark and Kevin being VERY SCARY

Do bad things always happen in threes?

Almost three weeks in Texas and it might as well be a lifetime. My experience is that when something bad happens, you can usually expect more bad things to follow. I am not talking about breaking a nail or children being difficult but serious things--things that don't happen every day. A few days after arriving at our new apartment in South Houston, our car was broken into and our GPS was stolen. We found out two vital pieces of information the day after that could have saved us the trouble of fixing our broken car window and map questing all of Mark's appointments. First, GPS units are quite popular right now amongst thieves. Second, we do not live in a very good neighborhood.

Needless to say, this incident motivated us to do some major house hunting on the weekends. Well, I guess the stress of it got to me. I woke up one morning feeling achy and tired. I was laid flat on my back for three days before I told Mark in no uncertain terms that I was going to the doctor. He diagnosed me with strep throat and it didn't take long for the antibiotics to take effect. I was out house hunting again the next day.

That same weekend, we found out Mark's nephew is sick. He is only four years old.


I hate to focus on only the negative because a lot of wonderful things have happened to us as well. House hunting started out as being really fun but got old fast. It actually turned out that the house we looked at our first day was the one we decided on after all those hours of looking elsewhere. We made an offer and it was accepted. It was in foreclosure so the bank was anxious to get rid of it. We hope to be moved in by the middle of November. We have been looking at furniture, bedding, and paint colors. It is all very exciting.

Avery and Sarah have been learning to share a room in our tiny two bedroom apartment. It has been good for them because we plan on having them share in the new house. We have so many plans for our future life here. It is all very nerve-racking but extremely exciting.

Passing the Time

It is funny how when you are really excited about going somewhere, time comes to a stand still. Since the last time I posted, the kids have been sick, it has rained and work has become non existent. All of these things contribute to some pretty long and boring days. I am proud to announce that we have managed to make it to Universal Studios for one last visit. We spent the entire time in Suessland riding rides and playing in the water. I did finally convince Mark to take us to Daytona Beach on Sunday. It rained on us but we hardly noticed since we were wet already. I think even Mark would have to admit that it was lots of fun.

I attempted something a few days ago that I thought would be extremely easy. I decided it was time to take Sarah's binky away from her. I tucked her in as usual but this time I did not clip on her binky and put it in her mouth. I left the room quickly and quietly. It only took her a minute to realize that something was wrong. She cried and screamed for about 20 minutes before she fell asleep exhausted. I thought I had done it and was proudly patting myself on the back. I was determined after all not to have an older child with a binky. Well, the peace only lasted for about half an hour. Sarah awoke with a renewed effort. She screamed momma and dadda for almost an hour. Mark had conveniently stepped out to "run an errand" leaving me stranded with all the screaming. Avery was managing to sleep right through all the excitement but my heart was breaking for my baby. I finally called Mark not to ask for support and strength but to ask where he had hidden the binky. As Sarah drifted off quietly in my arms, I promised she could have that binky until she was four if that is what would make her happy. I had been beaten like so many other mothers before me. If anyone has any great suggestions I would appreciate them all.

Our Final Days in Orlando

We have only a week and a half until we move to Houston. I can't believe how much there is to do before we leave--packing up the house and the office, final sightseeing, going to see family. How will we fit it all in? The weather is finally cooling down here. When I say cooling down, I mean high eighties rather than the high nineties. One thing living in Florida has taught me is that I DO NOT want to live in Florida--even when I am old and ready to retire (Take Note* remind me of this comment when I am old and gray and moving to Florida). One thing I regret is not spending more time at the beach. It was not because I did not want to go but Mark has this irrational fear and hatred of the beach. In some ways I can understand. The ocean is full of scary things and the water is dirty. Avery and I did get to go to Clearwater beach once this summer and we had a blast. The sand did not even bother me as much as I thought it would. We are going to work hard to convince Mark to take us to Daytona before we leave.

We have, however, spent countless hours at Universal studios, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld, and Chuck e Cheese's. These are absolute essentials when visiting Orlando, especially Chuck E Cheese's.