Teacher in training

Learning Time

When I was in elementary school, I had a little spiral notebook where I wrote down my favorite ideas from school about things I wanted to do someday when I was a teacher. Things like "hang up cool posters with nice quotes on them" or "have a jar and papers for people to write down who they want to sit by" and "talk to my students about hard times I had and how things worked out".

Last week Ellie was telling me about when she is a teacher someday and the things she will do (which were all very familiar from the conversations we've had about Kindergarten so far :) Things like "I'll have a bucket on the table for them to put their name in when they come in the door." or "I'll have a rug and maybe read one story each day or two if we have extra time."

Most of all, I love to watch and listen to Ellie doing 'learning time' with Owen. It was 'tree lessons' in the summer time - teaching him to climb a tree (she did have to bribe him with cookies for these if I remember right). Now it's ABC time or number time. And oh, how that Owen loves to watch and follow and learn from his big sister!

playing again

Collage from a Humanities project (I still remember what fun it was picking out colorful pieces from my roommate's fashion/design magazines)

After Conference this afternoon, Jordan got out his guitar from the storage room to play for me. Then he tuned and restrung my guitar and had me put on a mini concert for the kids. What fun -- it has been a long time!

Also, Porter managed to have the perfect sleep schedule for Conference today, and the kids loved their listening-for-treats game and were such super listeners. We all liked Elder Scott's talk (good reminders of the basics for Jordan and me, and he hit on almost all of the major 'treat topics' the kids were listening for - prayer, scriptures, temple, and family,  so that made his talk a favorite for them!).   Hooray for a nice conference weekend :)

a tiny failed test / fix

This was a favorite quote from last conference (?) that we've talked about a lot in our family. I had a new cute chalkboard and decided to write it up to put on the wall, but made the mistake of using oil pastel instead of chalk (they're about the same, right?) and soon found with my first sloppy attempt that oil pastel doesn't erase like chalk.  So I had the brilliant idea of using butcher paper and a chalk pen to cover up my failed attempt. (This was a process of about 2 months to get this point, projects move slooooooooooowly around here.) But finally, it was finished. That afternoon, after I'd squeezed in minutes throughout the day to get the words just how I wanted… Landon tried signing his name in the corner and discovered that butcher paper doesn't erase like a chalkboard does. I didn't do awesome at following my carefully lettered advice in my initial reaction. But I did learn my lesson and instead of starting over, I now have an even better reminder of responding with kindness next time. 

A perfect cover-up + reminder to really do what the sign says :)

a happy surprise

food storage city

I was brainstorming how to get the kids to cheerfully help bring all the case lot cans downstairs today on their day off of school. Amazingly I got Landon started, and it was only a few minutes before Ellie and Owen were asking to help too. Now, we have the great city of food storage in our laundry room downstairs ready to be sorted and shelved in the storage room. (And the kids enjoyed an hour of helping + city building)

Also today, what fun to have Landon and Ellie and Owen being great buddies on a day home from school! And Porter got to have a babysitter for a short while (and  loved the one-on-one play time) while I met with the physical therapist and started a routine to see if I can help these arms and hands of mine. Now a popcorn and movie party with Jordan :)

Super helper Landon

Favorite summertime (and now Fall) spot

Landon has always been quick to notice when I'm  having a hard time and jump to do whatever he can think of to help out. Today we had a bunch of case lot groceries at the top of the stairs (side note: I just made the most amazing discovery that Lee's delivers case lot groceries !!). After a rough afternoon,  I was putting Porter to bed and Landon came in from soccer practice and asked me if he could take the groceries downstairs to the storage room. I'm so grateful for his tender heart and sweet helpfulness!

I want to remember

finished with lunch, "Mom, take my picture!"

Every few days Owen will say to us "I need to tell you a secret" Then he'll come close and whisper in our ear in a low, scratchy, lion voice "The cows are standing on my kidneys!"

(From the kids favorite Studio C sketch)

Porter Brough, one year old!

One year old!

Thing I want to remember about little Porter ---

- the amazing day that you were born.

- the days/weeks leading up to your birth - the 'any minute now' anticipation, the calming phrases running through my mind like whatever will be, will be, morning walks and the familiar neighborhood walkers - the sweet lady who said "you're just going to jog yourself right to the delivery room!"

- just a few months old, when you'd learned to roll and I was worried you'd roll off the bed so we moved you into a crib in the master-bathroom-turned-mini-nursery.  And how when I'd go in throughout the night to feed you or comfort you and that little bathroom felt like a holy place.

- a hard night with the sudden inspiration, 'just because it's hard, doesn't mean I'm doing it wrong.' and the comfort that brought me.

- (though not much later, that thought left and oh, I was sure I was doing it wrong! and each new sleep plan we tried was still wrong for so long… ) and oh, I wish I didn't have to remember the heart breaking feeling of letting you cry so many nights, not knowing what else to do. And of just praying even for angels to watch over you, for you to know you were loved, and somehow to be comforted.

- how Landon just brightens to be with you and play with you.

- Owen's happiness when we help you wrestle him.

- your first actions - clapping your hands for 'hooray!' and how as you were learning a few new signs, you'd suddenly want to tell us something and just start moving your hands whatever way you could think of, not sure exactly what you were supposed to do, but sure that you wanted to tell us something.

- Ellie walking with you around the house with your homemade pvc walker, helping you get back on your way again each time you ran into an obstacle

- my habit of drinking instead of eating my cream-of-wheat breakfast while carrying you in the wrap or pack to avoid spoonful spills over you at breakfast time. how almost always, in the pack you are happy.

- your funny mischief seeking - watching us as you go towards the stairs, then crawling just as quick as can be till we catch you up then laughing or smiling so proudly.

- how every once in  a while with just the right set up (like being in Ellie and Landon's room without supervision, or emptying mom's sunday bag in Elder's quorum with Dad) you are just so happy to play by yourself and explore all the new things you can find.

- how I felt so clearly, through your first year and with such a trial of sleeplessness, that Heavenly Father was aware of me and of our family and was helping me to do more and be more than I could possibly have done on my own.
- your 'foo, foo, foo' and signs for food :)

- your smiles! giggles and laughter and babbles.

- how you love your mama!