Widsom Lost (actually forcibly taken)

So, I am probably a horrible mother for posting these pictures, but I have to. I can't help myself. This is a memory that needs to be preserved. And since we didn't get to bring any teeth home to leave for that dang tooth fairy, this is the best the girlies are going to get; their painful day told from their mother's perspective.

1. I was so nervous for them last night that I didn't fall asleep until 3am.

2. Getting up super early on a beautiful Spring Break morning to drive them to their pain.

3. Doubting the wisdom of deciding to do all eight teeth in one day and doing it at all while watching the requisite "person caring for the condemned" video. First feeling that I might just loose my breakfast.

4. Waiting and wondering why it was taking so long & then being taken back to the first girl coming out of her anesthetic in a very crying manner. (Said girl also having the breath of death.) Poor thing. She totally reaffirmed my belief that that type of thing is not for me. I never, ever, never, ever, ever want to be put under. Creeps me out. Second feeling that I might just loose my breakfast.

5. Sitting by that sweet girl while she asked me (the best she could through swollen, cotton filled cheeks), "Why? Why? Why did we do this?"

6. Not telling her that I was thinking the same exact thing.

7. Leaving her with her very mature oldest younger brother while I went across the little hall to wait with the other young woman, who came out of her situation in a much easier fashion. Third feeling that I just might lose my breakfast until she started laughing at me, which hurt her, so I stopped making her laugh and forgot about throwing up.

8. Not being able to understand the technician woman who was telling me to pull in to the drive by the building with two car doors facing their building so the girls would not have to walk around the car. (I think this is where my sleeplessness the previous night had the worst effect.) Fourth feeling that I just might lose my breakfast.

9. Walking out to retrieve said vehicle and fifth feeling that I just might lose my breakfast - that this time had absolutely nothing to do with wisdom teeth situation. You see, there is a Purina processing plant near the little medical center where we were. And I have a sensitive schnoz. All I can say is yuck and I am glad I didn't lose my breakfast, because that would have been bad.

10. Taking pictures of the girlies, because yesterday they asked why I didn't put more pictures of them on the blog. Now there are a few more. Yay.

11. Getting situated at home and them crashing on the couch. We let them have the prime couch spots so I could keep a good watch on them. I also made a "chart" to keep track of what I was doing with each girl, so I wouldn't mess any of the aftercare up.  I don't think I did-so far.

12. I am so tired.

13. Goodnight

14. PS- I will be getting up at 1 and 2 am to visit the girls. I will tell them hello from you. They are in their beds now.
15. PPS-Don't you just love the retro head wrap they got? I'm sure it'll be all the rage soon. They were really rocking their post-op icepack look. (They are actually really awesome-like a tube part of a tube sock with velcro to hold it on. The ice packs just slid in the tube.I'm sure they'll be getting good use in the months and years to come.)

Dang Tooth Fairy

Image found here.

The tooth fairy has a bad history at our house.
He/She doesn't come for days on end.
Sometimes weeks.

Tonight that is going to change.
I hope.

I talked to one of my friends about their family's tooth fairy and she told me that once, their fairy forgot to visit for over a month.
Guess how much that child received when the fairy finally visited?
Yeah, a lot.
I guess that fairy must have had much guilt.

Our fairy probably doesn't feel guilty yet, probably just shame.
I'm thinking mr. b might do well tonight.

I'm also thinking that an enterprising child might use the delinquent fairy situation to his/her financial advantage.

Here's the plan:
-loose the tooth
-quietly, while everyone's distracted, make the "guess what?" announcement
-hide the tooth
-once a week, while everyone's distracted, make the "no tooth fairy visit" announcement
-after a sufficient amount of time, make that announcement in a much louder voice, stressing how long it's been since the tooth came out.

If that child lived at my friend's house, they'd make some serious cash.

One week from tomorrow morning, miss h and miss s are scheduled to each get four wisdom teeth removed.
I don't think the tooth fairy's going to go for those.
I think their mouths might have already tapped out their tooth fairy accounts.
Especially after their procedures.
I guess we'll see.

Alright, I've got to go check on little mr. b.
Good Night.

Sunday School

I am forcing myself to come to Sunday School tonight.
I know it's good for me. I know I'll feel better after I write.
It's just so hard to sit still here and focus, when there are a bunch of other things I could be doing-like reading that book I had a hard time putting down last night or getting a drink of water.

But, I am sitting here in the little office with my mr. who is not talking to me because he is writing a talk. (Yes, another talk, can you believe that? Actually, he's going to be speaking ~ giving a talk ~ quite often now. He got a new *calling a little while back.) He's going to be speaking in our *ward this coming Sunday and I am going to miss it because miss h got the news she was waiting for and we are going on a little journey to visit her soon-to-be new living situation.

my mr. was asked to talk about "the more excellent way." I don't know exactly which scripture this is based on. I would look over his shoulder and be nosey, but I'm not going to bother him. He's very focused.
I looked "more excellent way" up and found two scriptures. Here they are:

1 Corinthians 12:31
But covet earnestly the best gift: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

Ether 12:11 (This is in *The Book of Mormon.)
Wherefore by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.

We had *New Beginnings this last Wednesday. *Bishop gave a talk to the young women and referenced the more excellent way. He talked about the situation with Brandon Davies at BYU. He talked about how if we can choose to live the more excellent way, how much better life can be, how much more joy we can have.
And I totally agree.

miss s, miss h, and I had a conversation about BYU and the Church universities last week, when a student at their school was horribly beaten by another student.  They were very shook up. The little fights happen quite often & they've grown used to them (sad). But this one scared them.

They wanted to know what a Church school would really be like. Really, people don't swear in public? They wear modest clothes? They don't talk about sex and alcohol and drugs all the time? They care about their future and are doing something about it? (FYI-my girls have good friends, who make good choices, but they are in a public high school-they are exposed to what the world has in it.)

How fortunate I was to be able to tell them that if they go to BYU, they will be surrounded by people who have the same standards and values as them. Yes, there will be some people who will push the limits, but for the most part, they will be living in a wholesome environment that will allow them to focus on what is really important and not on the distractions the world has to offer.  It's ultimately up to them to choose the more excellent way, but given that environment, it will be easier and I think that after being exposed to what they have in the past few years, they will appreciate it so much more.

So, guess where miss h and I are going this week?
Yep, she got into BYU.
We are going to Utah.
And we are excited.

And, if you are in the congregation next Sunday, please smile at my mr. for me.
(The girls have instructed him to not be "dry" in his speaking, but I seriously doubt he will use the words this speaker used a little over a year ago.)
And, if it looks like he's scowling at you, he's not.
I promise.

Good Luck this week & remember to choose "the more excellent way!"
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*calling- in the LDS church, we get "called" (asked through inspired leaders) to do certain jobs in different organizations, we have a "lay ministry" meaning that is voluntary service
*ward- a geographic area that defines what congregation people attend
*Book of Mormon- Another testament of Jesus Christ, we use it right along with the Bible. If you'd like a copy, let me know and I will get one to you
*Bishop- our ward's leader
*New Beginnings- a yearly event in the Young Women's (ages 12-18) organization where we introduce the program to the girls coming into our group in the current year and new members (my calling is in Young Women's).

Dear Amanda,

Picture from here. Where I wish I'd bought the pineapple from.

Whew. What a week.

(Actually, what a two weeks.)

And I still have much to do.

So, I will leave you with a

thank you note that I

need to get written.

And it might be telling about

the state of my mind

of late.

Dear Amanda,

Thank you for finding the pineapple in the car.

I had been wondering where that funky fruity smell was coming from.

I looked and looked but couldn't find the source.

You did.

Thank you.

Love,

the mrs.

Show and Tell - the letter F

See if you can guess the 'L' snack items we brought to PreK this week.

 They're pictured above. Answers below.

Last Friday's email note to our PreK teacher (subject line regarding that day's show and tell):

Hi- little mr. j's item for F is -----"Forgot" :). Sorry.

(He remembered earlier today. But we didn't act on it--we were being silly and thinking of F words-good F words.)
I told him he could show all his friends and he thought about Foster as well. :)
But, we are remembering that he has snack next week and that they need to have to do with the letter L.
I will do my best.
Have a great weekend!
-the mrs who's real name starts with an 'L'

I would give myself an 'F' for fail as a mom, but little mr. j used his thinker.
When it was his turn to do show and tell he showed his FACE. 
Smarty pants.

'L'emon pudding
Ants on a 'L'og
'L'ime jello (we're Mormon- we had to bring the jello!)
'L'emon muffins
'L'ittle crackers (have you ever seen how tiny those crackers are-they are little teeny)

I thought about bringing 'L'ima beans.
Didn't do it.
Probably a wise decision.
No 'F' for me.
Yay.

Young love

On Valentine's morning, when I went into little mr j's room to say good morning, he hopped out of bed and started looking for something on his little nightstand, behind his picture frame and in front of the little CD player.

He told me he had something special for me that he had been saving to give me for Valentine's Day.
Then he found it and gave it to me.
The bobbie pin.
The very precious bobbie pin.

Later, after he made made a cute little crown out of the leftover red paper valentine scraps, he brought me another surprise.
He had found it in our junk drawer while trying to find tape.
I had put it there long ago, hoping its owner would show up.
I am the new owner.
Ring.

Then, he surprised me by bringing me a very special sculpture,
that he, "was very glad he had such strong muscles so he could make it for me-he was going to make an M for mom, but that would have been to easy."
I like my L.

Young love is the best.

Ru

Welcome to my messy office, that I sometimes share with my children.

I love her hair.

And I used to love that lamp, but it doesn't match anywhere in this house.

We just need the light in here.

It used to sit on the changing table/dresser when the boys were little.

The shade has pee stains.

I never knew how well those little shooters shot.

Anyway,

Tonight I sang a song

to two Senior girls and they laughed at me.

Because

I sang a song about there being two weeks

left in

February.

They said I was wrong.

That there were only six days left in February.

So I sang them a song about there

being six days left in February.

And they laughed at me.

I like to write February.

I like to say February.

I think it's the 'ru.'

It's unrusual.

As am I

tonight.

PS-you Senior girls-I hope that the next six days will treat ru well and bring the news you want.