Pressed Flowers and a Tow Truck

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . Phillip calling from campus to say that he hadn't noticed a certain "no parking" sign, and our car had been towed. What's more, by the time he figured out where it was taken, the place was essentially closed for the day. He'll have to get it out early tomorrow morning and pay a big fee. It just seems wrong that a person should have to pay hundreds of dollars for an innocent mistake, as if being stranded and having their evening shot wasn't punishment enough.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Phillip watching the kids this morning so I could get some things done around the house. Thanks, sweetheart.

. . . making a pressed flower picture. I have no idea how it will turn out, but I have high hopes and it was fun to try something new.

I Love Smoothies (But Not Dirty Dishes)

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . surveying the mountain of dishes I had generated baking cookies and cooking dinner today. The thought of washing them all made me want to run and hide. Ah well--sometimes the only way out is through.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . sitting in our glider and resting after doing all those dishes.

. . . Joy hugs.

. . . Daniel giggles.

. . . sharing a nice, cool, homemade smoothie with the kids at lunchtime. Those are always so refreshing on a warm day, and especially today since we had just gotten home from a long walk.

Clean Dishes and the Cookie Quest

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . my son Daniel chucking my cell phone at the table. The battery popped out on impact, and after I pieced everything back together it took the poor thing hours to figure out what time zone it was in.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . coming home from a meeting to the lovely sound of my husband doing dishes. Thank you, sweetheart.

And another thing . . .

. . . I didn't used to bake sweets very often, but now I seem to make them at least once a week. I'm not sure if it has something to do with pregnant cravings, or my tendency to zero in on a recipe I want to perfect and try a half dozen different ones in a quest for one I like. Probably the latter. I found a chocolate cookie recipe I love this summer, but I'm still working on chocolate chip cookies and blueberry muffins.

Bread and Laundry

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Daniel helping me fold laundry (he handed me shirts so I could fold them).

. . . actually folding all our laundry the same day I washed it.

. . . watching my kids bounce and play on the big bed.

. . .the smell of baking bread wafting through our home.

Jelly Beans and Eternity

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . realizing that no roll of wrapping paper in our house quite covered the box of bookshelves we bought as a wedding present. Phillip eventually made something work, but it required a little creativity with the scissors and measuring tape, and it used up an entire new roll of wrapping paper.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . catching up with Phillip's relatives at Cousin Ethan's wedding.

. . . attending Ethan's temple marriage with my husband, and thinking how grateful I am to be married to Phillip for eternity. I can't imagine life or Heaven without him.

. . . Joy volunteering to help clean up after the reception.

. . . Daniel unraveling some portion of his jelly bean favor bag, and dragging it around the room like a dog on a leash.

Dominoes and the Intruder

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . my son opening the door several times every time I use the bathroom. The door has no lock, and no amount of supplication or reproof persuades him to leave it closed. This has been going on for weeks now, and today I had finally had it. I went and bought one of those wedge doorstops from an office supply store. Alas, it didn't help. Siiiiigh.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . playing dominoes with Joy.

. . . the kids napping late, so I had a little extra time to read some favorite blogs and take care of a few nagging tasks.

. . . kissing my husband.

Love and the Beach

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . hanging out at the beach with some friends.

. . . watching my kids play happily on the lawn. When another child came over to join them, she asked what game they were playing. I answered that they were just running around and having a good time. That answer was enough to satisfy her, and she immediately joined in the fun.

. . . feeling God's love for me. Intellectually I know that He loves every one of His children, but I still appreciate that He let me feel His love for me.

The Atonement and Cheesecake

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . sleeping in. Thank you for holding down the fort, Phillip.

. . . walking in from the warm outside air to a cooler, air-conditioned home. Aaaah . . .

. . . eating mini cheesecakes with my sweetheart.

And another thing . . .

. . . this evening after dinner I drove to the chapel for my temple recommend interview. As I talked with the bishop about my testimony of Christ, I reflected that my testimony of and gratitude for the Atonement has grown a lot in recent years. I think that is because parenthood has highlighted persistent flaws I scarcely realized I had, and shown me how much I truly need a Savior.

Swim Day and the Peril of Smoothies

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . discovering I've already exceeded the entire month's grocery budget. I think the main reasons for that are all the fresh berries and smoothies we've been consuming lately. Don't worry--we have a rainy day fund--but I'd prefer to get creative with the contents of our freezer and save the fund for an actual rainy day.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . kissing Daniel's hair and cheeks as he sat on my lap.

. . . swimming with the kids.

. . . eating tacos filled with pork cooked in the solar oven.

A Jedi Mob and a Bump in the Night

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . a loud crash in our bathroom around 3am. A picture I'd hung with some newfangled velcro stuff yesterday came loose from the wall and crashed down behind our toilet. This evening we pounded a nail into the wall and hung it the old fashioned way.

. . . when Phillip turned on iTunes on our computer, and played a song that always gets fiendishly stuck in my head. He had just bought it and was pretty excited about it, but he agreed to listen to it with headphones for my sake. Bless him.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Joy running up to her friend and hugging him at his birthday party.

. . . the party had a Star Wars theme, and at one point the mom handed all the kids inflatable light sabers so they could square off with Darth Vader in the bounce house. They were supposed to go in one at a time, but the whole group mobbed Vader at once, and after a few minutes he fled out the back gate. It was awesome.

. . . a young woman from church offering to watch our kids for free so we could go to the temple.

. . . asking Daniel "Who am I?" and hearing him immediately reply "Mama." Of course, I couldn't resist giving him an enormous hug when he said that. I think he's finally starting to grasp that he can make sounds that have reference to people around him.

Taffy and Pink Blossoms

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . my African violet putting out a little pink blossom after months of monochromatic greeness.

. . . sharing a treat with the kids at an ice cream parlor. We bought some saltwater taffy for Daddy, too.

Why Mealtime Freaks Me Out

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . helping Daniel learn to eat cottage cheese on his own. I realize that getting food everywhere is a natural part of learning to feed oneself, but it still pushes my freak-out button.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . when I asked my neighbor how he was doing, and he replied, "Pretty alright."

And another thing . . .

. . . I never considered myself a neat-freak before I had kids. I have an unfortunately high tolerance for clutter, and I'm a housekeeping minimalist (i.e. I like my house to look decent with a minimum of effort on my part). Today I realized that the latter may explain the apparent contradiction between my mild attitude toward cleaning and my not-so-mild response to mealtime messes. In short, since I don't like to clean, I really don't like avoidable messes that demand my attention (e.g. a glass of strawberry smoothie tossed on the floor, or cottage cheese dribbled everywhere because my son still likes to hold his spoon upside down).

Kisses, Hugs, and Utter Befuddlement

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . don't ask. Just think "toddler" and "eww."

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . kissing chubby Daniel cheeks.

. . . hugging Joy while I sang her a song at naptime.

. . . chatting with Grandpa Hendrickson when he came by to pick up some train track Phillip doesn't need.

And another thing . . .

. . . sometimes Joy makes up games, and I utterly fail to understand the rules. I sit there, my brows knit in profound befuddlement, as English words tumble out of her mouth in patterns that make no sense to me at all. I usually have to ask her to demonstrate how the game works, and sometimes that still doesn't help.

A Happy Birthday

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . camping with my family. I worried the kids would get antsy without the usual distractions, but they were just as content as we were to spend last night sitting around the fire staring at the embers. It's amazing how soothing that can be. The frog chorus in the nearby stream also made a nice contribution to the ambiance.

. . . going to Radhika for birthday dinner. Oh the joy of a mango lassi and curried entrees I can't pronounce.

. . . Phillip planning a few fun surprises for my birthday. He made me feel so special.

. . . seeing pictures of my friend's new baby. Congrats, Vonnie!!

Trouble and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . getting totally demolished by my daughter when we played Trouble this afternoon. She sent all my pieces home, and they were still there when she won. She beat me the second time, too, but at least that game was a lot closer.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . meeting some of Joy's future preschool classmates and their moms at a playdate. It was fun to talk with the grown-ups, and I'm glad Joy will have a few familiar faces the first day of school.

. . . playing a random game that Joy made up this afternoon.

. . . finding a maternity swimsuit I actually like.

And another thing . . .

. . . the song Bohemian Rhapsody has been stuck in my head for the past two days. The music is creative and fun, but the more the lyrics run through my mind, the more I realize that the song's story is a real downer. I've been trying to replace the song with something more upbeat, but so far nothing has stuck.

. . . for the life of me, I can't seem to make good garlic bread. I tried yet another recipe tonight, and it was really disappointing. The concept seems so simple; you'd think it would be easier to master.

Folly and Pink Lemonade

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . being tired and pregnant on a hot day.

. . . accidentally dumping a box of dominoes all over the inside of our storage closet. Thankfully, Joy offered to help me clean them up.

. . . trying to take a short nap while my four-year-old was awake and craving attention. T'was sheer folly.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . watching Daddy play with the kids.

. . . feeling Baby Girl move in my tummy.

. . . drinking pink lemonade.

And another thing . . .

. . . I am so very grateful to live in an era that includes air conditioning.

Little Helper

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Joy helping me separate the laundry and put it away after I folded it. It sped things up considerably, and I was touched that she offered to help of her own accord.

Fireworks Over The Lake

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . on Papa's boat twenty minutes before the fireworks, when Joy announced she had to go potty.

. . . five seconds into the fireworks, when Joy wailed that they were too loud and she wanted to go home. She spent the whole show having someone cover her ears while she hid her face.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . cooking pancakes for everyone at the cabin.

. . . the fireworks finale, which was the most dazzling I have ever seen.

And another thing . . .

. . . bless Aunt Heather, who carried my tired daughter back to the cabin after the fireworks ended.

Unwilling Early Bird

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . waking up at 5:30am because my sleeping daughter bumped the nursery monitor and disconnected it. I went in and reconnected it, then couldn't fall back asleep. Sigh.

. . . hearing a loud crash as Daniel pulled Red Grandma's ceramic chip bowl to the floor. It shattered into a hundred pieces.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . having a pleasant, one-on-one conversation with my early-riser father this morning. I wasn't thrilled to be awake and sleep-deprived so early, but it was nice to have a quiet chat with my dad.

. . . playing on the boat with Papa and company. Even little Daniel liked having his legs dipped in the cool lake water.

. . . watching a documentary on Orrin Porter Rockwell, an early Latter-day Saint who was deeply devoted to the Gospel but also had a wild reputation as a frontier lawman and saloon owner (in the early days of the Church, the Word of Wisdom was just a suggestion). The film was informative and entertaining, but ironically only the females in the family watched the whole thing. Dad, Rob, and Sean all slept through most of it.

Daddy's Girl and the Folding Chair

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . several minutes of Joy wailing in the grocery store because she wanted to go fishing with Daddy instead. She insisted that she wasn't going to talk to me for the rest of the evening, then spent five minutes telling me all the specific circumstances under which she would not talk to me. Silent treatment is never silent with Joy.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . watching Joy and Daddy play catch with a green pinecone.

. . . eating Circus Animal cookies with my mom.

And another thing . . .

. . . today's biggest surprise was when I tried to move my chair back at an outdoor pizza place, and instead of scooting it caught on the concrete floor. The flimsy plastic buckled under me and I sank right to the ground. Fortunately, the process happened so slowly that I wasn't hurt at all.

An Electric Train and Sprinklers

Today's not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . dropping yet another of my little, ceramic, flower-shaped bowls. I originally bought eight or nine of them a few years ago; there are now three left.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Joy reading to Daniel. When Daniel saw me watching them, he patted the bed next to him to say, "Come sit by me, Mama."

. . . making sugar cookies with Joy. I rolled the dough balls which she then placed on the baking sheet, and when the cookies were baked and the glaze mixed up we both set to work decorating. I frosted the cookies, and Joy applied the "sprinklers" (sprinkles).

. . . watching Joy and Daddy have fun setting up the new electric train set together. They both think it's pretty cool, and though it frankly doesn't do much for me, I love watching them enjoy it together.

And another thing . . .

. . . this morning, Joy saw a woman with a strawberry tattoo on her wrist. Joy said she wanted a picture of food on her arm, too. I asked what food she'd like on her arm, and she replied, "A chicken nugget."