Unicorn

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . imbibing baby cuteness.

. . . taking a shower.

. . . snuggling with my sweetheart.

. . . joining Club Unicorn.  Wow.

Butter Flavored? Really?

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

. . . discovering that the squarish pretzels I recently bought are butter flavored.  Weird.  I just wanted a different shape so the chocolate won't melt through so much when we make pretzel treats. Fortunately the chocolate masks the butter flavor, for the most part.

. . . Daniel trying to get my attention by poking me in the nose.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . watching my kids play in the sprinklers out front.

. . . finally writing some overdue blog posts for the family blog.  Huzzah for postdating.

. . . Joy offering to help prepare dinner and set the table.  Bless her heart.

I Survived Primary

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Sharing Time going well and being fun.  Whew!

. . . eating Drumsticks after lunch as a Father's Day treat.

. . . hanging with my fam, watching Papa, Heather, and the big kids play "No Bears Are Out Tonight."

A Tumbling Snake

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

. . . stressing about my first Sharing Time lesson in Primary tomorrow.  Even if it's a train wreck, life will go on and I'll do better next time, but for some reason it's really weighing on me.  Thank goodness I only have to teach once a month.

. . . glancing over at Daniel just in time to see him fall off a chair and pull our corn snake's tank down on top of him.  Daniel got only a small bump on the head and Spot the snake seemed unharmed, but he hid in his shavings for a while until he was satisfied that the world wouldn't turn upside again.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . cuddling Anna.

. . . Joy talking with me about the scriptures I was reading.

. . . grooving to oldies in Trader Joe's.

. . . smooching my sweetheart.

. . . reading my own cookbook.  Is that kind of like laughing at my own jokes?

. . . reading Nienie's blog. She is a welcome dose of happy nearly every day.

. . . seeing a picture on that blog of a gal who was in my student ward at BYU.  Small world.


And another thing . . .

. . . this evening I saw a cartoon caption that bears a very unfortunate resemblance to my life these days: "My desire to be well-informed is currently at odds with my desire to remain sane."  I want to stay abreast of current affairs, but it is so hard to find time and energy to take in even the basics ("Election in Egypt; Romney's focusing on the economy.  Got it.").  I'm beginning to understand why young people with little responsibility are more likely to be liberals pushing for change, while older folks with more on their shoulders tend to be conservatives who don't want their overburdened boats rocked.

Yosemite

On our trip to Yosemite . . . 

. . . my not-so-favorite moments included . . .

. . . being attacked my mosquitoes on the Ahwahnee lawn.

. . . my favorite moments included . . .

. . . coming around a bend and seeing Half Dome in the distance.

. . . hiking (i.e. walking along a level, paved path) to Lower Yosemite Falls with my family.

. . . the big kids climbing rocks near the falls with Daddy, and talking about how fun it was for days afterward.

. . . eating ice cream with Red Grandma.

. . . feeling a fallen sequoia's bark and discovering that it is soft and fuzzy.

Rainbows and Crazy Bunnies

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

. . . Joy crying because she only liked two of the things I put on the table for dinner.

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Phillip watching the kids so I could sleep two extra hours this morning.  Sweet bliss.

. . . Daniel repeatedly exclaiming, "Those bunnies are crazy!" as he watched Joy playing a version of chess with bizarre little animated rabbits on our computer.  The pawn bunnies fought using plungers.  Enough said.

. . . buying some Rainbow sandals.  The price tag was a little steep for me, but I've heard they're incredibly comfortable and durable, so hopefully I won't have to buy new ones for a few years.  Last year I wore a cheap pair of flip-flops paper-thin in a single summer.

. . . Phillip making an absolutely delicious smoothie.

. . . Joy reading scriptures to Daniel.

. . . this interchange:

Joy: Please don't do that.
Daniel: Why, Joy?
Joy: Say, "Why, Queen?"
Daniel: Why, Queen?
Joy: [dramatic pause] . . . Because there was a dodo!
Daniel: [uproarious laughter]

Belonging and Graduation

Today's favorite moments included . . .

. . . Daniel intentionally misfiring Angry Birds so they flopped down an inch from the slingshot.  Every time he did it, he laughed as if it was the most hilarious thing ever.

. . . attending Joy's preschool graduation.  It was a nice ending to a very good school year.  I particularly enjoyed hearing the teacher's predictions about what each child might be some day.  Since Joy has very decided opinions about everything, the teacher predicted that she will be a judge when she grows up.

. . . playing with Daddy and the kids at the park after a picnic dinner.

And another thing . . .

. . . lately I've been reading a parenting book called Positive Discipline.  Many of its principles make sense to me, including the theory that all children want to belong and feel significant, and most misbehavior stems from their ineffective efforts to achieve that (i.e. seeking attention or power in negative ways) or their frustration when they don't achieve it (i.e. lashing out or withdrawing). The author notes that if a child came up to you and said, "I just want to belong and feel significant," you would probably respond in a kind, encouraging way, yet kids' misdirected efforts to achieve those ends often earns them the opposite of what they really want.

I think it's safe to say that adults want the same things, and often struggle just as much to obtain them.  I'm always intrigued by people whose appearance screams "Look at me!!" (either because they're immaculately fashionable or outrageous with crazy hair and multiple piercings), yet their eyes reveal that they're deeply insecure and almost terrified of making eye contact with anyone.  Maybe they hope their clothes and hair will convey the confidence they wish they felt.

I met someone like that at the store today.  He was my cashier, and as I looked him over--the tattoos, piercings, edgy hairstyle, and shy eyes that flicked away from mine as fast as they could--I thought of that phrase from the book: "I just want to belong and feel significant."  I found it easy to be friendly with him when I realized that he might want and need it so much, and our brief interchange seemed to make him feel happier and less self-conscious.  I hope I'll remember that principle even when it isn't so obvious.