Too Late

Mike has been in the same industry for seventeen plus years.  Mike knows a lot of people.   I have been on business trips, and have attended enough banquets, social events and parties, even a couple of weddings and funerals to have met some of these associates.  Some I have liked more than others.  (People and events!)  A little over ten years ago, I remember sitting on a job-site with Mike and some of his crew eating a Subway sandwich courtesy of a Sprinkler Rep I was meeting for the first time.   The Sprinkler Rep was very friendly and I was flattered that he included not only me, but my two year old toddler as though we were nothing out of the ordinary for a job-site lunch. 

Sometime after that lunch, I had the opportunity to sit at the same table as this Sprinkler Rep and his wife at a Landscape Convention banquet.  I remember his wife talking about learning to do a 'new' kind of math with her grade-school son.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time talking with her about a subject we shared in common: motherhood, as the men around the table spoke of sprinklers and plants.

A few years later, we enjoyed a family dinner one Friday night with this same couple and their son, and another in-industry family.  It was a great night of laughter, good food and fun. 

Fast forward a few years.  With the exception of running into them coincidentally once, while both of our families were visiting Temple Square, our interactions with Russ and his wife lessened as Mike and Russ each moved into some different circles (still within the industry).

Last September we attended an industry BBQ we have attended many times over the years.  We were thrilled to share a table with Russ, Kathy, their son Logan and another family.  We had many conversations that evening, covering an array of topics.  Two things from that evening will forever stand out to me.  First was Kathy's repeated desire to repeat the Friday night dinner of so many years ago. She mentioned more than once the need for Mike and Russ to co-ordinate schedules and get a dinner planned.  Secondly, Kathy was thrilled to have been served an over-sized portion of ice cream.  Insignificant memories? Perhaps...
We said our 'good to see yous' and our goodbyes, and as we walked away, I heard Kathy yell out, "Call us to arrange another dinner."

Life gets busy.
Time quickly passes.

In December, Mike and I received the following card in the mail:

This Christmas card will not be thrown out with some of the others.  It won't earn a place on our magnet board this year with some of our favorite Christmas card photos.  It will be put in a safe place.  A permanent place. A place that can remind me not to let time get away from us.

This Christmas card will forever remind me that some tomorrows will never happen.

Last Monday, three weeks after receiving the card, I sat next to Russ at an 'Ice Cream Gathering' following the Graveside Service for his dear wife, Kathy.

Life got busy.
September to December quickly passed.
Kathy unexpectedly passed away.

We never went to dinner. 

Dinner's Ready

Remember this guy last year?  The one who told Mike while talking to him on the phone that it sounded like Mike was at the zoo, instead of at home on a pleasant Sunday morning?  Well I met Mark the other week as I stepped into an elevator with Mike.  I had no idea who he was as he said, "I enjoyed reading your blog."  My face must as looked as dumbfounded and confused as my mind as he continued, "I'm the one you wrote about, Mike told me about it."

I was slightly embarrassed.

I thought of him the other night during dinner.
It was a relatively average dinner at our house.
But I was glad there was no phone call that could risk overhearing dinnertime in our home.

There is really no telling what one might hear in the background, even though it is pretty much the same routine every night.

Drew sits at the table, spoon and bowl in hand before the food preparation is even finished.
Joshua looks at the food on his plate.
Ellie moves the food around on her plate.  Ellie has figured out if she is quiet and doesn't vocalize her complaints, rarely will anyone notice that she hasn't eaten and thus suffers no 'Didn't eat dinner consequence.'
Luke snarfs it all down with lots of water during the final two minute count he has before he is sent to bed for the night. 
Megan is a pleasant dinner participant.
Mike is also a pleasant dinner participant.
As for me, I can be heard saying my standard line every night, "You telling me dinner is yucky, is just like me seeing a project you drew/colored/made and saying, "That's ugly."  Oh, that line is always preceeded or proceeded by, "I don't know why I keep doing this night after night."  I have a few other 'regular lines' but you get the picture...

(Please note, the reason for these pictures of us enjoying dinner together eating dinner together the other night...)  During dinner, Drew reached into the meatloaf pan, and with the large serving spoon picked himself up an over-sized portion of meatloaf which he promptly put in his mouth.  Of course, by the time the camera was retrieved, the original kodak moment was gone....)

Welcome to dinner.
We hope you enjoy...

Please note the lack of plate in front of Joshua and the disgusted look on Ellie's face...

In fact, just to be sure, let's get a closer look at what meatloaf, baked potato and corn can do to Ellie...

This is the proud look of a one year old who just successfully retrieved a large portion of meatloaf from the pan and placed the whole thing in his mouth.

(Un)Fortunately, my dad wasn't at dinner, so no one reminded Luke not to wear a hat at the table...

If I remember correctly, Joshua, upon being told that nothing could enter his mouth until the next morning if he didn't eat any dinner, took a bite.  You decide for yourself if he liked what he tasted or not...

Megan with the 94 cent cup she just had to have from Walmart last week...

(And yes, most weeknights I serve food right from the pan.  Once a week the china, cloth  napkins, matching glasses and fancy platters come out, the rest of the time? What you see is what you get...)

I used to really enjoy cooking.  But now that we have well and truly concluded that there are only two meals that don't cause contention, crying, tears and threats, dinner preparation and dinnertime seem less desirable than scrubbing toilets.

But yet we do it.

Every single night.

Dinner as a family with a home-cooked meal.

I worry about the adage,'perfection comes through repetition.'

Because we are going to be perfect at all the wrong things...

 I'm just glad the other night when Mike's phone rang just as we were finishing up eating dinner, he stepped into the garage to take the call...

A Morning Headache

Last night my brain would not shut down. It took me far too long to fall asleep, and so when the alarm went off four hours later to get Megan up and out the door at 5:10am, my head didn't feel very good.

After walking Megan down the street in my slippers, pajamas and big winter coat (in the teen degree temperature) to her YW leader's house I returned to bed.

I was still sleeping quietly when Megan returned.
I was still sleeping quietly as Megan cooked herself and all of the kids some eggs for breakfast.
I was still sleeping while Megan did Ellie's hair.
I was still sleeping while Megan packed two home lunches.
I was still (okay, well by now I was mostly awake) when Luke practiced the piano with no one reminding or asking him to.
I was still laying in bed while I listened to four people demanding Megan's attention.

"Megan, listen to this song."

"Megan, we bought apple juice yesterday. I want that."

"Da-Da-Da" (Drew's sounds for anything that could have ranged from asking for anything from food to a diaper change)

"Megan, will you pour the juice for me?"

"Megan, I want a capri-sun in my lunch."

"da-da-da"

"Megan, where are my shoes?"

Megan was actually very patient. I didn't even feel the slight bit guilty, but instead laid in bed worn out at the constant demands being asked of Megan, and realized it is NO WONDER I am WORN out when my three oldest kids walk out of the house at 8:21am.

I finally dragged myself out of bed at 7:47am. Sat on the couch with Joshua,read a book, and laughed out loud when it was finished and as I closed the book heard him exclaim, "That was a great book!"

I did not laugh however when at 8:22am, Ellie was standing in the front yard screaming and crying (long story) and I simply said, "Goodbye. I love you. Have a good day, and don't you dare miss the bus." I then turned around, locked the front door and watched her from the front window.

I'm certainly going to take Megan up on her offer as I laid in bed of, "You can do this once a week."
The one exception?
I'll stay in bed until 8:23am.

Happy Friday!!

Front Room Sounds

So back in November when our piano teacher decided she really should settle down and get ready for the birth of her second baby, rather than come to our house weekly to teach three piano students, we had some decisions to make...

We arranged a new piano teacher for Megan. (Her harp teacher just graduated with a degree in piano--how great is that?!)

As for Ellie and Luke, we had to think a little harder. We didn't feel we needed to pay the price of Megan's teachers, when they aren't as advanced (yet ;).  And, we have been very spoiled with our piano (and harp) teachers coming to our home for the past couple of years, so something close to home was very appealing...

With three children in musical lessons and one in horse lessons and five growing kids and seven need-to-eat-bellies, the cost was a definite consideration...
Having a twelve year old with some serious musical talent was certainly on our minds...
Having two other children who don't always enjoy piano couldn't be dismissed either...

But since November, for better or for worse, it's sorta been working.
Megan is the new piano teacher.

Megan is very different from any past piano teachers we've had..

• She sent us an enveloped invoice when our payment was past due.
• She rings the doorbell and makes a grand entrance when it's time for Ellie's lesson.
• She once called Mike and resigned from being one of the student's teachers. (Her resignation was only accepted for one week.)
• She is occasionally known to march into the kitchen and demand the lesson to be over.
• We hear loud sounds coming from the front room that do not come from a piano.

Megan is rich in musical talent and not quite as rich in patience with her siblings, but for the most part it is working well for all of us.

Thanks to some advice, information and ideas from her Aunt Christie who is currently working on her Doctorates in Piano Studies, in addition to teaching Luke and Ellie, Megan has been helping the neighbor girl weekly with her piano studies, and counting it as a YW value experience.

But, the highlight of all Megan's music studies and dedication came this last Tuesday.  Megan had her first 'REAL PIANO STUDENT'.  (We aren't sure what Megan considers Luke and Ellie, but obviously not 'real'...)

Her school friend, Seth.  (Who I also happen to think is one of the cutest, nicest, politest boys in 6th grade.)

Seth didn't fight and Seth didn't argue.
Megan didn't complain and Megan didn't resign.
Seems like it just might be a good fit.

Happy Teaching, Megan.

Luke's Remnant

While talking with my dad the other day, I mentioned to him what Luke has done during his Christmas break; made nine leather knife pouches, practiced the piano almost non-stop... I was just starting to say, "sewed a..." when my dad interrupted me and said, "It's stitching, don't call it sewing."  My dad thought I was referring to Luke's leather projects.

Oh but I wasn't.
I was trying to say, "Luke sewed a pillow."

And so, I told him the story about how I was in the material section of Walmart the other night picking up some ribbon....

Luke was intently looking at all the material (in his beloved 'genre') trying to tell me all the things he wanted to make with them.  (I was trying so hard to be patient with him, because I had really wanted to go to the store alone that evening, but I finally gave into his pleading and allowed him to accompany me and oh man was he wearing me out did he have lots to say...)

When lo and behold, in the box of remnants was a yard of horse material, clearance priced.  Oh it was like Christmas morning all over again.  The energy, excitement and enthusiasm coming from one little nine year old.

And then in seriousness he asked, "I don't really have a lot of money right now, what could I do to earn this?"

Seriously?
What did he say?
I don't know what was making me smile more:  His enthusiasm for a remnant piece of fabric or the principal of 'we work for what we want' that somewhere, somehow has sunk in.

I tossed the three dollar piece of horse fabric into the cart and listened to Luke drill me for the duration of our shopping time, the drive home and the carrying in of groceries, "Have you thought yet what I need to do to earn it?"

"Yes" I responded, "I'd like my lower kitchen cabinets cleaned out and organized."
There was no groaning and no complaining, simply a "Please can you keep Drew away from me while I do it?"
He began the minute he walked in the door.
He worked fast.
He worked efficiently
And only complained once when I shirked my responsibility of keeping Drew away from undoing his work. 

Then Luke disappeared.
He returned a little while later and he had HANDSTITCHED THE ENTIRE YARD OF FABRIC CLOSED INTO A PILLOW CASE.
HANDSTITCHED!

He showed such determination and dedication, I dreaded the thought of his disappointment when the whole pillowcase would very likely come apart within minutes of inserting a pillow into it.
And so very kindly, I said, "Luke it might not be very strong."
And in a momentary lapse of New Year's Eve judgement. I offered to teach him how to sew with a sewing machine.
You'd have thought he had died and gone to heaven.
That smile was bigger than any Christmas morning smile.

(You see, he has begged and pleaded for a sewing lesson more than once, following past 'sewing projects' but I am not one to teach my children things like that.  It takes a lot of patience, and that is not something I have much of.  And besides, what nine year old boy really needs to know how to work a sewing machine!?!)

But I must have had some New Year's Eve kindness in me.
And our lesson began...

And by golly, that proud smile on his face at the end made all the biting of my tongue worth it.

And then in true, generous Luke fashion, Luke promptly gave it to Mike to be the first to 'try it out'.

I love Luke! I can't think of another nine year old kid I know that is anywhere near as creative, innovative or resourceful as Luke is. But the thing I love the most is his confidence in what he does.  He hasn't a care in the world that he talks with his friends and hears all about the game systems and electronics they received and/or played with during Christmas break.  He just answers back, "I got a leather punch and some leather and made stuff." 

Luke's great!
I've never met anyone quite like him.

The Bee in Mike's Bonnet

I have to give a brief background...

Mike comes from a very musically talented family.  His entire youth was spent actively involved in musical performances, practicing, etc.  Mike's family are all still very actively involved in music as adults.  But Mike, not so much.

Sure he sings in the ward choir, faithfully attending every weekly practice WITH Megan for almost four years straight now.
He has a very acute ear and will holler from another room which note a practicing child should have played.  He also patiently lays on the music room floor to monitor a practicing child.

And though Mike is a talented musician, in my (humble) opinion, he doesn't/hasn't let his talent shine in adulthood as he should.

BUT, he does strongly encourage music from his children.
'If you want horse riding lessons, you gotta play the piano...'
'If you want to go play with friends, get your practicing done first...'
'If you want food to eat, clothes to wear, and a shelter overhead, keep up on your musical studies.'

You get my point...

Well, for sometime now, Mike has been concerned about three children needing to practice the piano daily,  and one child needing to additionally practice the harp each day, all in the same room.  Oh and of course there are only so many hours in a day.  For months, Mike has suggested the idea of a second piano.

I have politely ignored him for several reasons...

Number 1 being, I LOVE my baby grand piano that I purchased with money received when my dear Granny passed away and I don't want it being neglected.
Number 2, There are lots of other things I'd like that fall into the price range of a second piano.
Number 3, Where am I going to put a second piano, I have been content with my family room as it is...

And then I guess I ran out of good, valid reasons to ignore Mike any longer.  And so with a slight nod of my head indicating approval, and with lots of research behind him, Mike took Luke and Megan on a trip to Summerhayes Music Store recently.  Mike allowed the children to pick out the particular piano.

It is a digital piano with all the bells and whistles.   USB connections, built-in Alfred Piano Book Lessons, recording capabilities, split keyboards, you name it.

But it isn't the fanciness of this silly digital piano that has Mike and I laughing and smiling.  It is the six months worth of practicing that our children (mainly Luke) have done in a four-five day period.  Though the novelty will surely not last in it's entirety, we both our thrilled our children have interests and talents in music.

The music has not stopped...  

It didn't matter if the bench wasn't even put together yet...
Doesn't matter if it is one kid helping another...

 Or one kid TRYING to play alone...

Doesn't matter if it is two kids playing a duet...

Or if you're told you have to wear headphones so Mom doesn't have to hear any more...

Doesn't even matter if you are wearing pants...

The chaos of five children arguing over a piano, WHEN THERE IS ANOTHER ONE SITTING IDLY IN THE FRONT ROOM is filling our home.
But then again, so is music.
And Mike (and I) wouldn't trade it.

This Year

Last year, I resolved to laugh more.

I asked Mike the other day if he happened to notice if I spent 2010 laughing more...
I think we both agreed I have plenty of room for improvement.

I think the reason I didn't succeed quite as planned though is; last January I got a little ahead of myself....

Before I can laugh more, I need to RELAX more.

And I don't mean the lay on the couch and kick my feet up type relaxing.
I mean taking literally the quote I recently read in President Monson's biography.

'Don't take life so seriously.'

We'll see how it goes...

All the best for 2011.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!