I have spent the whole week trying to catch up on sleep from our "sweet potato" slumber party for Young Women's last weekend. The scouts/Young Men had their annual "couch potato". A new tradition was also started and the 8 year old girls had a tater tot sleep over. It was said that the tater tot group stayed up till 2am, while the sweet potato group finally caved at 4:30 am. I must say that I have finally crossed the threshold into the "old" category. I can only handle so much squealing.
Friday was a great day. Carsten had an unknown dream realized when he was invited to his friend Olivia's Build-a-Bear birthday party. He was so excited to go and the reports back said he had the biggest grin the whole time. He choose a Panda bear and named him Po. Yes, after the Po in Kung Fu Panda. He slept with Po and still had the smile all day Saturday.
Sophie on the other hand was a happy little lark all week because her friend was coming over for a sleep over.
Then enters poor Benjamin who was left feeling very unloved. So Matt took him out for ice cream and while they were gone I broke out the camera to document some of the happenings in the Mower household.
Coloring time! I'm going to take moment to sing praises to my talented children who lovingly decorate my home with scraps of papers and wonderful drawings. Memememememe...
As far as personalities go Carsten and Josette are very, very much alike. It's so hilarous to be with these two who are so full of fun and adventure. They even do the same kind of cheesy grins when the camera comes out.
This is the state of the temporay table in the dining room. The pictures are for my young women in excellence this week. I have some really great pictures that are hiding away on my computer that I really wanted to display in a different way. So I bought some canvases, photo adheasive and Modge Podge to create some really fun canvas prints. I had the "brillant" idea of doing this as a way to display photos for Tuesday night, hopefully they'll all be done by then!
Sophie is officially a very big girl. We are going to have to warn babysitters that they are the ones in charge and NOT Sophie. She is a wonderful help and very much a little mother hen to her siblings, for both the good and the bad. I let the girls make cupcakes ALL by themselves. Sophie's friend is standing on the foot stool, Sophie is flat footed on the floor.
Sometimes the batter doesn't make it all the way in but hey they still taste the same.
When we bought our home it had been a rental for 5 years. We got a deal but along with that came the need to make some cosmetic changes. These "cosmetic" changes have really added up to be a lot of work. Our last one has now been done twice but I really should have broken down and did it the first time around. A NEW kitchen.
We have been living up an absolutely incredible fall in Alaska. It was almost 60 today and the kids and I were running around in tee-shirts. To get everyone up to speed quickly and so I don't feel guilty about moving on here is the bullet list of the last month and a half.
During dinner tonight we were having our Sunday dinner conversation. Every Sunday we discuss what everyone talked about in their church lessons. Everybody takes a turn and I am always amazed at what they remember and discuss. My lesson in YW today was about the influences of different types of media. I asked the kids if they could tell me of something that could be used for both good and evil. Benjamin piped up with, an ax.
Josette is well, Josette. Such a little riot. She is constantly running around calling for "the boys". First thing in the morning she asks for Dadda (which is really mamma) and then she looks for the boys. She also always wants to carry her back pack which is really her red lunch box.
It has been gorgeous this week. Bright blue skies with warm temperatures. We had our best visit to the zoo ever. Even this little melt down didn't ruin the trip. The above picture is Carsten beginning. The bench in the background was were he wanted to eat but it was in the shade and Benjamin wanted to be in the sun (I did too). Since it's Benjamin's last day trip with school starting, we took to the sun. Carsten then moved to the ground to protest. A full 45 minutes later we are done and Carsten is happily eating on the bench in the shade.
The snow leopard is my favorite animal at the Anchorage Zoo. They are such magnificent cats. The blue sky behind is what we were enjoying.
Carsten always has at least 3 items in his hands. For family home evening it was a skewer, a little tool bar with a screw and bolt and a play belt. When we asked them what they were it was his sharp sword, a gun and a rope. The topic of our family home evening was loving your family. Where does he come up with these things? It's always something different.
This morning after I had left for my meeting Carsten refused to put on his tie. Matt said fine and left the room next thing he knows Benjamin is chanting that Carsten looks like a girl because he's wearing a bra. HUGH!! Carsten had wrapped his tie around his chest and to Benjamin that's what it looked like. I guess I'm going to have to lock my door now to keep my privacy, little ones barging in is just no longer going to cut it.
Sophie officially started school this week. On Thursday she brought home her social studies book just to get ahead. No homework, just wanted to be ready for the next day. I wonder how long that is going to last.
My mind has seemed to be going overtime lately. It's taking so long to go to sleep, which is so unlike me. I figure writing some of it for everyone to read will make it easier.... Life ebbs and flows and as soon as you feel like you are comfortable with who you are and what you're made of it all changes. I feel so uncertain of myself in so many arenas. I love to take pictures! It's a hobby and purely a hobby that I enjoy but I feel myself looking at others pictures and wonder why I even think I can do it! The sensible side of myself kicks in and I know that is crazy thinking but it still occurs. 2nd-Motherhood. Dynamics have changed once again and my sweet little, laid back, Sophie has become another child. Loud, bossy, back talking, and ready to burst into tears at any moment. I don't handle this new one very well! I'm having to re-learn some motherhood skills that I thought I had gotten pretty ok at. This morning involved a very, very angry Carsten declaring that Benjamin was no longer his brother, shouldn't be part of this family and he hated him. After being sent to his room several times to settle down I finally just asked him if he was upset that Benjamin would be starting Kindergarten soon? He nodded, we talked about it and the morning changed drastically. We are all not ready to have Benjamin gone during the day.
We've now added YW President to add to my uncertainties. I think I'm about to burst at times. There are so many strong women, many of whom are serving with me and served before me. This is a challenge not to just step back and leave everything to their very capable hands. Once again I know in my heart and spirit that this is where and what I should be doing at this time. Once again it's the battle of the brain vs the heart.
The battle of the brain is what I'm going through. My head keeps telling me these things and keeps me up.
