Top Ten--April 2008

Top Ten things done, heard, seen, or discovered on the home front in April:

10) Isaac’s obsession with April Fool’s Day. I kid you not, I heard, “Happy Fool’s Day” 14 million times on April 1st. He ran up to me a few weeks later, “There’s a monster behind you! Hahahahaha! Happy Valentine’s Day!” Wrong day, kid, wrong day.

9) Spring is such a bittersweet time for me. The beautiful weather, warm breezes, green grass, tulips, and agonizing, awful allergies. I want to scratch my eyeballs right out. I have yet to find the right allergy medication that won’t tire me out completely. Suggestions? Anyone?

8) Photographic evidence that I came from a family of bookworms. (See additional post—soon, I promise.)

7) The dramatics of 1st grade life brought home by a dejected looking Lucy. “Mom (sigh), something TERRIBLE happened at school today. Emma and Brooke broke up being best friends today. It’s so, soooooooo sad! (sigh)” I’ll spare you the complete, heart wrenching story. Let’s just say I tuned out after 14 minutes. I couldn’t help it. Honest.

6) Lucy & Kye getting accepted into a fabulous charter school in a neighboring town, which focuses a ton on music and the classics. (And by “accepted,” I mean “name drawn randomly from a hat.”) After submitting all registration forms, I started questioning my sanity for committing to drive to the school 3 times each and every stinking school day. Will I? Will I not? I’m waiting for divine inspiration, or perhaps just a kick in the pants to sway me one way or the other. A fabulous core-knowledge, saxon math education . . . or the convenience of elementary school just down the hill? I know which way I’m leaning. The selfish way. Oh don’t worry. I’ll keep you posted.

5) The art of manipulating Isaac. If you say the words, “Ready, set, rocket, go!” he will do just about anything. It’s branched out to “ready, set, robot, go” and “super sonic speed go” and “super quick go.” I drew the line yesterday at, “Ready set rocket, set robot, set super sonic speed, set rocket, set Diego—GO!” Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful thing to behold.

4) Kye’s love of lima beans. No, I’m not kidding. As he was picking them out of his mixed vegetables, he said, “I just love these things. They are like yummy little treats, every single one.” Where did this COME from? I would question his parentage, but I remember giving birth to him, and he looks identical to Zach. Must be a recessive gene—way, way, way back.

3) Lucy’s aversion to food. ALL food. Okay, MOST all food. Whenever I hear a compliment from her at dinner, I start to wonder what she wants. (Just kidding, she’s not old enough to manipulate yet, thank goodness.) Recently, I heard, “Mom, this is the best, never ending BEST dinner I have ever had.” Our spread included a rotisserie chicken, biscuits, green beans and avocadoes. I heard it again a few nights ago when we had cereal. She likes the simple things in life.

2) Watching General Conference. “Daughters of God” by M. Russell Ballard. Read it here.

1) Sweet, blessed relief from an awful, painful thing called post-partum depression. Fourth child, first experience with it. Never, EVER want to feel it again. But I can humbly acknowledge my gratitude for a loving Savior who provided the Atonement for those in pain. It works. I know it personally.