Excerpts

I can't believe I ended my June posts with a catch-up post. But you have to remember that my husband got home on Monday, and all of us can't have enough of him.

So, Monday of course was a day that we prepared for Elijah's coming. We cooked Elijah's favorite food, and the children helped make brownies. We cleaned the house, and had our presents wrapped. When Elijah got home Monday evening, the children were so excited. They wanted to hug and sit on him the whole time, and I kept telling them to give their dad some space, but they missed him too much.

Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with the usual activities, homeschooling, chores, swimming, reading, going on outings, talking, and we added one more today, sunbathing. What made me laugh, was the fact that after the children watched me put my towel on the ground, grab a pillow, and get comfortable with a book, they did the same. They also added food in the mix! I thought they would want to play with the sprinklers, or run around, or do something totally different, but reading? This is my favorite picture of the these past three days:

We have also talked a lot. We have had conversations like everybody else at the dinner table during each meal. The kids have discussed their favorite movies, what they are reading at the moment, their plans for the summer, birthday wishes, outings choices, and many more. Amongst these normal discussions, there were some that made my favorite list:

As I was quizzing Gillian on her spelling words, she spelled sat wrong, spelling it set. When I told her the correct spelling of the word, she said to me: "Mom, if you want me to spell the words correctly, you'll have to pronounce them correctly." I'm not perfect after all.

While teaching James how to read, he kept mistaking the sound of letter n, for that of th. I got a bit impatient after he did this for a few times. Realizing I was getting upset at him, James looks at me and says: "Mom, I'm not perfect. Give me a break!" I will, I will my son!

As Gillian was playing with the boys, she was getting a bit bossy with them. Well, a bit is an understatement, and she does that all the time. Usually Jefferson will speak up, but James will go along with her. This time, and he has been doing this recently a lot, he stood up for himself, and in a very grown up manner. He said to her: " Kindness is love, Gillian. Be kind to me if you love me." Wow! Did James just said that? My little one is growing up.

At dinner table, one day Jefferson was telling Elijah all about miscarriage. Yes, you heard it right, miscarriage. I had been talking on the phone with one of my friends and she was telling me about her sister's miscarriage. We were having a conversation and Gillian, like every girl at that age, was listening. Later on, she asked me about it, and I explained it to her in simple terms. Jefferson and James were there present. I didn't think they had listened, but I was in for a surprise when Jefferson was explaining this to Elijah. Fortunately, I had compared the beginning of the baby to a seed, which made James express the comment:"It's just like faith that starts as a seed and sprouts out in your heart and becomes a testimony." I was relieved and took the conversation from there talking about faith and our testimonies. Which led Gillian discuss agency and choices in this life. Which made Jefferson catch the ball and run with it toward the pre-existence. He, then, asked: "If all of us that are here on earth chose God's plan, how do some guys become bad guys, having chosen the right first?" We continued discussing the importance of choices and consequences, whether those consequences are blessings or hardships. And isn't life all about choices and consequences. I love it when children speak.

Charlton can't participate in most of these activities, especially the speaking part, but he has found his own things he likes to do. His favorite right now is trying to climb stairs, get books out of the book shelves, and being loved.

Looking forward to some July fun!

My muse

Last night I watched a brilliantly made movie, titled "Bright Star." It told the romantic story of the the great poet, John Keats, who wrote heart-felt poetry, and his muse, Fanny Brawne. Although it was a simple love story, it was directed with such tour de force and passion that it left you in awe. Everything was done just right, the costumes, the choice of actors, the locations, the stage design, and the development of the plot and the characters. Being an art lover, I always value the worth of a movie in its cinematography as well. I was mesmerized by the creativity and the artistic power of various scenes in the movie. Matching the camera angles and the lightning with the moods of the characters or of the scenes was done in perfection. I could feel, not just see, the emotional distance between the characters as the camera would take far away shots or shots from above. I could feel her loneliness at times by the colors presented or the weather portrayed outside. I could feel her joy as she walked wrapped in a purple velvet coat through amorous purple flowers . You could feel their love for each other and sense their thoughts as the camera closed in and captured their calm, but passionate gaze. Another beautiful feature of this film was the poetry itself. The director had done a brilliant job in incorporating it at proper times. My favorite part was the last scene as Fanny feeling only coldness in her heart and saddened by life is warmed up by reciting her lover's words. You can feel it as the warmth of love and passionate words reach her heart. Needless to say, I really enjoyed this movie.

The beautiful, but sad, love story of John Keats made me think that without his muse his talents would have been hidden, or at least not fully ripened as they were those last three years of his life. It is a beautiful thing to have found your muse. And make no mistake about it, we all need one, whether it be for poetry or for life. As I've reflected this week about what I've missed more about my husband, not having had him this week, the answer came to me last night as I was watching this movie. My life functioned pretty well this week; I actually got to be selfish without feeling guilty and did whatever I wanted with my time, whether it was mopping floors at ten o'clock at night, reading till three in the morning, or watching two movies in a row. Not that I can't do this while Elijah is home, but I try to be a bit considerate of his needs as well. So, it wasn't that I needed any help managing kids, home or life. What I missed the most was having my companion alongside me lending me a hand, or an ear. I missed his presence, the assurance it gives me when Elijah is around. I missed his love, his good words, his encouraging gazes, his understanding. I missed the unspoken thoughts floating in the air being caught by the other and bringing a smile on my face, knowing that my husband can tell what I'm thinking. I missed his expressed thoughts that match my thoughts at the same time. I missed my muse. Looking forward to his homecoming tomorrow!

I like poetry. I haven't studied or read it as I have prose, and as such I do not confess to understand it fully, but I truly like it. Poetry has power over all my senses as I read it, and I'm captivated by its beautiful world of words. It's those words that transport me to a different kind of reality that I can grasp even when I'm sitting in my chair. John Keats' talent makes it easy for anyone to appreciate poetry. I like a lot of lines from his poems, but I'll share the poem that gave the movie its name, and Fanny Brawne her heart back.

Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art -
Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night
And watching, with eternal lids apart,
Like Nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,
The moving waters at their priestlike task
Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,
Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask
Of snow upon the mountains and the moors -
No - yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,
Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,
To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,
Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,
Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,
And so live ever - or else swoon to death.

Photographers' Mecca

This Saturday, I took the children to the beach. The weather was beautiful and hot, just right for a day at the beach. I packed lunches and snacks, towels and toys, and two books for myself. I had high ambitions; I hadn't done much reading for myself this week being busy with taking care of children and going in outings. It has been a fun week with lots of memorable adventures, but it has been busy at that. I was looking forward to some relaxing hours bathing under the sun, and reading some fun summer books. I must have been in a dreaming state to not consider the fact I was going to be by myself with four kids, one of them being a baby. But read on...

There are so many different kinds of beaches along the San Francisco Bay, so I decided to choose one of them, Stinson Beach, 40 minutes north of San Francisco. It took me around an hour and half to get there from my house. The last thirty minutes were amazing. As soon as you get out of the highways, and head towards the beach, you go through these winding roads around several mountains. The way to the beach went through Muir Woods and Muir Valley. As I entered the valley and then drove up and down and around the mountains full of tall and luscious trees, I felt I was in an enchanted land. The fog was all around us, but because there was a refreshing breeze, it wasn't a thick fog. You could actually see it move alongside you and above the trees. It reminded me of Sherlock Holmes' Hound of Baskervilles' Moors or Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and at some point I felt I was about to hit Holmes' hound or meet Bronte's Heathcliff, not a very nice prospective either way. Nevertheless, the view was spectacular, and as I was driving, I had no wish to get away from it. I wish I had stopped the car and taken some pictures, but the roads were so twisty, that I didn't get a chance. And then, as I left this bewitching place, I was entranced by another stunning view, this time of Muir Beach:

I drove another ten minutes till we got to our destination. Upon our arrival, I discovered the harsh truth that the beach itself was covered in fog and misty air, and it didn't look that sunny. However, my spirits were not dampened by the cold and the gray; I marched on and let my eyes take it in, fog and all. The sea has such a calming effect on me, and my eyes and soul couldn't have enough of it. I opened the windows and let the salty smell of the water in the air touch my skin and tease my nose.
I was impressed that there were parking lots and restroom near by the beach. The parking lot where we parked was located a few feet from our beach spot, so it was easy for me to transport our stuff. The sand wasn't quite as soft as the Florida beaches' sand, but it was good enough for my kids to enjoy themselves. Although, they didn't play for long in the sand. The sea, with its powerful presence and playful waves, was calling them. The water was cold, but the young souls are defiant toward anything harsh, so they kept playing and chasing the waves. Charlton was keeping me company and was trying to get my attention by performing for me. Sometimes he would be tasting sand and sometimes he would do some kind of dance using sea weeds for props and following the rhythm of the waves. Often times I would be chasing him as he would try to chase the very tame seagulls. The books were left untouched, but not forgotten. I felt their loneliness, but the call of motherhood was more commanding.


Gillian, being her mother's daughter, immediately found some friends to play and swim with. As for Jefferson and James, they had a blast letting their little toy boats get washed away by the waves, and then trying to chase the waves themselves. Ah, the simple joys of childhood!
I was prepared to stay there till the sun set. I really wanted to take some unforgettable sunset-at-the beach- pictures, but my sweet Charlton, growing and all, doesn't feel comfortable sleeping anywhere but his bed. I was impressed he lasted till five. As we were getting ready to leave, the sun came out and dispersed the fog, apologizing to me for taking so long by giving me these impressive views as peace offerings:

My kind of rest

We totally slept in late this morning, and took it rather slow for the rest of the day. For the first part of the day, the children played and I did work around the house, while Charlton busied himself on the floor. During the second part of the day, we tried to run a few errands such as car washing, grocery shopping and library. I did manage to convince my children to follow me to this pretty private garden that I've been wanting to see for a while. I'm generally fascinated by nature and especially by plants and flowers. But I particularly reserve a special spot in my heart for desert or dry weather plants. Maybe it is their amazing resilience amongst the scarcity of life's necessities, or maybe it is their peculiar beauty that captures me, but whatever it is I really enjoy their unique display. Ruth Bancroft Garden didn't disappoint me a bit! I couldn't believe how many variety of desert plants from all over the world there were to be found on this three-acre desert landscape. You could turn your head in any direction and you would be greeted by the Mediterranean fan palms, or colorful rosettes from Mexico, or the many kinds of cactus I was able to recognise like the Prickly Pear Cacti, and the Golden Barrel Cacti. My favorites, however, were the Italian blue gray agave with its stately present, and some sort of cactus with its beautiful flirtatious yellow flowers. Here are a few of the pictures that I took:


This month, the garden hosted a myriad of local artists and their work. I didn't quite understand if these art pieces were created with the intention of garden decorating or for any sort of artistic enjoyment. Sometimes, the uniqueness of these pieces were borderline weird, but that made the whole visit extra fun for my kids. I also didn't know if you were allowed to touch them, and because I couldn't find any signs that prevented us from doing just that, I kept snapping picture after picture with my kids posing (and sometimes climbing) alongside these interesting displays.

The only one who didn't get his kind of rest today was Charlton, so as soon as we got home, I fed him, gave him a bath, and then put him down for the night. The children and I had a good time reading books for the rest of the evening. I love summer, just because I get to have my kids with me all day, every day. They make me work hard and sometimes I get mad at them, but mostly they make me laugh and happy.

Let books be your dining table, And you shall be full of delights Let them be your mattress And you shall sleep restful nights. ~Author Unknown

Tonight was Gillian's first book club! How exciting and fun it was for me to listen and marvel at the responses and enthusiasm that these 8 -12 year olds had! A few weeks ago, one of my friends at church suggested having a book club for our children ages 8-12, and I didn't have to think twice about it. What a great way to spend an afternoon for these sweet kids. I can't remember where I read this quote, but it goes something like this: "TV. If kids are entertained by two letters, imagine the fun they'll have with twenty-six. Open your child's imagination. Open a book." You all know that I love to read, but it is a special feeling to see my own daughter have a thirst for learning and reading. It makes my hard hours of motherhood feel like vacation. When I told Gillian about the book club idea, she was very happy about it, and she read the book immediately, although she had read Charlotte's Web twice already. The parents had to read it, too, so we could discuss it with them. I hosted the evening, since Elijah wasn't here and I didn't have anyone to take care of my little ones, and because I love to host parties, especially when it was going to be Gillian's first party of her own. She helped me make brownies, cook some chicken nuggets, washed the fruit, and pick fresh cucumbers and green beans straight from our garden.


My friend, Maureen, guided the discussion by asking the children questions and by reading interesting parts from the book and asking their opinions on the matters discussed. The girls were partially excited to be together as friends, and partially that they were actually having their own book club. When I asked Gillian later on what did she like about the evening, she responded that beside being with her best friends, she really enjoyed talking about the characters and how they were connected with each other. I was glad she had payed attention, even though she was so happy to have her friends over. It was a good evening and I think all of the boys and girls enjoyed themselves. We even had our own soundtrack of laughs and squeals, and some singing thrown in there, provided by my very own talented son, Charlton Donald Garmon. After hearing him tonight, we might consider guiding him toward a musical career. Delightful!

A bizarre series of events

I'm sitting here at my desk, thinking where to begin. First, I'll start by eating a king size chocolate bar, which isn't even mine, but Elijah's, who got it for Father's Day at church, and who hasn't been here to enjoy it. You'll understand and agree with me, as I explain myself further, that the chocolate bar truly belongs to me. I need to start my proceedings by telling you a little bit of last night. After laundry was done last night, I had the children clean up some, with Gillian doing the dishes and Jefferson vacuuming the dining area. We didn't do any school yesterday, but we were able to read a few books and then the children went to bed. As I said 'goodnight' to Gillian, she said she was hungry and would appreciate if I made a big breakfast tomorrow. This morning, I woke up early and cooked them a good breakfast. While they ate, I took a shower and got ready. Jefferson cleaned up the table and Gillian vacuumed the crumbs from the dining area. After taking care of Charlton, his diaper and clothes, we rushed through the door, so I could make my 9:15 am Visiting Teaching appointment. As my four kids tagged along, I remembered I needed some food for Charlton for later on. I put the kids in the car, and ran to make him a bottle and some peanut butter sandwiches for the older ones, in case they wanted to go to the park after swimming lessons. I got to the appointment 5 minutes late. We had a good visit. We left my friend's home just in time to reach my goal of being five minutes early for the swimming lessons. The children are learning how to float and swim under water. Gillian and Jefferson are enjoying it, but James seems to be afraid of the going under the water. Nevertheless, he tried hard, and afterward I had to keep my word of buying them ice cream if they did their best. The boys wanted to go to the park and play with friends after the swimming lessons were done. Gillian and I wanted to go home and rest. I had gone to bed too late last night, and woke up way too early this morning. I needed my nap. We went to the playground with dreams of napping floating in the air. They didn't even play at the playground; they found this grove of trees and kept climbing up and down the branches.
We did end up going home after the playground time. Gillian went straight to her room to read, and the boys went to their room to listen to their books-on-tape and play. I looked at my to-do-list, and realized I had to make one phone call that couldn't wait till I finished reading or rest. I called my landlord letting him know I had seen bugs in the house and they were freaking me out. He responded immediately by calling the pest control company. To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting him to act so quickly. In my mind, I was just informing the landlord of unpleasant issues such as bugs are. The pest control company responded faster than I had ever seen any company or agency respond. Within ten minutes, one of the representatives arrived, and then after few phone calls it was determined that they were to come and take care of the bugs right away. I was shocked and dumb founded. On one hand I really wanted the bugs to be out of the house, but on the other hand, I really wanted one relaxing afternoon. To make the matters worse, I had to vacuum the whole house and then take all the rugs out, and then vacuum again where the rugs had been. I also had to wait for them to finish before I left, and then we had to come back in four hours. Now, this wouldn't be a problem if it was morning, but by the time the pest control people left, it was almost six in the evening. There is nothing open by then, in where I can take the kids to spend four hours, especially when all of us were already so tired and had no desire to be anywhere. Well, I had to make the best of it. I took the children to McDonald's to eat and play at their indoor playground. The children played, I read, and Charlton fought sleep like a trooper. Around 7:30, I took the children to Heather Farm's Park, knowing that there will be still people there playing and strolling. Gillian and the boys played in the sand with their sand toys, and Charlton found out that swings are the best things ever.

As we were about to leave, I see the most beautiful sunset ever. I had to take a picture. It was breathtaking up close.

We finally made it home, but the day wasn't over yet. I gave a bath to Charlton, and then while dressing him, had the boys take possession of the bath at that time. Meanwhile, Gillian was taking a shower upstairs. I put Charlton down, and hurried to vacuum the carpets yet again, before the children stepped on them. Then, I had to put all the rugs back on again, vacuum, and put up chairs and tables. I also vacuumed all the stairs, which I never do because I detest that as a job. My muscles were aching. I finally got the boys out of the bath, dressed them and put them to bed. I gave them all kisses and hugs, apologized for not having the energy to read scriptures, and went to take a shower. My house looks like a doll's house, all clean and neat, but my feet hurt from going places all day, and my hands have formed calluses. At least, my mouth is enjoying itself by relishing the sweet taste of Snickers. Wouldn't you think I deserve to eat it? What a day!