February Fondness

Jefferson and I had the best date a few Saturdays ago.  We went to eat out first.  As we were waiting for our food, we played the question game that we usually reserve for dinner as a conversation starter: the love jar.  I have printed and cut out about 100 questions and then placed them in a jar.  During dinner time, usually on Fridays, we pull one question out and then have everybody share their thoughts with each other.  I decided to take the love jar with us, and I'm glad I did.  The question Jefferson picked was "What qualities would you like in your future spouse?"  He thought for a bit, and then answered: "I would like her to 1. love being a mother, 2. love to read, 3. be close to the Spirit, 4. love me very much, and 5. be fun, happy, pretty and a good cook.  I told him that I thought those were great qualities for any person to have, and then I added that if he wanted a wife such as this, he needed to work on being those things himself.  The funny thing was that when we got home later on, at the dinner table we shared our experience and what Jefferson had said, and then Gillian jumped in and said:"You are out of luck, Jefferson.  Dad has already claimed mom."  We all laughed at that, but later I made a mental note to not judge Jefferson's future wife too harsh.  That's a high bar for anyone to aspire to.  Although, I guess it's doable since they think I'm it :)

Here is Jefferson finishing his lunch by enjoying his cinnamon roll.

After our luncheon, Jefferson and I attended a well-produced Broadway show of Singing in the Rain.  We both loved it, but Jefferson was a bit disappointed that the actor who played the main character Don Lockwood didn't look or acted at all like Gene Kelly.  Then again, who can come close to the immortal and divine Gene Kelly. The musical lasted three hours, and Jefferson enjoyed every second of it.  My favorite part of this production was the ending when all of the actors donned yellow raincoats with red umbrellas and sang and danced together the theme song, Singing in the Rain. We finished our date with a trip to the frozen yogurt parlor.

Gillian has had a good February too.  She won first prize in her school for her science project.  Gillian and Elijah worked together throughout the project, and I helped type her findings.  It was wonderful seeing the excitement and the respect in Gillian's eyes as she noticed how seriously her father took into helping her. After reading and searching various science projects, they decided on a project that Elijah's brother, Jeremy, had performed when he was her age, Can I Make a Nail Rustproof?  Elijah and Gillian went to the store together, they printed labels for the jars, they painted the nails with various products, and every night Elijah would remind Gillian to record her project's progress.  The end result was not only a prize, but a deeper bond between father and daughter.

At school Gillian received several awards in excellence in reading and math.  Elijah got her flowers to congratulate her.  Her confidence was shining.  At home, also during February, Gillian helped out with various cooking projects.  My boys are the doers in my house; they love to cook, clean, play, and help out with anything else.  Gillian, however, would rather read.  I'm very happy that she loves to read, but knowing from personal experience that reading won't feed a family, I wanted her to learn a few practical skills as well.  Plus, I also want her to feel good about herself by knowing that she can do a lot of different things.  The cooking experience was a success, with Gillian helping out with breakfasts, lunches, and a few dinners.  I came out from that week of teaching Gillian how to cook with the impression that I need to do that on a regular basis.  Now, each child takes a week to help in whatever is needed to cook.  Maybe in the summer I'll train them to be completely in charge of dinner meals. Then, I can read all day.

James couldn't hide his excitement and joy when he told us he had been chosen as the student of the month in his class, with three awards under his belt (best reading, best math, and rocket math).  He wanted me to go and see him when he got his awards.  My sweet angel was so happy and overjoyed.  He had asked me to get him a balloon, but I hadn't had the time, so I told a white lie to him that I had left it in the house so he didn't have to bother with it at school.  As soon as the award ceremony was over, I dropped everything else and went to get him a balloon.  As luck would have it, the first three stores I went had run out of helium.  I was getting nervous, and I said a prayer and promised never to lie to my children even a white little one.  On my fourth attempt I found a store with helium but with only balloons left from Valentine's day.  I compromised and got one that said "I love you."  Whew!  That was a close one!  James kept that balloon up by his chair for two weeks.  My darling boy!

Charlton had a wonderful time celebrating Dr. Seuss's birthday with his friends.  For preschool that week, we read several Dr. Seuss books, played Cat in the Hat board games, and worked on projects with Dr. Seuss theme.

Charlton has truly enjoyed his friendships with his preschool mates.  I've enjoyed seeing him "reading"to his friends, sharing his knowledge on the rules of the game with them, wanting to help me while I cook, catching rides with his big brother, Jefferson, having alone time looking at books, listening to books-on-tape while painting, sculpting, or playing, and reading with dad.  He is a joy to have as my constant buddy.

The kids have really had a wonderful time these past weeks.  They have tried very hard to not complain while washing bathrooms, mopping floors, folding laundry, and they have loved cooking with mom, watching the stars with dad (Elijah got a new app that helps identify the stars in the sky), building with Legos, reading, and playing with each other.  The month of love was filled with fond feelings, ardent appreciation and thoughtful kindness for each other.

Mattress shopping

Jefferson kept us awake all night, last night. He had a very bad ear ache, and couldn't sleep. I was exhausted with Thursdays being my busiest days, but I felt so sorry for Jefferson hurting so much. We gave him pain reliever, olive oil drops in the ear, and heating pad to keep his ear warm. The ache still persisted. I had to wake up Elijah so he could give him a blessing. After the blessing, I gave him some more medicine, and then put him down in the couch. As soon as I fell asleep again, I hear him throwing up while laying in my bed. My poor boy kept apologizing and went up straight to the bathroom to finish his business and clean up. I immediately grabbed towels and started cleaning our bed. Fortunately, there wasn't much throw-up on our actual bed, and after cleaning it all, Jefferson and I suited ourselves in the living room couch by the fire place. He felt better, and I was able to catch two hours of sleep without the need of smelling throw-up.

Jefferson had just christened our newly bought bed with his vomit. Not a very good beginning, especially after the many hours that it took us to find a suitable bed for us. Two weeks ago, we had gone to Sleep Train to check out mattresses. Let me just say, we spend a good hour trying the mattresses and writing down what we liked about them. I can't believe how many different brands and kinds of mattresses there are out there. Last Saturday, Elijah and I began our pilgrimage after breakfast, and our bodies felt mattresses at Sears, Macy's, JcPenny's, Mancini's, back to Macy's, and then one last time to Sleep Train. That was our last stop in search for the perfect fit. In between, we stopped for lunch at an Italian restaurant, and for hot chocolate at Barnes & Noble after purchasing the mattress that was most suitable for our bodies. By the time we got home, it was time for dinner. Good thing that the shopping involved laying down for minutes at a time, otherwise wandering for five hours wouldn't have been much fun. Not that mattress shopping for five hours was any fun in itself, but being with my husband was.

Jefferson is feeling much better, and our fortress, as Gillian calls our bed, doesn't smell... you know, like puke. However, I'm still finding it very hard to sleep in it. It needs breaking in for at least three to six weeks. Maybe I'll just sleep in the couch by the fireplace, while Elijah does the job for me. That, or let the kids jump up and down till it feels just right.

A day with my boys

This morning I was awaken by Jefferson telling me he was all dressed and ready for our date. It was around 8:00 in the morning, and that didn't make me very happy. Saturdays are my 'sleep in' days. Nevertheless, seeing how excited Jefferson was, I got up, fed all the children breakfast, and then got ready. Since my mother and Elijah were still asleep, I put Gillian in charge of James and Charlton. Jefferson and I headed toward one of the Farmers' Market near our house. It was drizzling a bit, but that didn't prevent us from checking out every single vendor and their produce. We noticed a vendor selling fresh pastries, and it didn't take long for Jefferson and I to purchase a Napoleon and a Cinnamon bun for ourselves. While eating our pastries, we started with our shopping. Jefferson was quite taken by the five-pound Red Bass we bought. He didn't want to carry it though; he just wanted to look at it. However, he did help me carry most of the produce.
We had a good time talking about foods we like and don't like, kinds of foods that are good for you and the other kinds that are just tasty. We made plans for our own garden we wanted to plant this year and made a list of the produce we wanted to grow. Jefferson is such a serious thinker that I really enjoy talking to him. He is very thoughtful and truly thinks about things. I never have a conversation with him in which he hasn't listened carefully and then thought about his answer. Today, he thanked me for taking him out and said that he really enjoyed being with me. I did too.

When we got home, we put the groceries up, wrapped Oliver's birthday present, and then, along with James, drove to the church to celebrate Oliver's birthday. The kids had so much fun riding their bikes and playing with each other that when it was time to go, my boys couldn't believe that much time had past. Gillian stayed home with dad, and helped him with a few errands.

When we got back, the children were ready to watch their Saturday movie. I put Charlton down for a nap, and then took my mother out for some fresh air. Since it was raining, and we had had lunch already, we decided that instead of going to eat out somewhere, we would go shopping, the next best thing. There is nothing more therapeutic than shopping, especially if you are shopping for yourself. We strolled from one store to another enjoying ourselves and wanting to buy anything and everything we set our eyes on. I kept trying to convince my mother to buy a pair of jeans, but of course she said jeans was not the appropriate attire for an European older lady. I'm glad I feel free of conventions and expectations. We had a good time talking and laughing, and trying on dresses and blouses and boots and all sorts of accessories.

Tonight, after we ate dinner, Elijah took me out to the movies. My mom watched the kids, and my husband and I watched "Unknown." There were a bunch of movies out, but nothing looked good and interesting, and most of them were rated R. The "Unknown" sounded interesting from what we watched in the previews. We weren't disappointed; the movie was good and entertaining. It had a good plot, with twists and turns and kept you guessing throughout. Liam Neeson played the main character, and as always he did a fantastic job. Elijah and I had a good time just being together. On the way home, we decided that we would take turns in choosing our date night activity. Till now, Elijah has been the one planning them with me occasionally suggesting ideas. Wanting to have a variety of activities, we decided we should come up with our own ideas of what we consider fun. So, friends, I need a few tips of good restaurants and fun date activities. It's a blessing to have my mother here take care of the children, so Elijah and I could spend some time with each other. Although Elijah and I spend a lot of good time together at home (we make sure our children are asleep by 8 p.m.), I feel it's equally important to spend time out of the house as a couple. It's a good opportunity to talk, to learn and enjoy each other's interests, and simply to be together in a relaxing and fun atmosphere.

What are some fun activities you do with your children? What has been your favorite idea for a date with your spouse?

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction. Antoine de Saint-Exupery

We hosted our yearly Valentine party this past Friday. It's a wonderful tradition. I love to host and make people happy. Besides throwing birthday parties for family and friends and having them over for lunches and dinners on a constant basis, Elijah and I throw a Valentine's party each year, and I throw a Christmas 'tea' party for just my lady friends near Christmas time. We have been doing this for years and each time we have all enjoyed it. Because our house is not quite big to fit everybody we like to invite, each year we invite different couples. That way we can have everyone over at one time or another. This also makes it interesting for us, because with different couples each year the dynamic is different and we try to tailor to our present couples. As a result, we don't feel like we are repeating the same stuff.

We play a lot of games, eat good food, have fun prizes, and lots of laughs. The main point of the party, however, is to bring a romantic spirit into our lives, and believe me we all feel it. Husbands and wives often times will have tears in their eyes when their partner is sharing something about them. I do all the time. This is a special way to celebrate Valentine's without feeling the pressure of commercialism. Nevertheless, I always have at hand roses and chocolates for the couples to enjoy afterward.

On Saturday, I took Gillian on our date. She had expressed a desire to go and see the movie "Tangled." What better activity to do on a Valentine's week-end, right? Well, the movie wasn't being shown anywhere nearby, so I had to drive thirty minutes away to find the only movie theater that was still showing it. It was worth it. We both loved it and kept sharing our favorite parts. I thought it was so beautifully done with music, and romance, and a nice plot. I loved the many artistic ideas that were so wonderfully intertwined throughout the plot. With the exception of the witch's song "Mother knows best," I truly enjoyed the whole movie. Who would have thought I would be thrilled about an animated movie! Welcome to the high tech world of the 21st century.

On Sunday, Elijah and I took a three hour nap after church. I have to say that was the best kind of celebration yet. Do you know how hard it is for those kind of naps to come along these days? A big 'thank you' to our kids for not disturbing us, and to Charlton for being a good napper himself.

Today, the kids were home from school. I was planning to take them to San Francisco and check out the new exhibition of Curious George prints at the Jewish Art Museum, and then take mom to see some other outdoor sights. Alas, it didn't happen. I don't function very well when the morning starts gloomy and rainy. The kids decided they wanted to play with each other, and so it was settled that I would read by the fire and the kids would play inside and then outside when the sky cleared. It was a lazy day, but very relaxing.

In the evening, Elijah shared a special FHE lesson about true love, the perfect love that our Heavenly Father and Jesus have for us. When Elijah asked the children how did they know that Jesus loved us, Gillian immediately shared a scripture by heart (John 15:13 - "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.") I was so proud.

You see, I teach Valiant 8 year old girls and boys in Primary. Gillian is in my class. Since we have started this year, I have had all of them memorize several scriptures and Articles of Faith. My goal as a teacher is to have them memorize all of the Articles of Faith (13) and 15 scriptures by the end of the year. I know they will do it. They have already memorized two scriptures and two Articles of Faith. They are so excited about it. They always ask me what scripture they are going to memorize that day. And when I hear my own daughter share a scripture by heart appropriately, I feel that we are truly raising a chosen generation. I'm grateful to be a mother and a teacher to such valiant spirits.

How was your Valentine's week-end? Do you like receiving roses and chocolates, and go out for dinner? Is there any special traditions you have as a couple or family to celebrate Valentine's?