Everglades National Park

A trip to Florida wouldn't be complete without venturing into the Everglades. We decided to visit Shark Valley because they have a tram ride through the park. It's a two-hour tour. I wasn't sure how well Kyle would do, but we decided to try it, anyway. While we were waiting for the tram ride to begin, we took a stroll down the main trail. It was amazing how many alligators and birds we saw, just in the first minute! They were so close, we could have reached out and touched them.

The tram got going at noon, and the torture began. Kyle was NOT happy during the ride, even when bribed with Nilla Wafers, potato chips, granola bars, fruit snacks. He was off his schedule and was going to let everyone know about it.

We finally got to the observation tour and were able to walk around. We climbed up to the top and could see all the way across the Everglades, in all directions. We looked down and saw tons of gators, warming in the sun. Then, we saw the storm clouds roll in and start POURING rain down upon us!




What Boulter trip would be complete without getting soaked. It happens everytime: Disneyland, Tropical Storm Fay, etc. At least it eased up enough for us to get back to the tram and wipe down our seats with one of Kyle's diapers. (The other passengers were grateful for Kyle being there, then.)

The wildlife and scenery along the tram tour were amazing. We saw gators of all sizes and hundreds of birds. We saw a gator nest and an anhinga nest, complete with some two-week-old babies. We learned about the history of the park, how it was set up, and the Indians who used to live there. Also, people have released pet pythons into the park, disturbing the natural ecosystem. There have never been any attacks in the Everglades National Park, but there have been a few "incidents." I'm sure I would have learned much more, if I could have heard the tour guide over Kyle's screaming.

It was beautiful and breathtaking and amazing to be among all the creatures in their natural habitiats.

Since Kyle was such a "good boy," he so deserved a treat: Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and a gator hat. That bribe didn't last for long. Kyle screamed for just about the ENTIRE ride home!!! He doesn't do well-at all-with being off his schedule! (That's something to remember for the future!)

Joannie's Blue Crab Cafe

After our trip to the Everglades, Gramps felt that his journey wouldn't be complete without having the taste of gator in his belly. Shannan told us about her favorite hole-in-the-wall places, Joannie's Blue Crab Cafe. She described it as "Cajun, back-country dining on patio furniture in a falling-down shack." You know we had to try it out! (Once Gramps had his mind on getting there, we weren't turning back. "We've already driven for 15 minutes, what's a few more miles? If we turn around now, we'll still have to drive twice as far to get to a place where we can eat.") Shannan also said the restrooms were "SUPER CLEAN." They were, thank goodness! (There was even a tip-box inside!) After over two-hours at the National Park and an extra 45 minutes of driving we all needed to use the facilities. I also got a kick out of all the risque paintings/photos on the wall by the restroom! Kyle, not yet drawn to pictures of half-naked women, just liked all the gators.


Joannie's was the perfect place to eat while in the Everglades. It truly was a back-country kind of joint. We pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. Joannie (if it was really her) was super-friendly and had on a super-low-cut t-shirt. She recommeded the fried green tomatoes (yum!) and Gramps got the gator he came all the way out there for. (Granna, Kyle, and I shared a pulled pork BBQ sandwich, fries, and coleslaw.)

No back-woods cafe would be complete without live, local music. This guy had us cracking up with his song choices. His play list included "Meet the Flinstones," "Lawrence of Arabia," the theme song to "All in the Family," and when he heard we were from Lubbock, Texas, he had to play something from Buddy Holly.


Before we left, Gramps talked Granna into reliving her days of singing in clubs. She got up there and performed "Desperado."

We also couldn't leave without a few souveniers. Granna picked up a couple of menus to remember the trip and Gramps bought a gator head. What a way to end our journey into the Everglades!

Here We Go Panthers, Here We Go.

Last night was another "Girls' Night Out" at the hockey game! Tina had some free tickets and invited me to come along. I didn't think I would be able to make it, since my parents are in town, but Gramps offered to babysit while I got to go out with my Mommy.

We got to the arena a few minutes after the game had started and heard that the Panthers had scored a goal. We were hoping and praying that we hadn't missed the only goal of the game.


It turned out that we had nothing to worry about: the Panthers beat the Canadiens by a score of 5 to 1! We picked a GREAT night to go.


After the game, we headed over to the Grand Lux Cafe, the restaurant where Shannan's husband is the General Manager. We were able to try out a Grand Appetizer Platter (including sushi/seared ahi tuna) and 3 different desserts. I can now say, after trying sushi, that I am not a fan, but I am in LOVE with the Molten Chocolate Cake. By the end of the night, I had totally blown my Weight Watchers points, but quality mother-daughter time and cheering/laughing with good friends is worth it, right?

Snowbirds

Granna and Gramps got to escape the Utah winter blues for a time and head on down to "Sunny South Florida" to visit Kyle. (And his parents.) It's January 29th; it's 80 degrees outside; there are sunny, blue skies; Gramps is wearing shorts and a Hawaiian shirt; and we're playing at the park. I LOVE Florida winters!

The Monkey Mail Came

Earlier this evening, Kyle decided to drive over to the mailbox to see if there were any special deliveries. He was so shocked and excited to find a package for him that he started driving a little recklessly:


Good thing Mom was really in control of the wheel and he was able to just enjoy his mail!

Like Father, Like Son

Stephen and Kyle both had their scrubs on this morning, ready to go to work.

When Great Grandma Bobbie hemmed up Stephen's scrubs, she was able to make a tiny, Kyle-sized pair out of the remnants, and we just love them! (Sorry Kyle isn't looking at the camera at any of these pictures. The theme song to "Little Einsteins" was on, and he was locked in.)


P.S. There was one more story from my life that I forgot to write in yesterday's "History? (Part II). This story takes place in 1997, during my UVSC (it will ALWAYS be that to me, even if it is now UVU) orientation: The women in charge of briefing me on my future college experience assumed that I was mentally challenged. She gave me information about registering with Disability Services and insisted that I needed to visit them, that they could help me with all of my "needs." She also assumed that she needed to read all of the orientation materials to me; apparently I was one of those rare college students who had not yet learned to decipher printed words. I finally had to tell her that I could read, I didn't need disability services, and that my I.Q. was probably MUCH higher than hers...Thank goodness I was able to get away from this discriminatory environment and find my niche at Texas A&M.

History? (Part II)

Admit it. You're prejudiced. Whether it's against race, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, age, criminal record, disability, intelligence level, class, or job title, you have, at some point in your life, made a prejudgment or a decision about a person based on a category rather than on individual merit.

We all pick up on these stereotypical beliefs from our parents, friends, or personal experiences. If you ask children to draw or describe a "bad guy," similar qualities emerge: dark clothes, facial hair, male, drives a big van with no windows, etc. In high school, people tend to take on the characteristics, and perhaps be judged by those characteristics, of their "group": cheerleaders, jocks, intellectuals, band, drama. Once we get out into the "real world," there are judgments made about us based on our choice of occupation. Whether it's people looking down on teachers ("if you can't do...teach.") or having strong opinions against lawyers, thinking that stay-at-home moms are just not "liberated," car mechanics are dishonest, etc., we tend to be judged by our categories.

Job title isn't the only category that tends to cause stereotypical thinking. Here's just a few experiences from my own life to help prove this point. 1) I was born with a birth defect, Brachydactyly, which simply just means "short fingers." I also was scratched in my left eye by a cat when I was two, leaving me blind, which has led to my lazy eye. Basically, I have a disability, or rather two disabilities. I have been made fun of, relentlessly, my entire life. People tend to think I'm stupid or mentally challenged because of these physical handicaps. 2) I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I've experienced the effects of people having preconceived notions about what this means about me as a person, not always in a positive way. 3) I'm white and currently living in a place where this isn't the majority race. People have assumed that I speak Spanish or have treated me badly because I don't. If you think about it long enough, I'm sure you can pick out a few of your own personal traits or categories about which people may have prejudices.

These prejudices become a problem when people actually turn their thoughts into discrimination. It happens, but it's not always based on race, or rather, it's not always "whites" against everyone else. When I was interviewing for my first teaching position, I was interviewed by principals of an African-American decent as well as Hispanic. I was turned down for several jobs. Was it because I'm white? I don't think so. Was it because I have a disability? Maybe. (They were jr. high coaching positions, so a disability could have affected my coaching success.) Do I feel down-trodden and hopeless? Certainly not. I went somewhere else and found a job for which I was more qualified. I kept trying and didn't look back.
I have a white friend who, when promoted after only a year at a new company, was discriminated against. Her black coworkers treated her negatively and left her out of "the group," saying that she didn't deserve the promotion (even though she busted her butt and was always taking on extra projects and worked circles around everyone else and totally earned it) and only got the job because she's white. Should she feel guilty and step down from her position and give it to one of her black coworkers because that person been there longer and it wouldn't be "fair?" No!

When some people at Stephen's school found out that he's a Mormon, or even worse, a Conservative...(GET THE HOLY WATER!)...they started to avoid him. They'd leave him out of conversations or not really invite him to think because they assumed he wouldn't want a part of what they were doing. Should he just be content to sit on the sidelines and not be included because he's different? NO WAY! He's had to work hard at dispelling some of these prejudices.

I take you back, for a moment, to a quote from last week on the subject of of discrimination:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

Is it only the "white" who need to embrace what is right? Are all other races under constant discrimination and thus justified in acting upon their own prejudices? Is the day we need to work for, when all people are truly treated equally, only meant to focus on equal race treatment? No, no, and no.

There are no perfect people living on this earth-none. This includes people of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, genders, religious backgrounds, etc. Everyone makes mistakes everyday of their life. The only way we will reach that day of "hope" is when all people get up every morning with a goal to make that day better than the last, when groups of people let go of that discrimination crutch and start taking responsibility for their lives, when individuals start being proactive and assertive instead of reactive and aggressive, and when each person realizes they are the only one who can make their dreams come true. Life doesn't always turn out the way we planned; my life is a testament to that. But, it's not fair for me to blame that on anyone or feel demoralized and oppressed, just as it's not fair for people of a different race to blame "the man" or "the WHITE man" for their own trials and tribulations.

Everyday people are born, people die, people lose children or parents, people get sick or fired or find out their didn't get accepted to the school of their choice. Everyday there are ups and downs for everyone. It's part of the test of life. Are we going to "walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil," or get down and wait for someone else to come along and do the walking for us? I pray that we can work for the day when everyone can have the same outlook on this test of life as our former president, George W. Bush. He said, "The only test that matters is going home at night, looking in the mirror, and being satisfied that you have done what is right."

I don't believe we have fulfilled the dream of Martin Luther King. There are days when people all over this country feel discriminated against. However, I feel we're never going to get anywhere on that path of true equality and peace until, instead of praying that "white will embrace what is right," our prayer can simply be to live for the day when "all will embrace what is right."

Progress at Church

I can't remember the last time I was able to sit through all of sacrament meeting at church. Kyle is too full of energy, gets easily frustrated, (noisy) and I have to take him out in the hall, as to not disturb the reverence. Today, we made it all the way through....barely. There were a couple of close calls, like when he slapped Stephen in the face (loudly) or when he almost fell of the pew (twice) or when he ran out of fruit snacks. We're making progress.

I'm glad we were able to stay in today because the message was about families. I was inspired by several quotes and ideas on strengthening our family bonds. I like the idea of having a family motto and common goals. One of my favorite quotes was mentioned : "No other success can compensate for failure in the home." (David O. McKay) How grateful I am for my family!

Kyle is also making progress in nursery.....slowly. Today he started off crying when Stephen dropped him off. Stephen checked on him a couple of times and he was always sitting on the bishop's wife's lap. When I went to pick him up, she said he didn't cry the whole time, but would never get off her lap. I don't know why he's being so weird-he has everything he loves-his binky, his blanket, and a sippy cup. You would think he'd be happy! Hopefully he'll get used to nursery soon and I can stop feeling guilty about having the kid who doesn't want to be there.

Family History

I finally finished Kyle's first year scrapbook and he LOVES looking at it. (Again, and again, and again......)


I guess this is a pretty good incentive to keep going on these things. If it's important to him now, I'm sure it will continue to be in the future.

This Day in History

My camera battery died before I could get some new pictures for today. Instead of just skipping my blogging duties and leaving my dedicated readers without their daily Chronicle, I instead decided to take a trip down memory lane.

Here's a picture of Kyle on this day in 2008. He had just learned to sit up on his own and was rolling all around our small living room floor, on his way to trying to crawl.


Oh, how things have changed in a year! I can no longer contain Kyle to our living room. He has learned how to open all doors, drawers, and cabinets in our house, even the last stronghold: closets. I have, up to this point, been able to know that items contained behind closet doors were protected. No longer is this the case. While I was in the shower, he got into the upstairs closet. I wasn't aware that he had even been in there until I came downstairs (he disguises these naughty acts by closing the door after he's done) and found that he had dragged an entire package of toilet paper down the stairs and had torn his way through. Even though Kyle is full of energy and can be quite sneaky and mischievous, I am amazed and awed by how much he understands, his willingness to help, his hunger for learning new things, and his emerging ability to communicate his needs and wants.

Amazingly enough, even with all that has changed in the last year, I can see many similarities, even from this single photo. I turned around not long ago to see Kyle laying on the floor, wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt and khaki pants, with his favorite blanket, playing with the same toy as he held on this day last year.

Mountain Climbing

We braved the frigid, winter weather this morning and went to our play group at the park. Can you believe we actually had temperatures in the 30's? In Miami, no less! It was 47 and windy when we first arrived at the playground, but ended up warming up to the mid-50's. So, for all of you readers who are actually experiencing winter, just know that we also experienced the "arctic" chill.

I've enjoyed watching Kyle progress in his abilities as the weeks at the park have gone by. He started off being quite timid in how he played on the equipment, only wanting to do things while holding my hand. It didn't help that he's almost the youngest one there, always trying to keep up with the bigger kids. Well, now Kyle has come a few steps closer to being able to keep up-he finally learned how to climb up to the top of the "mountain," without my help. I love that he was so proud of himself after all that hard work.

I think there's a lesson to be learned from this: Nothing worth having comes easily. We're going to have to work hard to get ahead in life. We may encounter challenges and difficulties, but our joy is great once we finally reach our goals. And the most important lesson of all.....if I would have done the work for him, there would have been no joy in accomplishment. In other words, no man, government agency, or even the President can swoop in and do all the work for us and erase our struggles.

History?

I know I'm probably going to offend some people with this post, but there's something I must comment on.

Yesterday, our country made history with the inauguration of the first black president. I have heard people say that "the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. has finally been reached" and that" a new era is opening up in this country." It's awe-inspiring and gives us "hope" as a nation. One news reporter said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "ever since we were children, we were told that anyone could grow up and become president of the United States. Now, we see that this really is true. There are no more barriers." Really? NO more barriers? None? Has a woman ever been president of the United States or Vice President, for that matter? What about all those little girls that have dreamed of the Oval Office? What about a "Mormon," for that matter. (*Gasp*)

I guess I just don't look at this "historical moment" the same way as other people do. When I hear MLK's dream that one day we will live "in a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," I see a time when we don't have to talk about skin color, a time when we stop giving labels and breaking into groups based on race.

That time isn't here. That fact was made clearer to me by the final lines of the so-called "prayer" offered by the "Reverend" Lowery at the close of the inauguration:

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.

What? Does that sound like the end of racial tension to you? "Help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back????" Are you serious? Is the highest office in the land not held by a black man? Who's asking him to get in the back of the bus? How is the dream of us all being Americans, united, under God, being fulfilled if the very people "praying" for racial tension to end are segregating us into racial groups during that very 'prayer'? "When white will embrace what is right?" Excuse me? I'm white. I guess I go about every day of my life not embracing what is right? What does "the white" have to do to make things equal? Do we have to endure "separate by unequal" schooling, restaurants, water fountains, etc, to make things fair? Are we ever going to reach the day when we don't have to categorize people? It's not just race, either. If Romney would have received the nomination to run for the Republican Party, would there ever have been a news story without having to label his as "Mormon," complete with a slew of negative connotations attached?

I'm afraid that Dr. King's dream has been twisted and skewed. I truly believe he was a man of peace, love, and service. He just wanted everyone to have equal rights. He wanted the "truths held self-evident" that "all men are created equal" to be truly fulfilled. That is a wonderful dream. However, when I hear a "prayer" like that when words are STILL being said like "yellow" and "red man" and "when white will embrace what is right" it implies, to me, that we can't just all be "equal." I guess we'll always be separate groups, all trying to get ahead of the next.

We can't erase history. We can only learn from it and try to make the future better. I did not bring slaves into this country. I did not own slaves. I have never made someone of a different skin color give up their seat for me. But, I feel pretty certain that I do try to "embrace what is right." Why am I being punished for things that have happened in the past? Am I the only one who feels a little bit like instead of being able to truly celebrate this day in history, I'm only reminded again and again of skin color? Instead of fulfilling Dr. King's dream of being able to all feel equal, I feel more separated by the focus on our differences.

Health Department, Part 3

I'm willing to admit that my other trips to the Health Department could be something to laugh at. Not today. Today I actually cried-big, mascara-dripping tears.

I got there at 8:00 a.m., with Kyle. They told me it was "not a problem" to bring him. I was able to skip most of the preliminary stuff, minus the weigh-in and blood pressure check. Then I got called back by the "clinician." (That's the term she used....does that mean she's a doctor or a nurse practitioner or something else?) She gave me the stink eye when she saw I had Kyle and found something to "watch" him while I had the pap smear. Great. I'm that woman-the one who can't get her own child care and has to be a burden on society.

Once again, I was under interrogation over every imaginable thing: how often was I having "unprotected" sex, what's wrong with my hands and my eye, etc. This was even before the exam began.

The the "fun" began. I felt like some dirty, drug dealing, abused whore, as she was critical of every little thing about me-What is that red mark on your shoulder? (Um...a mark from my bra strap being too tight.) What's this scar on your back? (Probably from some pimple I scratched off at some point in my life.) Is that a birth mark? Why do you have this needle scar on your arm? (NO, I do not do drugs. I gave plasma during college.) It went on, and on, and on. I just tried to go to my happy place.

Then, I had to meet with another nurse. She informed me that the clinician found my cervix to be inflamed, which "may" be an STD. Or something else. "You really need to have an HIV test done." (UGH! I don't need that. I just need some freakin' birth control and to get the heck out of here!) "You also have some "polyps" in your throat and need a referral to go to the primary care clinic. Just take this piece of paper to the main desk." (Great. That's the LONG line when you first walk in the door.) "Here's a referral for your husband to come get an STD test done. We do them on Wednesday, and it's going to be a full-day affair." (He can't do that. He has clinicals at the hospital on Wednesdays and can't miss them. Sorry. That's the whole reason I have to come to this God-forsaken place.) "We can only give you a 3-month supply of birth control, so you'll need to make another "appointment" for April." (Fabulous. Just what I wanted to do. Why can't you just write me a prescription for 12 months, and I'll see you next January?)
By this time, Kyle was at his limit and so was I. I just wanted it to get over with so I could leave. Why can nothing be done quickly? Why does it have to take 2 hours to do everything around here? It's the governement, that's why. Anyone who thinks we should have a national health care should be forced to go to the health department for all their medical needs for a few months. I was getting frustrated with the system, and she could tell. "You seem upset." (Yeah, I'm upset. This is the third time I've had to come here in a month, and I'm still going to have to come back! For the same thing! You're taking forever, trying to give me tests I don't want/need, and my kid is freaking out. Of course, I'm upset.) "Do you need to meet with our pyschologist?" (NO!) "Are you sure you're going to be okay...with him (Kyle)?"(Yes!) "Are you upset because your husband told you something that leads you to think you may have an STD?" (WHAT!!!??) "Are you sure you don't need to meet with Social Services?" (Pretty sure. If you keep talking, I may need to.)

Finally I got my prescriptions, dropped them off at the pharmacy, took the cost sheet back to Clinic 4 to pay, took my receipt back to the pharmacy, got my pills, went back to Clinic 4 to make another appointment, and was able to get out of there. Or, so I thought.

I got out to the car and my keys weren't in my bag. I looked in all the pockets. I retraced my steps. Nothing. I walked back out and really started unloading the diaper bag, the tears and fears flowing. (Is this really happening? Who could I call to come get me? How long would Stephen be in school? Who had my keys?) The security guard saw me having a mini-nervous breakdown and came over to offer help. "What's wrong?" (sniff-sniff...I can't find my keys...sniff, sniff.) "What do they look like?" (They're black. There's 2 keys, no keychain.) "Ok. Calm down. Put the stuff back in the bag. Calm down. What car do they go to?" (That Ford Explorer.) "Okay. Here they are," as he pulls them out of his pockets. "See. There's good people still in this world. Someone turned them in. Let's get you to your car."

I'm drained. I'm not meant for this kind of life, being poor. I need insurance and a real doctor and the ability to have a simple exam done in less than 3 hours, without being made to feel like I'm dirty and am probably going to die any day now from an STD. I need to go back to bed.



On a positive note, here's Kyle, doing his impression of the "My Friends, Tigger and Pooh" song "Think, Think, Think." Whenever it comes on, he dances and points his finger to his head, like he's thinking. We need to think of a way to avoid the health department, little pal. Maybe you can get on that....

The "KING" Day

It's MLK Day, and how do we celebrate? Well...Kyle and I started the day at 4:45 a.m. with a diaper of diarrhea. When Stephen woke up, I went to Wal-Mart for groceries. I got home and Stephen went to his study group. Then, Kyle and I went to 3 more stores, looking for certain items at each place. We got home and Kyle "helped" with the grocery bags by dumping them out all over the floor and rolling around in his plastic pile of "leaves."

Then, I had to finish cleaning up Kyle's mess from last night. We had spaghetti for dinner and I made the mistake of dishing up our food and putting it on the table. I was on the phone and thought Stephen was playing with Kyle, but I turned around to find the little monkey reaching up to the table and grabbing Stephen's plate of spaghetti. A good amount of it ended up on the rug and the carpet underneath, so I figured I might as well put up all the chairs and get everything clean.


It's one o'clock and I've already been awake for 8 hours, shopped at 4 different places, done some laundry, srubbed carpets, swept and vacuumed the house, mopped the tile. I still need to make the bed, eat some lunch, and finish this post. They call this a holiday?

18 Months Old!

Kyle is officially 18 months old today and could "legally" go to nursery at church. I think it's going to take a while for him to get used to going there. He didn't do so well, which is hard on the momma. He walked in the door, recognized the place, and started crying. I could hear him all the way down the hall to Sunday School. Another mom stayed in there for the first hour and she said that Kyle just wanted to sit on her lap the whole time. Stephen went to pick Kyle up at the end of church and he was out in the hall with a member of the bishopric. Great. Already, I have the kid who has to be sent in the hall because the teacher can't take it anymore. :( I guess we'll just have to go through an adjustment stage.

In other church news, I was called to be the Personal Progress Leader for the Young Women Organization. I'm excited about this new challenge and pray that I can do a good job at inspiring the young women to continue to make goals and strive to be more like Christ. Already, I'm working with another sister on New Beginnings and have been assigned to plan a weekly activity, once a month. Apparently, I've had too much free time on my hands. It's good to again have something specific to think about and plan for when I'm in the shower, though! (For those of you who don't know, while I was a teacher, I often came up with my BEST ideas during my morning shower....) Kyle has turned 18 months and is officially going to nursery, and it's perfect timing for me to be more involved in serving others during that time.

Who Loves Baby?

Now that Kyle is almost 18 months old, I finally got around to putting pictures in his Who Loves Baby? book. I got this kid-friendly photo album at one of my baby showers and had every intention of filling it with photos of faces that Kyle needs to remember. However, it has sat on the shelf, empty, for all these many months. Since I was getting caught up on scrapbooking this week, I had plenty of extra pictures for Kyle's book. He's enjoyed looking at it and recognizing his parents and grandparents. I only wish there were more pages to fill with pictures of aunts, uncles, and friends because there's so many people who love Kyle, even though he's not really a baby anymore.

Cruisin'

Kyle got some new wheels from Great Grama Sue for Christmas. Instead of riding in the stroller to go to the mailbox, now he gets to drive his own car. (Actually, I'm stilling pushing him, but soon enough he'll be able to use his own feet, like the Flinstones.) After picking up the mail, we decided to take a cruise around the pond. The weather was a little chilly to have the top down-we had a cold front come through that put our temperature down in the 60's-but we toughed it out. Brrrrrr! (Yeah, right!)

Paciencia, Melodia

I'm working on patience for the next two weeks so, of course, there's bound to be some events come up that would try to exhaust this effort. Usually, Kyle's energy level and mischievous behaviors are enough to keep me on my toes. Today Stephen added something to the mix-he forgot his lunch. We can't communicate when he's in a surgery, so he just texted me this morning and told me that I "may need to bring his lunch." I had no idea when I'd hear from him again, so I just took the lunch with me to the park and figured I'd stop by the hospital on the way home.

He sent me another text with directions to the hospital, but nothing else....no information on where to park or which entrance to use, which floor he's on, where to leave the lunch, etc. I had to go drop off the lunch before going home and feeding lunch to Kyle because he takes a nap right after that. I couldn't just get up and leave at whatever time Stephen was ready for lunch.

Of course there were no good parking places, so I had to park on the extreme opposite end of the parking lot as the hospital's entrance. I did have the stroller with me, by Kyle had a dirty diaper. I changed him in the front seat, and sand from the park spilled out from his pants all over everywhere. No big deal...easily cleaned up. He was having fun steering the wheel, so I left him there long enough to open the back door and grab the stroller. I shut the back door to get Kyle to put him in and he gone-in 7 seconds! I think my heart stopped. How did he get away and I not hear it? He only got to the other side of the car and stopped at the fence, thank goodness.

I went to the information desk and had to check in, only I'd left my bag and wallet in the car! (I didn't think about needing ID, forgetting about security measures. I was seriously just thought I could drop the lunch off at some desk and just text Stephen as to where I'd left it. Silly, silly me. So, I walked BACK out to the car, got my wallet, walked back to the security check it, and got my ID pass.

Once on floor 2 I just roamed around, asking people where to go. Finally, I found someone who thought they could find Stephen. A few minutes later, he came out and got his lunch.

I'm glad I could bring his lunch so he didn't have to eat fish (or whatever other crap the cafeteria was serving.) Besides, what would life be without adventures? Sometimes we need to have experiences that might try our patience to see if we can overcome.

Kids, Crafts, & Doughnuts

Talk about the easiest visiting teaching ever! Today I got to go to a craft "party" at Michelle's house with Shannan, Heidi, and Tiffany. This is the regular group of moms that Kyle and I usually meet at the park, but this week we had an extra-special play group. Today the mom's got to play, too! We made some cute Valentine's crafts while the kids played. We also had doughnuts. (Kyle alone ate 3 or 4! I think he's reached his sugar intake for the month. Sorry about my little piglet, Michelle!) Not only was this a fun way to spend a morning, we got to fulfill our visiting teaching assignments for the month. Michelle is assigned to visit Shannan. I'm assigned to visit Michelle and Tiffany. This is the way to go. I think we need to do this every month!

Here's Tiffany and Heidi, making their crafts. (Sorry, Shannan. I forgot to pull my camera out before you left!)

Family Home Evening

It's a new year and a time to commit to being better. One thing we haven't been very good at doing on a regular basis is Family Home Evening. Let me rephrase that. Saying we haven't been "very good" is probably giving us too much credit. Something closer to the truth would be to say that we've been about as diligent on having F.H.E. as my mom is at updating her blog-it's been more of a semi-annual event, and I don't think we've had it since Kyle was born. Yes, we have the cute F.H.E. job chart and the idea books and we have heard the counsel from church leaders about the importance of having this weekly time. We've just lacked the motivation and consistency to actually put it in to practice. Plus, Stephen was mostly working on Monday nights. Excuses over! It's time to be better in this area.

A couple of years ago I made Family Home Evening Jars and gave them away as Christmas gifts. They really are an easy tool for having F.H.E. Each strip of paper has a song, a scripture, and a short lesson idea. I figured this was the best place to start.

Kyle was SUPER excited to be involved.

He drew a paper from the jar.

We started by singing "More Holiness Give Me." I love this hymn. It was probably not the best a cappella version ever sung, but I'm sure the Lord knows our intent!

Then, we read 2 Peter 1: 4-8:

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is int he world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virture; and to virture knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godlinesss brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Kyle's mood by this time had changed slightly from excited to bored:

We went on with the lesson anyway. It was for each person to choose one characteristic spoken of in the verse and work on that for the next 2 weeks. Stephen chose knowledge, which he will need in his studies. I chose patience; I need much more each day with Kyle! (Like today: while I was taking a shower, he emptied all of his drawers, dumped the water out of his humidifier, came into the bathroom, and took my towel and robe downstairs. I actually stuck to my goal of working on patience, even though it seemed much easier to get upset.) I think Kyle needs to work on patience, too, and not get so frustrated when his Tonka Truck gets stuck and find a way other than beating his head against the floor to deal with the situation.

Our first Family Home Evening was pretty short and sweet. Maybe we can start sticking to the suggested weekly schedule!

More Adventures in Health Care

Two hours must be the magic length of time at the heath department. I did not visit "Clinic 4" today, but had to take Kyle to get his next round of vaccines. At least I was already prepared for the worst, after last week's adventures.

I got to the desk at 8:30 and was already number 15. Yes, they call you by numbers and not names. (Luckily, I was told last week to go to desk 6 for immunizations so that I didn't have to stand in the "other" line, the one for care Memorial Health Care-located in the same building-which was twice as long, even though it's the first line you reach when you walk in the door.) As I sat down to wait, number 5 was called.

Kyle did well-not great-but better than some of the other "numbers." I tried to plan for a long wait and brought books, toys, and snacks to keep him busy. At one point, I had to resort to pushing him around in his stroller. This wasn't the best thing, since we strolled past a intellectually-challenged woman who tried to grab Kyle. I returned to a seat ASAP. (By the way, I heard the phrased "intellectually-challenged" on a Special Olympics commercial, so this must be the new P.C. term for "mentally handicapped.") Apparently not being able to touch/hold Kyle set her off because she had to be led out of the building, kicking and screaming-literally. She actually kicked Kyle's stroller across the room and then again, knocking it into another child! (I was holding Kyle at the time, thankfully.)

I also had the chance to do my part in helping society. I'm a regular member of "Obama Corps!" (If you have no idea what that means, you need to catch up on your studies at the Limbaugh Institute.) While waiting for my number to be called, I helped a twelve-year-old fill out his own paperwork. His uncle, who looked like he had a rough weekend, brought him in, but couldn't fill out the papers. I also got to use my limited Spanish when "number 12" came up to ask me if I was waiting for immunizations and if her number had already been called....all in Spanish, mingled with English. Our number was finally called and I got to use my Spanish again. A family roamed back into the "other" waiting room, looking dazed and confused. I asked what they needed and was able to get across to them that they had to go to desk 6 and wait in line.

Next, it was our turn. We were directed into the examination room, and what do you know? It was the same nurse from last week! (I'm sure she was tempted to have Kyle HIV tested, since he's a product of all of my "unprotected sex.") Kyle got three shots and three bandaids and only shed a few tears. I was quite impressed with his tolerance.


Thus ended another exciting adventure at at the health department. Two hours and all of our Nilla Wafers later, we were finally back in the car, having actually completed our health care mission!

P.S. I just remembered one more thing. As I was leaving, someone tried to "save" me. A woman called out, "Buenos Dias!" (I guess I look like I speak Spanish, since this wasn't the first time today that it was assumed so) and tried to give me a copy of "The Watchtower." On the cover was a question: "Why Should You Fear Hell?" Instead of really saying what I was thinking-"I'm not afraid...I just got out of hell!"-I thanked her and told her I already belong to a church.

Nice Wheels

Can you tell there's a boy in our house? Kyle has been drawn to things with wheels for quite some time now. Thanks to the Christmas surge, his vehicle collection has suddenly increased, and he can usually be found playing with some type of wheeled toy. Some rev their engines, others play music, there's even one that counts down and drives itself! Then, there's one big truck to crush them all. It's great being a boy!