Considering Children

I used to think that the number of children a person has is a good indicator of how good of a parent he or she is. Both my Mother and my Mother-in-Law had large families and they are two amazing Mothers. I don't know where that belief came from for me. Maybe it was because of the large family I grew up in or maybe it was because I knew my lack of patience and felt unworthy as a Mother -- especially to have a large family.

I'm not sure if I feel that same way. I've seen some amazing mothers who have small families. I guess for some reason my rating of Motherhood only applies to me. I've struggled so much with this because a part of me wants to have a big family to be a good mother, another part of me wants to have a big family because I think they are so wonderful and I would love to have five or six, but the last part of me has that feeling that just maybe I already have all I can handle. I want to make sure that I am the kind of mom that gives each child enough individual attention. I want to make sure that I'm not too overwhelmed and that I can be enough for them.

I don't know if any of this makes sense and it kind of rambles but it's been on my mind a lot lately. I know that we don't have to make a decision right now about whether or not to have more children but I've just felt so unsettled lately -- like a big change is coming or like we have some big decisions ahead of us. I'm not sure what is ahead but the decision we'll face later about our family is something that I'll most likely be considering until then.

Bring on the Fall!

Fall is my absolute most favorite season of the year. I have to admit, though, that I am having a hard time adapting to the Ridgecrest version of fall. In Idaho, where I grew up, Fall was the season where everybody's apple tree had too many apples and invited us over to pick them. Fall was the time where you had to start wearing a jacket again. Fall was the time when big Potato trucks would appear on the roads and school got out for two weeks while the farmers harvested.

Here in Ridgecrest it is completely different. Fall is when you plant your garden again. It's when you can go outside again in the middle of the day because it is no longer too hot. And if you want to can or freeze produce you have to actually go buy the produce! BUY IT! Buying produce to store seems like an oxymoron to me since the only produce I remember canning or freezing was grown in our garden or given to us.

The worst thing about the Ridgecrest fall, though, is the lack of color. I miss living in Logan, Utah where you could take a drive into the mountains and see trees changing color all around you. It had a calming, gentle affect that made all seem well with the world.

But, as our green beans are sprouting and our roses are blooming I did come to accept that fall can be nice here too. It's just different and different isn't always bad.

Picture courtesy of:
http://www.redbubble.com/people/enjoylife/art/276578-11-autumn-colors-in-the-forest

Did you know . . .

. . . that I am a comedian in my day job.

It's absolutely true! Among my other [motherly] talents I am a comedian. I figured this out while I was reading my sister's blog about the books she reads to her daughter and the sound effects that go along with it -- and it dawned on me -- I, too spend many hours of the day doing ridiculous (and obnoxious) things to produce giggles from my children.

Now, I must warn you that my material is only suitable for a limited age range (3 months - 3 years) and that because I get paid in kisses and giggles I usually work overtime. Not to mention any normal person would have a CAT scan done on me if they saw me. . . oh, if only they saw me.

Today, for example, Luke was in his bouncy horse. I found out he got the biggest kick if I jumped up and down with him. So, I got a fabulous thigh-toning workout making him giggle. We had so much fun. Plus, fake sneezes, silly faces, and pretend hiccups are always popular. You just can't go wrong with kids. They make for a great audience!

Yes, indeedy, I have the best job in the world!

Parade of 1000 flags

We were able to march in the Parade of 1000 flags that happened here in Ridgecrest this past weekend. I love how patriotic this town is and this was a great event to be able to participate with our whole family. The kids really loved being part of it and Violatte walked most of the way by herself. It was a really neat experience.




Waiting for the parade to begin



Jim before the parade starts. I love the backdrop of flags!



Walking in the parade



This is a picture of us walking through the field after the flags had been placed. It was a really amazing sight to see.

More Funny Sayings

I love this picture of my girls. It is my favorite! It shows so perfectly how different each girl is -- both in personality and looks.

The kids are always doing funny things so I wanted to write them down.

When the girls are scared they try to tell us but instead of saying, "I'm scared" they both say, "I'm scary." It makes us laugh each time.

Luke has started to talk. He says "Da-da" and knows it means Jim. It's so cute!

When the girls want to go outside without shoes on they ask if they can walk outside on their feet.

I am always telling Violatte not to boss Annalee around. My most common phrase is, "Violatte, let me be the mommy." A couple of days ago Violatte was bossing around Annalee and when I scolded her and she said (with a little bit of attitude, I might add) "I know -- You're the mommy, Mommy."