I'm sure that one day Sadie will curse my name for making this post, but I had to journal it for posterity and this seemed to be the perfect place for it.
One month ago, Jared and I attended Sadie's parent-teacher conference. We consider ourselves to be very realistic parents. While we absolutely and unconditionally love and adore our children, we aren't stupid, we know they aren't perfect. So, as we sat discussing Sadie with Ms. Petty, it came as no surprise to us when she said that our little darling never stops talking in class. She never stops talking at home, so it goes without saying that she would never shut up at school. The teacher informed us that she gets all her work done and it's accurate. Amazingly enough, she does this all while she's talking non-stop to her neighbor. However, the other kids can't get their work done with Sadie yacking at them. After further discussion we decided on a "Behavior Smiley Face Chart". Each day Ms. Petty sends home a quarter sheet of paper with three faces on it indicating her behavior for the day. There's a straight, frown and smiley face on the paper, she circles the ones that best indicates Sadie's behavior in the morning, mid-morning and after lunch.
Usually there is at least one straight face (honestly, there's usually two straight faces) and one smiley face. When I ask her why there are straight faces I have gotten many responses. My two favorites are: "I was only talking when I was supposed to be doing my work, not when Ms. Petty was talking." and "Ms. Petty interrupted me when I was telling my friends something, I was talking first." So, you see what we're up against.
Wednesday she brought home her first frownie face. Jared flipped. He informed her that frownie faces were completely unacceptable. He also told her if she didn't bring home three smiley faces on Thursday she would have to miss her dance class. Oh she was so upset, there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. She reminded me of the Shakespeare quote, "And though she be but little, she is fierce." However, Jared was clear about his expectations and that was the end of it. On Thursday morning she was reminded again of what we expected before heading off to school.
Sadly, she came home with only one smiley face. I spoke with her teacher who told me that she had indeed been her usual chatty self. Sadie was shocked when I told her she would have to miss dance. Apparently she thought we were joking. The weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth began again. She screamed, "I am so mad at you mom!" We had a little sit down at that point and discussed who had to suffer the consequences for her actions. I knew she realized what was going on when she quietly and reluctantly said, "I'm still mad at you mom." I actually got a good laugh about that one.
Needless to say, Friday she came home with three smiley faces. This was a first for her so we laid the praise on thick. Here's hoping that Ms. Petty, Sadie, Jared and I all make it through the first grade with lots of smiley faces!
Walker Family
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Fall Break 2012
I'm finally getting around to posting how we spent our Fall Break. I know it has been two weeks, but they have been crazy. So, don't judge me. :)
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for doing much outside. It actually rained most of the weekend. However, Thursday was beautiful so we headed up Provo Canyon. I know I've mentioned it before, but I adore Provo Canyon in the fall. The colors are incredible! See.
When I was growing up, we would hike to Stewart Falls with my dad. Somewhere along the way, I forgot how much I loved it. Last year I remembered and insisted that we all go hike up to the falls together. I fell in love with the waterfall again and fortunately my family agreed that it was indeed fabulous. Sadie had a cold so she wasn't the fastest hiker this time, but she stuck with it and talked my ear off the whole time we were bringing up the rear.
Here she is taking one of her MANY breaks. She told me all about "sap trees". I call them pine trees, I guess I'm mistaken about their true name though. At one point, she stumbled on a tree root that was along the trail. Jared helped her along and said, "Whoa! Drunk monkey." I said to her, "What are you drunk on, Sadie." She stopped and turned around with her little hands on her hips and said, "Mom! I'm not really drunk, Dad's just making stuff up." I don't know about you, but I'm really glad she clarified that for me.
Here's a few more pics of my other littles from along the trail. Aren't they darling. Quick funny: Jenna spent FOREVER getting ready to go hiking. She could not be convinced that she didn't need to spend so much time primping, after all we were hiking. Halfway down the trail she turned to me and said, "How's my hair, is it messed up?" I burst out laughing! Then, she joined me. We had a good laugh for a minute and then she said, "Okay, seriously now Mom, is my hair good." "Yes, Jenna, your hair is great." (How do I do a rolling my eyes face on the computer?)
Abby had me laughing so hard too. She said, "My legs feel funny mom, do you think this is how my muscles feel?" "Yes, Abby, when you use your muscles you can feel them." These girls kept Jared and I in stitches the whole afternoon. Here we all are at Stewart Falls.
After our fun hike we were off to Park City. All Seasons Resort offers rooms for military veterans for just the cost of cleaning. We had surprised the kids and gotten a room for the night. We ate a yummy dinner at Panda Express and then went straight to the hotel for some relaxing in the hot tub and a movie night with The Avengers. Also, we were shocked at the awesome room/suite we had. There was a mud room, three full bathrooms, two bedrooms, a huge family room and a full kitchen. Ethan and Sadie wanted to move in! It was a fantastic place, made even better by the incredible deal we got it for.
We slept in the next morning and then went to the outlets for a little bit of shopping. When I say a little bit, I mean a little bit. After all, we had Jared and Ethan with us! (Love you, babe!) After shopping we went home through Midway. If you've never been through Midway, Utah...GO! It is one of the most beautiful places in Provo Canyon. I love it there. In my next life I'm going to have a cabin there...really, I am. We stopped here:
Have you ever been to this cheese factory? They have the yummiest cheese curds EVER! They also have delicious fudge and ice cream, just sayin'. Next time you're in Midway, go eat some. Your tummy will be so glad you did. We seriously stop here every time we go near it.
Once we got home, we all curled up in our jammies and had a massive movie marathon. It was warm and cozy in our house, which was nice because it was cold and rainy outside. We had such a great time! I remember looking at all my littles and thinking about how glad I was that we were all there having a fabulous time together. Someday I will miss all these little munchkins when they aren't around anymore, I want to have lots of memories like this weekend to look back upon. I am very blessed to have a wonderful little family.
That night as I lay on my bed reading, Ethan came in and cozied up next to me. "Thanks for a really fun weekend mom, you're the best." That, my friends, is what makes it all worth it.
The weather wasn't going to cooperate for doing much outside. It actually rained most of the weekend. However, Thursday was beautiful so we headed up Provo Canyon. I know I've mentioned it before, but I adore Provo Canyon in the fall. The colors are incredible! See.
Here's a few more pics of my other littles from along the trail. Aren't they darling. Quick funny: Jenna spent FOREVER getting ready to go hiking. She could not be convinced that she didn't need to spend so much time primping, after all we were hiking. Halfway down the trail she turned to me and said, "How's my hair, is it messed up?" I burst out laughing! Then, she joined me. We had a good laugh for a minute and then she said, "Okay, seriously now Mom, is my hair good." "Yes, Jenna, your hair is great." (How do I do a rolling my eyes face on the computer?)
Abby had me laughing so hard too. She said, "My legs feel funny mom, do you think this is how my muscles feel?" "Yes, Abby, when you use your muscles you can feel them." These girls kept Jared and I in stitches the whole afternoon. Here we all are at Stewart Falls.
We slept in the next morning and then went to the outlets for a little bit of shopping. When I say a little bit, I mean a little bit. After all, we had Jared and Ethan with us! (Love you, babe!) After shopping we went home through Midway. If you've never been through Midway, Utah...GO! It is one of the most beautiful places in Provo Canyon. I love it there. In my next life I'm going to have a cabin there...really, I am. We stopped here:
Once we got home, we all curled up in our jammies and had a massive movie marathon. It was warm and cozy in our house, which was nice because it was cold and rainy outside. We had such a great time! I remember looking at all my littles and thinking about how glad I was that we were all there having a fabulous time together. Someday I will miss all these little munchkins when they aren't around anymore, I want to have lots of memories like this weekend to look back upon. I am very blessed to have a wonderful little family.
That night as I lay on my bed reading, Ethan came in and cozied up next to me. "Thanks for a really fun weekend mom, you're the best." That, my friends, is what makes it all worth it.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
General Conference Weekend!
I love L.D.S. General Conference weekend. We listen to our prophet, our apostles and other leaders encourage, lift and inspire us. Every six months when General Conference comes around I pray that my heart will be open and I will hear those things I need to hear and learn those things that Heavenly Father would have me learn.
I'm sure it comes as no shock that our family has a few traditions that go along with this fabulous weekend. In Utah, October brings cooler weather with the season change. I love living where I distinctly see this change in the world around me. Thus, October brings a need to clean out my flower beds and trim plants in preparation for winter. So, on Saturday I bring my radio out to the front porch and turn up the volume to listen while I work in my flower garden. I think it was a bit louder than usual this year, because my non-member neighbor was giving me a strange look as he left for work. Too bad he couldn't stay and listen for a bit. The kids work beside Jared and I and we discuss together the things we hear our leaders counseling us to do. This is where we heard the announcement about our missionaries. We were so excited, as I'm sure many of you were as well. Saturday night, Jared heads off to the priesthood session. The kids and I all do something fun together at home. Someday, Ethan will join Jared at the priesthood session. Then, the girls and I will do something incredibly girlie. Until then, we're happy to do something that my sweet little boy can also enjoy. This year it was movie night with popcorn and candy. Aunt Lisa and Brynn joined us as well, while my nephew, Conner went to priesthood with Jared.
Sunday morning always brings creme brulee french toast and buttermilk caramel syrup. This stuff is so incredible, there are hardly words. It's like a party in your mouth! Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my computer. After that, I hand our conference packets with games and note taking tricks for the kids to use while we watch Sunday morning conference. This year, I decided to do something a little different. While we ate breakfast, we talked about King Benjamin and how all the people pitched their tents toward his tower and listened attentively while he preached to them. Once breakfast was over, Jared helped the kids build their own tent in the family room. The door was, of course, pointed towards the TV which wasn't exactly a tower, but it was close enough for us.
I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well this worked! They were all quiet, worked on their conference packets and took notes. It was such a huge success that we will absolutely be doing this again. Do it! I promise, you'll love it!
Jenna informed me that she was much too old for this activity. At first, I was a little disappointed with her reaction. Then she said, "I was wondering if you think it would be appropriate for me to work on my embroidery for my YW personal progress project while I listen?" That quickly squashed my earlier frustration with her. I sometimes forget that she's not a small child anymore and that some of these things might not be as much fun for her. I was really proud of her for making her personal progress such an important part of her Sunday.
Between conference sessions we always take a simple picnic up to our favorite spot in Provo Canyon. It's called Southfork Park, if you haven't been there in the fall, GO! There's no hiking or football when we go on Sunday, it's just a fabulous place for us to be together. It's an incredibly beautiful place and a great reminder of Heavenly Father's love for us on this amazing earth He gave us to enjoy.
We came home in time to enjoy the final session of conference. Then we were off to our Fall Feast. Each October, we get together with a few families in our ward. Everyone brings their favorite soup and bread and we all visit and eat. It's a wonderful way to finish off the weekend.
Now, here's a few of my favorites from General Conference:
*Young men can now leave on their missions at age 18 and young women can go at age 19. This is going to be such a fabulous blessing for our youth. I'm hoping that each of my girls will choose to serve a mission along with their brother. -Thomas S. Monson-
*Two new temples announced: one in Tucson, Arizona and the other in Peru. -Thomas S. Monson-
*"I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it." -Ann Dibb-
*"Ask the missionaries! They can help! -Elder Russell M. Nelson-
*"May we humbly go about our day as honey bees go about theirs." - Elder M. Russell Ballard- (Our family met him once, we all shook his hand and he visited with my us for a minute. He's one of our favorites!)
*God is close to us and aware of us and never hides from His faithful children. In moments of pain, suffering and confusion, we do not need to see Jesus Christ to know of His existence and love for us. Don't create a barrier that makes it hard for you to find God. -Pres. Henry B. Eyring-
*"Observe and then serve." -Linda K. Burton-
*We may one day stand at the judgment bar and be asked of God, "Did you love me?" The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty. If you love me keep my commandments. Heavenly Father expects your loyalty and love at every stage of your life. "Yea Lord, we love thee. We will never look back until this work is finished when love of God and neighbor rule the world. - Elder Jeffrey B. Holland- (This was a very powerful and moving talk. If you missed it, get online and watch it!)
*True conversion comes when our motives, our thoughts and our deeds become aligned with God. Your testimony alone will not be enough, you must be truly converted. King Benjamin's people were so truly converted that they had no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually. The anti-Nephi Lehis were so completely converted that they buried their weapons of rebellion and made an oath to never use them again. What weapons of rebellion are keeping you from being completely converted to the Lord? Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. - Elder David A. Bednar-
It was a fantastic and inspiring weekend. I have many things I would like to work on to better myself. I feel like there was a general theme of being truly converted to the true gospel of Jesus Christ this weekend. I'm going to spend some time evaluating where I am and what I can do to ensure that I am "truly converted."
I would love to hear from any of you. What do you do that helps you remain "truly converted" like the anti-Nephi Lehis were?
I'm sure it comes as no shock that our family has a few traditions that go along with this fabulous weekend. In Utah, October brings cooler weather with the season change. I love living where I distinctly see this change in the world around me. Thus, October brings a need to clean out my flower beds and trim plants in preparation for winter. So, on Saturday I bring my radio out to the front porch and turn up the volume to listen while I work in my flower garden. I think it was a bit louder than usual this year, because my non-member neighbor was giving me a strange look as he left for work. Too bad he couldn't stay and listen for a bit. The kids work beside Jared and I and we discuss together the things we hear our leaders counseling us to do. This is where we heard the announcement about our missionaries. We were so excited, as I'm sure many of you were as well. Saturday night, Jared heads off to the priesthood session. The kids and I all do something fun together at home. Someday, Ethan will join Jared at the priesthood session. Then, the girls and I will do something incredibly girlie. Until then, we're happy to do something that my sweet little boy can also enjoy. This year it was movie night with popcorn and candy. Aunt Lisa and Brynn joined us as well, while my nephew, Conner went to priesthood with Jared.
Sunday morning always brings creme brulee french toast and buttermilk caramel syrup. This stuff is so incredible, there are hardly words. It's like a party in your mouth! Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my computer. After that, I hand our conference packets with games and note taking tricks for the kids to use while we watch Sunday morning conference. This year, I decided to do something a little different. While we ate breakfast, we talked about King Benjamin and how all the people pitched their tents toward his tower and listened attentively while he preached to them. Once breakfast was over, Jared helped the kids build their own tent in the family room. The door was, of course, pointed towards the TV which wasn't exactly a tower, but it was close enough for us.
Jenna informed me that she was much too old for this activity. At first, I was a little disappointed with her reaction. Then she said, "I was wondering if you think it would be appropriate for me to work on my embroidery for my YW personal progress project while I listen?" That quickly squashed my earlier frustration with her. I sometimes forget that she's not a small child anymore and that some of these things might not be as much fun for her. I was really proud of her for making her personal progress such an important part of her Sunday.
Between conference sessions we always take a simple picnic up to our favorite spot in Provo Canyon. It's called Southfork Park, if you haven't been there in the fall, GO! There's no hiking or football when we go on Sunday, it's just a fabulous place for us to be together. It's an incredibly beautiful place and a great reminder of Heavenly Father's love for us on this amazing earth He gave us to enjoy.
Now, here's a few of my favorites from General Conference:
*Young men can now leave on their missions at age 18 and young women can go at age 19. This is going to be such a fabulous blessing for our youth. I'm hoping that each of my girls will choose to serve a mission along with their brother. -Thomas S. Monson-
*Two new temples announced: one in Tucson, Arizona and the other in Peru. -Thomas S. Monson-
*"I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it." -Ann Dibb-
*"Ask the missionaries! They can help! -Elder Russell M. Nelson-
*"May we humbly go about our day as honey bees go about theirs." - Elder M. Russell Ballard- (Our family met him once, we all shook his hand and he visited with my us for a minute. He's one of our favorites!)
*God is close to us and aware of us and never hides from His faithful children. In moments of pain, suffering and confusion, we do not need to see Jesus Christ to know of His existence and love for us. Don't create a barrier that makes it hard for you to find God. -Pres. Henry B. Eyring-
*"Observe and then serve." -Linda K. Burton-
*We may one day stand at the judgment bar and be asked of God, "Did you love me?" The crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty. If you love me keep my commandments. Heavenly Father expects your loyalty and love at every stage of your life. "Yea Lord, we love thee. We will never look back until this work is finished when love of God and neighbor rule the world. - Elder Jeffrey B. Holland- (This was a very powerful and moving talk. If you missed it, get online and watch it!)
*True conversion comes when our motives, our thoughts and our deeds become aligned with God. Your testimony alone will not be enough, you must be truly converted. King Benjamin's people were so truly converted that they had no more desire to do evil, but to do good continually. The anti-Nephi Lehis were so completely converted that they buried their weapons of rebellion and made an oath to never use them again. What weapons of rebellion are keeping you from being completely converted to the Lord? Consistently being true to the gospel is the essence of conversion. - Elder David A. Bednar-
It was a fantastic and inspiring weekend. I have many things I would like to work on to better myself. I feel like there was a general theme of being truly converted to the true gospel of Jesus Christ this weekend. I'm going to spend some time evaluating where I am and what I can do to ensure that I am "truly converted."
I would love to hear from any of you. What do you do that helps you remain "truly converted" like the anti-Nephi Lehis were?
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
My Wonderful Grandma
Tonight Abby was working on a paper for her school class. She sat downstairs and typed away on the computer for about an hour. Then she asked me if I would proofread it. That's when I discovered that her paper was to be written about the saddest time in her life. Here's what she wrote:
My Wonderful Grandma
My Grandma has been sick for a very
long time. She had a sickness called called
Lupus. Her lungs didn’t work that well
either, so she had to be on oxygen. I
was always sad when I saw her laying in bed.
But she always had a good attitude about it.
A couple of times in the school year
my mom had to work later, and my dad had to work and couldn’t take the day
off. So we would walk to our grandparents
house. When we walked in our grandpa
would help us with our homework. Then
we would hear our grandma yell “Tom let the kids come in here!” We would go in and she would tell us amazing
stories. She would tell us about her
childhood, and what our mom did when she was little. I always loved to see her and talk to
her.
One fresh spring day my parents said
that grandma couldn’t breathe that well and that she would die soon. They said that we were going to go to the
rehab center and say a final goodbye. I
felt so sad, so heartbroken. When we
went in to say goodbye she hugged each and every one of us. It was kind of hard to hear her because she
couldn’t breathe well. When I went up to
say goodbye I gave her a hug. I heard
her whisper in my ear “I love you.” I
whispered back “I love you too.” We had
to go. I didn’t want to. I wanted to stay. But, I knew that I had to leave. I waved to her and looked back at her one
more time, then we left while my mom talked with her for a little bit longer.
That fresh, spring Saturday morning
I was practicing the piano. I couldn’t
get my mind off thinking about my Grandma.
I stopped for a minute to figure out a note. I heard someone crying. It sounded familiar. It was my mom! I said. “Mom?”
My dad was at her side comforting her.
I thought for a minute that it couldn't have happened? Tears started
streaming down my face. My mom looked at
me and said “Grandma died.” I burst into
tears. All my siblings came in and my
mom told the rest of them that Grandma had died. They all burst into tears too. A week later we went to her funeral.
Yep, cried my eyes out the whole time I read it. That little darling of mine sure knows how to make her mama cry. I'm so glad that she has some good memories of my mom. I'm so sad that she can't have more time in this life with her.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Wedding Dress Shopping
It's late and I'm exhausted, but I had to hurry and post the funny for today. We had our family home evening lesson on the temple tonight. For our activity, we decided to take the family to the Distribution Center where they could each choose a picture of a temple to hang in their rooms. We got in the car and off we went on what I thought would be a quick and easy outing. I completely underestimated the process involved in choosing a temple picture if you are between the ages of 6 and 11.
However, that wasn't the funny part. On the way, Sadie begins discussing her wedding. Not to worry, she informs me, she fully plans to marry in the temple, she just hasn't chosen which temple yet. However, she will need a beautiful dress. This is when she pipes up with, "Mom, can you take me shopping for my wedding dress tonight?" Seriously?!? She's six!!! Never have I met a more "boy crazy" first grader than this one. And yes, I'm scared for what the future may bring. Needless to say, we DID NOT go shopping for wedding dresses tonight. In case you're wondering, there won't be any wedding dress shopping tomorrow either, regardless of what a certain six year old thinks.
However, that wasn't the funny part. On the way, Sadie begins discussing her wedding. Not to worry, she informs me, she fully plans to marry in the temple, she just hasn't chosen which temple yet. However, she will need a beautiful dress. This is when she pipes up with, "Mom, can you take me shopping for my wedding dress tonight?" Seriously?!? She's six!!! Never have I met a more "boy crazy" first grader than this one. And yes, I'm scared for what the future may bring. Needless to say, we DID NOT go shopping for wedding dresses tonight. In case you're wondering, there won't be any wedding dress shopping tomorrow either, regardless of what a certain six year old thinks.
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