Coney Island Beach

On Saturday we went to the Coney Island Beach for a family day. It was a beautiful. The sand was warm but not painful to the touch. The water was as usual shell filled and pretty muddy. But the beach was still marvelous.




We had a glorious time building a sandcastle or two. We covered it with shells and a random flower S found on the ground on our way there. We ran into the water and out of it when the waves came.


Once again, I couldn't possibly resist playing in the water for more than five minutes. It may have looked utterly ridiculous, but I got all wet up to my shirt.


W is such a supportive husband. I love him more than air. :)

S and what she knows.

S is very good at making friends. Today she decided she wanted to be friends with Sister L. a new lady that moved to our area.

S whispered to her that she could tell her some important things.

For one thing, S, said [parents if you are reading aloud, take this moment to distract your children if you choose], "Santa is pretend. All those people on TV that you see, they're just pretending. It's not real."

Thus exposing her deepest secrets, she felt the friendship real.

Then she went to retrieve the stolen goldfish crackers.

Girls and their Make-up

This morning I walked into the living room to find S on the couch with her face in her hands with a disdain and tear-filled eyes bemoaning the fact that sometimes she must entertain herself when her brothers were busy doing something else.

In order to diffuse her moment of dramatic self-pity I invited her to come and put on make-up with me.

Sadness was immediately replaced with supreme glee. She rushed to the bathroom and pulled out the make-up she wanted to put on. I put on my make-up and when I got the mascara she asked if she could have some. I smiled and said, "I'll let you get your own when your grow-up and thirteen."

She curled up her lip in slight distaste and exclaimed, "But Mom, I am grown-up. I am FIVE."

A few minutes later she ran to the next room to see the total effect of her efforts. Suddenly there is a slight howl, "I look like a witch."

Were we there?

When the kids went to bed tonight, they inevitably felt the need to stay up and play for as long as they possibly could. Eventually, I had to go in to stop the party.

The kids went silent for all of a minute then they all whispered, "Mom, please tell us a story." My creative juices were stagnant at that time, so I decided to tell them a true story. . . about my husband and I. I meant for it to sound completely bland and sleep-inducing, but instead the air felt slightly electric as the memories flooded my mind.

They must have felt they had to have been there because after a moment of listening and undoubtedly smiling (it was dark I couldn't see, but I could hear it in their voices of excitement) S asked, "Mom, was I there?"

"No, this was the first time Mommy met Daddy, dear. We didn't have you until after we were married," I replied.

It was just one of those moments I wish I could have recorded in my heart forever. I think I am going to tell that story a lot more often.


As a side note, we are in very few ways like the "Leave it to Beaver" or "The Nelsons" or "The Dick Van Dyke Show" families. Our lives are not packed full of "ice cream and lollipops." I definitely do not wear a dress and pearls to see people in our house (I tried it once--everyone kept asking me where I was going, even T with his "I wan' go home!" which means he wants to come with me). My house is almost constantly in a state. . . of . . . my mother would aptly put it, "the wreck of the Hesperus." It is just life has some utterly beautiful moments, and those are the ones I want to record and recall as the years go by. Thank you for reading! :D

Reverence and Primary Goodness

I pretty much love Primary!!!

Today we probably had one of the best primary day ever. Maybe it was because we were totally immersed in the music that bore testimony of Jesus Christ and every song it felt like the veil was very thin and Heaven was almost breaking through. I am sure the room was full of angels smiling and clapping (silently) after every song.

Maybe the reason was because some of the kids could read every word, but some could not--but they could blare out the words they did know. The main message of the song. It sounded something like this, the bold words being reverently belted and the rest of the words so soft and hardly there hearing them was nearly impossible save the nearly inaudible melody.

He lives, He lives who once was dead.
He lives, my ever living Head.
He lives, my hungry soul to feed.
He lives, to bless in time of need.

Maybe it was because I felt like giving each child a hug! S and R nearly had a monopoly on the solo/duet times. S did an interpretive dance for "Come Follow Me" when she did not know the words.

We did a game to see how much of the music they know for the Primary Program coming up in November. We had three judges come in. There was Bro. J., a member of the bishopric; Sister G., one of the moms of the kids in primary; and Elder C., a missionary that judged. They all held up numbers, five being the highest to grade the children on reverence, words/music (how much they knew) and volume. Mostly they got 5's (the highest number possible) but once in awhile they got 4's when they got a bit fidgety, missed some words or were very soft.

At the end, they got little pieces of chocolate because of their superior respect, courage, determination, memorization, reading, singing, etc. They all left the room quietly and there was very little noise in the hallway after church that I heard.

Whatever the reason for one of the best primary days ever, I feel exceedingly blessed. You parents are sure doing a great job with your children! They must be able to feel the Spirit in their homes, because I think they know how to act so they can feel it at Church.

Oh, it is wonderful!

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The Tale of Mr. Tod-ish

Two-year-old T brought me a book. He had decided it was a book of prayers. So he opened it and announced, "Mom, we're praying." I closed my eyes and he prayed. After "Amen" was said he took two moments to tell me the book was purple. I smiled and said, "It's green, T."

We ended up praying 3-4 more times and then talking about the color of the book, again. Finally I took the book (Beatrix Potter's The Tale of Mr. Todd--meant for a much older audience) and said hopefully, "Would you like me to read it?"

I started reading. After about ten seconds T shouted, "AMEN, mom. AMEN."

So I guess "Amen" and "the end" sound alike to a 2-year-old. Good to know.

Bon Appetit

This morning I got up late (thank Heaven for summer time and children that respect their parents' sleepiness--generally). I walked out for some reason assuming that I was the first one up to be welcomed by S and R.
S had somehow sawed an orange in half with a butter knife (the only kind she is allowed to use). She brought it daintily out, set it on the table and sweetly said, "Bon Appetit, R."

I am not sure where she learned that. I have likely said it all of ten times in the last year. Maybe I should start saying it more. Then it will be the garnish of the meal (instead of parsley on the plate--which has never been there :)).

Later we were talking about a dear sister in our ward that is expecting triplets and that she has to stay inside her apartment so the babies can grow more, then they asked me if I had to do that when I was pregnant with them. I told them I did with S (which made her smile proudly) but not with R or T. R gasped, then pronounced loudly, "I am so glad I am not pregnant or a girl!"

A few minutes after this he said something like, "S, when you get married and are pregnant, your husband will take care of you."

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I have been visiting sets around NYC. See how it goes at this month's blog--only for this month. http://happyextra.blogspot.com/ Tell me what you think.