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 I've pondered the last few days why it is that in the days and hours leading up to mother's day, my patience is tried up to – and past – the breaking point… and then at the pinnacle of bad-mother-ness, there is a day of celebration where everyone tells you, "thanks for being such a great mom!" and I think, have you seen me lately?  

And then I've decided that we just do our best.  We have the good moments, and the bad ones.  And if I'm lucky, when my kids grow up they will look back like I do and remember only the good and think, "I have the best mom ever!"  (I do… I love you, mom!)  

With Nate on call today, he and the kids celebrated yesterday. They were so funny, Emma hoarding away gifts from preschool all week, and all of them being oh-so-secretive about the plans they were making with dad.  They made sure I had a mother's day nap, took care of dinner, and blindfolded me and took me to Coldstone (which I am sure is what heaven will smell like!)  And gave me piles of hand-made presents.  I am such a lucky mom!  

Today was more like a normal day.  I woke up, bleary-eyed, to unclog the toilet; cleaned up toothpaste Carter squeezed out all over the bathroom, broke up a few fights, enforced a few time-outs, and probably said more than once, "is anyone listening to what I asked you to do?"  But I also  had Emma pour me my cereal and Zach clear the table, saw everyone get ready for church when I asked, got to watch Zach and Emma sing and smile at me from the stand while they sang with the Primary in sacrament meeting; finally gave in and snuggled with Carter on my bed to get him to take a nap; ate dinner with practically-family-friends who refused to let me do dinner on my own today, took my exuberant children to visit Nate at the hospital (where some other doctor saw us going down the hall and said, "well, that's a parade!"); snuggled on the couch and read stories and listened to facts about the presidents of the US, compared hand sizes with a lot of sticky, little hands; got a lot of hugs, a lot of kisses, a few more "happy mother's day" notes, and laid in the doorway of the boys room to get Carter to go to sleep tonight.  It was a happy, happy day – put eloquently by Elder Ballard as follows:  

"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

It was a blessing today to be able to hang onto those moments… they are many and they make it all more than worth it.  I am SO grateful to be a mom!

 

Carter upon our arrival home from church, where I discovered that he had torn off, unwrapped, and eaten the chocolate center of my mother's day gift he'd made in nursery.

  

Some things from this weekend that just made me smile: 

 Zach.  Sitting in the garage, putting on his catcher's gear while singing "I know that my Redeemer lives".  

Also, Zach at this little "hit, pitch, run" competition.  He did fairly well, but he looked awesome.  In fact, while he was doing the pitching portion, he was so into it (the pitching stance, wind-up, etc.) that one of the facilitators took a picture of him with their cell phone.  (this photo was taken by Emma.)

 

Emma, who wore these stylish sunglasses the entire time at our ward party yesterday.  (I could never pull that look off!)   Also that she enjoyed the homemade root beer and the chips there more than anyone.  Really.

 

And Carter (who is also often found in sunglasses, which are sometimes upside down) spent today after church turning on the music from his fridge farm, running down the hallway and back, and sliding "SAFE!" into the kitchen.  And then he spent his lunch eating a spoonful of yogurt, then taking a finger full of yogurt and smearing it on his bare belly (bare because he has a history with yogurt…)  Of course when Nate laughed the first time he did it, he repeated it over and over, laughing himself and declaring "I'm funny!"

And, these guys, sharing the coveted lounge chair, reading Zach's baseball books.  (Although this only lasted a few minutes, the getting-along did… and they talked me into letting Zach sleep on Emma's floor, where they talked until way too late like I remember doing sharing a room with my sister, and where they woke up and read books and played checkers and let me sleep in, since Carter slept all night!)

AND… Nate.  He's been busy lately, so we haven't seen him much… but whenever I do, I smile.

Enough already with the change!  Although I must say the kids have been having a ball – Emma and Abby hiding under the tables, Zach and Henry hanging off the back of the truck, and Carter saying all day long, "I may go in the truck?  I may NOT go in the truck?  Go see the moving truck?"  At least they will still be in town for a while… although we've been pretty spoiled having them next door.

 

Emma is our artist.  She turns out a lot of artwork most days, but today she outdid herself.  Nate was home studying for another test, and was the recipient of about half of her creations… imagine TWICE the pile.  If any of you would like to commission a drawing of your own, I'm sure she'd get right on that…now, off to find a place for the art so I can go to bed.   

 Carter got a light sabre for his birthday… and he knows how to use it.   He chased Nate around the kitchen over and over after lunch today – and wouldn't stop till Nate laid down on the floor, defeated.  Don't worry, we got him the "good-guy color", so his powers will always be used for good.  

  

Zach brought this home from school today – I think it speaks for itself.   

 When we were looking for a house here, and came inside ours, we KNEW it was the right one, although we didn't know why.  One of the reasons has to have been that we would have such wonderful neighbors.  Here are some pictures from a recent cul-de-sac gathering to say goodbye to the Godfreys… these neighborhood parties always start with a BBQ and they always end with baseball, and they always remind us how blessed we are to have ended up here.  

    

 Carter is two!  It is hard to believe.  He enjoyed his birthday, although I'm not sure he ever realized it was all about him:  you'd say, "Happy birthday, Carter!" and he'd say "Happy birthday, mommy!" like you had wished him a merry Christmas or something.  (He's pointing to me and saying just that in the next picture.)

 He was pretty excited about his decorations ("My decorations!  My decorations!" and "Where's my decorations" when one of the places I had put balloons for Emma's birthday was empty…) and his Thomas cake.  In fact I think he liked the cake more than any of our kids have at that age.  

He loved his trains and his bubble lawnmower, and spent a happy day playing outside, having a nap, having a McDonald's picnic at the park, and blowing out his candles with Emma (who was quite gracious considering it was no longer her own birthday.) 

The funniest part of his birthday was unwrapping presents… he was so excited, and waited until Nate was done with a test in the morning talking about them.  When he got to the opening part, however, he was WAY more worried about taking care of the wrapping paper garbage than getting out the present.  After each small rip of paper, he'd hand it to Nate, saying "here, Daddy…" over and over and over an over.  Not a tiny shred made it to the floor.  You can watch it here… Download MOV05096  Happy Birthday, little man!  

 

 

 
 As I look through the pictures the kids have taken with their camera, there are TONS of me.  I am constantly being asked to pose, or being snuck up on unawares, and often the final result is an up-way-too-close-and-personal shot of me.  While they pictures themselves are far from flattering, they make me happy – because it reminds me that at least for a little while, I am as much the center of their world as they are of mine.  I sure love these kids!

 

1 free digital camera + 2 budding photographers = untold amounts of interesting photos (some of which the world is not ready for… like the one of my dirty laundry…)

Here is a sampling of their work!

 

Henry makes a shot – by Zach

Our 5 blooming daffodils – by Emma (who is 5!)

Caught sleeping on the couch while Carter watches Sesame Street – by Emma

Neighbor driving past (do you think he feels like a celbrity?) – by Zach    

I am sure there will be more to come… they take about 25 a day, at least.  And that's the beauty of a DIGITAL camera.