Validation

You, my blog friends, have completely validated me. My sister, Plainbellied, posted this on her blog a couple of months ago. It's worth sharing and gives an indication of how much your comments have encouraged me this week. Thank you! YOU are awesome!

Inspection

For the past several evenings I've played witches and evil queens who come to inspect the children's after dinner chores. The silverware must be dry and orderly in the drawer. The tables and counters cleaned smooth from dried food or glue and so on. My children are inspired by the impending inspection, anxious to see my costume and curious how I will behave in my new character. We finish clean-up more quickly than usual, notwithstanding the time it takes to dress up and inspect each chore. Afterwards, they rush to get ready for bed in time for the "reading fairy" who will simply pass by to the next house without giving them a bedtime story if they don't have their jammies on and teeth brushed. It's another costume, another voice, another attitude. As is often the case with people, slow is fast and they are actually getting to sleep earlier.

I know it sounds like silliness, what else could it be? We got the idea from Betty Macdonald's famous Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. I've learned a couple of things though. The first is that my children want their work to be inspected. They like to know they will receive legitimate praise for a job well done. They also appreciate the refreshing, playful element of surprise. I've learned that I don't like being the bad guy. I've heard actor's say that playing villains is the most interesting. I don't like playing the disappointed witch or selfish queen. Tonight I was the almost-Empress inspecting all the preparations for the upcoming wedding party. My seven year old dried the dishes happily once I explained she was really shining the gold and silver for my royal banquet. They especially loved the kowtows and "My deepest regards to the carpet lady." It was much more fun looking for things to praise lavishly. Later, as the genie-of-work-and-reading, I read aloud while they took turns sorting laundry. Nobody had to work for more than 3 minutes at a time and I got to wear another fabulous costume. ;)

I don't have the energy or inclination to do this every night. But it's delightful to sprinkle it throughout the week. In between, I'm learning to inspect their work and follow-up with judgement. I let them know if improvement is required, but usually I can just praise their thorough work and cheerful attitudes. I have to write about this now while it's still fresh and working. Who knows what next week will bring in the adventures of parenting?

Rockonference

After General Conference on Saturday, my nine year old showed me the list of talk topics and hymn titles that she had written. My favorite was the closing hymn of the second session: Now We Sing at Party!

It did feel like the very best kind of party to me and I'm looking forward to more celebration of goodness today.

Party on!

Uncertainty

Last night My Hero said, "I wonder when all the uncertainty will end."
Yeah, I would like to know too so that I can write it on my calendar in big red letters, "End of Uncertainty," and a brief note underneath reminding me that from thenceforth, "all answers will come when I want, how I want."

Family Boundaries

I've seen and heard about soap operatics occurring in families that live "too close" together. Everyone is in everyone's business and giving their unsolicited advice. My mother could truthfully quote me saying, "I will live far away from you and never bring the grandchildren to visit." Essentially that's what is happening since we live in New York and my parents live in Utah, but my heart changed over twenty years ago.

With brief exceptional intervals, I have lived apart from immediate family since I left for college. All of my siblings attended the same university so we overlapped here and there living near each other, but never as roommates. We married and graduated, usually in that order, and settled where the work was.

People talk about living near family but not too near. The general consensus is an idyllic hour or two apart. Isn't that just substituting a geographic buffer for emotional wimpiness? If we can respect each other's individual family needs, differences and personal boundaries we can keep communications open and let the fun flow.

I love, respect and admire all the members of my family. More than that, I miss them. Today my friends announced that they are moving to family. In their case that means Sacramento, California which isn't too shabby! As dreamy as the weather in California is, I would happily live in Montana if that's where my family was. I happily live in New York and I don't have any family here, but I long for my family. I wish for aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents on a regular basis.

We've passed the halfway mark with Star. She'll probably move out in the next 5-7 years.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Nothing says celebration like potatoes and cabbage!

How do you commemorate St. Patty's Day?

Just Getting a Cookie

In one of my favorite scenes from Kung Fu Panda Po has failed in his condensed training program and is stuffing his face while all the capable warriors head out to stop the unbeatable foe. Master Shifu tells Po not to eat Monkey's cookies hidden on the top shelf. Two seconds later, Shifu finds Po holding himself to the ceiling in perfect splits on opposing cabinets. Shifu asks Po how he could possible do in the kitchen what he could not do in training. Po says, "I was just getting a cookie."

I am continually impressed, amazed, inspired (read-intimidated) by what everyone I know is able to accomplish. Whenever I do something it feels like no big deal because it was just me and I was just doing this one thing and it wasn't as glamorous as it sounds, etc. I'm just getting a cookie. Maybe next time I get my visiting teaching done or hit all of the day's subjects in school or feed my family another meal or get to sleep before 2 a.m. I will remember that there is no secret ingredient. I am the Dragon Warrior.


P.S. The Dragon Warrior loves cookies.

P.P.S. More of the Dragon Warrior's favorite lines from Kung Fu Panda:

There is no charge for awesomeness.

'Sorry' doesn't make the noodles.