The Tale of the Cut Dollars

 

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved to learn about crafty hacks on YouTube.  Despite her mother's warning that the videos were heavily edited and almost surely never first-takes, she found one hack that she just had to try (without her mother's knowledge). 

Hide your cash by rolling up a dollar bill and place it inside an empty chapstick tube! 

What a fun and simple idea!

I had no idea Emma was trying this, until one day a few weeks later she came to me with two bills- a five and a twenty- that had been trimmed down and taped back together again.  When I asked her what happened she immediately started tearing up (sweet girl doesn't have much of a bluffing face) and explained that the plan to hide her money had been foiled because the bills were too tall.  So she trimmed them up and then quickly realized that was not a very smart idea. 

The bills were taped back up nicely, but still, it was obviously cut money that had been taped up again.  I was mostly sure it was still spendable, but the only way to be sure it wasn't a lost $25 was to trade it out for fresh, un-cut bills from a bank. 

I took the money into town with me and had to go to three different banks to make the trade, but eventually I came home with two whole, un-cut, guaranteed to be able to spend dollar bills, just as good as new.  

And a lesson to be learned as well.  

It was only when Emma was willing to let go of the cut dollars and (with my help and the help of the bank) trade them out for new dollars that she could say with certainty that everything was just as good as new again. 

And that's how it is when we repent.  When we make mistakes, we can try our best to cover them up or pretend that they didn't happen or put them back together again, but sometimes the mistakes still show, just like the cut money that had been taped up.  It was mostly good, but it wasn't perfect. 

It requires full repentence- confessing, forsaking, and forgiving- to know that our sins have been forgiven- for good!  And because of our Savior Jesus Christ, we come out just as good as new when we do!

It was a great lesson for both of us, and a reminder that we have nothing to lose when we need to repent.  If we can be brave enough to do the right thing, all we're left with is a feeling of peace and assurance that everything is right again!

Another Driver

Leah, oh our sweet guinea pig Leah.  The age limit for a learners permit in Iowa is 14, so there has been a big push (and a little peer pressure) around here lately for Leah to get hers!  Her level of caring about securing a permit is about 4 out of 10, and that's fine by me right now.  But learning how to drive is not optional, so we've encouraged her to put one foot on the path that will eventually lead her to independence (and moving away from us and leaving forever, but that's not happening just yet)! 

The deal was that she had to score 100% on the practice test 3 times in a row before she could take the real test.  We were only able to schedule the test about a month out, so she practiced and practiced and got 100% at least 9 times in a row before the big day came.  

And she passed! 

We celebrated with a pizza date!

And a trip or 4 around the church parking lot at exactly 3 miles per hour. 

She may legally be allowed to drive now, but she's not exactly eager about it, especially with all of the ice and snow that is constantly on the roads this winter days.  There is still plenty of learning and practicing she needs to do to get comfortable behind the wheel.  Technically, in six months she could start driving herself to school, but that will require learning all about driving on country roads, including how to handle the ever-presence deer in the roads, merging on and off two different highways, and navigating through a part of town that we rarely frequent to get to the ninth grade school.  It may happen, but even if it's not right away, she's on the road to eventual success!

The Great Sled Rescue

 When a lonely sled is left out in the yard and the snow starts falling faster and faster, burying it from sight and possibly causing it disappear forever, there is only one thing to do.  At Noah's insistence, the great sled rescue had to happen as soon as we returned home from church on an extra snowy Sunday. 

Two fearless brothers bundled up (while still in their church clothes) and rode down the hill together, then made the long trek back up to the house, two sleds and a pup trailing behind.

Victorious!

-Isms

Trying on Daddy's Sunday shoes.  Someday they'll fit!

While talking about skipping school around the dinner table, Noah struggled to understand the concept- I don't understand how you got to the school, then didn't walk into the school.... I don't think teenagers are very smart!

He's right about that!  The kids recently found my freshman yearbook and took all kinds of pictures of events I've mostly forgotten about, like playing one of Pharaoh's servants in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, 

trying cheerleading for a semester, 

and competing on the debate team.

*****

Daddy made dinner one night while I was out.  When I tucked Noah in that night he reported, "Dinner was okay.  But I like it more when you make regular stuff... like mixel barf soup." 

*****

N- I wonder what it would be like to be a big brother.  I don't want a baby, I just wonder.... would you be okay with having another baby? 

M- Yes! I mean, I don't want to have another baby but if I did I would be thrilled about it. 

N- Oh... so you want it but you just don't (makes big round belly tummy movements) want it. 

M- Ummm.... sure!

*****

One night Leah, Adam and I were driving home from mutual and the trash can needed to be brought into the garage.  When I said as much Adam said "Not it!" and Leah said, "Let's do rock, paper, scissors." 

I said pick a number between 42 and 55.  

Leah picked 44 and Adam picked 52.  The number was 52, so I told Adam he got to bring in the trashcan.  (I never said what would happen to the person who guessed the closest). 

So Adam hopped out and did the funniest flailing zig-zag hopping dance down the driveway while steering the trash can into the garage.  Leah and I laughed and laughed and when we all got inside I said- Adam, you are always such a happy boy.  Why are you so happy? 

A thought for a second and said- Because I don't have much to not be happy about. 

I like that attitude.

Once a week or so we all snuggle up in the scripture room and I read out loud from our latest adventure book.  This time Jason fell fast asleep and was snoring while everyone else headed off to bed.  

*****

N- Is church cancelled since it's on Valentine's Day this year? 

*****

We couldn't stop watching cars slide down the hill outside our back window during an especially slippery snowy day last week.  

M, feeling slightly anxious about the welfare of the slipping cars- I don't know what we can do except watch.  

N- We can pray! 

And we did!  And everyone was just fine.  

Valentine's Day

We had all kinds of Valentines Day celebrations here this month.  

First up- the packages!  Boy are we lucky to have such sweet grandparents who thought to send packages our way this month!

Next up- the class party!  When I told Emma I didn't have anything planned for a class party she took it upon herself to plan and execute the whole thing, and she did a fantastic job! 

There was pin the arrow on the heart, 

carefully selected coloring pages for everyone, 

and a homemade board game!  Everyone had a great time, and having someone else plan the whole thing was AWESOME!

Of course we had to have heart shaped sandwiches this month. 

and the very best part of all was the romantic dinner date that the kids planned for us on Valentines Day.  

 

They planned out everything- decorations and romantic music in the front room, elaborate menus, chocolates and candles on the table and a delicious meal!  It was truly one of the best dates we've been on in a long time and certainly our best Valentine's Day ever!  

We got to sit and visit and enjoy some adult conversation with only occasional visits from our hardworking hosts to fill our drinks and take our orders and deliver our food. 

And while we enjoyed the break, they were hard at work in the kitchen!

We enjoyed an appetizer of baked cheese sticks with marinara sauce, an entrée of spaghetti and meatballs, roasted broccoli, and fruit salad and a tasty molten chocolate lava cake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.  It was all delicious, and it was all so sweetly and thoughtfully prepared, we didn't mind paying our tab by washing the dishes afterward.

My favorite parts were the delivery of most of the dishes by waiters on roller skates, the jazzy romantic music they selected to play in the background ("L is for the way you look at me"), the origami hearts that adorned the table, the discussion over who got to take which order and deliver which plate, the big hug Emma gave me in the middle of the dinner just because, and the exhausted way that Leah said, "making a meal is a LOT of work!" at the end of the night.  It was such a sweet service all around. This Valentine's Day was a great celebration of love at our house!  

Anything Worth Doing

is worth doing on roller skates. 

At least that's the way it is around here lately!

It may be loud and clunky and there is a constant conversation about not going up or down the stairs on roller blades and a slight fear of broken elbows and someone who will not be named rolled over my toe while I was cooking dinner one evening, but hey!  It's a great chance to get up and exercise, and when the weather is stuck in the negatives, as it usually is this time of year, and the entire main floor of this house is roller-skate-able, we'll take it!

Snapshot

 With subzero temperatures and a day off from school this week, we've had plenty of time inside to get creative and have some fun.  Once we get out of bed that is... 

The kids have been playing lots of hide and seek with Laney, and once when they couldn't find Adam Noah called out, "Adam!  Give us a sound!" 

We made a beautiful melted crayon heart banner for the kitchen that has added some much craved color to our white and gray winter wonderland- Emma and Leah especially were in craft-making heaven and declared that we should do something so creative every day!

We also made towers out of marshmallows and spaghetti while trying to identify all of the animals from Camille Saint-Saëns' The Carnival of Animals.

Adam whipped up a tall and structurally sound tower in about three minutes and then sat back and watched everyone else's efforts. Side note- he experienced his first shave this week.  There was a nice shadow around his upper lip and when Jason buzzed it off with his electric razor Adam said he was relieved to be free of it!

The kids all refused to get dressed on Monday because they didn't have school and we weren't going anywhere.  I'm glad they don't make that argument every day!

Noah tried at his tower for about three minutes before saying, "This is hard.  Can you build it for me Mom?" Classic youngest child.  I try really hard to hold him to the same standard as his siblings and not baby him, but it is crazy both to think that Leah had three younger siblings at his age and also to see how grown up he really is.  Don't let that unicorn night mask fool you- he's growing into a big boy!

In other news, I got a haircut.  It feels so much lighter now!

Emma set a goal to learn how to sew this year, and we started out with sewing some scarves for a church service project.  She did not have any hesitation when stepping on the pedal- heaven help me when she starts driving!

The final product!

I've had some serious mom guilt about not teaching all of my kids to play the piano with more diligence this year.  After asking them all if they'd like to go to a different teacher and hearing an emphatic no we decided that if they could get serious about learning we would pay them for it.  But it's a group effort- everyone has to practice every day for four weeks in a row before anyone gets a payday.  There have been lots of shouts of "I have to practice the piano!" and "Don't be the weak link!" as they've remembered and encouraged each other to play the piano every day.  And, not surprisingly, they are all improving at a delightful rate.

It's freezing cold, there's no where to go, and it feels a whole lot like Groundhog Day around here every day.  But in some ways, I couldn't ask for more!  One day Jason and I went to visit an older man from church who was dying from cancer, and when we got home the kids were all circled up and playing a card game, just chatting away and enjoying each other's company.  

Games have become a bigger part of our daily entertainment than ever before, and we've had lots of good dinner conversations lately too.  We've talked about everything from the law of chastity and the "VIP box" to who should get a COVID vaccine first, where we'd like to go on vacation and what heaven must be like and what we would most like to do when we get there. 

Of course, not every moment is peace-filled, but more often than not this house is filled with happiness and smiles, and we always try to appreciate the gift of an ordinary day. 

100th Day of School

 I genuinely do not know how we've done this 100 times.  

99 school days ago I was in a state of panic and yelling like a crazy person all throughout the house. 

98 school days ago a fellow virtual learning mom gave me advice that helped me chill out and take this adventure for what it is- the kids are capable and responsible for their learning, they still have teachers to guide them, and they will figure this out.  

And they did!  At the beginning of the year I felt like I might never leave my house again for fear that someone would not be able to log onto a meeting or couldn't figure out what they were supposed to be doing at any given moment during the school day, and while we certainly have had a forgotten class here and an Internet interruption there, overall these kids have virtual learning down!  I can even leave the house during the day for groceries or whatever might take me into town (it helps that Jason is always here too, although he's generally less available than I am).  

Everyone spreads out every morning- Noah at the kitchen table, Adam in the toy room, Emma at the desk upstairs and Leah in the front room- and they all come back together every break and lunch hour to swap stories about interesting facts they've learned or silly antics from classmates or frustrations over being forgotten by their teacher again (this only happens to Leah, who is just virtually joining the in-person classrooms every day.  Everyone else has a dedicated virtual teacher who only has online students). They get their work done, usually (but not always) without any guidance or assistance on my part.  And the bonus is that I get to see the work their doing, their presentations and projects and check their progress throughout the day.  Temporarily gone are the days when I would pick the kids up from school and they would be too tired to recap much of anything that happened over the course of the seven hours that we were apart- now I get the live report!  And for the most part, they are deeply engaged in school all day long. 

And with plenty of breaks and no "commute", everyone is overall well rested, happy, and learning the year away!

Oops! Forgot to take the 100 Day breakfast picture in time. 

The house is quiet in the morning and then erupts in chatter and energy at lunchtime.  Today Leah and Noah made lunch, and Noah called out to Emma and Adam, "Lunchtime!  Lunch is ready! Ding-a-ling-a-ling! Lunchtime! Macaroni is in the cafeteria! Hot and fresh!" 

It makes me sad that the kids have such limited opportunities to connect with classmates, and it makes me nervous that they have never set foot in the school that they should be attending in the fall, but it makes me happy that overall, they are having a fantastic year.  We've grown together and figured out how to work together and this is certainly a year that we will never forget!

Bald Eagles

One of the gruesome downsides of having bald eagles constantly swooping across our yard, perching in our trees and flying into the lake is watching nature take it's course. 

This is a juvenile bald eagle, but the parents are always nearby.  

That is- or was- a racoon.  The average weight of an adult racoon is 14 pounds.  

Laney weighs 14 pounds.  Keeping her inside isn't too much of a trick right now, when the average daily temperature is 1 degree.  And we definitely keep a close eye on her when she's out!