Impromptu Field Trip

My aim is to post once a weekish.  My last post was 2 weeks ago. 
It was just so serious and . . . I was trying to keep it short and left important things out . . . and it created waves that I don't like to create.  Flat out not feeling warm and fuzzy about it.  Thus creating within myself a subliminal aversion to posting.  Which in turn means I'm not documenting my life. 

I still don't feel like I have anything terribly important, profound, or interesting to post about.  But it's been 2 weeks.  I need to post.  And it needs to be simple and warm and fuzzy.  So here it goes.

My schedual has been pretty darn busy lately.  Lots of extra errands and running around on my daily "to-do-list."  It has made me really appreciate the days when my only focus is doing school with my girls.  Reminded me how much I love and really enjoy it.  It can be a lot of work.  But all that work seems like a pleasant gentle breeze compared to all the extra "to-dos" that I was accumulating. 

So for me, "simple, warm, and fuzzy" means school with my girls.  That's my comfort zone.  It makes me happy. 

Today I was appreciating the contribution modern technology makes towards furthering learning and understanding.  Today's science lesson was on amphibians and reptiles.  I was trying to describe how a frog will stick his eyes just above the water and keep the rest of himself hidden from predators.  I was able to "Google Image" this little gem. 

A picture is worth 1,000 words. 

Also in honor of today’s subject manor, we took an impromptu field trip to The Bug Museum.  Not exactly "around the corner" but it's not too far of a drive.  They have an awesome little reptile room.  So the girls could see all the different creatures we were talking about.  Taking time out for a field trip always sets us back as far as our curriculum schedual is concerned, but I've been at this for 3 years now.  "Catching up" is just a constant part of the equation. 

So hear are a few pics of our trip:

K Rae fell in love with this leopard tortoise.  (More about him in a second.)

 

Kindergarden is going to be "old hat" for this kiddo. 

She loved looking at the bugs under the microscope.  Made her feel all big and independent. 

 

But highly educated or not, she is definatly still 2.  She felt the need to scribble over everything the girls were drawing.  Fully aware that it was agitating her sisters.   

K Rae devoted her piece of the black board to that tortoise.    Named him "Basket" cause the information card said when he is full grown he can be the size of a basketball. 

Can't Say That I Agree

A little while a go, a friend of mine, a dear dear friend of mine at that, posted a news article entitled: "Group of Mormon feminists push to be part of priesthood meeting at General Conference."  Her comment on the article: "Can't say as I disagree."  I read the article and determined that I DID disagree.  But I am a FIRM believer in a couple of mottos:

Agree to disagree.

and

Live and let live.

and

Knock yourself out.  (I don't care what you do.)

I didn't care whatsoever that my friend had the opinion she did.  Doesn't bother me.  She has a right to have an opinion.  As do I.

As the days went by, I found my thoughts wandering back to this article.  Pondering.  Articulating the why.  Why exactly did I disagree?  Why do I believe what I do?  This is something I do often.  What I do NOT do often is declare what I believe.  I try to avoid, "stirring the pot," "making waves," or "rocking the boat."  Why go around purposely making statements that might ruffle other peoples feathers.  I got better things to do with my time.

But for reasons that would take a long time to explain, (and I've got a strict -keep it short as possible- policy with this blog) I've decided to step out of my comfort zone, set aside any pots, waves, or boats, and blog about my "why" on this particular subject. 

To set the foundation I've included some quotes.
 

The point is, I place motherhood on a very high pedestal.  If you do not, then my explanation that follows is kind of mute. 

DISCLAIMER: This is NOT doctrine.  This is merely why the doctrine makes sense to me.

Suppose for a moment, what it would mean if there was no priesthood.  Yet women were still afforded the honor, privilege, opportunity and awesome responsibility of motherhood.  Leaving man with the responsibility to see that there was food in cupboards and a roofs over heads.  While both are necessary, I feel the level of influence in the world would leave the scale looking something like this:

In my opinion, men having the priesthood is what makes the scale look more like this:

 

The priesthood is a means by which a man can bless and influence his family beyond just providing for their temporal needs.  

The doctrine that only worthy males can hold the priesthood makes sense to me, because I feel that if women too held the priesthood, it would upset this natural balance. 

Something else I feel is very important to mention.

BOTH of these roles are SHARED.

Fathers are afforded countless opportunities to also take part in the joy and blessings that come from a mother's daily tasks such as, kissing owies, teaching lessons, and changing diapers.  These blessings are not denied a man, they are just simply not his inherent focus. 

Mothers are afforded countless opportunities to also take part in the joy and blessings that come from the priesthood.  We receive blessings of healing, take the sacrament, make temple covenants.  These blessings are not denied a women. 

Now, back to the article that spurred on my ponderings and thoughts. 
Some women feel that equality would be better served by allowing women to attend General Priesthood Meeting.  My view on that particular facet of this issue: women hold conferences and meetings of their own to learn, grow, be enlightened and to support and buoy each other up in the things we have in common.  Why aren't men allowed to do the same thing?  It's not like they've out to hide anything or keep anything from us.  The entire session word for word is printed in the Ensign 1 month later.  Why do you need to intrude upon their time together?

In conclusion, I talked a lot about men as fathers and women as mothers.  "What about women who don't get to be mothers?"  "What about fathers who have to raise children without a mother?"  "What about the fact that some women don't appear to exhibit these wonderful 'maternal' qualities?"  "What about fathers who exhibit 'maternal' qualities."  We could argue and reason for hours and hours the "what abouts."  I'm not here to debate the issue.  All I set out to do, was put into words, why this particular issue makes sense to me, and why I can't say that I agree with the feminist in that article.  

Like Riding A Bike

Summer 2013 has officially come to a close.

Can't complain a bit.  Twas full and happy.  Downright incredible really.

The twins were baptized, I ran my marathon, and that was just June!

Perhaps I should be sad that summer, and all the adventures that come with it, is over.

But Fall is my favorite season.  Who can be sad about autumn leaves, pumpkin cookies, cool weather, cozy clothes, and Halloween! 

But first things first.  Summer's end means starting a new school year.  Again, perhaps there should be a level of remorse to be loosing the relaxed flexible days that accompany summer.  But as we started into our old routine again this week, I felt a sense of comforting familiarity.  I also had feelings of "kick it into high gear," "back to work," and "focus" too, but lazy isn't really my style anyway.  (Unless it has to do with cooking - then I'm all about lazy.) 

So how did our first week go?  Well . . . . . Shortcake.  From the time she was just a baby, she has always been very aware of her surroundings and has been so so eager to be a part of it all.  So going into this school year, I thought I was prepared. 

On the left are some of the twins new work books and readers K12 sent this year.  On the right is a workbook and a few of the other library books I had on hand so that Shortcake had something to keep her busy too. 

But as our first day of school progressed, I realized that once again I had underestimated my 2 year old.  Each time we would move on to a new subject I would pull out the coordinating new materials.  Without even being aware, the twins and I would exhibit a unconscious sense of excitement at having these new things.  I mean come on, we stare at these things for nine months straight.  Who wouldn't be excited about having something new?  Shortcake honed in on this.  She too wanted to be excited and partake in all of this.  But every time I had two that matched identical and didn't have a third just exactly like it for her . . . . . oh how she would cry.  And wail.  And cry some more.  Good and loud.  With a fair amount of physical movement involved.  Sigh.

That evening when my love asked how our day was, my label was: "challenging."  With feelings of "tiring" and even possibly "exasperating" close behind it.

As I've tried to asses the situation, tried to formulate plans of reaction, I've been trying really hard to keep this focus:

Shortcake is not a "problem."  She's my sweet, strong, eager, adorable, bundle of joy.  On our third day of school, my brilliant two year old said it best herself:

 


     "Mom,




 


         I









     bored."




I love schooling my children at home.  When I consider other avenues, my heart starts racing at the thought.  But no matter how much I love it, my day is still a million tiny choices.  A constant balancing act.  When I see them struggle with a math problem . . .

• Do I be firm, and stern, and tell them to do what I know they can, not letting them give up just cause it isn't easy? 
• Or do I read their eyes, their face, their body, their self doubt, and see that this time they just need a loving hint to keep them going?     

A hundred times a day I must decide.  I must answer questions to which the "correct" response is never the same. 
I'm coming to realize that Shortcake is no different just because she isn't working a curriculum yet.  I must balance my responses.  Balance between letting her know that wailing and gnashing of teeth is not an acceptable way to respond to ones feelings, and yet stay mindful and address the "why" behind her emotional protests.  She just wants so badly to take part in the world around her.  I mustn’t let myself get distracted by her frustrating tantrums.  I need to remember that she needs to be loved. 

First week of school  -  complete.  As I think of the 40 or so weeks ahead of me I'll admit I have feelings of worry and self doubt.  But when I contemplate it one Math or History lesson at a time, I remember how much I enjoy it.
It's almost like riding a bike.  A balancing act that you can't even really explain.  Dozens of muscles doing just the right thing at just the right time.  Quite complicated really, yet you just do it.  As long as you keep moving, somehow, you stay upright.