Point Defiance Park

We've been loyal members of the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium for 3 or 4 years now and just recently discovered there are acres and acres and acres more to the park! The zoo sponsored a geocaching contest that we participated in (even though we didn't have any electronic gadgets, we still found the caches!) and were motivated to keep exploring this gorgeous park!

E comes up with some pretty unique places to pose...

Our little mermaids...

While strolling along the waterfront, P's eagle eyes noticed this little seal washed up on shore. He had a hook & line stuck in his mouth but was still alive. We had the zoo's phone # on the brochure for the geocaching contest, so we called them, and they gave us another phone # to call, and about 4 agencies later, we finally found someone to come get him. They said it would take about an hour to get there, so we stayed for a bit, left for awhile, and when we came back, he was gone, so the girls are really hoping he got some help with that hook & is back on his way to his momma.

Pumpkin Patch

The weather surprised us with a string of gorgeous days at the beginning of October, so on one of P's days off, we surprised the girls by picking them up from school at the end of the day and heading to one of the many pumpkin patches in our area. We've tried several over the years, and this one - Scholz Farms - is by far our favorite, and not just b/c it's entirely free (except for buying the pumpkins)! I have pics of the girls in front of the "How Tall This Fall" sign from years past that I'll have to find...they've both grown at least a foot since we started going there!

Princess Power

Just before school started, E needed another colonscopy. Having learned a few things the last time, we were better prepared! This time, E wore her "Princess Power" shirt and dressed up for the occasion. During the prep at home, I encouraged her to cooperate w/the last steps of the prep by saying, "If we don't get this done now, we won't have time to paint your nails or put sparkles on." It worked! She was very very brave through the whole thing and we hope to not have to do another test like this for a very very long time!

First Day of School - 30 Days Late

Sorry, Babe

M: "Want to hear something funny about me? I am realizing that I like things to be either really organized, or really messy. But just cluttered drives me crazy."

Me: "Sorry that you live here, babe."

Conversations at Bedtime

As she's going to bed

M: Mom, I wish I had a big huge agenda that would tell me everything that was ever going to happen in my life. I would be really happy with that.

10 minutes later, up from bed...

M: Mom, do you know what I hate?
Me: Garbonzo beans?
M: I don't even know what those are, but I'm sure if I tried them, I would hate them. No, what I hate is when I lay awake at night worrying about things.
Me: What are you worrying about?
M: That bad things are going to happen to me.
Me: Well, I can promise you something. During your lifetime, bad things ARE going to happen to you. But, I promise you that good things will happen, too. So there. (I got her giggling and back to bed...)

How's that for a compassionate mom?! I wish I could promise that nothing bad would ever happen, but then I might be raising yet another self-entitled princess girl who would be stunned and incompaciated when she faced life's inevitable trials. I wonder how many trials I would have weathered better in my life if I hadn't held on to the myth that bad things only happen to bad (deserving) people? Somehow, expecting trials and knowing that the Lord will see me through them has deepened my faith and increased my day to day peace - ironic, huh? I think it's about letting go of the controls (cue the "Jesus, Take the Wheel" song).

OK, second conversation, this one with E:

Me: E, this looks like granola bar in your room. Is this from today? (We'd had a huge discussion about no-food-in-your-room when she had a friend over)
E: Oh, I forgot (and other stammering excuses)
Me: Yeah, I don't think so. Well, your consequence for breaking the rule is that you won't be able to sleep in your tent in your room afterall (which I knew she'd only last 3 minutes in anyway before she was in her comfy bed).
E: *dissolves into tears* "I need a hug!"
Me: (I hug her a little bit, but not much. She is, afterall, in trouble. She's still blubbering, and I say) Keeping food out of your room is an important rule and we discussed it a lot today. I am disappointed that you didn't choose to follow the rule. We will leave the tent up tomorrow and perhaps you can try again tomorrow night.
E: *inbetween sobs* I JUST WANT YOU TO SAY NICE WORDS! (At this point, I walk away b/c I'm laughing and I don't want her to see. And, I don't want to encourage the performance to continue, either)

She is such a tenderheart who just melts at the slightest disapproval or correction. Makes it interesting to parent her! I do think her "nice words" response is pretty funny...don't we all want nice words when we're busted?! :) I often thank God that He sent her sensitive little soul to our house, and not one where yelling, scolding, swearing, threatening, and physical punishment are part of our parenting plan. She would be one crushed little spirit in a home like that, not to mention how much worse her colitis could potentially be (stress aggrevates it). And then my heart aches for all the kids who DO live in a home like that...there are far, far too many of them, and I send up a prayer for them and hope that somehow their parents will repent and change, or that the other adults in their lives can see the problems and do all they can to rebuild and help those children (and I include myself in that group of adults)!

Perspective

Girls & I were reading from "Our Heritage" before bed tonight. I read about the 40 years that it took for the Saints to build the Salt Lake Temple. To put it in perspective, I said, "So, if they had started building it when I was born, they still wouldn't be finished. They'd still have another 4 years to go."

E said, "Oh my gosh! I hope they got to take a potty break!"