vinyl

We got a call from Tyler a couple of weeks ago with the not so good news that he has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. After a few days of uncertainty and concern, the Rippy way of handling crisis was applied. Tyler and Chelsea would go ahead with their planned trip to Costa Rica (why let cancer ruin a perfectly awesome 5 star trip abroad), Cameron started cracking jokes and organizing a .5K throid cancer awareness run (we'll fight this thing together) and I coerced everyone in Spokane to go to the temple together. All I have to say is that Dustin better watch out, he's next.

I heard a great quote today that I think will be my 2010 theme: "Don't get caught in the thick of thin things."--Elder Maxwell.
It is so great that I am having to resist every temptation to put it onto vinyl wall stickies. This has been a week of vinyl home improvement. After a lot of inner personal struggle regarding vinyl in the home, I have concluded that Vinyl with a Purpose is OK. Frivolous Vinyl is not OK, and is in fact, a sin.

Vinyl on suitcases has real purpose. Especially if those suitcases were missionary suitcases. Missionary suitcases purchased as a clear tithing blessing by your father at a thrift store. Suitcases that spent two years respectively in Nicaragua, Brazil, Philippenes and Miami Florida. Am I just rationalizing here? Will I have to see the Bishop for vinyl immorality?

Women's conference yesterday was uplifting. It reminded me that my current job is worthy and valuable. It also reminded me to take my responsibilities even more seriously and be vigilant about participating in the organized efforts (RS/VTing) to fight a very real enemy.

Sports update: Wilson had his first wrestling match and beat all three guys. He really likes that unbelievably painful sport.
Cooper scored 8 points at his last game and really wants a basketball and golf bag for his birthday. Miraculously, Eliza apparently made a basket in her game. Even if it was an accident, that's better than I could do.

Max has spent the day referring to me as "Mrs Claus," and has instructed me to refer to him as "Little Elf." When I tucked him into bed he wanted to know what toys we would be building tomorrow for Santa. I will pray heartily for an extra dose of patience and creativity.

I woke up this morning to two naked, brown, Guatemalan buns an inch from my face. Is this really the kind of thing I will miss when my children are grown and gone? Really?

art class

I enjoy Wednesdays. It's my volunteer day and I feel purposeful. Last week I taught the 2nd graders to make Baklava. Eliza was the only one who knew what it was, including the teacher. They loved painting the phyllo dough with butter and claimed they even liked to eat it raw. In Max's class I try to sings songs associated with the letter of the week. Today was M week so we learned the "itsy bitsy monkey" (he climbed the coconut tree instead of the spout). In 5th grade we are studying the post impressionist painters. We did Seurat last week resulting in beautiful pointilistic pictures. Today I took in a tub of chocolate pudding and we learned about the textured art of Van Gogh. The kids loved it and the painting were so cool. When I showed them the self portrait Van Gogh did, one of the boys asked why the artist painted himself with a green face. Thus followed an amazing discussion about Van Gogh's mental state. One student hypothesized that Van Gogh painted his body to match the background to show that his body was normal, but that his mind, which really sticks out, was the ill part. Another student suggested that he was trying to tell his audience that he could blend in with everyone else, that he was normal. They all agreed that a green face communicated illness and unhappiness. Absolutely none of our lesson will be on the state standardized test.

I'm not trying to toot my own horn here, I just remembered today the joy of teaching. I wonder if it is time for me to go back to work?

mlk

How do Lundbergs celebrate MLK? They march their children's black, white and brown butts 5 miles up and down Steptoe Butte with an Oreo fest to follow. It was an absolutely gorgeous spring day. I can't believe I like my children/husband on a day off of school/work.


Another good way to celebrate a day off of school is in a fabulous-filled-to-the-top bubble bath. Enjoy Eliza, my bathing beauty.

gum, poop and paint

It's not that I'm less upset by children who wake up with a wad of green gum mashed in their hair, or three year olds who poop their pants three times a day or open ziplocked bags of wet rollers and paint themselves and the just completed bathroom white. I'm plenty upset. It's just that I'm not surprised. I've done this before; I've already seen it and lived it. I can't predict the behaviors, but like a recurring nightmare, it all seems so familiar.

The gum was in Max's hair and was quickly resolved with a close shave before school. The poopie child was thrown into one of the TWO (hooray) available tubs upstairs while I scrubbed the paint off of the walls. I like this phase of motherhood when problems are solved like the rehearsed and practiced lines of a play. It's too bad my oldest boys will never experience a well choreographed Mom in action. Their naughtiness slaps me in the face like a cold wet washcloth and while I try to think of what to do next, I've lost.

Coming off the Christmas high was only made possible by an awesome New Years with the Lughesworth family. Despite our ski trip not going as smoothly as I would have liked, it was a great weekend. All my kids but Marcos are self sufficient on the slopes, even without Daddy. The highlight of the weekend was James and Betsy's DVD of the last 10 years. I cried through the whole thing. We spent lots of time discussing in pseudo-relief society-presidency meetings and Andrea and Betsy made me feel 100% better about the house. Betsy offered the perfect suggestions for furniture arrangement and Andrea knew exactly what the molding should look like at the back door.

My new year's resolutions are still forming. Foremost is getting our silly loan paid off. I'd like Eliza and I to start harp lessons this year. I want to double my temple attendance.

Andrea's theme for the year is "increase thy offering." I really like that focus and think this is my season to kick it up a notch in terms of service. Being in the nursery is dreamy, so I have no excuse for not being more available to others. I have no excuse for not being a really good visiting teacher for the first time in my life.

Just saying the words "2010" sound good. I can tell this is going to be a great year.