For the queue

To disgruntled person in Disney World line,

Standing in this line is difficult for you, isn't it? The crowds, and the noise, and the physical strain of standing in one place for a while can be overwhelming. Makes it hard to control your outbursts, doesn't it?

Now, I want you to think about that irritation you’re feeling. As I've said, it’s perfectly understandable. But I want you to think about it, really embrace it - and now I want you to imagine that you’re 5 years old. I bet waiting in this line just got even more trying for you, didn't it?

Now imagine you also have a sensory processing disorder. This means that every sensation is multiplied. Without on-going therapy, even simple sights and sounds that people usually enjoy can occasionally send you into a frenzy or render you catatonic. So imagine what happens with an overload of unpleasant stimuli.

Now I want you to imagine that you have Autism. Along with a list of stumbling blocks as long as my arm, this means communicating is especially challenging, if not impossible. It’s not your fault, but people can’t always read your mind and sometimes crying or throwing a tantrum is the only way you feel you can be understood. You don’t mean to hurt or annoy the people around you but you can’t talk and sometimes it’s just all too much. Your parents and other family and friends watch you very carefully, and try their hardest to maintain the balance of stimulus and rest so you can have something like a normal life experience. All you want to do is have fun at Disney World, because after all, you’re 5, but sometimes you need people to cut you a break.

Now you can be you again. Maybe this is a relief to you, maybe it’s not. But you get to choose. You can let the strain get to you, vent your aggravation on passersby. Or you can switch gears and choose to be happy in the “happiest place on earth.” Maybe take a cue from my special needs family and take a rest break if you’re feeling grumpy. It’s really all the same to me. I’ll continue to push or accommodate my children as I think best. It just might help you to remember, you’re not alone in the world - my son has certainly experienced frustration, just like you.

Best wishes,
Amy B.



A little note I composed after a little research into the Disney Guest Assistance Cards and the snide remarks some people have faced when using them. I guess this could really be handed out to any "snide remarker" in a line whether you were using a card or not. Just things I wish I could say to people who don't get it.

How I Roll

Last week I took my boys on a flight to Kansas City. I've actually flown alone (no other adults) with my kids several times in the past few years and I've got the procedure down pretty well, I think. When I saw a post on myautismteam.com asking about taking a 3 year old on a plane trip (and whether or not it's worth it to bring a car seat along), I found myself composing quite a lengthy response. Once I hit the 5th paragraph, I decided it might be more efficient to turn that comment into a blog post and just link to it on myaustimteam. So here it is!

I would absolutely recommend bringing a car seat for your 3 year old on a plane. For one thing, the familiarity and a feeling of security help a lot (this is especially true for children with Autism). And, at least for my son, who is very small for his age, the lap-only belt on the plane seat wouldn't do a ding dang thing to hold him in place, whether the cause of sudden movement was hyperactivity or turbulence.

First thing to do if you're going to bring her car seat is find the notice on the car seat that says it's certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft. Make a mental note where that sticker is located because there is a chance you will encounter a snotty flight attendant who will try to tell you that you can't use a car seat on an airplane. Then you can politely tell her that yes, yes, you can, because there is a law saying qualified car seats must be allowed and here's the sticker saying this particular seat qualifies.

Since I occasionally (more often than not) travel alone with my kids it would be physically impossible for me to carry a car seat in addition to holding onto my two boys AND carry-on bags. So, I bring a regular stroller with me and I use the toddler car seat's "latch" straps to hang it off the back of the stroller. This is not for a child to ride in, it is just to carry the car seat through the airport. Most airlines allow you to check a stroller at the gate at no additional cost and you'll get it back as soon as you get off the plane. You will have to unlatch the car seat at security and put it and the stroller on the belt for the x-ray scanner with everything else. (Side tip: The weight of the car seat *will* tip the stroller over if the stroller is empty, so unlatch the car seat before trying to take your child out if you want to avoid embarrassment and frustration.) 

I also accept help whenever I can get it. If someone notices that I'm struggling at the bottom of the gangway, juggling two small kids (one who doesn't want to get out of the stroller and one squirming to get down off my hip), a car seat, a back pack and a huge diaper bag, and offers to carry something on board the plane, I let them. If no one offers, I ask a flight attendant. It sounds like you'll have adult help already and I would advise you to depend on them. 

Whether I bring a car seat or not, if I'm traveling with kids, I bring the standard boredom busters and snacks. (Playing movies on our iPad allows me freedom our fore-mothers couldn't even dream of.) Of course, I give myself extra time to get through security and I don't even attempt to be the first person off the plane. If I'm not in a rush I'm almost guaranteed to work more efficiently and therefore, in the end, more quickly. It also helps my kids' tantrums not to escalate as quickly if I make a conscious choice to be calm and nonchalant. This last trip I was literally the last person off because I waited patiently for everyone else to make room for the flight attendants to get to me and carry the things I didn't have hands for. 

I may be the nightmare of the business man who is used to booking it through security (Hi, Dad! ☺) but this is what works best for me and my boys. If I'm holding you up, Mr. Late For His Flight, offer to fold my stroller for me and be grateful that Alexander is the one having the meltdown because MY meltdowns aren't as sweet.

"Duhs"

I've made a lot of lists in the past few weeks. Making lists helps me cut down on stress because if I have something important to do, but don't write it down, it plays in may head repeated until I do. Worse than having Rebecca Black's "Friday" stuck in your head. To help me hone in on what's most important, I've been making even more extensive lists than usual so I have less things floating around my brain and distracting me. Shopping Lists, Wish Lists, To-Do Lists, To-Don't Lists, etc. All kind of like Dumbledore's Pensieve. Once I get something out of my brain, it's easier to decipher and deal with.

One of my lists ended up with the title "Duhs" at the top of it. This was a list of things that I should be doing regularly (if not every day). The list includes but is not limited to:
Mommy/Son therapy time
Mommy/Son snuggle/giggle time
Mommy cooking practice
Exercise
Weekday Cleaning Schedule

The list doesn't actually contain that many lofty goals if I were to really focus on what's most important and not let bad habits and laziness run my life. Some of the items I'm already good at and some I'm not. Some of them are really vital and others could be skipped, but I'm learning that I'd rather not suffer the consequences that come from letting them go completely.

Pass me the snow shovel

I saw this saying hanging on someone's wall when I was a kid. I remember being amused but now I really get it. I actually think a snow shovel would be a handy piece of equipment to have when picking up around my house. So here's a printable, free as always. You can edit the frame part out if you don't like it and put it your own frame. 

Click. Save. 

Share.

Enjoy.

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

I've noticed in my life that there is something about the turning of a new year that somehow puts the kibosh on Christmas messages. Not that it's necessarily a conscious decision people make, just that the new year lends itself to 'life' starting again full tilt. The decorations come down, we go back to work and school, we make New Years' resolutions, our insurance deductibles reset - things like that. There's paper work to do and we have to do it (at least in my house). Also, I do think that for some people it IS a conscious decision because they are bored with Christmas music and other assorted aspects of the season. So I wanted to take a second to remember that Christmas was only a couple of weeks ago and we don't have to forget about it through the year: in fact, it's best that we don't forget.

I absolutely loved the First Presidency Christmas Devotional that the LDS Church broadcast about a month ago. The most memorable part for me was when they shared clips from the new Life of Jesus Christ: Bible Videos the church has commissioned. The videos and accompanying pictures are a free gift from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the world. You can download and share them as you see fit. (Which of course I looooove.) Anyway, my favorite shot from the clips was this one...

It's kind of hard to see it the picture, they show it better in the video, but Mary is sleeping next to the Baby on the straw. This touched me deeply when I saw the clip. Since I've had children I've always wondered a little when I look at Nativity scenes that Mary seems so fresh and is generally kneeling or even standing. I wonder because in my heart of hearts, I hope that the Mother of our Lord got rest soon after the Birth. (I also hope she was one of those people who have reeeally quick easy labors, not like myself.) I know after the birth of both of my sons, people told me over and over, "You sleep when the baby sleeps," and I've come to recognize that axiom as wisdom of the highest order. Of course I'm sure the Baby Jesus was the Perfect Baby, but He still had physical needs that His Mama would have to meet.

So that's why I love this video so much. It's a little thing, and maybe only I noticed it (although I very much doubt that). It shows the very real nature of the people involved. Mother and Child zonked out cold while Joseph guards them closely, a watchman for his brand-new family. I see so much more of my own family in this version and I treasure it dearly. So, if you haven't already, and even if you have, please watch and enjoy...

A Gift to the World

Something I was thinking about today

It is not a mother’s job to see her children the way the world sees them. No matter the reasons, there will be tens, hundreds, THOUSANDS of people out there who will be more than willing to tell our precious babies that they are not good enough: not talented enough, not outspoken enough, not calm enough, not quick enough. A entire horde of influences will do all within their power to lead them to believe that they don’t fit the ideal and they need to be different, bigger, better, stronger, smarter, faster. There will be plenty of that, so a mother need not fill the role. A mother’s job is to turn her back on all that nonsense. Her job is to teach her children what it is to love and be loved. It’s to embrace the truth that a mother’s love is blind. To start at day one and then continue to kiss, and hug, and gush over her children long after she has become an embarrassment to them. To make such a habit out of adoring and appreciating her children that they know to expect nothing else.  Of course, she should strive to help them to grow and, yes, to be better. But not for the sake of the world that would “fix” them or break them.  A mother’s job is to see her children as what they are, angels with the potential to be gods.

Read to a Child!

You may have noticed the new button at the top of my right hand column. If you haven't already, you should absolutely check it out! It's a link to a free online magazine that features a new story to read to your kids every single day!

"knowonder!" magazine was founded by Phillip Chipping a few years ago and he just started it back up again last month. The site is full of awesome resources for kids and parents alike. And guess who's helping him lead the charge...?

My mom! (Check out the "Our Team" page)

The woman who read to me and made up stories so I could star in my very own fairy tales. I'm so excited for this new project and I'm hoping to be involved as much as possible with getting "knowonder!" off the ground for real. So go check it out! For me, for my mom, sure, sure; but mostly for YOU! Read to your kids! Submit your own writing! Get your child's stories published!

Move it people! Get that imagination going!

Reverse Life Cycle for Moms

There is a quote by a man named Robert Benson called The Life Cycle and I've seen it floating around the internet for quite a few years. This probably means you all have seen it already also but in case you haven't...drum roll please...

“I think that the life cycle is all backwards. You should die first, get that out of the way, then live twenty years in an old age home. You get kicked out when you’re too young, you get a gold watch, you go to work. You work forty years until you’re young enough to enjoy your retirement. You go to college until you’re ready for high school. You go to grade school, you become a little child, you play, you have no responsibilities, You become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating, and you finish off as a gleam in someone’s eye!”

I thought this was quite amusing the first time I read it, probably 10 or 15 odd years ago. It still gives me a little chuckle but it occurred to me today that it was lacking a little in relatability to my own personal life. I spent most of today making phone calls and jumping through hoops and doing laps in preparation for jumping others in reference to my kids' various healthcare needs. I was feeling ever so slightly (intensely) exasperated by the fact that moms don't receive training for this stuff. I know that the idea that there isn't a manual is not original but I guess what I was really thinking about was a mommy internship. 

So here's my take on Benson's idea.

Reverse Life Cycle for Moms

“I think that the life cycle is all backward. You should die first, get that out of the way, then live twenty years in an old age home. You get kicked out when you’re too young, you celebrate 50 years of marriage. You receive diamond earrings from your husband, endless praise from your adoring children and go on a trip to Italy. You watch your grandchildren being raised until you know enough to raise your own children. Now you get a diamond ring to go with your earrings. You go to college until you’re ready for high school. You go to grade school, become a little child, you play, you have no responsibilities. You become a little baby, you go back into the womb, you spend your last nine months floating, and you finish off as a gleam in someone’s eye!”

Lost Child ID Tags

On our California vacation we visited 3 different theme parks in one week. Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and Legoland. I had our whole itinerary planned weeks before our trip and let me tell you, I did puh-lenty of research!

During said research I came across the Legoland affiliated "Model Mom Mary" blog and this article: Five Safety Measures for Visiting a Theme Park.

Model Mom Mary describes a personal experience we all fear. She is obviously a regular at Legoland, but her 2-year-old daughter still managed to disappear for a brief time while they were there recently. This prompted her to write the article and share the following 5 Safety Measures

1) Have a photo of the child from that day so you can show people who are helping you look what the child looks like that day. This one is easy nowadays with the prevalence of smart phones.
2) Pin a piece of paper on the inside of your child’s clothes or write with sharpie on their stomach their name and all of your contact information.
3) Set an easily accessible meeting spot first thing upon entering the Park.
4) Introduce your kids to an employee upon entering the Park so that they can identify a safe person to approach for help if they are lost.
5) Wear bright colors. No need to bring back the 80’s with matching day-glo tees but bright, primary colors are much easier to spot in a crowd.

She also points out that the best thing you can do is tell a park employee. Of course it's good because they can help you look but they can also radio to all other employees and have the front gate locked if need be.

Those exact same 5 tips can be found on multiple websites geared toward child safety and I think they're great for use with children who are able to effectively communicate with grownups and remember things like phone numbers or where we decided to meet. Knowing, however, that my toddler does not yet fall into that category of children, I was instead inspired to use the knowledge I have of my child to come up with my own ideas and plan for keeping him safe.

I really liked the part about putting our contact info on his person somewhere. For some reason I wasn't loving the idea of writing on Alexander in permanent marker (maybe it's just the OCD in me thinking it wouldn't look nice, what can I say?) It also occurred to me that pinning a piece of paper inside his clothes could turn into an immediate fail the second he started playing in any water (which is his favorite thing to do). So I took the basic concept and left off the specifics and decided instead to make little fabric tags to sew into the clothes he would be wearing at the parks.

Originally I was planning on sewing the tags on the inside of his collar where the sizing tag usually would be. Then I decided that if he wanders away and is actually noticed by a helpful adult, I wanted them to be able to find my cell phone number without having to look for it. One, they might not think to look for it at all; Two, if my son is missing from me, the 15+ seconds it would take a thoughtful person to look for some sort of ID, is 15+ more seconds that my phone is not ringing to tell me he is safe. Outside of right sleeve it is!

Slight side bar: I have read that putting a child's name too large, say on the back of their shirt (jersey style) isn't a good idea because then a "non-helpful" person could possibly use the information to act familiar with the child and lead them away with out them protesting. Alexander doesn't come when people call his name anyway so I wasn't overly worried about that but it was still a consideration. I wasn't planning on making huge tags but the thought did influence me to go even smaller.

There are lots of products out there that can serve this purpose if your child gets lost but I made these out of what I had at home. I typed up Alexander's name and both my husband's and my cell phone numbers in Corel in 10pt Arial font (nothing fancy, easy to read). I made it so 10 tags would print on one sheet so I'd have extras and printed them out on HP Iron-on Transfer Paper. I cut them out and ironed them onto some plain white fabric. One more round of cutting, then I sewed them on the sleeves quick quick like a bunny with my sewing machine.

To finish I'll share what happened while we were in Legoland. While Kevin sat with the baby at some tables nearby, I took Alexander to play in Hideaways (a huge jungle gym type play area). Alexander thought it was one of the best things ever and I was having a good time, too, watching him and climbing and sliding after him. Well, there was a climbing section that I was too big to follow him into and he got to it and started going down before I could stop him. I whirled around and shot down the nearest slide, hoping to meet him at the bottom. Well the slide came out on a different level than the rope course so I had to run up the regular stairs trying to find him. He wasn't there. The park had employees stationed on all the levels so I turned around and told the nearest one that I couldn't find my son. She asked me what he was wearing and I told her it was a yellow shirt with black stripes with his name on a tag on the sleeve. Hair color? Blond! I got his shorts color wrong (I said green instead of blue) but that employee found him (happily playing and completely unaware that his mommy was lost; he certainly wasn't lost, he knew right where he was - on the slide, silly mommy) in 10 seconds flat.

I didn't know where he was for a total of about 1 minute but let me tell you, knowing he had one of these tags on his shirt kept me from going from zero to hysterical in those same 60 seconds. Mind you, the tag didn't actually help the girl find him but it kept me sane enough to ask for help in the first place. Definitely worth the 30 minutes spent making them before we left.

Repeated, simplified, four (maybe five) step process:
1 - Create in word processor or graphics program
2 - Print on Iron-on Transfer Paper (follow package instructions)
3 - Iron onto plain white broadcloth or other fabric of choice (also following Iron-on package instructions)
4 - Cut out individual labels and sew into clothing (precise location is up to you)

Happy {Early} Birthday to ME!

My birthday isn't the 21st but we kind of ended up celebrating over this past weekend instead. Being born in May generally means that when you become a mom your birthday and Mothers' Day will kind of blend together and make it a sort of whole month long thing. At least that's how it works in our house. This month things got especially jostled around because my hubby went down to Alabama to help with the disaster clean up on the 6th and 7th so his plans for spoiling me on Mothers' Day weekend went down the tubes. He got me flowers before he left and told me we'd move Mothers' Day to the next weekend.

So I had my Mother's Day on Saturday (the 14th). Kevin had gotten me a gift certificate to the nail salon down the street so I went and got a manicure and pedicure. The lady doing my feet sold me on an upgrade to a spa pedicure and it was soooo worth the 12 extra bucks. Foot scrub, leg wraps, hot stone massage, awesome. That was my morning and then we went to our niece's 3rd birthday party at the grandparents' house. In the end it also became phase one of my birthday because I found out what my birthday present from Kevin was.

That's right! iPad 2 baby!

Kevin decided to go ahead and give it to me since the surprise part was over. He'd left it at work though so I had to wait until that evening when we could drive over there and get it.

I've been telling Kevin I wanted to get an iPad for Alexander so he can use all the educational apps to help him learn to communicate. A friend of mine had shown me hers and let Alexander do The Monster at the End of this Book and he absolutely loved it! I really hadn't looked into too much as far as what I could do with it but I'm learning quickly that it rocks!

But wait, there's more! To add to the "it's my birthday" feel of the day, I got my piano too! I've been searching and searching on craigslist trying to find a piano someone was giving away for free (people do that all the time, they just want someone pick it up and take it off their hands). I hadn't had any real luck though. But then last week Brenda told me she'd offered the "piano in the basement" to Kevin's sisters and neither one wanted it. She wanted to know if I would like to have it. Heck yeah! So after the party, Kevin and his dad and brothers loaded it into their truck and brought it on over.

In our house

The piano isn't in tune and it would probably need some things fixed first to even make it "tunable." All the keys work though and I can use it the way it is for now. Happy day!

Of course all of this means we're not going to be doing much on my actual birthday but it's all good. If I could have an early birthday like this every year I'd definitely be down. Now to find apps and sheet music...woohoo!

Mothers' Day Song

My husband has a long time good friend who, every Mothers' Day since I met him 5 years ago, never fails to mention his frustration at the hymns chosen for church that day.

It's not that he dislikes the songs that are chosen, he just gets a little irritated that one particular song is not chosen.

I think that most likely the title itself takes it out of the running for any chorister who maybe doesn't know the lyrics. However, he firmly believes there is no better song to sing on Mothers' Day because it is the one and only hymn that mentions Heavenly Mother.

So, to perhaps put his mind at ease (probably not though) for this one Mothers' Day, the hymn -

O My Father

O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?

For a wise and glorious purpose
Thou hast placed me here on earth
And withheld the recollection
Of my former friends and birth;
Yet ofttimes a secret something
Whispered, "You're a stranger here,"
And I felt that I had wandered
From a more exalted sphere.

I had learned to call thee Father,
Thru thy Spirit from on high,
But, until the key of knowledge
Was restored, I knew not why.
In the heav'ns are parents single?
No, the thought makes reason stare!
Truth is reason; truth eternal
Tells me I've a mother there.

When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I've completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.

Text: Eliza R. Snow
(Emphasis added)

In Honor of Mother's Day

(I couldn't find a title or an author for this, it's been going around the web for years. If you know for sure who wrote it let me know, I'd love to give them credit.)

Untitled
Author Unknown

We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family. "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"

"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.

"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."

But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.

I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.

I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for child care, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right. I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine.

That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of Independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.

However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.

Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.

That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.

I want her to know that a ceasarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honour.

My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks. I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.

I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.

My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.

"You'll never regret it," I finally say.

Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings. The blessed gift of God - and that of being a Mother.


P.S. Yes, Kevin, I fall in love with you every time you reach for the baby powder. (So I love you a lot.) ~Amy

Printable Foldable Mothers' Day Cards

I wanted these cards to be quick and easy to make for any forgetful child (of any age) or husband who happens to hop online at the last minute looking for something to give the mama. So I've included the full page sheets formatted to be printed on 8.5x11 printer paper and folded in the quarter fold card style.

Quarter fold instructions 

Not overly elegant but it will give you something to sign your name to in about 60 seconds flat. It's the thought that counts, even if that thought is in the wee hours of Mother's Day morning.

Of course if you've found this post ahead of time and want to get down and dirty with some cutesy, scrapbook-esque card making, by all means reformat my little project anyway you see fit.

Generic Mothers' Day Card

Full 8.5x11 foldable sheet

From Husband to Wife on Mothers' Day

Full 8.5x11 foldable sheet

Mildly Humorous Mothers' Day Card

Full 8.5x11 foldable sheet

Digi-Scrapbooking elements used are from:
-Winkart Graphics and Kiss This Designs. Found in Rakscraps Nov 2010 Megakit
-Shabby Princess Designs Festival Collection

Temple Trip

I took my family to the Atlanta Temple Open House yesterday. So beautiful. We all got dressed up so we could take family pictures but the sun was going down behind the Temple so all the pictures we took that included the spire are completely shadowed (can barely even see us standing there). We got some great pictures of the cousins though. 

The whole experience was so great. I went in knowing that my kids were going to be a handful so I wasn't disappointed when we reached the "2 minutes of quiet reflection" part of the tour and they weren't exactly quiet. They were happy. They were energetic. Considering they weren't allowed to run the length of the hallway, they were really well behaved. They were themselves and I loved every minute of it. Couldn't really have asked for a better experience. If you have the chance to visit a Temple Open House (this one or any other) do it! You will be so glad you went!

Quote of the Day

"Because we are being constantly exposed to the world's definition of greatness, it is understandable that we might make comparisons between what we are and what others are-or seem to be-and also between what we have and what others have. Although it is true that making comparisons can be beneficial and may motivate us to accomplish much good and to improve our lives, we often allow unfair and improper comparisons to destroy our happiness when they cause us to feel unfulfilled or inadequate or unsuccessful. Sometimes, because of these feelings, we are led into error and dwell on our failures while ignoring aspects of our lives that may contain elements of true greatness.

"In 1905, President Joseph F. Smith made this most profound statement about true greatness:

" 'Those things which we call extraordinary, remarkable, or unusual may make history, but they do not make real life.

" 'After all, to do well those things which God ordained to be the common lot of all mankind, is the truest greatness. To be a successful father or a successful mother is greater than to be a successful general or a successful statesman.' (Juvenile Instructor, 15 Dec. 1905, p. 752.)"
--Howard W. Hunter, "What Is True Greatness?" Ensign, Sept. 1987, 70

Alphabet Treasure Hunt

This is a little activity my mom came up with for me when I was two. She made two copies of each letter of the alphabet. Then she would post one set all around on the walls at my eye level. She would give me one of the second set of letters and tell me to go find the one that matched. My mom was pregnant with her third baby in three years at the time (and insanely morning sick) and this game gave her the ability to rest while I would go on a hunt and bring the letter back to her. Over the years there were other variations, and of course there were times when she could look with us instead of handing us the letter from the couch but this is the general idea. There is actually an article that she wrote all about it in the November edition of knowonder! magazine*. Her article is called "The Amazing Alphabet Adventure" and it's on page 112. You should definitely give it a read. My mom is a mother of 6, she did daycare in our house for years and know she's a elementary school teacher for kids with special needs. She is a veritable fount of knowledge when it comes to creative/educational activities for kids.

Moving on to "little Amy's" present day story. I don't think I've mentioned it on this blog before but my son Alexander is going to be three in July and he's never said a single word. He babbles in his own little boy language but never a word in English (or Spanish. The doctor asked me that once when I said he doesn't speak English, "What language does he speak?" Totally didn't get what I was talking about. So I told her he speaks Curious George.) I know there's plenty of kids out there who didn't talk right away but we can't help but wish he could say things like "Mommy" and "Daddy" and "Yes, mother I am now ready to be potty trained."

Anyway, the reason I share this here is because I've noticed lately that I've been putting off teaching Alexander a lot of different things because he can't talk yet. I've been waiting and so focused on that one thing, I've been slacking in other areas. I've realized now that just because he's delayed in that one aspect, doesn't mean he can't learn things like matching and recognizing his letters, which is all this game requires. So I decided to give my mom's idea a try.

I used velcro for the wall posting, in case you're interested; loop half on the wall (semi permanent but that's how serious I am about this) and the hook part on the back of one set of letters. 

Good letter cards can be used for any number of learning games so I wanted to share some printables. **Free Free Free!** Get all three sets and then you can mix and match as your child becomes more familiar with the upper case block letters.

Upper case print/block letters. Full jpeg alphabet in zip file. 

All Arial font except "I" is Lucida Fax (to distinguish between lower case file "l" and upper case file "I".)

Click for 4shared download

Lower case print/block letters. Full jpeg alphabet in zip file.

All Arial font except letter "a" (to simplify as possible writing guide) 

Click for 4shared download

 Both upper case and lower case cursive letters. Full jpeg alphabet in zip file.

All Learning Curve font with "guidelines" added.

Click for 4shared download

If you read my post from last Thursday you'll remember that I printed my cards out on regular printer paper and then laminated them. Of course you can use whatever paper/card stock you want and they don't have to be laminated to serve their purpose. I just wanted mine to last a really long time.

Here's Alexander trying to get the matching A to stick to the wall, too. Sorry son, no sticky on that one.

I effectively posed this picture, because I called him to me and handed him the A and pointed to the A on the wall. So, no he didn't magically learn "A" overnight. I figure we can practice and have a lot of fun! Here's to better teaching and communication! 

I love you, little boy!

*Story has been moved to a new webpage on knowonder! Click here to see it.

Dream Big

It's 3am and my son just went back to sleep (he has a bad cold). I needed to cool down (not really emotionally but physically, it's hot as heck in here) so I got on to do a little blog hopping. On one of the blogs I looked at they were giving away a sign that says "Dream Big."

This is a phrase I have seen thrown around on motivational signs and posters all my life, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. It's a lovely sentiment. Catchy.

I think that until recently, however, I had a rather problematic misconception about what those words actually meant. I spent a lot of time thinking that in order to be "Big" my dreams needed to be conspicuous. You know? *Flashy*. They needed to be dreams of Academy Awards and Grammys and Miss America and Broadway and New York Times Bestsellers. I can't pinpoint exactly what it was that originally gave me this idea; it's been floating around in my brain for as long as I can remember.

Now let me be clear, for any of you out there that actually want the things I just listed, I am NOT knocking them as dreams in and of themselves. If that's what you want, you go for it and feel free to mention me in your acceptance speech. But my dreams are actually a little different than that and thinking they weren't good enough is the problem I'm learning to fix.

I enjoy acting and singing so I just assumed I should be shooting for the oscars, but somehow I find I get all the excitement I need out of singing the occasional solo in a church program. I still think that seeing my name on a New York Times Bestseller list would rock my socks off (the money wouldn't hurt either) but a couple days ago I got something like 150 pageviews in 24 hours on this blog and I felt about as fulfilled and happy as could be.

So do you want to know what some of my big dreams are?

Alexander learning to call me Mommy.

Raising kids who know that I love them. Who know that their father loves them. Who know that God loves them. 

Learning to bake cookies without a recipe (and without trashing the kitchen in the process).

Serving on a mission (or two) with Kevin one day.

Learning to keep my house clean.

I don't think that anyone here would claim that these are easy things to make happen (except maybe the baking thing for some of you who need to come over and share with me).

There are others and for me everyone of them is way "bigger" than winning any number of contests. You might not think that my laundry is important enough to equal winning a nobel peace prize but I would have to disagree. I've learned that the universe really does revolve around me. It revolves around every single one of God's children individually. Everything in the universe is working for the best for each one of us and there is power in every decision we make.

So there are my dreams. What are yours?