Let's go to the movies, let's go see the stars.

Today as I mentioned to my kids the possibility of going to see Frozen at the theater, their reaction warmed my heart, and sort of reminded me of that scene in the old film version of Annie(the one with Carol Burnett) where Daddy Warbucks takes Annie to the movies, they get all dressed up, she is bursting with excitement, everyone's singing and dancing and bending over backwards to serve little orphan Annie...it just oozes with glamour.

You see, we hardly ever go to the movies.  Sure, we hit up an occasional dollar theater movie during the summer.  Redbox is a real treat at our house.  Usually we check out movies from the library(obviously long after most everyone has seen and memorized them), set up our projector and watch them on the "big screen" at home.  And yes, I do realize that owning a projector is a bit of a splurge (though still quit a bit cheaper than a flat-screen TV, to keep it real).

But, the point I am making is that my kids are apparently as deprived as little orphan Annie, so much so, that they furiously cleaned up Christmas for me(and their rooms) when they learned of the possibility of going to see a brand new movie(shhh... don't tell them it came out a month ago) in a fancy theater.  It made my heart swell with pride to see their gleeful little faces and utter shock when I presented the idea.

Ahh, isn't deprivation a lovely thing?

I even snuck in a bag of popcorn, a box of Skittles and three drinks for us all to share(Thank you Jill  for the extra purse space!).  For the price we paid just to get in there, no way was I going to fork out more cash for junk food.  And I even instructed my kids to look for signs indicating we couldn't bring in outside food.  We didn't see any.  (Although I'm pretty sure none of us was looking very hard.)

BTW, Frozen = Fantastic.  Even better that I was there with my sister - it was only too appropriate.

Christmas 2013.

Our holiday season was made infinitely more hectic when we found out the tenants at our rental property were moving out at the end of the month.  I didn't even decorate this year (minus the tree, of course because heck, that would be blasphemy).  Still, we managed to fit in reading a few Christmas stories, baking goodies for friends and neighbors, little bits of service here and there, and a delicious Christmas Eve dinner.

Celebrating Christ's birth with a traditional yule log cake.

The kids got a few things they needed.

Such excitement over a pair of boots - I love it!

And one or two things they wanted.

              And then it was time to reveal the big secret we'd been keeping since August:

The surprise was revealed as they opened various clues, culminating with a Disney Planning Guide.

Should be a blast - and the best part is, we get to see cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents while we're there.  My favorite part - the fact that our trash/recycling bins were not filled to the brim this year.  And, it only took an hour or so to clean up and put away the gifts(mostly clothes and shoes).  We topped it off with omelettes and a movie marathon (thanks Grandma and Grandpa) and it was a very merry Christmas.

There's no business like show business.

All three of the oldest girls got to take a turn at performing this fall.   It began with Anna's Veteran's Day music program, where she sang a solo.  I could tell she was stinking nervous, but was so proud of her and the courage it took to audition and then perform in front of so many people, including her peers. 

Anna's first choir and orchestra concert.

Here's what Eve thought about it.

Perfectly happy to snap a picture with lil' sis, who comes to support everyone at every single event.  Lucky youngest child.

Rachel auditioned for and was cast in a Missoula Children's Theater production of Robinson Crusoe as a chameleon.  She was adorable, in spite of bursting into laughter on stage because the boy next to her had tied his shoelaces together backstage and tripped royally when they had to go back onstage.  What can you expect from a bunch of grade-schoolers?

Lily made eye contact for pretty much her entire music program, but accompanied it with a frowny face because I was ignoring her request not to be photographed.

Her time to shine on the chimes, as she called them, but it looked a whole lot like a xylophone to me.  What do I know about percussion instruments, anyway?

Aw, there's a smile.

Piano Guys.

Tim and I like to schedule one-on-one time with each of the kids on a regular basis.  Regular, as in, twice a year.  Although I truly value spontaneous interactions with my children, I am a firm believer in "putting things on the schedule" because it means that they are guaranteed to get that "me" time and it's not sporadic or haphazard or unequal (although I also believe that fairness is not an ideal we should strive for in parenthood, as kids have vastly different needs).  I even have a spreadsheet to track our "dates" with the children.  It's delicious.

I bought tickets for Anna and me to go to see the Piano Guys.  Anna had been introduced to them via her school orchestra teacher (hence, her insistence at playing the cello, even though it carried a much heftier price tag than, say, the flute).  She was pretty stoked, even though we had to hoof it up three flights of stairs to the balcony, where she remarked, "Oh, why couldn't we get tickets down there?" (gesturing to the floor seats) Her disappointment at the nosebleed seats was extinguished within minutes of the Piano Guys' appearance onstage.  They were funny, the music was inspiring, and I had a 10-year old commentator whispering - no, yelling into my ear the whole time about how awesome it was.  She couldn't stop saying thank you.  The concert was fantastic - the brownie points scored and quality time with my daughter were priceless.

At home before leaving.

Our own little selfie, which she insisted I post on Facebook.  I didn't.

Christmas joy.

Eve's Joy School class got to share the nativity with an older neighbor couple before coming to our house to perform it for their families.  They were pretty darn cute, if not always in tune for the singing.  We had spent the month discussing sharing and service, concepts that are not intuitive to kids at this age.  I truly enjoyed the little moments where I could see that they had captured the joy and magic of serving others.  Yep, it was brief, but oh, so rewarding.

Thanksgiving 2013

 We took the girls to see the Sacred Gifts exhibit at the BYU Museum of Art.  Totally worth the anxiety of keeping them at least arms-length away from precious paintings.

 Below freezing outside?  Let's get some ice cream!  No trip to BYU is complete without a visit to The Creamery - that place never disappoints.  In fact, I sometimes wonder how I can ever be satisfied with any other brand of ice cream after walking out of that place.  Somehow I get over my ice cream snobbiness, like a dog to his vomit.

 On Black Friday we took the kids down to the mall to see Santa arrive in a helicopter.  It was magical, if not slightly disheveling.  I think my mom might even have shed a tear watching the kids light up over the experience.

 Eve and I are clearly not in sync.  But Tim got the helicopter in this shot so all is right in the world.

One of our favorite post-Thanksgiving traditions is decorating gingerbread houses.  Mom and Jill always assemble the houses ahead of time to give the kids the experience of simply decorating and not burning themselves during the assembly.  I gained a new appreciation for their hard work because I got to do it this year and have the burns to prove it.

 Eve would not us pass through Utah without visiting our dear friends from Boise.  Apparently, she had grand plans to renew her vows with her self-proclaimed future husband.  We caught them holding hands most of the night.  The adults got in a couple of hours of gaming and food so we're all happy.

                                     And the token picture in front of great Grandma's house.

  Now we're home and in the throes of the holiday season.  Can I catch my breath, please?

Hate is a strong word.

But that doesn't stop my sweet little girls from using it against me.  I wear it like a badge of honor.  Well, at least in the following case:

Anna had forgotten her cello when I dropped her off at school one morning this winter.  I had already given her two freebies and warned her after the second one that if there was a next time, she would just have to go without her cello that day, because it's not my job to go out of my way to rescue her from the consequences of her forgetting her responsibilities.  So I calmly told her that she would have to show up to orchestra and tell her teacher that she didn't have a cello that day and find out what happens to people who forget their instruments.

She freaked out.  I mean, freaked out.  She pleaded, begged, cried for me to go back home and get the cello.  I stood my ground and told her she would have to figure out how to handle the situation, which was much less serious than she was making it out to be.  "Really, what's the worst that could happen?, " I reasoned with her.  She might have to use one of the school's dumpy cellos for one rehearsal.  Her teacher might knock a couple of points off her grade.  It's fifth grade, for heaven's sake. 

The world was coming to an end.  I told her to get out of the car so she wouldn't be late for school, to which she responded by exiting with a huff, yelling, "I hate you, Mom!" with a puff, and slamming the car door with another mumbled, "I hate you" for good measure. 

I chuckled to myself.  It's not as if I enjoy hearing my daughter speak to me with such disdain, nor do I much care for making my kids miserable (okay, maybe I do get a little kick out of that).  It's just that, as a 36 year old who's been around the block and back, I was well aware at how much she was blowing this thing out of proportion.  Despite my reassurances that everything was going to be fine and that facing this particular situation would be good for her (in the character-building department, that is), she was unnecessarily distraught.  Much like the first time she forgot to bring back a library book on time during her kindergarten year - she cried then, too.  And yes, when I reminded Anna of that occasion, she brushed it aside, saying that this was entirely different.

Except that it wasn't.  She was a little older, and yes, the consequences were a little more serious, but the lesson to be learned was exactly the same - that running away from consequences hurts no one but yourself.  That character is developed as we make mistakes, admit them, take whatever heat is associated with them, and try not to repeat the mistake (which is infinitely easier when we have faced and not avoided the consequence in the first place - it's how we learn).  But, my little avoider is going to have a hard time realizing that by not stepping in and rescuing her, I am doing what's best for her.  Instead, I'm going to get the H-word thrown in my face, as if I'm ruining her life.

Not to go too deep, but this whole experience made me understand our Heavenly Father a little bit more.  Life's pitfalls are painful and we sometimes get bitter when we have to endure harsh consequences for our mistakes or challenges we do not think we deserve.  It's easy to blame God and misunderstand his lack of intervention.  But the reality is, there's a whole lot of learning and growth to be had.  And it never, ever came about by avoiding challenges.  I choose learning, thank you.  I sure hope Anna does, too.

All play and no work.

Some kids.  You just can't beat the lazy out of them.  This morning all four of my children were in denial about having to get out the door with their clothes on and teeth brushed.  And, if we'd been feeling truly ambitious, we might have thrown in a comb through the hair once or twice.  Jeesh.  My kids have a whole list of things to do before school, things that, if they wake up right at 7:30, like they're supposed to, will keep them reasonably busy until we walk out the door at 8:20.  Two of my four kids were up at 7:20 this morning.  Yet how many items did they manage to check off their to-do lists?  Pretty much none.  I congratulated them for bumping all of their chores and instrument practice to the afternoon hours to clump in with all of their after school chores, leaving them little time to spare for relaxation and/or media time.  Lily commented, "Great.  School is going to be WAY easier than coming home today".   That's right, my dear, you have me to thank for making your life miserable.
Honestly, based on the conversations I have regarding work with this girl, you'd think she imagines herself waking up from a bad dream when she turns eighteen and venturing out into a world where food magically appears on the table and jobs plant themselves in our laps(and require no physical or mental exertion, to boot).  It's exasperating!  I have two children who have resigned themselves to fulfilling the minimum requirements, understanding that opting out of chores is not worth the consequences, one child who actually "gets" that work is not merely a means to an end but a satisfying part of life, and one who really truly thinks that once she leaves our house, she will never have to work again!  It's nuts.  And I'm tired of explaining to value of work to one who honestly believes that it only exists in the realm of our home.
Eight years down.  Ten to go.  Any predictions on when she will come back to thank me for forcing her to exert herself for eighteen years?

Seven. Seriously?

Look who celebrated a birthday!  At her request, I baked a diamond-shaped cake but she was relegated to a paltry three frosting colors I could whip up to dress it up a bit.  Thank heavens she is not hard to please.

Hmm.  I wonder what that big round thingy could be?

Rachel is a stud.  She is smart, motivated, kind, helpful, talented, athletic, hard-working, active, mindful of others, funny, happy and so much more.  I can remember so clearly bringing her home from the hospital seven years ago.  Has it really been seven years?  Her tiny face is forever etched in my mind.  It's so hard to watch these little ones grow but, at the same time, exciting to watch who they are becoming.

Backtracking to Halloween.

Bubble, bubble toil and trouble.  That's what it took to plan and carry out Rachel's Halloween party this year.  Thankfully, it was a success!

Would you believe one of the kids didn't want to play the donut game?  He said he wasn't sure if he would win.  Are you kidding me?  Free donut = everyone wins.  Silly kid.  BTW, it wasn't this one - he was first in line and pretty pumped about it... can you tell?

Look at that game face!

My very own Hermione Granger, Vampire, Kitty cat and Aphrodite.

The cute girls I got to "chaperone" for the first grade pumpkin patch field trip.

A real live Halloween visitor, who got smashed with a basketball soon not long after making the arduous trek across our driveway.