MaeLyn's Musings

She did it! Yesterday was Hannah's last day of Elementary School. Next year she starts 6th grade at the intermediate school. Hannah's first day of school Aug 2005 She has done really well through out these early school years. Five years ago she started school. She was almost six years old because they hadn't let her start school the year before because her birthday was one day after the cut off. I taught her at home, and so when she started kindergarten, she was only there for a week before school authorities were so impressed by stories she had written that they decided to promote her to first grade. Since then she has excelled in every grade. This year she was on the honor roll every trimester, earning all A's except for one B in the entire year. She is still impressing teachers with her writing, and even received a medal for her writing this year. Great job Hannah!!! Hannah's last day of elementary school May 2010

I have bright blue eyes and brown hair that is usually past my shoulders. I have a long vertical scar on the right side of my face from where I had a basal cell removed when I was 23 years old. I'm about 5 feet, 3 inches tall. I hovered between 95 and 105 pounds through all of high school, college, and my mission, and only started gaining weight when I got pregnant with Hannah. Right now I weigh about 135 pounds.  I have a weak chin. I've never shaped my eyebrows or dyed my hair. I only recently began wearing makeup on Sundays and special occasions. I'm starting to get wiry grey hairs mixed in with the brown ones. I got my ears pierced at a mall in Brazil while I was a missionary. I tend to have weak joints and have had troubles with my ankles, knees, wrists, and back. I have a large mole on the side of my big toe, that I have always called my "eleventh toe". I don't like having my picture taken, and I don't like most pictures that have been taken of me. ...

Abish checking out the fish tank The cats have always enjoyed our fish tank. They watch the few remaining fish (we're down to two) swim around. They watch intently when I clean out the aquarium and sometimes attempt to help. They love to lie on top of the aquarium and look down from that perch. This morning I noticed that the water level was low, and so I removed the top in order to add some more water. I left the room to fill my bucket with water, and when I returned, the water in the tank was sloshing around rather rapidly. Peter was quick to inform me that Abish  had jumped into the tank! I assume she didn't realize that the top was off, and instead received a wet surprise. Sure enough, I discovered the poor cat, probably wetter than she's ever been in her life, trying to dry herself with her tongue. She wasn't all that was wet either. Besides the stack of school papers and books that happened to be lying on the dresser next to the aquarium that were enti...

Lately, Peter and I have been walking to pick up the kids after school. In the last few weeks that we have been doing this, I've realized how Peter is subject to routines. Almost every day he does the same things, takes the same detours, wants to play the same games, sing the same songs. Today I decided to take pictures to document some of his routines.   He frequently likes to play games while we walk. He'll ask, "In what movie does the main character....." and I have to guess the movie. Or I'll think of a movie and he'll have to guess it. Sometimes he asks me to sing the "ants go marching" song while we walk.  Peter discovered a detour - up the steps, following a sidewalk up to a door, and another path back out to the sidewalk.  He straddles a sidewalk crack and wants to race. (I'm not allowed to say "go". He has to do that.) He always has to climb these steps and jump off the top. (I usually hold his hand so I can catch him if he lo...