tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54479838992172401042012-01-31T08:29:30.501-07:00What kinds of things does a stay at home LDS mom think about? Here's some of what goes on in my mind... updated when I think about it.MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comBlogger1961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-68055611798945532082012-01-30T10:00:00.000-07:002012-01-30T10:01:41.093-07:00

About a week ago, our family sat around the table for a family meal, and in the course of the conversation, I suggested that we plan a family activity for the following Saturday. The plan was met with enthusiasm by the children, and no objections from my sweet husband, so we proceeded to decide what we would do. Hannah suggested a scavenger hunt, and it wasn't long before we decided other details

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-55835964776876814312012-01-12T12:55:00.001-07:002012-01-12T16:35:30.047-07:00

I took a walk with a cat today- with no collar, no leash, no plans. It just happened that way. I had hardly left my house before I heard a meow, loud and strong. "Where are you going? Can I come too?" She seemed to say. "Well, come along," I told her, and so she followed me. We came to a driveway. "Is this where you're going?" She sauntered up the walk, then looked at me. I didn't stop. "Come

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-6873476804927068452012-01-02T15:04:00.001-07:002012-01-02T15:04:48.332-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday! The day after Christmas we traveled to Utah where we spent the week with my parents. I was able to see almost all of my siblings (Kristy wasn't there, but we saw her just before Thanksgiving, and Jarom wasn't there but we got to visit with him via Skype. We visited Heather on Christmas Eve... but Lindy, Lia, Amber, April, Heidi and Daniel all either were

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-24965415471741827272011-12-23T11:02:00.003-07:002011-12-23T11:02:53.620-07:00

The kids are home from school this week for Christmas. Steven finished his last term on the 16th and has three weeks off. We've enjoyed this week at home. We've had a lot of activities to keep us busy, besides the preparations for the upcoming holiday. On Monday, the kids pulled out the Legos and made a movie: Lego Man's Adventure. I crocheted an angel for our Christmas Tree. On Tuesday,

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-84163004214891662612011-12-08T12:57:00.001-07:002011-12-08T13:58:41.668-07:00

Life is crazy, but with the holidays approaching, they are even crazier. I've been wanting to write a blog for a while, but I've scarcely had the time to sit down, let alone write a well thought out, interesting, coherent statement that I'd like to. So, finding I have half an hour before I need to move on to other things, (actually I'm eating lunch as I type this) I'll let you all know what's

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-70199730781584799182011-11-29T11:21:00.001-07:002011-11-29T12:40:34.090-07:00

June 13, 1998, San Diego Temple About twenty-two years ago, I met a guy. He was in my early morning seminary class where, while studying the Book of Mormon, we acted out Lehi's dream, and he had a starring role as Nephi. I think that was what originally brought him to my attention. After a few days I realized that he was also in my math class at school, and one day I summoned up the courage to

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-61015919937869345042011-11-01T14:03:00.001-06:002011-11-01T14:03:49.515-06:00

A few days ago, I asked each of my children to make a list of ten things he/she would like for Christmas this year. I thought they were very expressive of my children's interests and personalities. I thought I'd share what they came up with. My comments are in green. Hannah (age 12): Books (fantasy) tape (any sort) [I assume this is to support her craft making habit.] clothes  drawer things [

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-39409733396067060452011-11-01T13:32:00.002-06:002011-11-01T13:32:57.512-06:00

Happy Halloween everyone! A few weeks ago the kids had a day off school, so we began our preparations for the holiday by decorating pumpkins to add to our decor. Before long we had an entire family of tiny pumpkins. Josh decorated his pumpkin to be something like a space alien.   We also made some ghosts out of cheese cloth and spray starch. They turned out pretty neat.   Hannah also

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-70055470996175335002011-10-27T15:30:00.000-06:002011-10-27T15:30:18.560-06:00

The side of the house; notice the branches in the street.  After a mild winter last year and a warm summer, I was not ready for the snow that weather forecasters were predicting. I didn't want snow. I didn't want to have to drive in it. I didn't want to have to shovel it, slip and slide in it, or have anything to do with it. I really didn't. So when I awoke Wednesday morning to a blanket of

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-52435609421108832352011-10-17T13:11:00.001-06:002011-10-17T13:11:33.505-06:00

Yesterday our ward had our Primary presentation in Sacrament Meeting. This presentation is an annual thing; usually it happens in October. It is an opportunity for the children to share the songs and teachings that they have learned over the course of the year. Through the years, I have participated in this program in many ways. As a child, I sang the songs, I got to speak in the microphone to

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-18000621242539291352011-10-13T12:52:00.000-06:002011-10-13T12:52:12.813-06:00

If I were a perfect mom, I would always remember to teach and remind my children to... say their morning and evening prayers, brush their teeth after every meal, floss every day, wash their hands when they come inside, after using the bathroom, and before meals, wear their helmets every time they ride a bike, do their homework, clean up after themselves, do their chores, clear their places

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-71482501878183739462011-09-29T09:32:00.001-06:002011-09-29T09:32:19.036-06:00

Someone once told me that when I'm frustrated, stressed out, overwhelmed, or worried, I should think of things to be grateful for. So today, I'm writing a gratitude check. 1. I'm grateful for my children. I am grateful for their strong spirits that will help them stay true to what they believe some day and help them to keep from being swayed by every wind of change. I am grateful that they have

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-76803554417405541592011-09-16T11:05:00.000-06:002011-09-16T11:05:44.304-06:00

She turns twelve today, that beautiful girl who changed my life forever. A dozen years ago I was young and relatively care free. A dozen years ago I quit my job at Kinkos and looked forward to caring for my precious baby in our home. We had gathered a bassinet, a crib, and a changing table. We had acquired sleepers and onesies, diapers and burp cloths. We thought we were prepared. We had no idea

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-8476468572661178452011-08-31T14:10:00.000-06:002011-08-31T14:10:06.937-06:00

A week or so I wrote about my search for my style (Click here to see) and mentioned that I have been wanting to learn how to make jewelry with beads, but didn't have the resources to get the supplies necessary to get started. A friend of mine saw the post and offered to send me her beads and tools that she didn't want anymore. (Thanks a ton Melissa!!!) I took her up on the offer, and the package

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-11930844168734643192011-08-29T10:48:00.000-06:002011-08-29T10:48:25.080-06:00

Today begins the second complete week of having my entire family in school most of the day. I thought I'd give an update on how I've been keeping myself busy during my alone time. Monday: Cleaned out the laundry room, everything from organizing the cupboards above the washer and dryer to vacuuming up kitty litter that had spilled under the shelves. Prepared a crockpot dinner, made refreshments

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-73633648898059482112011-08-22T10:06:00.000-06:002011-08-22T10:06:29.865-06:00

This is it! The boys are at elementary school for the next five hours or so, Hannah is at the middle school for the next six hours or so, and Steven is downtown at UC Denver for the next seven hours or so. I have the house to myself!!! Woohoo!!! After looking forward to this for so long, I'm having trouble figuring out what I want to do first. There are so many things that I want to do, that I

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-31828531495940841032011-08-20T18:44:00.000-06:002011-08-20T18:44:33.669-06:00

Today I went for a walk to find my style. I promised Steven I wouldn't spend any money, drove to a local shopping center, and spent a long while wandering through stores. I started with a Lowe's. I meandered up and down the aisles, looking at doors, lighting fixtures and water faucets. I examined shelves, rugs and storage bins, assuring the solicitous salespeople that I didn't need help, that I

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-25570197876474133342011-08-19T14:22:00.000-06:002011-08-19T14:22:58.102-06:00

The summer is coming to a close. We've had our back to school nights. We've bought school supplies. Hannah is attending her first day of school as I write this. The boys have one more weekend of freedom before they, too, will be back in school. I always approach the end of the school year with mixed feelings. I am happy to have more time with my children at home. I look forward to having time

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-34435729382389676952011-08-15T20:41:00.000-06:002011-08-15T20:41:47.635-06:00

We returned home from a family reunion with my family today. In case anyone who reads this blog is unaware, I am the second oldest of eleven children. Nine of us are married. My parents have twenty-three grandchildren. I had a couple sisters and a brother who were unable to come with their families, but we still had twenty nine people in attendance. We met at my sister's home in Colorado Springs,

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-40473293305073213462011-08-08T10:19:00.000-06:002011-08-08T10:19:09.224-06:00

       Happy Birthday Joshua!

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-3394662062149202232011-08-08T10:02:00.000-06:002011-08-08T10:02:39.640-06:00

August 6th, 2011 is a date that should go down in Josh's memory as a very good day. Grandma and Grandpa Mc. arrived the evening before to spend a few days with the family. It was a Saturday. We got up that morning, dressed in Sunday clothes, ate breakfast, and climbed into the car to head to the church. Josh and his dad were dressed in white jumpsuits. Pictures were taken, and then we all went

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-6743616203340023762011-07-21T10:01:00.000-06:002011-07-21T10:01:06.300-06:00

 On July 18, 2001, this beautiful boy came into our lives. 1 year old 2nd birthday 3rd birthday 4 years old 5 years old 6th birthday 7th birthday 8 years old 9 years old 10 years old. What a handsome boy! I'm so glad he is a part of our family. He loves to read. He is an expert at folding origami. He enjoys running and is a very happy and responsible

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-22695964207632399162011-07-20T20:52:00.000-06:002011-07-20T20:52:55.711-06:00

Yes, I am aware that I am WAY overdue for an update... but it is summer. I have to compete for computer time just like everyone else in the family. Anyway, here's what has been going on: July 4th: We went to Colorado Springs to spend the day with Daniel, April, Heather and their families. While there we went to a water park where the kids had a lot of fun. After the water park and dinner we

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-69556347891928849892011-06-23T20:56:00.000-06:002011-06-23T20:56:35.803-06:00

Front view with silly kids A couple days ago, I crocheted myself a hat. It was a simple affair, round, with a brim, to keep the sun off my face when I take the kids to the park or the pool. It took a day or two, because I had to take out rows of stitches when I made it too full. Josh saw my hat and wanted one like it. So when mine was done, I made him one. Then Hannah wanted one. Then Peter

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-57428189537384555772011-06-22T21:08:00.000-06:002011-06-22T21:08:31.591-06:00

On Monday, Peter turned six! My baby is six years old! I can't believe how fast time flies. Peter at six months old two years old four years old six months ago For FHE we celebrated his birthday. Earlier in the day we prepared a treasure hunt for him with clues leading him from where one gift was hidden to the next. The search took him throughout the house. It was a lot of fun

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-23894529541640994172011-06-13T19:59:00.000-06:002011-06-13T19:59:41.486-06:00

So this isn't really a photo blog. I'm not usually one to post tons of pictures of my children, but sometimes, I just have to. These first ones were taken at Peter's kindergarten celebration. Peter holds his rabbit puppet during their performance of Eric Carle's book, "Where Are You Going? To See My Friend!" Peter poses to have his picture taken with Mrs. Anderson just before

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-77874731222901130002011-06-11T11:20:00.000-06:002011-06-11T11:20:01.078-06:00

Summer is here in all its glory. The last few days of school were a whirl wind of parties, celebrations, and awards ceremonies. These were followed by my birthday and Memorial Day, a week of summer vacation, and then this past week busy with John's cub scout day camp. I wonder if the entire summer is going to pass this quickly! On the next to last day of school, Peter had a Kindergarten

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-75015201885034059492011-05-21T19:10:00.000-06:002011-05-21T19:10:52.016-06:00

Have I ever mentioned here that John loves to run? He does. He runs or walks home from school as often as I'll let him. Sometimes he walks to school. During recesses he runs around the school's 1/5 mile track 6, 7, sometimes even 8 or 9 times. For every five miles a student walks, he or she gets a "shoe token" (a washer with ribbons tied to it that can be attached to a shoe.) John got more shoe

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-87781677122237331842011-05-19T15:16:00.000-06:002011-05-19T15:16:57.154-06:00

One of the greatest things about having all my children in school for some hours of the day is that I am now free to go to the school to help in my children's classrooms. I love it! I started helping in Peter's class at the beginning of the school year. I usually come for half an hour one afternoon a week in the middle of their school day and play games with small groups of them during "centers".

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-59951924001717551312011-04-25T10:48:00.000-06:002011-04-25T10:48:26.300-06:00

Easter kind of sneaked up on me this year. You'd think that being so late in the year, I'd be ready and waiting, but I guess not. Anyway, on Saturday once the chores were done we covered the table with newspaper and colored eggs. The kids and I all helped color the eggs. A couple of Hannah's eggs Sunday morning began with an Easter egg hunt, where some of the eggs contained candy, but

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-41308132179105771692011-04-25T10:20:00.000-06:002011-04-25T10:20:17.210-06:00

The kids didn't have school on Friday, April 15th. I think it was a teacher work day or something. So, we took advantage of that and decided to visit with my sisters Heather and April in Colorado Springs. The morning on Friday was busy getting ready. I had a presidency meeting, the kids cleaned the house, and we packed up the car for the overnight trip. Finally we got out the door and loaded up

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-63563170660550933302011-03-28T12:21:00.000-06:002011-03-28T12:21:22.727-06:00

My daffodils are blooming!

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-79861676590597854932011-03-25T15:11:00.000-06:002011-03-25T15:11:25.426-06:00

Tuesday morning I was wandering around looking for something fun to do. (Hey, it's Spring Break, the kids are on vacation and so am I!) Looking through a book I came across the idea of making hand prints on potholders, and thought, "I can do that!" So I did. Each day this week I made a different potholder, and practiced my quilting skills while I was at it.I finished the fourth today. Each

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-50127996502746025872011-03-24T19:40:00.000-06:002011-03-24T19:40:53.396-06:00

This week the kids are on Spring Break. On Monday, we went to a local lake for a picnic. Here are some pictures. Josh gets a closeup with a goose. Picnic on the beach. Feeding the geese. Steven helping Josh fly our kite. Peter playing in the water.

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-9771466376220049342011-03-24T19:31:00.001-06:002011-03-24T19:42:16.395-06:00

Josh lost his very first tooth on March 12th. Finally!

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-74620007094778025732011-03-11T08:53:00.000-07:002011-03-11T08:53:48.364-07:00

Yesterday Josh and the rest of the 2nd grade performed in a program called "Bug Hunt". It was very cute! There were two performances during the day and one last night. It consisted of 5 songs sung and acted out by the students. Josh got to say a line at the microphone! Just after the students walked in, before the program really began. Josh never did stand much closer to the rest of the group.

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-28892861509390293792011-03-08T08:23:00.000-07:002011-03-08T08:23:27.784-07:00

Even though the temperature was in the 20s and little wispy snow was falling, John was determined to walk to school this morning. At school they keep track of how many miles they've walked or run, and John has the second most in the entire school. A girl in Josh's class has more than him. So he is determined to catch up if not surpass her. So I let him go. (I didn't realize it was in the 20s

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-11155829206534814562011-03-02T20:10:00.000-07:002011-03-02T20:10:01.304-07:00

I was a bit bored tonight and started doodling with a photo of one of the roses Steven gave me for Valentines Day. I was actually playing with the different filters in Photoshop, but I liked the overall effect. What do you think?

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-9951886933307811262011-03-01T15:29:00.000-07:002011-03-01T15:29:54.166-07:00

Yesterday the kids didn't have school so I got to sleep in a little. Sort of. Who can sleep with four cats milling around on the bed? I took this picture when I did get up... my legs had been squished between the black cat (Ishmael) and the orange cat next to it (Lamoni aka Lala). Later in the day I looked up "Ode to Spot" from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Schisms" and memorized

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-67175139450115825062011-02-28T11:50:00.000-07:002011-02-28T11:50:19.558-07:00

California - Born and RaisedOregon - Visited on vacation as a child.  I remember visiting Crater Lake.Washington - I think I visited as a child on vacation. I believe an uncle lived there.Nevada - I drove through many times on the way to Utah.Utah - Frequent vacation destination, attended BYU and MTC.Idaho - vacation destination, including a family reunion at Bear LakeArizona - Served 2 months

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-12459476384345419832011-02-15T08:36:00.000-07:002011-02-15T08:36:56.926-07:00

I had a wonderful Valentines' Day! On Sunday, I discovered an invitation on my pillow: Two free tickets to a dinner theater production of "We Live in the Jungle 2" by the Hiatt Kidz! On Valentines' Day, Steven picked the boys up from school, and when they arrived at home, they had roses. When dinner time approached, I was shooed away from the kitchen as the children took over. Finally, my

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-42422401459244579582011-02-14T09:05:00.000-07:002011-02-14T09:05:52.031-07:00

 I wanted a new dress. The last dress I made for myself was fraying at the seams. I think the cats ruined my one white blouse that goes with everything. (I didn't catch them in the act, but there is a series of holes in the back, about the distance of a cats claws. I'm really not happy about that.) So my options for what to wear on a Sunday were severely limited, and I wanted a new dress.

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-90757126985472843292011-02-10T08:25:00.000-07:002011-02-10T08:25:41.508-07:00

Last week at parent teacher conferences, Josh's teacher let me read a story he had written about his trip to visit his Grandma and Grandpa over the holidays. At one point he wrote that he had "played with a girl. She was hot! (pretty)." Curious, I asked Josh what the girl's name was. Apparently he had really enjoyed playing spy with his cousin Savannah. This week Hannah helped Josh write some

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-15504073239391013732011-02-01T20:16:00.000-07:002011-02-01T20:16:03.053-07:00

The kids' school was canceled today for an "ice day". It snowed a bit yesterday, but there is only a few inches of snow on the ground. Normally school would have been held as usual today, but the temperatures were cold. The high was about -2* F . Brrrrrrrrrrrrr! Anyway, since Steven didn't have work to go to today either, we were able to sleep in. Steven made breakfast for us, including hash

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-36476910083770505952011-01-30T21:06:00.000-07:002011-01-30T21:06:03.388-07:00

Today has been a long day. I gave a talk in sacrament meeting this morning. I had been preparing for it for three weeks, and felt like I had a good grasp of it three days ago, but last night I started getting the jitters. I ran through my talk in my mind, and tried to time it, and ended up with it being ten minutes longer than I wanted it to be, but that may have been because I stopped to help

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-44055658288876540132011-01-18T12:21:00.000-07:002011-01-18T12:21:21.524-07:00

Happy belated Martin Luther King Jr. Day! We had an exciting three day weekend. On Saturday, I made the kids good clean their assigned rooms. (Each child has a room or section of the house that they are responsible for cleaning: kitchen, dining room, living room, or hall/bathroom/entry) The kids were rewarded with tootsie rolls for tasks completed, and by around noon, the house looked pretty

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-63466915669446732842011-01-11T12:07:00.000-07:002011-01-11T12:07:48.148-07:00

How do you cope when life takes an unexpected turn? What is your first reaction when you hear news that surprises you in an unpleasant way? How do you deal with the day to day stresses and trials in your life? When the waiter at the restaurant of life sets the partially filled water glass in front of you, is it half full or half empty? Okay, that last one is kind of weird. Anyway, you get the way

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-88268110212057549322011-01-04T15:32:00.000-07:002011-01-04T15:32:49.657-07:00

John playing hand bells. He's the short kid directly in front of the tree. We were way overdue. Steven's mom and sister were begging us through November for one for Kathy's Christmas newsletter.  Our most recent one was a year and a half old - from John's baptism, and that was just an informal one, standing in front of our garden. I wanted a good one. It didn't happen in time for the

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-72535829620987679022010-11-29T10:13:00.000-07:002010-11-29T10:13:09.584-07:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving this year. We have a lot to be thankful for: After two weeks of frantically stripping, sanding, painting and repainting, I screwed on another batch of newly painted kitchen cabinet doors Thanksgiving morning. I just have the upper east side of my kitchen to go: four cupboards, seven doors. My new goal is to finish those by Christmas. I love having sisters living

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-655260395421650792010-11-22T10:57:00.000-07:002010-11-22T10:57:50.521-07:00

My computer is sick. Very sick. I think it has caught a virus of some sort and it really isn't up to its normal speed. We have antivirus software (McAfee) installed on our computer, but it didn't catch whatever it was, and it still refuses to acknowledge that there is a problem. McAfee's realtime scanning keeps switching off for some reason, and then freezes when I turn it back on. The worst part

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-22751776477104960192010-11-08T10:39:00.000-07:002010-11-08T10:39:52.154-07:00

I don't like having my picture taken, but I took this one this morning. And then I photoshopped it to lighten the dark smudges around my eyes and get rid of the most annoying of the spots on my face. The point of the picture (I know you couldn't tell just by looking) is supposed to be my hair. You can see the ends of it resting on my shoulder. Steven cut several inches off it on Saturday so it

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-13328665756278281902010-11-01T10:19:00.000-06:002010-11-01T10:19:22.378-06:00

Another Halloween has come and gone. I didn't spend much time or effort on costumes this year, but let the children choose what they wanted to be, and let them figure out their own costumes, helping as needed. While we didn't get a family picture, Steven took these pictures at our ward Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday night. Hannah chose to be a duck. At her request, I bought her a yellow shirt and a

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-33008235783986861742010-10-29T13:08:00.000-06:002010-10-29T13:08:16.506-06:00

A couple years ago, my mom told me about a book called "The Artist's Way". It was supposed to help artists discover or recover their creativity. Curious, I looked it up at the library, and read it. It was interesting, and had a couple basic premises, one of which was to write "Morning Pages" or at least three pages, handwritten, every morning. They could be about anything and everything, but the

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-1210515743980319432010-10-28T11:13:00.001-06:002010-10-28T11:19:03.059-06:00

I was sick on Monday. My head ached, my stomach ached, I had no appetite, no energy, and spent the entire day on the couch not throwing up, but burping up smelliness. Steven was kind enough to drive the boys to school in the morning, so I only had to leave the couch to take Peter to kindergarten and pick up the kids after school. Hannah made dinner. I slept. Tuesday I was feeling a little better

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-64758311666878357982010-10-22T12:29:00.000-06:002010-10-22T12:29:09.348-06:00

A few days ago, John came home from school and told me he thought he had set a school record that day. Every day during his lunch recess, John runs around the track at his school. Five times around the track is one mile. Over the last couple years the number of laps he can run before the end of recess has been steadily increasing. On Wednesday, he ran a record breaking 8 laps! He told me he ran

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-11274537199587138802010-10-21T08:25:00.000-06:002010-10-21T08:25:00.506-06:00

My last fish is dying. I wrote him a haiku: The last fish is sick Limp, it drifts, waiting for death. I'm like a vulture. I feel guilty, watching and waiting for him to finally die. I've enjoyed having fish. When we first got them, about six or seven years ago, I loved sitting and watching them swim around. It was relaxing. The first night we had fish, the molly started popping out

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-50273669698037796052010-10-11T13:34:00.000-06:002010-10-11T13:34:44.391-06:00

I'm sitting down relaxing for the first time today. And I have an hour before I need to be off and running again. I have so much that I need to do and I don't know where to start, or what I have time to start, or if I even want to get up and moving. It's kind of nice to just sit here. This morning I got the kids off to school, threw a load of laundry into the washer, cleaned out the kitty litter

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-91762493519580910842010-10-07T21:35:00.000-06:002010-10-07T21:35:07.353-06:00

Steven left early this morning to head back to camp. This is the second three day weekend of his Woodbadge scout training. The last several days he has been busy making preparations - everything from coming up with quick jokes and meaningful stories to share to writing "Owl Roost" with rope on a large board. He has been thinking about goals, and planning with other patrol members in order to

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-68780999511413559942010-10-06T12:50:00.001-06:002010-10-06T12:51:41.736-06:00

Did you grow up with music in your family? Yes! Steven has told me that being around my family is like being in a musical; people have a tendency to break into song at the least provocation. We are a very musical family. My Mom plays piano. Both of my parents always sang in the ward choir at church, and my mom has conducted the choir at times. My mom taught me and most of my siblings how to play

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-67122059255643268972010-10-04T12:45:00.000-06:002010-10-04T12:45:03.174-06:00

Were you or do you remember anyone in your school class being punished by a teacher? The first time I remember being punished was in a very early grade when we read something about spitballs in a story book. The teacher asked if anyone knew what a spitball was, and I attempted to show her what I thought a spitball was. The teacher was not impressed or amused. I had to wash off the desk and sit

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-72531084837698877952010-10-02T18:55:00.000-06:002010-10-02T18:55:29.438-06:00

Josh posing as a scarecrow in the garden. Our gardening days have come to an end and the little garden plot has been laid to rest. For this year anyway. It has been fun. We didn't plant tomatoes this year, and instead enjoyed broccoli, carrots, peas, beans, onion and corn plants. The broccoli was a new experience. It grew, the flowers appeared, and we hacked off the stalk and ate it cooked

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-49070677879610302522010-10-01T10:09:00.000-06:002010-10-01T10:09:32.336-06:00

Tell about what you did while visiting your grandparents or aunt and uncle. My Grandma and Grandpa McClellan lived in Hayward, California. My Grandpa owned a construction company, and much of the materials storage and management must have been based at his home because the long, downward sloping driveway led past the house, past an office, garages, woodpiles and tool sheds, on its way to a river

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-36839026412120461012010-09-30T09:11:00.000-06:002010-09-30T09:11:02.344-06:00

So I'm a slacker and let weeks go by without posting. I'm still here. Here is some of what we've been doing: In the process of fixing up our house, we completed step one: scraping the popcorn off the ceilings... and this included three bedrooms, a long hallway, the living room and dining room. Steven did most of the work (the master bedroom, the boys' room, the hallway, entry, the dining room,

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-39886712035968631852010-09-02T14:24:00.000-06:002010-09-02T14:24:59.805-06:00

Did you have a job as a child? My first jobs were babysitting jobs. I babysat at home for my parents frequently, and I was lucky to be paid for it. I think I was about eleven when I started babysitting for a family across the street. They had two children, and I would babysit the younger one while their mom took the older child to a piano lesson once a week. We mostly watched the Disney Channel

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-1343952666197198882010-09-01T13:56:00.000-06:002010-09-01T13:56:22.884-06:00

What form of transportation did you have while growing up? The earliest car I remember driving in was a brown station wagon, although I do vaguely recall an unused blue car (maybe a Chevy?) being parked in our driveway at some point in time in my early youth. I remember that the back seat of the station wagon faced backwards, and that I liked sitting there. The back seats in the car must have

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-67340353926724955752010-08-30T13:42:00.000-06:002010-08-30T13:42:22.070-06:00

Time: Saturday evening, around 7pm. Place: Our neighborhood, a couple houses up the greenbelt. Exact location unknown. What: Peter encountered some bees. Actually, I think they were wasps or yellow jackets. One way or another, he came home that evening crying loudly that he'd been stung, and even brought a couple passengers into the house with him, clinging to his shirt. He complained loudest

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-78769247852080102682010-08-27T13:46:00.000-06:002010-08-27T13:46:23.653-06:00

Where did you live while growing up? House plan of the yellow house to the best of my memory. I was born in Goleta, California, in the United States of America. The first year or two of my life was spent living in a condo with my parents and older sister, before my family moved to a small yellow house in the same town. This is the first home I can really remember, and it was here that I

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-52382871885842283502010-08-26T11:26:00.000-06:002010-08-26T11:26:51.534-06:00

The kids have been in school for an entire week now! Wow! They seem to be enjoying school a lot, especially Peter, who continues to tell me ALL about his day. I love it! Our kitchen as it was when we moved in. While they've been in school, I've been working on a project here at home. A few years ago, we put our house on the market, in the hopes that we could sell it and move somewhere bigger

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-82415379504181200952010-08-25T11:05:00.004-06:002010-08-25T11:49:54.682-06:00

What did you do when you were a child that got you in the most trouble and how did your parents handle it?In trouble? Me? I was always a perfect angel! I never got in trouble!Okay... I do remember one time... It seems I had an imaginary friend as a little girl. Her name was Suzy I think. Anyway, at dinner one evening I was pretending to be her and not behaving quite as nicely as my usually

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-1518029979456428632010-08-24T11:50:00.003-06:002010-08-24T14:11:09.374-06:00

List a few of the simple things in life that make you smile and tell why.Okay. This may give away the insanity of how my mind works. These are a few of my favorite things:Frogs. I'm not sure why. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that they are my favorite color, that they like water, and something about the shape of their heads make them look like they are smiling.Daffodils. I love the

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-61753114529487125172010-08-23T12:47:00.004-06:002010-08-23T13:15:34.480-06:00

What did your parents do for work while you were growing up?When I was growing up, my mother was a busy stay at home Mom, with several young children at home. I don't remember her ever working outside the home until I was married and gone. She was always busy with something or other, but I do remember coming home from school to see her folding laundry while watching "Little House on the Prairie"

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-49419865423774656402010-08-20T09:07:00.006-06:002010-08-20T09:39:43.394-06:00

Two days into the school year... so far so good. Hannah got her schedule with Honors classes yesterday, seems to know her way around and doesn't appear to have any worries about anything. She has decided to learn to play the viola in her orchestra class.Both John and Josh say they like their teachers. Other than that, they haven't offered much information about what they did at school, other

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-21247394201938488992010-08-18T11:18:00.004-06:002010-08-18T11:38:34.267-06:00

It's official. My baby is in kindergarten, my oldest is in Middle School. All my children are in school, or were, for about fifteen minutes today.I wasn't able to see Hannah off. She took off walking, headed for the bus stop at the same time I started loading the boys into the car to head to school. I didn't follow the bus to her school. I didn't take pictures in front of the school. I didn't

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-68039514608919177092010-08-14T10:55:00.001-06:002010-08-14T11:25:19.318-06:00

"Tell about an experience with one of your children's teachers."Hannah turned five one day after the cut off date to get into kindergarten that year. No matter how ready she was, the school would not bend the rules in the slightest to let her in. Not having the means to put her in preschool, I kept her home that year, but got her kindergarten work books to work on. At home, Hannah learned her

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-46896597672625332182010-08-13T08:33:00.006-06:002010-08-13T08:55:35.118-06:00

Last night I went to a Relief Society meeting where we learned about journals, family history, photography, and scrap booking. One of the sisters who taught mentioned that we need to find a method of recording life's events that works for us, and that a person can still get into heaven even if she doesn't scrapbook. What a relief! I have made a few scrap books - one for my high school years (as a

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-18019530678071617052010-08-12T08:26:00.003-06:002010-08-12T08:54:26.850-06:00

Yesterday we went to an orientation at the middle school. I still find it difficult to believe that Hannah will be in middle school, and now it is less than a week away. Wow. I was grateful that they had a parent meeting, while the 6th graders were learning the same things and getting their tour of the school and trying out their lockers. I like that the school has a website where we can see what

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-28166089789482918562010-07-31T10:52:00.004-06:002010-07-31T11:08:01.480-06:00

It's Saturday. Some time today, Steven should return home from the Scout canoe trip he's been on since early Monday morning. I haven't heard a thing from or about him, so I assume that he's okay. I hope he's having fun.This week has passed kind of quickly actually. We've kept busy for the most part doing something or other and nothing too disastrous has happened. On Monday we went visiting

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-32967289837256931332010-07-19T08:15:00.004-06:002010-07-19T08:37:05.899-06:00

Yesterday was John's birthday. He turned 9. Before church (We have church at 1pm so we had plenty of time) I baked his cake and then covered it with a towel to cool while we were at church. (I once left a cake uncovered to cool... only to have a cat lick a bare spot on it! ) Church went as normal. I taught sharing time in Primary, and during our closing exercises we got to sing a birthday song to

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-38686554583794780682010-07-13T13:39:00.004-06:002010-07-13T13:55:53.142-06:00

Over the last few days I added a page to my website just for my kids. There aren't any links to it from anywhere else on the site yet, but my kids have all made it their homepage. I thought I'd share.http://stevenmaelyn.com/kidlinks.htmlIt has links to sites my children enjoy going to online, as well as a few other sites they could check out. Most of them have some educational benefits. They

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-34220280457390436012010-07-09T11:29:00.006-06:002010-07-09T11:36:22.240-06:00

Yesterday, looking for something to do, we pulled out the modeling clay and started sculpting. Hannah, always the artist, created an entire family! I was very impressed.This is the entire family.These are the parents.These are the children. Notice the girl licking an ice cream cone and the baby with the rattle!What a talented daughter I've got!

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-70060356598440379682010-07-08T11:54:00.006-06:002010-07-08T12:27:21.995-06:00

I was cleaning out a file cabinet and came across this old geometry quiz. The kids and I had fun figuring out the answers. The answers are below, but try to figure them out before you peek! No actual knowledge of geometry is required. (Warning: these require some imagination and disregard for spelling, grammar, and the like.)Match the correct term to its description:1. That which Noah built.2.

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-67550582010640255192010-07-07T11:49:00.004-06:002010-07-07T11:59:16.270-06:00

I am NOT HAPPY!!! I went to take a picture today and discovered that someone broke my camera!!! It looks like someone hit the LCD screen on the back with something sharp and hard. When I turn on the camera, it looks cracked in the middle with black streaks radiating out from the center. I can still turn it on and I can still take pictures, and download them to the computer, but I can't see what

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-5889530912014209702010-07-01T11:33:00.006-06:002010-07-01T12:14:24.293-06:00

I'm way overdue for an update, but it's been hard to find the time this summer.The week after our South Dakota Adventure was busy. John had Cub Scout Day Camp that week. I was busy unpacking, cleaning, doing laundry, enjoying Kristy and Family's visit, and on Friday of that week I got to leave the other three kids with a friend while I went to help out with the day camp. That was fun. Since it

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-71544334178854324572010-06-21T08:19:00.001-06:002010-06-21T09:05:18.583-06:00

Yesterday was Peter's fifth birthday. It's hard to believe that my baby is already five years old. Last night we celebrated his birthday, he opened his presents and we had cake and ice cream. (The yellow hat was a gift from Grandma Hiatt.)Yeah, it looks like a lot of presents, but most of them are clothes, school clothes for this fall when he starts kindergarten. Here he is blowing out the

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-54742321951173924142010-06-21T07:56:00.000-06:002010-06-21T07:56:41.728-06:00

I attended my first LDS civil wedding on Saturday. The missionaries in our ward have been teaching a family for a while and they wanted to be baptized, but the parents needed to be married first. Our bishop officiated at the wedding, and there were several people in attendance - both their family and friends as well as many members of the ward. I think what struck me the most was the similarity

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-28538766527612279162010-06-20T12:05:00.000-06:002010-06-20T12:05:39.522-06:00

Finally   A day     To Celebrate         His            Elusive and               Random                   Sense of Humor. Dad will     Always be         Young at heart.

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-11913202307796786062010-06-07T13:20:00.000-06:002010-06-07T13:20:44.596-06:00

We're back from our four day vacation to South Dakota. We did so much and had so much fun that it is going to be hard to limit what I write here to something that someone is going to want to read. But here goes: Wednesday June 2nd. --6:00AM -The house was locked up. The cats had food, water and litter boxes to last a few days, and the fish had a weekend feeder in his tank. We pulled away and

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-42211359569561567162010-05-28T08:22:00.000-06:002010-05-28T08:22:04.030-06:00

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

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-91103509455529150622010-05-19T11:45:00.000-06:002010-05-19T11:45:12.257-06:00

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

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-79229742443581412792010-05-17T09:27:00.000-06:002010-05-17T09:27:51.649-06:00

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

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-29038096926171453872010-05-12T14:27:00.000-06:002010-05-12T14:27:41.179-06:00

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

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-79238863958934665642010-04-22T14:02:00.000-06:002010-04-22T14:02:36.158-06:00

Thursdays are my busy, running around doing errands, shopping, library, etc. days. What made my morning today interesting was the weather. When I dropped the kids off at school shortly after 7:30 this morning there was a low cloud - kind of foggy, but not too bad. (The kids had wanted to walk to school in honor of earth day, but we were running late, and it didn't happen.) A little over an hour

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-66301915924253763002010-04-20T08:51:00.000-06:002010-04-20T08:51:03.975-06:00

Okay, it's been over a week since I last wrote. What can I say? Life gets busy. What's sad is that I don't really remember most of what has kept me so busy. But I do remember one thing: Last week I felt like sewing. The project spread out over the sewing table is Hannah's Easter dress, which hasn't been finished yet... because Hannah doesn't want me to finish it for her, and she doesn't have the

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-66458516744909553322010-04-09T10:42:00.000-06:002010-04-09T10:42:47.245-06:00

I'm a homebody. There's no question about it. I love days when I can sit at home all day, barefoot... reading a book or whatever. I don't enjoy days when my days are structured by where I have to be at specific times. Yesterday was one of those days. 7:30 I took kids to school. Usually I just drop them off and come right back home, but yesterday I parked and went in to the main office to

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-63167566628364099882010-04-06T11:08:00.000-06:002010-04-06T11:08:47.234-06:00

I love it when I hear a song on Classical Radio that I recognize. There are several pieces of music that I am familiar with: Beethoven's fifth and third symphonies and Fur Elise, Mozart's Minuet in G (you know, the one they were trying to play in the Music Man.), Bach's Sheep May Safely Graze and Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Copeland's Appalachian Spring, Musorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition,

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-73480913953391947672010-04-05T20:49:00.000-06:002010-04-05T20:49:52.961-06:00

Hannah holding the eggs she decorated Easter. It has its own traditions, food, and fun. Friday night we covered the table in newspaper, filled cups with boiling water, vinegar and food coloring and set out 18 hard boiled eggs. The fun followed. Peter had fun telling me which cup to put his eggs in... and they were dipped in one cup after another until they had been in every cup almost, and were a

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-44036794344888074832010-03-31T11:19:00.000-06:002010-03-31T11:19:29.168-06:00

Today is day three of normal life after Spring Break. Kind of. I'm not sure it's really normal when most of it has been catching up on things that I put off last week because the kids were home. Monday was mostly spent cleaning the house and putting it back in order from the weekend. I also cleaned out the boys room again. I filled an entire kitchen sized trash bag with trash and papers that were

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-54893302616817393262010-03-29T12:14:00.000-06:002010-03-29T12:14:39.429-06:00

Last week was the kids' Spring Break. Five days, four kids, one mom, one snow storm. Monday was sunny and warm. We started by straightening up the house from the weekend, then we went to the library for books to read during the week, and then played for an hour or so at the park. Hannah made Rice Krispie treats for FHE and cut out the pattern pieces for a dress. (She loves to sew, and I thought

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-22418731558167265092010-03-27T12:36:00.000-06:002010-03-27T12:36:54.150-06:00

Last night we had our 2nd Annual Savory Ponds Ward Pinewood Derby. We have been working hard over the last three months to prepare for this exciting event. The oldest four (Steven, Myself, Hannah and John) each made our own car. Steven: Last year Steven's masterpiece was a dragon. It looked fantastic! How could he improve on a dragon? Well, last year, his dragon was so awesome that there was no

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5447983899217240104.post-84602629273872791332010-03-15T09:30:00.000-06:002010-03-15T09:30:33.497-06:00

Usually our schedule in the morning goes something like this: 6:00 Alarm goes off 6:15 Steven gets up and takes a shower 6:35 Steven gets out of shower, I get up and take a shower while Steven wakes up the kids. 6:55 I get out of the shower, we gather the kids(supposedly dressed by now) for family prayer and scripture reading 7:10 Breakfast time (usually  cereal, store bought muffins or bagels.)

MaeLynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08478380976553592061noreply@blogger.com1