Young Women Lesson 28 (Manual 3)

Lesson 28 "Sacrifice and Consecration"

I started the lesson with an analogy of a 'sacrifce bunt or hit' in the game of baseball. Many of the girls (and a couple leaders) knew of the term and play. I didn't know, so I asked one of the Beehives to elaborate. She explained that a player will suffer an out to advance other players and bunt the ball. For example (we drew it on the board), if there are players on first and second, the batter will bunt the ball up the third base line. The players on first and second advance and the batter is out. The sacrifice of one player, advances two players one base closer to home base.

I pretty much followed the lesson as in the manual, but kept referring to the sports analogy to help with the ideas of sacrifice and consecration (the team consecrates time and energy to win games).

I ended the lesson with the analogy of how coal and diamonds are alike, but, with a little heat and pressure, one turns out magnificantly different. I passed out my diamond ring that has a flaw in it and said that even the best of us will make mistakes - we're still human. I wouldn't give up my diamond for anything because it is special to me. My husband gave it to me when we were married and that means a TON. I love my kids even with their mistakes; Heavenly Father knows us and loves us as we are. As long as we're trying our best to live the laws which he gives us, we're on the right track.

The handouts feature a quote by Joseph Smith from the lesson.

Monkey see; monkey do.

Sean and I have been working on learning how to draw and recognize letters. The good news is that it forces him to make sounds that he otherwise won't make. So, he's pretty much got 's' down! The others are coming... slowly... but coming! :)

Car pools are for PANSIES!

So, I guess I'm a pansie... But I didn't intend to do car pool this year. Reilly kind of set it up for me. She took a ride home with her best-friend, Jacey, on Monday. Okay! Okay! I forgot that Monday's are early outs and I didn't show up to get her. Okay! But yesterday, she REALLY wanted Jacey to come home with us yesterday, so her mom offered to take and/or pick up Reilly. I was like, 'No, you shouldn't have to do both, I'll do one or the other.' So now, she takes them in the morning because she's got a third-grader she has to take anyway; and I pick them up at the end of their day. It's going to be fine, but I don't feel like it's going to save that much time. This is my problem with it... Reilly goes to school just after 9am and Sean goes just before 9:30am... sooooo, I still have to be out; I still have to get everyone ready; I still have to get ME ready. Call me bipolar, but I'm all or nothing!

... I guess I'm saving the environment by not driving my gas-guzzler along with all the other moms driving bigger gas-guzzlers. :) Think of the positive, right?!

Crazy Kid Cartoons!!!

Just when I think I've got a cartoon/show that I'm okay with the kids watching, they pull it and replace it with some STUPID show that sucks! The repeat offenders are, obviously, Dora the Explorer, Diego (same as Dora), Yo Gabba Gabba (sorry, Kath!), Sesame Street, etc... the list goes on! But we've got a new crop of lame-o shows that I just want to throw bricks through the tv during. The most annoying one to me lately is Maggie and the Ferocious Beast.

It starts out with a catchy song, but is all down-hill from there. On the episode that Sean and I watched today, the characters, Maggie and Hamilton, had these 'french' hats on. Blue cap with a white towel down the neck. They were planning to go to the desert to find a treasure. So, Beast wanted a hat too. He asked both Hamilton and Maggie, but they basically told him, 'Dude, yer a freak of nature and no hats fit yer huuuuge head. Deal!' But then proceeded to ride on his back through the desert... ?? They stopped for a brief drink and Hamilton chewed Beast's head off because he drank all the water in the TINY canteen. Selfish S-O-B! After the treasure hunt, the weird talking camel told Beast that he had a present for him. He'd wanted a hat, but there weren't any that would fit him, so he handed him an umbrella... that Maggie and Hamilton used to shade their sorry selves while they hitched another ride on the poor Beast's back!

... Okay, maybe I'm taking it a little too personally, but that is just annoying!

This week's menu.

It's already started, but I'm doing it anyway.

Monday-Picnic: fried chicken, potato salad, carrots/grapes, rolls

Tuesday-grilled pork and veggies

Wednesday-chicken burritos

Thursday-pizza & movie

Friday-Daddy Date Night w/ kids

Positive Affirmations.

Dustin is not the most decisive person in the world; he's also not the most attentive. These have their negative sides, yes, but they also have some very positive sides. If I'm having a bad day, I can count on nothing from Dustin. He won't come home and dog me for not making dinner right away, or forgetting to doing payroll ... he's very understanding/non-judgemental about what and how I do things. This is huge lately because since we got back from our vacation, I've been feeling very stupid. It's never happened before. I've always been able to jump right back into life in Utah, but this year, it's been rough. Maybe it's because of school stuff.

Putting the kids in school has helped with a few things, though. It's put us on a schedule that's necessary to keep up. We never really had one before. The kids went to bed between 9-10pm, they got up whenever, I did laundry whenever, etc. I'm excited for the change and am trying to make the most of it. Some of my schedule is pre-exsisting, but most of it is new.

There is this one thing about Dustin being the way he is... He NEVER gives compliments or shows appreciation when I work really hard to keep on top of everything. I'm not saying he should always shower me with affection; that would make me sick. Maybe it's not a bad thing; maybe I just need to work on why I do the things that I do. I should NOT do things to get positive affirmations from others. It shouldn't matter how Dustin shows his appreciation... or how often I get comments on my blog... I should be doing things because they need to be done, or because I enjoy doing them. I should do my blog because I really do enjoy it. I should do things around the house becaues they need to be done. ... see, I told you I'm being stupid!

Doctor Drama

At the doctor's office, Sean and Reilly decided that it'd be fun to spin around on the doctor's stool... the one that's just a round stool that rolls and spins. I didn't think it was a good idea, but thought I could 'spot' them while they did it. On Reilly's spin, Sean pushed her around and around, but she never really got dizzy... she's not mine... I get horribly dizzy on those things/rides. Sean's mine. On his turn, he did what I would've done and couldn't walk. He tumbled pretty badly and landed on his head ... REALLY hard. I thought he'd be okay, but he couldn't stop crying and his head started to get really hot. Sue-Anne, our doctor's nurse practitioner, suggested we give him a bit to cool off before we left the office and our little 30 min. trip turned into almost four hours. The poor kid was really struggling. After checking his pupils and waiting to see if he threw-up, Sue-Anne gave us a cold compress for his head and Tylenol for his head-ache (he kept complaining about his head hurting); he fell asleep. She told us not to leave for 30 minutes and to check him every 10 to make sure he was okay. He was fine and we left. He must've gotten a really bad head-ache because he slept for four hours. He's got the worst luck, I've decided.

Reilly's First Day!

Last week was a hectic week of getting ready for Reilly and Sean's new school experiences! We had assessments with both teachers, school shopping and doctor appointments. I neglected to tell Reilly that she needed shots at her appointment, but she rocked! They gave her four shots and a prick (to check her iron). She cried a bit, but the bandaids made up for the pain!

Yesterday was Reilly's first day of kindergarten. We started the day off well. She woke up at 7am, which is HUGE for her! She's a 9:30-10am sleeper. She picked her outfit (hence the matchy problem) and said she wanted to walk.

It was fun, but we'll never walk again. It took us an hour to drop her off and she got mad on the way because she wanted to be infront... Sean rode his bike, so she couldn't get ahead... :( Once we got there, though, she turned bipolar and was incredibly happy!



She got a bit nervous when we got the the classroom, but her teacher was great and invited her in with a 'welcome, friend' song.

She did great! She met new friends and told us all the fun rules for her class. :)

Cross-Gendered Children

Because both of the kids are excited to start school, we put them on a schedule and gave them morning (up by 8am, dress, make bed, eat, brush teeth), after-school (snack/lunch, homework, play) and bed-time (pajamas, brush teeth, stories, bed by 8pm) routines. They're doing GREAT! So, tonight Reilly came in when the street light came on and picked out some pajamas. They were a 3T, so I tried to get them off of her.

I told her that they were Sean's size and he decided that he needed to wear them.

Shortly after, or when Reilly started calling him a princess-boy, he decided to wear his "Cars" pajamas instead.

He's cuter as a boy!

End of swimmin'-summer...

We probably enjoyed one of our last swimming trips this summer. Thanks for the invitation, Diane! :) It was a blast. Reilly was jumping off the diving board... but, I was too busy re-learning a back-dive to have caught it on camera... BAD MOM!

Remembering Past Olympics

Last night I caught the end of the girls all-around gymnastics competition finals for they Beijing Olympics. It reminded me of watching the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with my mom and sisters. I don't know if any of them remember, but I remember being super into it! We met one of Annie's boyfriends and TOTALLY ignored him because the gymnastics were on. The Magnificant Seven competed and won the gold for their team (care of Kerri Strug's awesome vault - which ended her gymnastics career) and were the only USA team, male or female, in the history of the Olympics to get the gold. I haven't really cared about the Olympics since then, but watching it last night took me back to the '96 games... Good times.

New school year.

Reilly and Sean are both going to school this year. Reilly starts Kindergarten on Monday and is SUPER stoked! Sean starts the first week in September at the preschool Reilly went to last year. He's really excited, but I'm nervous about how he'll do... he DOES NOT play well with others, especially kids his age. We'll see.

To get ready, this week we have loads of fun things to do. They don't really need anything for their classes (i.e. pencils, tissues, etc.), but they both have appointments with their teachers. Reilly also has to get her shots finished up on Friday... she hasn't had shots in a while and ... well, there are more nerves and anxiety all around. I knew this week was going to be busy, so no lessons until we get situated.

Stay posted for first day at school pictures! :( That just reminded me that I didn't take any of Reilly going to preschool... what kind of mom am I?! ... oh, and more depression because after school starts, SNOW COMES! Ahhhh! :( :( :(

THE most random thing!

While we were driving home, I noticed that Reilly was sleeping with her eyes open and her eyes were moving around. At first we thought she was waking up, but she did if for like 5 minutes. So, I tried to get some of it on video, but this is what I caught.

It was so funny!

Home Sweet Home!

We just got back today and, boy howdy, does it feel good to relax in my own bed! I always forget how much I miss my bed until I get back to it after a long vacation or camp out. :) Oh, but, hey, I gotta tell you guys! Dustin and I drove straight through without stopping for anything but gas and snacks. We didn't even stop to eat. We made great time, but got DEAD tired on the road. I know, it's dangerous, but there's this new thing lately... called Red Bull. We bought a few and I drank them. It was my first experience with the stuff and, I gotta tell you, it was the WORST tasting thing! GROSS! It seriously tasted like carbonated grape flavored medicine. Bad news bears! I didn't need it to have any caffeine in it, just the taste alone woke me up. One sip at a time, I was good to go!

Dustin's FAT!

Just kidding. He's not fat, but he weighs more than a child, so this is what happens when he rides one of those animals on a spring.

Best part! HE GOT STUCK!!!

Glow Golf and DDR casualties

One day that we were with my fam, we wanted to do something with Reilly and Sean like go-karts or bumper cars. According to Google, there was only one place to go. They had a miniature putt-putt golf course that we played (very quickly...) and an arcade that we had LOADS of fun with. I really only cared about the Dance Dance Revolution. I've played it once before at a DDR party for New Year's Eve at a neighbor's house, and it was super fun! Rebekah, Nina and I got pretty good at one of them - 'I do, I do, I do!' The bad news was that my right foot got all swollen the next day. You may not be able to tell, but it seriously is.

Okay, so after the let down from the golf and most of the arcade games, we went to the bumper cars area and found that even though we went for the kids, they couldn't ride. :( So, Nina helped distract them while Dustin, Beth, Rebekah and I had a round. It was fun, but it would've been more fun with Sean screaming, 'Go! Faster! Beat them!'

Pedal Boat Trials...

When we got on the lake, we decided to have a race... Beth and I were in one boat and Dad and Dustin were in the other. Beth and I quickly ... quit ... but Dad and Dustin gave it their all and got stuck in the mucky seaweed.

Their rudder was all tangled up with the seaweed and they had difficulties maneuvering the boat.

After a bit, they ask for help... I had to touch that nasty stuff!

And it didn't even work... we still had to lead them back to the dock.

Pretty Pics

Reilly and I took some random pictures while we were at the park and on the lake and some actually turned out really well!

Reilly did the first two ...

Mine were the last two...

ADORABLE!

Look how cute Reilly is!!!

A touch past the expiration date...

I found the YUCKIEST thing ever! How long do you think these bagels have been in the back of the bread isle?

Duck Duck Goose

While we were in Allegan and with Ryan and Marilynn (and kids), we watched a very entertaining game of Duck Duck Goose. The kids are all (except Sine) at the perfect age for the game and played for quite some time! :)

P.S. Sorry the picture's so grainy... I couldn't tell it was doing that until I uploaded it...

Reilly and Isley are SOOO weird!

I don't think Reilly and Isley are capable of anticipating the fun that a ride may be... they NEVER get excited before a ride begins. This is a typical before shot of them getting ready... 'yeaaay?' But they do get into it during... on this one, they screamed every time it dropped. They were funny!

Word!

Kiera kept putting her hat on sideways, so I posed the rest of her and ... you've got baby-ghetto! Notice her middle two fingers on her right hand trying to cross ('west-side?') and her fingers on her chin... I don't really know about that one. :) Anyway, cute!

So, I only have a picture of my kids riding this ride (sorry, Holly) because when all four kids went on, the girl running the ride made me go with them. It was, by far, the coolest ride at the park... according to the kids. They would've ridden it all day if we let them. The ride took them round and round, like a merry-go-round, and up and down... BUT they even got to control the spin of their little car; and, believe me, they took full advantage of that. My ride almost made me sick! :)

Cheesiest Blog EVER!

That's all pun intended!!! While in Wisconsin, one is required to at least try the local cheese... it is, afterall, the cheese state... well, until California completely takes that one over. We stopped at exit #216 and shopped at the Cheese Chalet for some cheese curd and beef sticks. Everything they carried was locally made and all of it was TASTY!!! I would highly recommend stopping somewhere for the smoothest cheddar you'll ever eat and maybe even something out of the ordinary... like chocolate cheese?

Jewelry

We made jewelry while Isley and Kiera were with us. I thought it would be a fun evening activity to do with the girls. Kiera had some difficulties, but with some help from me and Reilly, made some really cute pieces!

Even Sean got into it! In fact, of all four of them, he was the one to keep his bracelet on until... well, he's still got it on!

Reilly had almost as much fun making the jewelry has she did posing for this picture!!

I really don't know how to comment on this one, but I can say that she was not forced in ANY WAY!

Yard Wars

Grandpa and Grandma Brown got an ATV this year and with that and the tractor, we had a race.

Grandma with the girls and Grandpa with the boy, the set off down the hill and back...

There was a bit of foul-play...

But, in the end, the ATV wound up on top reguardless of Grandpa's dirty tricks!

Awake or what!?

I finally got it! Reilly has this look sometimes... when she's ASLEEP... She kinda looks like she's falling asleep or is just waking up. It really quite creepy, but I got it!

Kiera-isms

I've forgotten how funny Kiera is! She's kept us giggling since we met up with them yesterday... just with little, quirky things. For example, this evening at dinner, Grandpa Brown was trying to get her to eat a bite from his breadstick. She is WAAAYYY too smart for his give-it-out, pull-it-away trick. She sorta fell for it once, but then quickly said, "I already have one." She wasn't going to work for food she already had in her hand, Grandpa! So, later, I guess Dustin didn't notice how quick she was, because he tried to get her to give him a bite from her breadstick. She didn't waste any time and grabbed a new one from the basket. She handed it to him. He again tried to get some of hers saying, 'Yours is the good one... I want some of that one." She gave him an 'are you kidding me' look and handed him the new one again. :)