Category: One Step

Lazy summer days are a thing of the past.  August bows to September and the sun is setting sooner.  Unopened boxes of crayons have been broken in.  The back-to-school adjustment seems to make our family more receptive to new routines than at any other time of the year, so we’re cramming as many good things onto that list as we can handle.  Oh, there’s so much to do in so little time!  Do you feel the same way?

This week’s report:  101 steps.  Sheesh, for a number that high you’d think I’d have a clean house and happy kids!  (Nice try.)  Even so, it was a great week.

Highlights:

1.  I am working so hard (like everyone else) on healthy routines right now.  Yet in spite of all my efforts, my children are inclined to sleep in random places and at random times, and stay awake at night.  This little one has an excuse.  She’s teething.


2.  My oldest started 8th grade this week.  So far, so good.

3.  On Tuesday morning at 6:15 a.m. we went outside as a family and watched the moon set.  Gorgeous.  The air was cool and fresh, the moon so large and luminous.  A moment to remember.

4.  My husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary.  I love him so much.  He is my everything.

5.  I’m really focusing on shopping wisely, particularly at the grocery store.  I know that inflation and the cost of food is hitting all of us (and with all the worldwide problems with crops it’s going to get worse in the next few months).  Feeding a family of 10 is expensive!  This week my husband and I found a few great deals and came home with 320 pounds of food for only $160.00, an average of 50 cents per pound!  Some of it was food storage, but we also got some good stuff like shrimp, roast beef, cheese, etc.  I was so excited.

6.  We got two children through some kind of flu bug, and are hoping that no one else comes down with it.

7.  Our soccer seasons officially started, and in general we’re off to a good start.

8.  My four year old had quite a week.  Trust me, you don’t want more information than that.  My husband and I have both spent a lot of one on one time with him and we’re really hoping that it helps.

9.  This morning before we left for Church I was feeling particularly weary.  While the children got in the van, I knelt down and prayed.  I told Heavenly Father that I wasn’t feeling great and asked him to please help the children be calm today.  About half way through the meeting as we were experiencing all the usual issues plus some, I realized I’d said the wrong prayer.  I should have prayed for strength, because the calm never came.  I repented and we survived.  Later this afternoon as I was reading through some of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poetry I came across this illustration by Jessie Wilcox Smith and thought “I know what that feels like!”  (except I’m afraid I don’t look nearly as patient).


10.  I registered my teenager for lacrosse.  Why do I have butterflies in my stomach over this one?

I could go on and on, but I’m falling asleep as I type.  I’ve been wondering this for years, but I’ll wonder it again:  Will there ever come a day in my life when I won’t measure how I feel in terms of degree of exhaustion?  I can handle this week’s exhaustion.  It’s a happy kind.

Have a great week!

Jennifer

Does your world look like this right now?


It’s that time again.  Back-to-school is, in some respects, more a fresh start than the New Year.  The adjustments are in full swing around here.  One of the most vivid memories I have from my childhood is the feeling I felt at the beginning of a new year:  I knew I could do it, that I was capable, that I loved school, that I would pay whatever price was necessary to succeed, but my stomach was still tied in knots because I worried about being good enough, and about how high the price would be.  I didn’t have the words to describe it, but that was how I felt the night before school started every single year.  Now I feel the same feelings, but they’re multiplied times five.

Of all the new school supplies purchased each year, my favorite thing was a blank notebook or ream of paper and a writing utensil.  Having those two things in hand promised that anything was possible.  The sense of expectation, of potential, was real to me.  Because I was so serious about it, I always experienced an emotional pause of sorts before I could actually use them.  I didn’t want to tarnish them with anything less than the best I could envision, and I could envision a lot.   I knew the words on that top page would be gently engraved several layers down.  A deep breath, and the first word was written.  The paper was no longer new; now it was mine.  I was committed and there was no looking back.

This week’s report:  75 steps.  It was a busy, tiring week, but a great week as well.
Highlights:

1.  On Tuesday morning our four elementary school aged children started their new school year.  I think we’re off to a great start.


2.  Along those lines, it has been particularly fun to watch my 6th grader take hold of a middle school environment complete with locker, passing periods and 3 million disclosure documents.  She loves it.  It’s also been funny to watch my 8th grade son’s response to her daily efforts to further organize and decorate her locker.  I’m telling you, boys are boys and girls are girls.  So funny.

3.  Usually I feel sad when my kids start school.  This year I felt a happy feeling in my heart, like everything will be ok.  Tuesday was also my first day in two years without a kindergartener.  I got SO MUCH DONE on that first day of school.  I had the kitchen clean, scrubbed my kitchen chairs, prepped dinner, made zucchini bread for an after school snack, enjoyed reading time with my 3 little ones and even got them all down for naps at the same time .  I think that a whole new world might be waiting for me.  Another factor in that feeling is that this year I have a one year old baby instead of a one week old baby.  Believe me when I say I have a very long list of things to work on this year.

4.  Wednesday night I had the honor of meeting my sister-in-law, Kate, who was in town for BYU Education Week, and two of her good friends, for dinner.  It was a very pleasant evening and I enjoyed myself tremendously.  They were so kind to include me in their circle of friends for an evening.  I walked away feeling so grateful for Kate (who is an amazing lady), grateful she has such awesome friends, and grateful for the chance to spend a few hours with them.  It was a bright spot in the week which I’ll not soon forget.

5. To kick off the school year, we had 2 children playing in a soccer tournament this week.  We spent a combined total of 23 hours driving to and from or watching soccer games this week.


6.  On Friday night I took 7 of the children with me for two of the tournament games (my oldest went camping).  Usually I will do anything to avoid taking my whole bunch to crowded places, but this turned out to be a great experience.  We found a great parking space, set up headquarters in a shady area and I enjoyed the most pleasant summer evening I can remember.  The children played, the two year old talked my ear off, and the baby had a great time running away from me.  I sat and watched my son and daughter play soccer and counted heads every 60 seconds while I marveled at the beauty of the setting sun filtering through leaves on the trees and the gentle breeze as it blew in the evening temperatures.  The soccer complex was full of sounds:  children playing, whistles blowing, parents cheering.  I took a deep breath and savored it all.  It was an almost perfect night.  Only two things could have made it better:  having my husband there with me, and my camera in hand.

7.  Wednesday night my son lost his bag at the tournament.  It contained his soccer uniform, school clothes, school shoes and belt.  It took a few days, but on Saturday someone turned it in to the Lost & Found.  Answered prayer.

8.  The children and I got our cars and half the garage cleaned up yesterday.  We’re ready to go!

9.  I got my teen-aged son outfitted and ready to start school this week.  I hope he has a great experience.  He is an awesome young man.

In all, life is good.  Tonight we are a very tired family as we continue the transition to school routines.  Hopefully this week will be a great one!

Jennifer

It’s Sunday night.  The house is, at last, quieting as one child after another nods off to sleep.  My efforts to anticipate the school schedule and get them to bed earlier were largely a waste of time.  They spent the next hour sneaking around.

Some weeks are easier to end than others.  I wanted this week to last longer.  Because my children attend a school outside our local school district, we sometimes end up on a slightly different schedule, which is exactly what’s about to hit us.  We start school on Tuesday, so this week marked the end of our summer.  If it weren’t for the  big ugly ball of stress I already feel in my stomach, I’d say I’m in denial.  I hate sending my children back to school.  I miss them, and I miss the freedom of summer.  I hate to see it end.

This week’s report:  89 steps.
Highlights:

1.  On my baby’s first birthday I gave myself a break from housework and spent as much time as possible playing with her.   We made some special memories together.


2.  I got a lot of what I call secretarial work done this week:  scheduling piano lessons for the new school year, figuring out our new gymnastics schedule, doctor appointments, etc.  Not fun, but necessary.

3.  I went to a new dentist this week when a piece of my tooth chipped off.  My last experience at a dentist’s office wasn’t a good one.  I’d try to describe how much courage it took for me to go back, but you probably wouldn’t believe me.  So I summoned the courage to go, and only cried twice.   What’s more, I actually liked this dentist.  He even called me about 8 hours later to make sure that I was feeling well!

4.  You could say that this was Playmobil week in our home.  In a final celebration of  abandoning yourself to imagination, I let the kids play in their bedrooms, the hallway, even the basement (usually they’re restricted to the toy room).  Believe me when I say they were all over the place.


5.  I had the opportunity to attend a great presentation by LDS Family Services on Strengthening Marriages.  It was motivating, informational, and made me so very grateful for my happy, healthy marriage.

6.  As a result of some insights I had while attending the above meeting, I had one of the best conversations I’ve had in a long time with my 13 year old son.  He is a remarkable young man in many ways.  I learn a great deal from him.

7.  I enjoyed watching my oldest daughter this week.  She is suddenly maturing so quickly, shouldering responsibilities, making plans, and leading out in new ways.  Her two year old sister worships her, and it’s been fun this week to watch her bond more with her baby sister as well.


8.  I burned dinner.  I haven’t done that in many years.  I was so frustrated with myself that I felt tempted to cry, but resisted.

9.  I had several things I needed to begin researching this week.  I’m so thankful for the wealth of information available online!

10.  Tonight my husband and I attended an open house for our good friends who are moving away.  I am happy for them, but so sad for me.  I’m not ready to say good-bye.

With that, I’m off to get some sleep before facing the coming week.  It’s going to be a grueling one.
I hope yours is relaxing!

Jennifer