Parenting Is NOT For Sissies!

Now, I think it's only fair to my kids to acknowledge that I'm fully aware that I've never been what you would call a laid-back parent. The self-diagnosed OCD often has the upper hand in any and all parenting. I'm not the mom who lets her kids pull out the paints, markers, play-doh, scissors, glue, or other mess-making paraphernalia unless extremely closely supervised. I typically don't let them run around out-of-doors, particularly if there's a chance that snow, mud, sand, or other children will end up coming back indoors with them. It's even difficult for me to let them step out of the house without their hair done and their clothes clean (and matching). I cringe inwardly (sometimes outwardly) when my children aren't as polite, respectful, quiet or well-behaved as I believe they should be in any given situation. So, needless to say, much of the stress of being a mom is probably self inflicted.

This morning I decided that the Lord sent Lindy into our home as a contradiction to all of the above-mentioned reasons. (To be fair, I should say that I will probably feel the same way about Ellie given time.) In spite of the instruction, lectures, threats, and begging I still seem to find drawings on my walls, furniture, and TV. I mysteriously find nail polish on my bathroom counter, floor, and toilet. I still endure screaming, hitting, and crying fits in response to even the simplest request (i.e. can you please clean up that wrapper you just threw on the floor?) And...I consistently find myself saying things I swore I'd never say. "Just you wait until your father gets home", "Because I said so", and "Would you like me to give you something to cry about?"

This just means that at the end of each and every day I sit back and try to determine where I went wrong. I try to pinpoint the exact moment of departure from the well-constructed plan I had laid out for the day. I then determine the "new plan" for tomorrow...which ends up chuck-full of new methods and tricks. I vow to be more patient. I tell myself that I'll be more loving and understanding. I promise to pay more attention to the kids and less attention to whatever personal treats I've had in store for myself. Some days my plan is to have no plan at all. So far...nothing works. Each evening produces the same results: a frazzled, irritated, and confused mom and two misunderstood, dramatic, and often crying girls.

I was once told that being a parent would be one of my most challenging responsibilities. Well, here we are. Challenged.

A Fond Farewell to 2007

It's hard to believe how quickly time can pass and it's only as you look back on all that has happened in the short space of a year do you truly realize how precious time can be. Our family has been so blessed this year and we are grateful for the time we've had. So, in honor of 2007...here's the Jones family top ten of the year!

1. LINDY TURNS FOUR! Lindy has always been the spice in our family. She continually keeps us on our toes around here. She is often too smart for her parents and provides endless anecdotes which we love to share with family and friends. Our home wouldn't be the same without her. We are grateful for her enthusiasm and her energy, even when we wish it were directed somewhere else at times!

2. AMY VISITS HAWAII! I was extremely fortunate to be able to go on a 15-day cruise with my sister, Jody, and my mom in March. While it was quite surreal a lot of the time, I was so grateful for the experience. We had a lot of fun and even though I missed my husband and my girls dreadfully it was totally worth it! Thanks Jody!

3. UNCLE JEFF FINALLY GRADUATES! It's been a long time coming, but we finally got Jeff, Erin, and the cousins to join us here on the western side of the country. It's hard to believe that he's old enough to be a doctor, but we are all so proud of him and so grateful to have him closer once again.

4. HENINGER FAMILY REUNION! What a blast. Even though we complain that the Heninger Olympics are rigged in favor of the sibling with the most children we still seem to enjoy one another's company enough to get together and do it all over again. The kids had a wonderful time getting acquainted with their cousins and the adults had a great time joking around and sometimes irritating each other. Dad was the only one knocked out of the raft during our white-water experience and in spite of losing his Cabela's hat (which I believe he's replaced already) and a pair of old-fogey blue-blockers I think he had as good a time as the rest of us. Thanks Ian for your expert river guiding and thanks family for the fun. See you in a couple years.

5. UNCLE STEVE VISITS UTAH! It's not often that we are able to pull uncle Steve away from his stint in the military, but we were lucky enough to be able to visit with him for a short while before he left home and country for a new opportunity in England. The girls were completely enamored (particularly Lindy) and it was nice to spend some time with him. We miss you, Steve!

6. FAMILY CAMPING TRIP! We had our first real family camping trip this summer. It was also the first time that I let my girls have free reign of the dirt in the area. No...it was not an easy feat to let my kids get uproariously dirty, but we all survived and had a great time!
7. ELLIE TURNS TWO! Our sweet little Ellie has been such a fun addition to our family. She has been the calm after the storm (yes, we mean Lindy). She rarely gets into trouble only because she seems to do things so innocently. Even when we do get after her for something she usually just says, "Alright, mommy" and stops whatever it is without a fuss. We are particularly grateful that the "terrible two's" haven't caught up to us yet!
8. BIKING IN MOAB! Every year Ian has taken some time away to go on some crazy bking/hiking/camping trip with the boys from the Heninger side. This year was no exception. And, in spite of some slight snoring issues suffered by all, they had a great time and, luckily, no one fell off of a cliff trying to take pictures. Yes, you're right...this was no 2-week cruise to a tropical island but Ian was able to do something he loved and I know that I'm still indebted to him for the Hawaii dealio!
9.UNCLE RICH COMES HOME! We were able to welcome Rich home form this 2-year mission in Denver, Colorado. It's amazing that it's already been two years. Thanks for being such a great example of service and testimony, Richard. We're glad you're back and look forward to seeing you more often!
10. IT'S A BOY! In November we were able to catch a glimpse of our upcoming March/April 2008 baby and find out that we can, in fact, produce a male child. I had some misgivings at first (my mind has been deeply entrenched in "pink" for the last 5 years) but after having a somewhat disturbing view of our future with a teenage Lindy (thanks to the movie "Dan in Real Life") I am back in the saddle and excited to have a less emotional member of the family. I hope. We are all looking forward to "baby brother" joining us this next spring.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year a great one. We are truly grateful for the relationships we share with our family and our friends. It's those connections that make our lives so much fun. We love you and can't wait to see what 2008 has to offer!

And To All a Good Night!

This is officially the first year ever that we've had Christmas with just our little family. I was a little wary at first (I'm a big believer in BIG family Christmases) but I have to say that I truly enjoyed our relaxed holiday. We had all our favorite Christmas traditions: Chinese food (started by the Heninger clan and a hard one to let go of), the reading of the Christmas story, and (my personal favorite) Christmas PJ's! Here we are Christmas Eve modeling our newly acquired bedtime wear:

After the girls went to bed Ian and I spent a nice evening watching a movie and preparing for the next day! The girls slept really well the entire night and we didn't hear from them until 8am the next morning. (Yes, we know that we are blessed and don't necessarily expect it to continue.) Both girls were SO EXCITED to see what Santa had brought for them. There's nothing like having little ones in the house to make an adult remember the excitement of Christmas mornings. 

It was so much fun to see them enjoy this fun holiday. We are so blessed to have such sweet girls in our home. It was a joy to hear Lindy praying (each prayer) to have Heavenly Father bless us to be grateful and express her own gratitude that baby Jesus was born. It sure put things into perspective for Ian and I. So while I was nervous about having such a "small" family Christmas, we were certainly able to fill our home up with a lot of laughter, fun, and love. Merry Christmas to all...!

Cracker Nut Ballet

Our sweet little Lindy has been anxiously looking forward to her "Cracker Nut Recital" (as she so innocently calls it). I literally thought she was going to pee her pants in anticipation. So, here is a snippet of the actual dance that her little class worked on for the parents, grandparents, and siblings alike. Enjoy!

Actually, I Feel Like Crap

I've often wondered...what would happen if we were all perfectly truthful when answering the question, "How are you?" I've been tempted to be sincere many times, but since my parents taught me to be polite I'm afraid I often lie.

It's interesting to note that in other countries/cultures the use of "how are you" is not as indiscriminate as it is in our society. It's only said when the person asking actually cares about the answer. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that no one cares...or even that I actually care a great deal each and every time I ask the question...I'm just saying that sometimes I think I'd prefer the world in which "how are you?" is actually a question, and "actually, I feel like crap" is a valid response.