Tuesday night musings

It's been a fun day of getting back on track with the regular duties of life. I say fun, but what I really mean is that the day went smoothly. Sometimes boring-type days are just the right thing, and I'm thankful for less of last week's drama.

But boring around here just means regular. If I force myself to stop and take in what's going on around me despite the mundane-ness of it all, it can be quite amusing. For instance, tonight as I continued in my quest to train helpful, thoughtful, and able boys, I randomly selected Michael to help me with the dinner dishes. Pretty soon Jacob volunteered to join us and the two of them began playing all sorts of games as they dried dishes. It started with a fencing match: the slotted spoon for Michael and a ladle for Jacob. Then the pot lid became a shield, and a colander was used as a helmet. Once I got them back on track, they needed constant instruction on how to dry dishes. Jacob needed reminders that it's not by laying the towel on the floor and wrapping the dish like a present, and Michael kept forgetting that the goal was a dry dish. Their drying duties ended with laughter as they made funny, distorted faces in the reflection of the stock pot. When they ran off, I looked around at the puddles on the floor and remembered that there's a long-term goal. All moms know that it's sometimes more work to have your kids help, but not all moms realize that with the right attitude it can be more fun to include them.

Later Jacob came down and did his Underwear Man Show for us. Best show in town, let me tell you!

I read some fun quotes today by a lady named Marjorie Pay Hinckley:

“The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.” 

“We women have a lot to learn about simplifying our lives. We have to decide what is important and then move along at a pace that is comfortable for us. We have to develop the maturity to stop trying to prove something. We have to learn to be content with what we are.” 

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I took a bunch of pictures on Olivia's last day of riding lessons before we moved. There are a few, but I wanted to post them before too much time past.

It was so cool to see how much she learned in one year of lessons, and how independent she had become. 

She loved to ride Pumpkin, and especially liked how he nuzzled in close to her when she groomed him. Each horse that she rode had a unique personality, and she learned how to control even the most stubborn horse, and how to remain calm on a horse which was easily spooked. It takes confidence to be in charge of such a huge beast, and I am very proud of my sometimes timid girly.

She has become quite knowledgeable and confident, and has developed into a daring and poised rider. I just loved watching her. Her instructors were always amazed at how eager she was to push herself and try new things. She always wanted to go higher and faster, and somehow managed to stay on the horse when she lost control.

She's such a feminine girl, well balanced with industry, courage, and intelligence. I admire her so much!

~Katherine