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Sunday

/ Jo Bird / Leave a comment
Sunday morning on the base was the most relaxing and pleasant Sunday morning I’ve had since the last time I experienced a Sunday morning without children. We went to church with Bryan and Brittany in their new ward, Fast Sunday. Before church we discussed how hearing testimonies of people you don’t know yet can be misleading because knowing about them and their lives gives you insight into their comments. But I found that not knowing the people made me less judgemental and more appreciative of their words. It was a great meeting. I might have also been able to feel of the Spirit more freely without the distraction of three children.

After church we drove to my old neighborhood to show Richard where I lived and went to high school. Oh the nostalgia.

Bryan dropped us off at the Metro and Richard’s cousin Jeff and his wife Brenna picked us up. We ate dinner at another cousin, Holly’s house. It was quite the get-together since there were other family members in town for the football game. And if you can count on one thing when you gather with the Birds, it is delicious food. We were not disappointed.
(I kiped this photo from Wendy’s blog, Photographer was Janie)
That night members of the group headed into D.C. for a free Labor Day concert on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. This was an unplanned treat. It was the National Symphony Orchestra, who was joined at the end by the Army Men’s Chorus. Listening to the National Anthem while gazing upon the flag with the U.S. Capitol for a backdrop was an experience I’ll never forget. And hearing the chorus and the orchestra perform the Battle Hymn of the Republic was equally moving. I admire Jeff and Brenna for initiating this excursion with their own three small children. I am jealous of the future events those kids will get to enjoy with such ambitious parents!

Did I hear a "niner" in there?

/ Jo Bird / 4 Comments

She’s nine months. She only weighs 13lbs 6oz. Dr. ordered blood work. Richard isn’t worried. I’m not really either. Dr. says it is probably that she just isn’t getting enough calories. And her activity level isn’t allowing for the type of lethargy needed for successful weight gain.In any case, we will all remember these next few months of her life as the months she spent in her high chair, eating. Feed that baby!

the big trip

/ Jo Bird / 10 Comments

My freshman year of high school my family moved to Fairfax, Virginia for one year. It was a job opportunity for my dad that we knew was temporary so my parents drug us all across the country. Now they have only themselves to blame for their children’s itch to live somewhere besides Boise.

I’ve been back many times since to visit old friends, or family members. It seems at any given point one of my siblings lives in the Washington D.C. area. (Along with Las Vegas and Provo. One or more of us can be found there as well at any given time.)

Richard has never been to our country’s capital. Even Cameron beat him there. We’ve talked about it occasionally but sometime last fall a football game was announced. BSU vs. Virginia Tech in the Washington D.C. area. He was sold. Frequent flyer miles and a free place to stay (with family members) clinched the deal. We booked our flights as soon as the date of the game was solidified.

Our trip is two days away and for the life of me I can’t figure out what I was thinking. Why did I think it was a good idea to leave my nine-month old baby, my “mama’s-boy” three year old and a five year old who has only one week of kindergarten under his belt? For eight days.

Words of affirmation and my love language. They are more than that. I need them like I need water and sleep. I need them right now. Keep your disapproving remarks to yourself. I’ve come up with enough of my own.

big day around here

/ Jo Bird / 1 Comment

Yesterday was the first day of kindergarten. On Monday night Richard and I sat on the couch and wondered out loud about who Cameron would sit with at lunch, would he have any problem finding the restroom, what would he do at recess? After spending nearly all his life in his presence we couldn’t imagine what it would be like having him gone for hours during the day and knowing very little about what took place. (He is a little difficult to extract details from.) This conversation was the perfect set-up for an emotional drop-off the next morning.
Cameron did just fine though. I needn’t have worried. Even Eli wore a giant grin on the way to Cameron’s school, catching wind of Cameron’s excitement. It was a big day for Eli too, he had his first day of pre-school. I wish I could say that he was as brave as Cameron, but he is younger and his personality is different. Hopefully day #2 will go a little better for the Eli-Pie.
In any case, life around here has changed. But I’m looking forward to four hours a week with my little Mira. (Excepting the weeks where I have seven three-year-olds in the house two days for two hours.)

summer 2010 in the books

/ Jo Bird / 4 Comments

Another summer is slipping away. We have watched the corn in the fields around our neighborhood grow taller and taller. It’s a fun way for the boys to observe the passage of time.

At the beginning of the summer I committed to live it up this summer. To swim and picnic and enjoy the sunshine without regret when the days became cool. I can say now that I am completely satisfied with our summer adventures. And the joy of such satisfaction is the way that I can welcome Fall with open arms. Because frankly, I’m exhausted. I’m ready for a slower pace and a daily routine. I’m ready for squash soups and college football Saturdays. And I’m ready to leave a week from tomorrow for a week-long vacation with Richard without children. (I take that back, I’m not exactly ready for that.)

Here is a photo recap of our summer days. It’s enough pictures to make up for months of non-blogging, but only about 2% of the pictures I took all summer.

milestone

/ Jo Bird / 5 Comments

My eldest child will enter the world of public education next week.  He is really scared.  It’s really cute.  But it makes me really worried.   Today we went shopping for his school supplies.  I was so excited.  You know, “bouquets of sharpened pencils.”  But it was a disaster.  Suppose it was an omen for Cameron’s first day of kindergarten?  Or worse, his first year of school? I’m really not this type of mother.

Nearly half of the supplies on the list were sold out.  (Bad timing on my part, all other school districts start before ours.) A few items on the list were not described in a way that allowed me to know just exactly what I was looking for.  We did manage to leave with the large bottle of hand sanitizer, a box of Kleenex and two boxes of crayons.  Unfortunately I had to buy all name brand because the generics were all sold out.  School supplies ain’t cheap. 

This frustration was all compounded by a tired eight-month old and a hungry three year old  Once again bad timing.  I’m sure I’ve read a thousand times in PARENTS magazine not to take your kids shopping during lunch/nap time.  Then there was also the five year old with that nervous energy and expensive taste.  Really?  A lunch box for $19.99? And what if Cameron takes a cartoon lunch box to school only to discover cartoon lunch boxes are not cool.  Because, they’re not.  Well, that is, unless you are in elementary school.   I have to keep reminding myself to think like a five year old. 

Richard tells me that I wouldn’t be disappointed so often if I didn’t have such high expectations.  My original plan was to go out, just me and Cameron, and do his school shopping.  I could put his fears to rest over an ice cream cone, just the two of us.  Then I was made aware that we needed to bring school supplies to the classroom open house, tomorrow.  Unfortunately due to lack of inventory Cameron’s contribution to classrom supplies will be missing half the required items until next week.  I wasn’t about to tackle another store given the circumstances.  If his teacher has a problem with that, I’ll consider homeschool. 

Not really. 

feeling low

/ Jo Bird / 3 Comments

My brother and I were discussing blogs the other day, and their reputation for being narcissistic and sugar-coating life. Blogs often give the impression “Look at me! Look at how great my life is!” While I can not claim that this post isn’t narcisstic (it probably is), I can say for sure that it is honest and real. So I write it while my emotions are fresh and raw.

Today I am having one of those days where it feels like everyone is frustrated with me. It might be that I am just perceiving frustration from some people, but some people have made it clear that they are in fact frustrated.

In the shower I broke down. I allowed myself a few moments to weep in self-pity.

Reading this, I imagine your kind hearts being filled with sympathy for me. Perhaps you can relate because you have felt this way yourself. I appreciate it but I ask this of you. Tuck away your sympathy and save it. Save it for the next time you are frustrated with someone. Imagine them weeping in their shower because they know they have disappointed you, and are therefore frustrated with themself. Then retreive your sympathy, and use it as a catalyst for forgiveness.

Because today it is forgiveness I want.

Miriam’s room

/ Jo Bird / 9 Comments
Well she is eight months old and her bedroom is finally [nearly] done. I still have some purple ribbon to sew around the crib skirt but that is so intimidating to me I’ve been procrastinating it. What I love about this room (besides the fact that it is my favorite color) is all the contributions made by family members. My mom made new cushions for the rocking chair. Sisters Brit, Lori and Adri painted the little birds. And sister-in-law Laura made the little pot of flowers. My mother also pieced and hand-quilted the quilt, which is its own piece of art.