Thank you, Laundry Fairy

We have something around our house called "The Laundry Fairy."

Q-dawg used to wonder if the Laundry Fairy had gone on vacation when the batches got behind, or praised the Laundry Fairy when his laundry was particularly punctual and consistent.

Lately, the Laundry Fairy has been experiencing a few set-backs.  Oh, there is still the usual mystery of where the other sock goes, the missing clothes that turn up in sibling's drawers, and the inevitable lament, "Where is _________?!  I know I put it in the laundry earlier this week!" along with my come-back, "I just cycle through everything that gets down there, so where it can be, I have no idea!"

Soon after getting home from Hungary, we purchased a huge washing machine, large enough to handle pee-d on blankets or puked on pillows.  What a blessing!  We also purchased a dry...-ing rack to go with it :).  With our large loads, we had often comical arrangements of clothes outside behind our house or in our garage, draped on every surface as we tried to get things dry before we needed them.  It was getting particularly challenging as the weather grew colder and it was taking longer to dry out the clothes, but you do what you have to, right?  Replacing everything we gave away/sold before going to Hungary from scratch is not realistic in a simple matter of months, and we were content to use what we had...even if it did take a little longer. :)

Apparently, a real Laundry Fairy was watching.

Last Saturday, we received an anonymous phonecall that we were receiving an anonymous delivery between 10 and 12-noon that day.  The Spirit whispered that I should straighten up the laundry room "just in case"...it is where I had thrown all the toys that were in "time-out" for not being picked up and all our random electronic things and was a bonafide mess.

Sure enough, a drier was delivered to our door and down into the newly-cleaned out room!  I had tears in my eyes as I realized what a blessing it would be during these cold winter months, what a blessing it would be for those shirts that I was having to iron extra from being line dried, what a blessing to realize the speed with which we could get our clothes back!

So, thank you, Laundry Fairy, wherever you are...may we be able to pay it forward in our time.

Look at things around here...

I feel like I am finally able to take care of things that are less than extremely urgent.  Whew.  What a relief!  While there are still so much of the ups and downs in life, I have a great husband, great children, and a Heavenly Father who knows and loves me.  There are so many tiny miracles in my life that add up to so much, if I just look for them.  For instance, getting ill.  Really, I wanted to die, my body hurt so much!  I would be such a wimp if I had something real like cancer.  However, I was sick at a time when Q-dawg was home and could pick up the slack, we had nothing planned, and I could just lay there and feel sick.  It shows how bad it was when "all I have now" is a pounding headache, chills, sinuses stuffed...but I can move, sit up, and exist without every part of my body hurting.  Nasty stuff!  Another blessing, because of the order we had this sickness in, Q-dawg had it first and was very understanding when I couldn't move; Papaya was able to snuggle with me as she started it when I was at my worst, and now that Spooner has it, he is getting the antibodies through nursing from me to help him fight it.  I guess we can find the good in the bad, right?

Hava just asked, "When is Spooner going to grow up?"  Hopefully not too soon!  He still crawls happily around, although he has been standing a lot on his own and taking a few hesitant steps.  Q-dawg and I love to hear the slap, slap of his hands as he crawls from place to place.  He is so cute and mellow still for the most part, although he definitely has opinions about solids!  He nurses almost exclusively still, and, most of the time, I don't mind and really enjoy it.  He will eat Cheerios

Papaya decided that she is not potty-training.  She will faithfully tell me when her diaper is wet or poopy (or take it off and announce that she doesn't have a diaper on).  She likes the pony panties that we got for her, the treats she gets when she does it, but something hasn't clicked yet.  It will, right?  People don't turn 16 and still use diapers?

Papaya just leaned close to Spooner, who is nursing, gave him a soft, sweet kiss and told me, "I love my Zai-boo!"  Adorable.  Papaya's "Nay" (or blanket), is in tatters, but she is gradually accepting her "Oma's Nay" and new "Butterfly Nay," thankfully.  I love to hear her cute little voice and cute little attitude.  While she does keep us hopping with her messes and inquistiveness (like her extensive Sharpy-marker artwork all over our front room doors, floors and walls one Sunday morning when she was home with sick Q-dawg)--all innocent enough!--she also delights us with her sweetness.  Avot has recently taken to inviting Papaya to sleep with her downstairs, whether as a ward against spiders, a comfort to Avot, or a help for me, I am not sure, but Papaya loves it.

Liliputian has really enjoyed her girl's group this semester! They have been learning how to cook and sew.  It is a small group, which Liliputian enjoys.  There have been a couple of unkind things said, but she is learning that she can still be okay even when others say or do things they shouldn't.  Hard lessons, but good ones.  I love to hear Liliputian on the piano or singing, both talents that she is doing well at.  Her nurturing continues to blossom, too.  I can count on her to put almost any child to sleep, and she volunteers to spend hours reading to younger siblings.  She loves playing Pet Shop with the little girls and Legos with the boys...she is just everyone's friend!  For instance, Spooner just reached for her out of my arms, as she lay on the couch opposite me, begging to go to his loving sister.  Now they are both just snuggling and enjoying each other...so sweet!

Lek has had a fun time spending time first at at Mark and Adam's house and then Grandpa and Grandma's house the past week.  He had fun playing games (even if he lost most of them :)...) and watching movies. He loves a party!  His love for social serves him well in the many homeschooling groups that we have and he is fun to be around :).  It is fun to see him have fun with friends and still stay true to who he is.  He is also quite the chef, still.  He made omelettes for Grandma and Grandpa and apparently they were superb.  I keep telling him he should consider being a chef, since he loves to experiment and cook so much.  He has quite the knack!

The Goob has had a lot of fun getting to know new friends this semester. One young man in particular, Tate, has been such a blessing, as the Goob doesn't get to see many of his old friends very often.  They get together and write, plan adventures, and come up with all sorts of cool things!  The raft the Goob got for Christmas plays right into their plans for exploring the pond behind our house this summer...until some well-intending citizen reports them, I'm sure :S.  He spends hours playing pretend with Legos and other figures with the kids downstairs and is really turning into quite the leader.

Time to go make oatmeal for breakfast!

Avot's Christmas Cheer :)

We had a great Christmas!  Even though our main present to the kids (a new trampoline) got lost in shipment and it currently on its way again, they had a great time with their German/Austrian presents from Oma and Opa (including daggers!!), their Hungarian presents from Grandpa and Grandma B (whips, wooden swords, 3-way chess, magic boxes and traditional dolls), and then their presents from each other.  I must have been cold when I was thinking of presents for everyone, because just about everyone on my list got blankets for Christmas this year, including my kids.  I figured that their blankets had made it overseas and back and were a little worse for the wear, so new ones would be in order.

Spooner loves the cars that he and Isaak recieved, and also the Veggie Tale nativity set...so cool!  He sat there, nose firmly pressed to the singing star at the top, enjoying the song.  Love babies!  Hava got a "new" bike with training wheels that Q-dawg has already taken her out twice on.  Legos and Pet Shops were other toys that have been enjoyed since Christmas morning, along with Chugger-dude's remote control car and Star Wars Stratego set (which he wipes out with his car after each game is done).

Unfortunately, I got sick, dreadfully sick on Christmas Eve, and went to bed instead of finishing the blankets.  Fortunately, they were flannel, so the kids could enjoy their unfinished warmth the way they were and most insist that I don't need to do anything else with them.  With my current luck with my new sewing machine, that may be just the way they stay! (Help, mommy :(!!!!)

My darling husband took care of "Christmas prep," getting those last minute presents set out, like the Goob's inflatable raft that I purchased for one dollar at a garage sale and works perfectly!  (He plans to use it on the pond behind our house with his friend this summer.)  Anyway, I crashed and he set up.  I woke up at one point, wondering where he was at, and wandered around the house looking for him.  Fortunately, I didn't find him because he was in the process of setting up a shooting range for the  traditional Hungarian recurve bow that he got for me for Christmas...coolest present ever!
I was well enough in the morning that I could sit up and watch everyone enjoy their presents and even try out the recurve bow a few times.  I nailed the target once right in the middle, but that was definitely the exception and not the rule :).  I look forward to getting better at it!  Apparently, Q-dawg had ordered it from a Hungarian fellow, had it shipped to Budapest, and then a friend who was coming to America on a business trip brought it over with him and Q-dawg met him at the airport.  Wow.  I have the best husband ever.  In fact, when I came out looking for him, he had immaculately cleaned the house in preparation for Christmas morning and I figured that was my amazing gift, but who knew?  Two presents :).

I clothed Q-dawg with warmth for his present: new robe and slippers to go with the new pajamas he got from "Saint Miklas" earlier this month. It makes me happy to see him warm :).

Avot had a great time getting ready for Christmas this year.  She got around 50 presents ready for friends and family, some still to be delivered.  (Papaya has been unwrapping them almost as fast as she has wrapped them...which is why I put all of our wrapped Christmas presents on the shelf above the front closet by the door.  Poor Avot!  She was so patient with Papaya.) Avot has been able to earn money with her jobs and was quite generous.  She gave me a sweet Willow Tree angel and her father a song adapted by her and sung to him by Avot, Lek, and the Goob:

(to the tune of "The Mighty Quinn")

Come all without! Come all within! You'll not see nothin' like my daddy, Quinn! *repeat* 

Everybody's building lots of homes 

But how much are they worth? Nobody truly knows 

Everybody's in despair! All who buy and sell. 

But when Quinn the Appraiser gets here!  

The contract's gonna end up real swell 

Chorus 

All the winds are blowin' East and West. 

Leaves are fallin' in the yard, the lawn is overdressed. 

Everybody's in despair! All the flowers, too. 

But when Quinn the Hard Worker gets here 

You can bet he's gonna see us through! 

Chorus 

All the kids are runnin' wild leavin' everything a mess. 

The young adults 're emotional, and Mama's getting' stressed. 

Everybody's in despair! Every girl and boy! 

But when Quinn the Priesthood-Man gets here 

Everybody's gonna jump for joy! 

Chorus

Avot also shared a couple poems with her friends, along with one she composed herself.  I think we posted it last year, but it bears repeating.

Love this girl.  Just like her father in so many ways :).

Paul's Christmas Tragedy

Listen, my children, and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of 8 reindeer.

In the month of December (25)

A fat, old man gets in to drive.

In a sleigh all filled with boats and toys

(Enough for all the girls and boys)

This fat, old man-all dressed in red-

Sets a white cap on his head.

He picks up reins, and waves good-bye

To all his elves,  and Miss Sweetie-pie.

Then he calls out his same old call

“Go Dasher, Go Dancer, get up with you all!

Prancer and Vixen don’t think of stopping.

Comet and Cupid! What are you dropping?!

Donner and Blitzen, keep going strong,

We’re gonna be flying all the night long.”

The deer all sigh as they pass the moon

The fat man and presents made burdens not boons.

Each one of them wanted their own Christmas present.

They thought that a carrot would surely be pleasant

That’s all they thought of at their 1^st stop

In London, on one of those brick-red roof-tops.

They considered the orang-ness of carrots supreme

As they left 15 presents for the small Dutch Queen.

In Egypt they wondered how carrots would grow.

They also were baffled at the lack of snow.

As they doubled the Cape they ran into a storm.

But that was alright, that was the norm.

As Russians ran out to receive all their favors

The ung’lates thought only of delicious flavors

They thought of them all the way down to Nepal,

Where they nearly hit a big mountain called Saul.

The orange trees that grew all over Japan

Made the reindeer go dizzy, their heads really swam.

All over the ocean the reindeer were hungry.

All over the water their tummies were grumbly.

They thought that they were all going to die 

From the hunger they felt as they passed through  Lehi

At old Honduras, where they had ceased

They thought they‘d give up and just "Rest In Peace".

But no, they first must visit Brazil

Then over to Scotland for the last unfill.

They wearily flew back up to the North

They could barely keep their hooves moving forth.

But they finally made it, although thy had doubted

Into the fine house the fat, old man shouted,

“Hey, dear, we’re back! And, boy, what a ride!

I landed smack dab on each roof that I spied.

Each house that we went to had cookies galore!

I ate and unloaded, which was no great chore.

There was something funny, I must confess,

On each of the plates was some sort of orange mess.

Don’t know what it was, but I left it down there,

And whisked up the chimney with soot in my hair.”

The reindeer all heard this, and sighed a great sigh.

“Looks like grass again boys.”  But then the deer died.

Shall I stay or shall I go...

One of the delights of living with Q-dawg has been an ever-expanding internal repertoire of music.  Almost every situation in life has a phrase that goes with a song...just as my darling husband :).

The above phrase not only is a song (feel free to not go to the link :)...), but was a very real dilemma to me this last weekend.

Last week I had either a broken nose or an infection in the nose that caused my face to swell in an unsightly way.  I had no idea how much pride I had in what appearance I do have until the time came for me to go somewhere looking like I did :S.  How many times have I told my kids and others that it doesn't and shouldn't matter?  Countless.  Now it was time to practice what I preached so many times.

I should have grabbed a picture but the phone/camerawas either always missing, conveniently not charged, or I was "too busy."  Really, was planning on it.  I reminded myself of the distorted picture put on billboards in Hungary by the anti-semitic factions of the government of the little Jewish kid...either that or a Klingon from my childhood days of watching Star Trek with my dad.

Really...swallow your pride woman.

I have recently read a book called "Star Girl" that hit home during this time: a painfully beautiful book about being yourself, about how others will think what they want no matter what you do, and how you can try and please them, but what matters in the end is being true to who and what you are...at least that was my take-home message.  Read it.  Awesome.

I thought about Star Girl, going into that high school lunchroom, being herself, talking and being the way she felt right about being, and not letting others get her down or get in her way.

I thought about Stephanie Nielson, and how she was so depressed about how she was misshapen and then how she finally determined "I am not my body!" and kept going.  And then I thought about people that are born not pretty...mightent it not be harder to not be able to hold onto the comfort of having been beautiful once, as in the case of those born with physical deformities or abnormalities? I mean, what if someone started a blog about "Hey!  I was born ugly and I am okay with that!  Look at what else my life if full of!"

Now, don't get me wrong, I love and am completely inspired by Stephanie and her story...like I said, it just got me thinking.

So I went: to choir, to church, to our ward party, to Q-dawg's work party...all with some type of obvious physical facial blemish. I was amazed at how ugly I felt with it and how much I let it affect how I acted at times: cold, distant.

The kids, bless their hearts, said things like, "oh, I didn't even notice" (is that a good thing :)?).  They are sweet.  I used it for our lesson in Primary on Sunday, along with watching Mr. Kruegar's Christmas, a man who is just a little different.  The kids brought in some great examples of hard social situations and how we can act more like Christ in them.

Great learning experience.

A follow-up from this morning's devotional, Lek made a cool comparison in our reading of "Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree."  We had just finished it, with the final lines about how the mouse's tree was "just like Mr. Willoughby's" and Pipalicious called out, "hey!  look!  the Christmas tree ended up where it started!"  Lek sat up and said something like, "That's like us leaving heaven, when the treetop was originally cut off, then we go down to earth, making a difference in lots of places (and I added that we also are trimmed and shaped by others), and then we return to Heavenly Father to look and be more like Him."   I love it when my kids come to devotional with their thinking caps on!!  Old and young...all can learn from "kid's" stories :).

And we can do it all, moving forward despite physical abnormalities, handicaps, ignorance, short-comings...

...and, like in the situation of the blind man, sometimes our shortcoming are not there because we nor our parents sinned, but that "the works of God may be made manifest" with no excuses.  So I can still go to Primary in a very appearance-conscious ward and have the spirit? I can still keep trying despite exhaustion, shirking responsibilities, miscommunicating, offending, eating lots of chocolate,...etc?  And it just might be so that God can work His miracles and people can say, "Well, if she can do it with all those problems and short-comings, maybe, just maybe, I might be enough to do God's will as well?"

I need to run...baby sad and needin' me, but wanted to include this link from a friend that points out some of the benefits and blessings that maybe my family will be (and not just a burden to society) because and not just "in spite" of our numbers :):

The Blessing of BIG!

A little strange...

It has been a strange week, with my baby throwing up at least once a day, getting the keys (both sets) to both the car and the building we are rehearsing in LOCKED into the car 15 minutes before dress rehearsal, and then just "the usual"...like continually clogging toilets. :)  Whew!  These plays with my kids in it definitely turn out well because the amazingness of the kids really shines and not because of anything I have all together :)!

So, back to strange...

Last night as the older kids and Q-dawg headed out to our church youth activity, the younger kids and I did a "blitz" clean of the kitchen.  Liliputian was particularly wonderful at cleaning as she has a lot of staying power.  Pipalicious put all the ground beef roll-ups in bags, and Hava brought stuff over from the table. (Incidently, when I told Q-dawg later that night that the kids had all helped, Q-dawg was suitably impressed and positive with each one.  When he came to Papaya, she said clearly, "I didn't help."  "You didn't?" Q-dawg replied, smiling.  "Nope!  Mom spanked my bum and I went to bed," she reported happily.  Hmmmm...I didn't remember that part of the evening :).  Her 3 year old sense of "today" is still a little loose.  When she does her "report for the day to dad" like the other kids at the dinner table, she informs us faithfully that she has, apparently, gone to "Aspyn's and Sophy's house" sometime in that day...every day.  Hmmmm again :).)

Chugger-dude headed up the sweeping, which, for him, almost always involves making a train of chairs along the side of the kitchen.  I caught him mid-way in our cleaning process at the "head of a train," with all his little sisters excitedly "riding" behind him. 

"How's the sweeping going, Chugger-dude?" I asked.

"I'm helping work by distracting the little girls," he cheerfully replied, confident that he was doing just what needed to be done :).

"Ummm...I think they can get distracted enough on their own, Chugger-dude, but thanks :).  Why don't you finish sweeping and take this garbage out."  He cheerfully obliged in his Chugger-dude way, and the work went on.

I then recruited Pipalicious to sit on the counter-tops (a normal taboo) to help dry the dishes while Chugger-dude came over the pitch in help after doing the other things.  The little girls were still happily "helping" distract each other on the train, while Spooner crawled around.  (Yep, one year old and still content to crawl...and I'm content to let him :).)

The kids had worked hard and happily, knowing our schedule:
-finish dinner clean-up
-drink vinegar and honey
-do a CORE work-out
-have hot chocolate

So, onto vinegar and honey!  This is a concoction my dad remedies himself with whenever he starts getting a cold, and Chugger-dude's throat was a little scratchy at our dress rehearsal today, so I thought we should do it. Apparently, all the kids, from Liliputian on down seem to love it too :).  So, I faithfully got a huge dollop of honey into their cups, filled it with some scalding hot water, and added just a smidge of vinegar, since I don't know that they like it too strong.  For mine, I added a smidge of mint, a healthy dose of vinegar (apple cider...my favorite!), and then a sprinkle of cheyenne hot red pepper.  I heard that it also helps, although my "sprinkle" was more like three or four sprinkles.  Ooops!  It didn't burn going down (that was the honey at work) but wow! My head sure did clear up fast!

Core work-out was a riot with all the kids doing it with me.  Bridges, V-sits, push-ups, lunges...you name it, we did it!  We didn't have a timer, so we just counted out loud and sang, so I am not sure how accurate it was, but we all felt our muscles afterward and were assured that we had done great work :).  We have a new policy in our home that if you don't exercise, you don't get treats. Simple enough, right? It has been amazing how excited and dedicated they are to exercising now :).

While I was downstairs, Q-dawg and the others arrived back home, so the kids went upstairs without me.  A few minutes later, Hava came down informing me that Pipalicious had a cup of hot chocolate ready for me or Liliputian.   Apparently, my little 7-year-old can do that by herself?  No problem with initiative here at my house...which is not always such a good thing :).  But it sure can be cute!
**************************
 Another "little strange"...

We took the Goob to the city council meeting for a date night at 7 a couple nights ago, thinking it would just be an hour or less....

Three hours later, after a call from home saying Spooner was sad and with business at the city council building almost wrapped up, we headed home. Sorry, the Goob...no ice cream that night (although we did make up for it and go another night :)...)  However, there were some interesting things going on, and the Goob seemed to enjoy a lot of it. Some of the parts were boring...the parts he didn't understand...but there was definitely some feistiness happening there :).