MARCHING OUT

Springy
I love Spring. Don't I? Actually, I really do, though it doesn't always love me.

Back to Seminary after Spring Break, we're also back to walking around the park. The trees are all in glorious bloom. The Bradford pears (non-fruiting) are most abundant, full of white blossoms. When the wind blows (and when doesn't it?), they scatter petals like confetti everywhere! The redbuds are opening up, too, covered in clouds of dusty pink. They even impress Jonathan, who doesn't usually comment on trees. Happy trees!

Misty morning

Mirrored beauty

Blossoms!

One of two herons at the park. Mating pair?

The birds are all out and crazy. Even in the pre-dawn hours of Seminary, I can hear their chirps and calls. They also seem to be pairing up. I hope this means we'll see babies in the next month or so!

The squirrels and skunks are emboldened this time of year, too. You can imagine the smells that waft around town and I cringe with every dog barking..."Is that a skunk you're annoying?" Too, is the increase of roadkill. I don't know how anyone can hit so small a target, but those squirrels are easy marks. And, from experience, dead skunks are no less stinky!

And...allergies. Poor Analiese is really suffering, either sniffling and sneezing or coughing. I've not been too bad. Sometimes my chest tightens a little, but my inhaler takes care of that quickly. Maybe those shots HAVE been helping!

Missionary Endeavors

I am still new enough around town to not really have a lot of non-member contacts to talk to about the Gospel. But, with Ken as Branch Mission Leader, I have lots of contacts with the sister missionaries and do what I can to help.

First, obviously, is the weekly dinner. We do it Thursdays so that Ken can meet with them in his calling capacity right afterward. That way they don't have to go down to the Church and meet...and worry about another person (probably me) to be there to make sure it's all Kosher.  I feel rather motherly to these girls and prejudiced towards them, having been a sister missionary myself. I try to give them the love and encouragement their mothers would want them to have. And I feed them well. Of course.

I also went this week with them to visit a new member over at USAO. I've gotten to know her better lately since she's been called to be an assistant chorister in the Branch. She's a music major, so she probably knows more about that stuff than me. I told her to correct me when needed. I'm a self-taught sort-of organist/pianist. We had a lovely talk about the Restoration of the Church. Teaching Doctrine & Covenants this year has given me lots of insight on that!

Then, Sunday, I picked up two other gals at USAO for Church. They are currently studying with the sisters. They were both really nice and open. Jonathan, who couldn't go to the YSA Ward because Ken had the car, had come with us and they all seemed to get along nicely. That's good, in case they ever want to go to the ward in Norman, they'll know someone!

VIP Slowdown

I expected it. Break is over and my early mornings are back at Seminary. I have lots of requests and interests in my morning hours for teaching. Ken says it should make me feel good. Yes, and somewhat wistful. But Seminary is a priority. And summer break will be here in a month and a half. I can wait. However, I have no idea when I will ever sleep in again!

It wasn't complete desolation. I had four lessons to teach on Saturday, which before Spring Break I would have thought as a great bounty. I can teach all age - I'm pretty flexible - but those little ones are often cute and funny. No translation necessary!

Did you know that I taught 19 classes in March? And 15 of those were during Spring Break? Also, parents can give feedback. They can award up to five "apples" and have comments they can choose from (previously translated) to let you know how you are doing. Not all parents give feedback, but currently have seven parents give feedback...and they are all five apples!

Here's some clips from the company of me teaching last week. They apparently appreciate my sense of humor, because some were goofy. Especially one when I had to wait for IT issues to be resolved. Yes, I'm wearing (very) red lipstick so kids can see my lips better when trying to figure out how to sound things. And yes, you can hear some of the kids in the background!

Conference & Temple

Oklahoma is all abuzz with excitement. First, General Conference is this weekend and I'm sure President Nelson will not disappoint us. There will be things to thrill and inspire! Our talks in church today were about personal revelation and we were challenged to delve deep into Conference. As if I wouldn't! I would not miss a session if possible. Though, I may be a little late next Saturday, because Analiese will probably have work at 11 a.m....

We're also so excited to have our OKC Temple back again. It won't open for work until the end of May, but at the end of April-first part of May we are having an Open House. We've reserved tours, made plans and this Sunday, were invited to participate by serving: cleaning, ushering, putting on shoe covers, whatever! They estimate 20,000 people come to visit during the week of the Open House!

Other Things
I've been busy, but that's pretty normal. To be honest, things have done that. Gone back to normal. School, work, Church. That's life.

Here's some life pics:

Analiese drew on the chalkboard for me in Seminary. Lots of roots!

PomPom, the intrepid

Cuddle Bun Time!

Chinese Whirlwind

VIP Frenzy
So, even though it was Spring Break, I only got to sleep in on Monday. I have VIPKid classes to teach all the other mornings. Ah, well.

Tuesday, I had my first two back-to-back classes. The first was a sweet and talkative girl. Teacher notes said she likes Hello Kitty, so I had reward slides that revealed Hello Kitty. She loved it! She even showed me a picture of Hello Kitty that she had colored. We had a great lesson, she was really trying to have a conversation! The second class was a boy who didn't seem too excited to be there...at first. But he liked my "feed the monster" reward and even laughed at my "full belly" impression. He also got a kick out of my impression of a Dad - muscle flexing and saying "Dad" in a deep voice. Plus, every time I gave him a star, he was so cute. "Thank you, teacher!" So polite!

Wednesday I had two back-to-back classes again, but the first one ended up being canceled twenty-two minutes in because of IT issues. I sat there the whole time trying to get the video or sound to work, but the problem was on the China end, according to their "firemen" (their term for IT people). So I don't get docked for it since it wasn't on my side!

The second class was a unit assessment, not my favorite to do. The girl seemed to be in a terrible rush to "get this over." She read too quickly and made mistakes I'm pretty sure she didn't need to do.

Thursday...more back to backs. The first girl - another assessment - seemed distracted and bored. She wanted to bounce on her bed more than do class. She did fine, though.  The second was a jewel - four or five years old, she was bouncy and full of fun! Her mother sat beside her to keep her on track...can you say squirrel? She was adorable and giggly.

Friday morning I was only supposed to have one lesson at seven, but awoke to find I had a short notice booking at seven-thirty. She was great, too! She was twelve and only beginning, but boy, did she want to talk! We did manage to get through the lesson, but had a lot of extension (which the parents love, by the way). She told me all about school, what she likes to study, her favorite sports to play, how much she loves eating and what she loves to eat! I was so touched when, at the end and we were saying goodbye, she said, "I love you teacher." I'm a mush-mellow!

I had two classes in the evening as well. I had another giggly girl who wanted to connect with her teacher. We were talking about the concepts of "light" and "heavy," and she caught on quickly. She brought out toys to show me she understood. Also, we talked about rain as a noun and a verb. When I opened my umbrella up behind me, she busted out laughing. She thought I was hilarious. At the lesson's end, she spelled my name out on the screen. I would love to teach this kid every time!

Saturday, I had a morning class - a repeat student - and an evening class. Except my evening class canceled at the last moment. I was up on the computer, props and rewards ready, orange shirt and red lipstick on (they have to be able to see my mouth to help them pronounce hard words) and sitting ready to go when I got the message. Oh well. I don't lose out, though. Cancellations under 24 hours don't penalize me.

So, I started with only five bookings on Monday, and ended up teaching (sort of) twelve classes. I was amazed how it kept growing and growing. I was really tired, but satisfied that, finally, I had done some serious teaching.

My ice cream reward was very popular!

The downside is priority booking requests. I've had seven students come back and ask to have me again...in the morning. I can't; Spring Break is over and Seminary starts up again Monday. It breaks my heart because I really enjoy it and I'm a softy for these kids. I drafted a little note explaining my situation that I sent to the parents when I turned down their request. I let them know when I was available and encouraged them to book then, if they could. So far, I have one for a week from next Saturday. Ah, well, my commitment to Seminary comes first and there are great blessings for that. I'm sure things will all eventually work out as more students who can do the times I'm available find me.

Did I Do Anything on Spring Break Besides Teach?
Sure. I spent one day vacuuming and shampoo-cleaning our sofa. Rabbits and people sit on it and do whatever. It needed it. It was a bubbly, messy proposition, but it came out looking and smelling nicely.

I made an apple pie with apples that needed using one day. We served that to the sister missionaries at dinner on Thursday. I also made homemade cheddar biscuits to go with oven "fried" chicken we had for dinner Saturday. That was messy - both the biscuits and the chicken! There was flour and buttermilk (soaked the chicken in it) all over. Poor Analiese was up for KP!

On Wednesday evening, Analiese and I accompanied Ken over to the Church. There were no youth activities scheduled for Spring Break, but one of my Seminary students had received his mission call and they were having a party for him to open the email!

They had us all guess first where his call would be.

There were guesses far and wide! I guessed Seoul, Korea, because I know how nervous he was about going foreign and having to learn a new language. When he opened the email he found out...

Raleigh, North Carolina! English-speaking...which pleased him greatly. I joked that I hadn't prayed hard enough for him to have a foreign language to learn!

Thursday Analiese had a little soirée for some of her friends from Church and from the musical. Only three came, but it was a fun group. Analiese, a good little hostess, provided pizza and drinks and baked cookies for her guests. They played games, gabbed a good bit and...played with Legos. Yes, 14-16 year-old girls were playing Legos. Mind, it was more of a drama involving Lego people with Analiese videotaping. These girls were funny. One girl from the musical who I hadn't met before, was particularly amusing. I think Analiese's first get-together group was a success.

Did I get a lot of rest? Well...I took naps when I could, but I was super tired. Plus, my eyes got itchy and strained. I would sit down and cover my eyes to rest them from time to time. Or, I'd use an idea I picked up in a workshop: I had two spoons in the freezer and would place them on my eyes to reduce bagginess in the morning and to help calm down the strain.

To be honest, the week got busier than I expected, so it was not all what I had planned. I got some extra cleaning done, like the sofa, but not as much as I had wanted. But I cannot complain, I got all those extra bookings and lots of experience!

BLOW THE (WO)MAN DOWN!

Ick & Sick
Coming down from the "high" of theater life last week took a toll on us. Well, on me and Analiese. She started the week off not feeling well and I soon followed. Oh, if only THIS week was spring break!

By Wednesday, I was out for the count. The allergens in the air were awful, not to mention the 65 mph+ winds that blew everything into my lungs. In Seminary, there were three of us passing the Kleenex box around the table. Insane!

I authorized "sick" naps for my daughter and I. A sick nap, as opposed to a normal nap, is an unlimited time nap. Generally, I only allow an hour for a normal nap: anything more than that does more harm than good, makes you too groggy, etc. But a sick nap is different. Your body needs to rest and recuperate so it's no holds barred. Sleep it out. We'd come home from Seminary and crash for an hour or two before moving on to lessons and chores and stuff.

By Thursday I was begging my husband for a priesthood blessing. I could not go through Seminary, not to mention VIPKids, without getting over this thing and FAST! He is always willing and able and the Lord helped me greatly. By Friday evening, I felt much better...I even went to the movies with my family! And Saturday, a horrendously busy day, was fairly sinus-gunk free!

They Call the Wind...Devastating
The weathermen called it...terrible winds coming. No, not tornadoes. But no little princesses, either. Wednesday was full of tearing, howling winds that caused damage all across the state. Our home here faired fine, but a portion of the Altus house fence was knocked down. Our Altus PM said there are branches, shingles, and fences down all over there.

I was surprised not to see too many tree branches down in Chickasha, and only a few bits of siding or shingles. However, Jonathan came home to report that the Walgreen's sign next to the store came down - at least the top half! That thing is big around, too, about three times the width of a telephone pole! Luckily, it fell at 2:30 a.m., with no one around and didn't fall on the building or in the parking lot. It fell the other way and - no so luckily - pulled out power lines. What a mess! I did notice they fixed that quickly!

Driving was a little tricky, too. In the Honda, low to the ground, we didn't feel it so much, but in the van.... It pushed! Jonathan said a Walgreen's truck came with deliveries and was glad his next stop was to fill up the empty truck! An empty truck in these winds is as good as a kite!

VIPKid Blitz
Coming off of Chinese NY, the kids there start up a new school semester. That also means they start looking for out-of-school classes and tutors. It means the scheduling goes nuts! This week didn't get too crazy, I ended up only teaching two kids on Saturday evening, but... next week!

Well, part of it is me. Next week is Spring Break: no school, no Seminary. So, I opened up my morning slots...not my usual. And I have bookings! Two on Tuesday, and one each on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. All in the morning, around 7 or 7:30.  This is great except...the next week I go back to Seminary. So it's not like I can make regulars out of them at that time. I'm really not free to do morning classes - the most requested times - until the summer.

I spent a lot of time this week working on those lessons for this weekend and next week. I reviewed the slides, looking at the words, sentences, phonics, grammar, math (yes, sometimes!) and what props and rewards I would need. I've never had this many before, so this was quite a job! As I do more, I'm sure it'll go more smoothly. Still, I had to scrounge a few things around the house (an apple, an egg - plastic Easter egg) and make a few as well (a mouse puppet, a kite).

Also, there's a FB group that uses Google Slides for either rewards or props with pictures and gifs. I show them on a tablet through the laptop camera. I use a combination of them all. And, yes, the parents expect it!

My Saturday classes almost didn't happen. I had issues between the VIPKid PC App and my headphones & camera. I was freaking out! I exited the program and got back in, but was late for my first class. Ouch! That'll be a deduction - they're sticklers for punctuality! But the boy (9 yo) was great! At first, he seemed to act like this is going to be boring, but I pulled him out of it. I have these "funny face" cards that fit around my nose and I use them as rewards for good work. He seemed to like those. Also, we talked about tigers and their claws and he got into the spirit of miming ripping claws! We were learning about horses's hooves and fish fins, so I asked him (extending my lesson) if a horse would eat a tiger or a tiger eat a horse! He laughed, growled and said a tiger would eat a horse and proceeded to mime it! So the lesson started off horribly, but ended great!

My second class was a 6 yo girl who's just starting out. She was very cute...she showed me her Dino doll (Dino is the VIPKid mascot) and her stuffed animal penguin. I showed her my cow puppet...Cow and Dino greeted each other. She was very wiggly, understandably, but proudly told me her whole name (Chinese) and it wasn't too hard for me to say! Still, being super-new, she's learning. We didn't get through everything because she had a hard time saying classroom and playground (that one was the worst!). Plus, she's just parroting at this point and didn't answer my questions, only repeated them. It was fun, but also very tiring. I hope she got something out of it!

St. Pat's & RS Birthday
March is the month of St. Patrick's Day, but also the Relief Society Birthday. I just happened to celebrate them both in the same week!

St. Pat's is Sunday, but the sister missionaries come to dinner on Thursday, so I made stew with lots of potatoes and homemade Shamrock Shakes for dessert. The girls were thrilled! Ken hadn't been pleased with the McD's shakes - he says they changed the recipe - but he liked my version very much. It's really not hard - vanilla ice cream, milk, mint (NOT peppermint) extract, green food coloring, Ready Whip, and green sugar sprinkles!

The RS birthday dinner was Saturday - in between everything I had to do! We had a salad bar dinner, a presentation on being ready to go to the OKC temple when it reopens in May (recommitting to attending frequently), and a lovely cake made by a very talented sister in the Branch. And it tasted as good as it looked!

MARY POPPINS

Showtime!

This week was all dress rehearsals and performances as Mary Poppins came and went. It was a crazy, whirlwind week (kind of glad I had no VIPKid classes) with little sleep and lots of running around. But as of this (Sunday) evening...IT'S OVER!

They had their first show (pre-show? I don't know) on Wednesday. The high school teachers are usually invited for a free showing and our YW Pres is one of them...so she brought the rest of YW along. It was a good way for them to show support to two of their girls!

Thursday was the first public performance, but I didn't get out there until Friday. Analiese had asked me if I would help in the concessions booth either Thursday or Friday. Thursday is our missionary night (we serve them dinner & Ken meets with them), so I chose Friday.

Jowls and all...I was volunteer for an evening!

We kept pretty busy, selling popcorn, pretzels, cookies,

Sugar cookies from a local bakery. Cute!

candy, and drinks. I did not go look in on the performance, though, because I was saving that for Saturday.

Saturday, Ken, Jonathan & I went as audience, not volunteers.

Waiting for the show to begin

It's a small theater that the company has been refurbishing for 25 years little by little. It was a fun show and the kids were cute. Their Bert & George Banks were both excellent singers and the gal who did the Bird Woman had a lovely voice. Mary Poppins looked properly prim and slightly amused. Analiese looked...a little nervous.

Supercali Number

Though, she did a great job with her two lines as Katie Nana.

Katie Nana or Greta Garbo?

At the end, as we met the cast in the lobby, I asked the kids as I went through: "Did you have fun doing the show?" That was the important thing.

Analiese & friend Savannah (cast & Church)

Mom & her little actress!

The last performance was this afternoon. They struck the set and went to a local church to have their cast party. Analiese is understandably exhausted. All this week, after Seminary, I encouraged her to go back to bed for a nap before starting school work. She may still need a nap or two in the days to come!

Will she do it again? I don't know. I think she liked it...but didn't like being so busy or so tired. The company got wind that I had a little theater experience and were trying to pull me in to help with Lion King Jr. in August. I highly doubt I could spare the time to do that. I have three good reasons:

1. Seminary - starts right back up in August. Early Seminary mornings don't mix well with late rehearsal nights.
2. VIPKid - I should be (pray) well established by then and will (hopefully) be teaching in the evenings.
3. EPIC tutoring. Not in the night, but enough to keep me busy, I hope. Just when am I supposed to get everything else done?

PH - My Theater Memories

Some people know, some people don't, and some people can believe it when I tell them: I am a bit of a dramatist. Not a drama queen, I don't flaunt it, but I have a few tricks that suggest I may have been involved with the stage a time or two.

I've been in, written, and directed skits and roadshows ever since I was a kid. In high school, we didn't at the time have a drama club, but we had Madrigals and they put on performances. I managed to finagle an act or two of my own in them. When I was in the Church Sorority (Lambda Delta Sigma), I wrote the skits for Rush Week. Plus, at first, I was a theater major.

Really? Yep. But my emphasis was on directing, not acting. Some will say I am bossy. I do like to be in charge, in control. I had to take all kinds of theater classes, acting, costuming, etc. And as a theater major, I had to work on one production per semester. My first - and only - semester in the theater I worked backstage as the prop manager for the production of "Chicago." Why did I change? How could English be any more glamorous than theater? It isn't, but for a fresh, naive eighteen-year-old, it was safer. The immoral shenanigans going on back stage had me toting my brother along to help keep me safe. That is, until another friend on the set noticed and kept an eye on me after that. I was just too anxious and immature to handle it. Now, I'd probably be the terror of the set, keeping everyone on their toes!

Still, I love performances and performing. I studied Shakespeare as both literature and drama and my favorite performance class was Oral Interpretation of Children's Literature. I've read the part of Winnie-the-Pooh and been a Scottish farmer explaining the killing of the Jabberwocky! When I took my acting class, as part of my grade I had to audition for the Director's Theater. I did so, but mentioned I had no interest in performing, but was only doing it for my class. At "Tartuffe" that evening, a couple of the directing students approached me and asked why I wouldn't perform. They had liked my audition!

Fast forward to now...as a mother I've performed mainly for my children, reading stories and regaling them with tales and experiences. The dramatist comes out, from time to time, for various church events, or, even now, in my VIPKid teaching. I've had workshop mentors comment on it. One, who's an actor and television celeb in Thailand, mentioned that he could see my theatrical abilities. Okay...I'm a ham. It's kind of fun...and I still like to be in control!

IT'S OVER!

Celebration Time
Seriously, Chinese New Year made a wreak out of me. For the whole month of February I didn't get a single booking. Zip. Zilch. Nada. I was freaking out. As a newbie in her second month, I kept wondering what I did/didn't that I should/shouldn't have. I thought all the time, effort and money poured in to getting me started was a waste. I hate boondoggles and I was terrified that I had fallen into one!

But by Wednesday, I had a booking for Saturday evening. Talk about breathing a sigh of relief. I have no experience with a month-long holiday and I felt a palpable relaxing of my muscles. I had taken workshops every week, worked on my new video (outlining, storyboarding), and just prayed a lot. So when I got the message I had a class, I think I nearly swooned

Also, on Saturday, I went to OKC for a VIPKid Meet-and-Greet for local teachers.

Only OU/OSU fans will understand the name.

An old piano repurposed with a large glass top and stools. Kind of cool!

I wasn't the furthest to come, there were two from Fort Sill/Lawton area. They are thinking of having their own and I said if they did, I'd go. It's no further from me than the city.

It was a nice group, about eight of us and I wasn't the only newbie. Though I did get a compliment... someone said I spoke as if I was a seasoned teacher! Nope, I've just attended a LOT of workshops. LOL. I know what to expect, sort of. If only it would happen. The nice thing was, they all acknowledged how awful February is for bookings every year. The ones who'd been around for at least a year seem to keep super busy, so I felt encouraged. They said it just takes time. A lot of them work mainly with regulars, because they have so many. Nice!

So, we talked about bookings, certifications, terrible students, amazing students, our favorite workshops, working with the company, etc. And...we had goodies! I snagged a couple of stickers and a Dino button, plus I won a pencil  case in the raffle!

Cute VIPKid Stuff!

They were raffling off a Dino stuffed animal that I coveted, but I didn't get it. One day...I will have a Dino!

My class was great...except my tech didn't want to work. We had to deal with my laptop camera (so-so) because my good camera didn't want to turn on (something about it connecting with the laptop) but other than that, it went smoothly. My student was adorable! She gave me a different name than was on the record, but was so sweet and responsive. She laughed at my antics and even sometimes joined in. She was also very smart. This was a basic, beginner Level 2 and this is only her 15th class, but she read well, knew her English numbers through fifteen and sped through the lesson! So much so, that I had to scramble to find things for her to do to fill out the time. She sang with me, laughed with (and at) me, and was an absolute delight. I wouldn't mind having her as a regular at all!'

It's Cold
Okay, it's not Alaska cold, but still. We had a misty day Wednesday where the weather hovered on freezing. No walking there, because no umbrella could keep off the wet, cold cloud surrounding us!

It's been hard to keep the house warm enough, too. The back area, where the rabbits are, is an add-on and isn't connected to the heating/cooling system. So, we leave the door open. This makes the heater work harder and the dining room/desk area/laundry were all chilly. Friday was so bad I wore my winter coat instead of just a jacket or sweater!

A "big" ice and snow storm was supposed to come Saturday night into Sunday. Maybe there was a little rain, but in the morning I saw no evidence of any of it. The only thing they got right was the temperature. Freezing. 24 degrees, feels like eight. BRR. They say Monday morning will be 19 degrees. Somehow, I don't think we'll be walking that morning. Can you say Momsicle?

Seminary
The amazing can happen in Seminary (well, anywhere) when you open yourself up to the Spirit . Totally off-topic, a student asked me about my husband's marriage proposal. We were pretty much done so I told the story - it's a little funny - but felt impressed to talk about our day at the temple being sealed. The Spirit was so strong, confirming and witnessing that day's events that I openly wept. (I try not to get overly emotional in class, I don't think it helps and just embarrasses the kids) The lesson I'd prepared was okay, but the Spirit's lesson was WAY better!

I also spent the last two days of the Seminary week interviewing kids. I asked someone to sub in the classroom while I took the kids aside - one-by-one - to just talk. I'd felt impressed to do this some time ago and after the "Evening with a General Authority" fireside a couple weeks ago, I felt the desire grow even greater. I won't share what they shared with me, but I'll just tell you. I know what I did needed to be done. Plus, I got to enjoy their great spirits individually. Yes, even Analiese, who I think was like, "We are alone all the time." But I couldn't be partial, this was official!

Domesticity
With all these exciting things, I'm sure you wonder how I get anything done at home. I do...in between and at quiet times.

I actually pulled out my sewing machine Tuesday and mended some clothing. Just seams split apart, nothing earth-shattering. I do have a pair of knit fabric compression gloves that have sprung holes, but I don't know how to darn! The sewing machine is not equipped for that!

Also, I made peanut-butter and chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to for the sister in the Branch who clips the rabbits' claws and won't charge me for it. (She runs a grooming business) I questioned her son, a student of mine, for her favorite. I know she loves peanut butter...her son regales us with tales of them fighting over jars of it!  I also gave some to the sister who subbed for me in Seminary and served some to the sister missionaries when they came to dinner on Saturday. The rest (I doubled the batch and made about four dozen) aren't completely gone, yet. Jonathan and I enjoy them too much!

Ken & I visited the new Aldi's that opened up in town. He wasn't impressed, but Jonathan went there earlier (it's practically next door to Walgreens) and had purchased some grapes that were really good. I liked their produce...a great improvement to Walmart's. I will do some price comparison and may just stop there first on shopping days before heading to Walmart (about a block away). I didn't go when it opened two weeks ago, though, to avoid the crazy crowds.

OUT AND ABOUT

SITTING BABIES
I spent two afternoons over at my MS's home to watch kids for her so she could rest. The first day was just with the toddler, who got grumpy, fell asleep in my arms, and slept for an hour until her siblings came home from school. Easy peasy.

Friday, the mom thought I didn't need to come because the kids didn't have school and the oldest could watch the others, but I left the offer open. A few hours into her day, she said, "Maybe you'd better come." Probably a good idea.

I was kept very busy. The day before I read my book and relaxed. With all the kids (five, not counting the baby), I had my hands full. They had been given a cookie-decorating kit. So we did that first. Then they "took turns" watching movies and TV programs. It took some persuading to get them to not only take turns, but be good sports about it when it WASN'T their turn!

The toddler, this time, couldn't be persuaded to fall asleep in my lap. She threw an outright, won't-stop fit until the mom suggested she come in the room with her and nap. Then I offered the toddler an ultimatum: she had to quit crying to be with Mom and Baby. Worked.

Now it was four kids, but the two younger girls were a handful, especially the younger. On and off my lap, poking and prodding, asking me all kinds of questions. It was tiring. I love those kids, they're cute and fun, but it was exhausting. I found myself wanting to sleep about two hours in. When the mom got up and said I could go home...I nearly went home to take a nap!

WINDY ZOO
It took a lot of finagling, but all four of us managed to sync our schedules (with a lot of begging and reminding at work places) so that we could use our free zoo pass (courtesy of Janet @ Altus Public Library) and spend a day together.

Ken was ecstatic. He's been working 10-hour days, but only for four days a week, so his was the easiest schedule to arrange. He's wanted to do something as a family for a long time. I think our last time was our Oregon vacation. He enjoyed himself just because we were all together.

You'd think we were all a little old for the zoo. Nope. I enjoyed the kids examining the varieties and colors of the snakes with animated delight.

Analiese is showing the snake how it's done!

They are curious and intelligent and still see the wonder in God's creations. They were fascinated with the big cats, too. Jaguar and leopard markings were breathtaking!

We had our fun moments, as well. We went to a sea lion show (the Aquarium was closed though,

major bummer!) and had a few laughs.

We were very close to the front

One lady in the audience got startled by the barking of a large sea lion. Her expression was hilarious. We took silly pictures around the place, always on the lookout for a new angle.

Gotta see my Buffalo!

Heavily sedated butterfly?

But there were no puppets in the gift shop...so no play time there. 😔

I had to take a break (swollen knee and sore feet), so Ken & I rested on a bench while the kids explored the gorilla/monkey section by themselves (they are such pals!)

Never too big for the Children's Zoo!

. We had our own entertainment, with a rather chubby squirrel who wasn't shy at all!

He came right up to us, looking for food. Sorry, Augustus (named after the Willy Wonka character who eats everything), we ate all of our lunch!

The only really bad thing about the day was the wind. It was very brisk and quite cold. I had a jacket, but should have had a heavier coat. Analiese, per her usual, thought I was her personal warmer. Ken had gloves as well as a jacket, but Jonathan played it tough with shorts and a t-shirt. Crazy boy! We ended up eating our picnic lunch in the car rather than at one of the nice picnic areas in the zoo. It was too windy to eat outside!

Talking Talents
I had thought that, with Ken released from the Branch Presidency, that I wouldn't be called upon to speak anytime soon. After all, pretty much every month he conducted, I ended up speaking. But this was not the case. Two weeks ago, one of the Branch counselors texted me. Could I speak? 10-15 minutes about Recognizing and Developing Talents.

I've been playing with it in my head the last couple of weeks and trying to tie it down this week. I prepared my quotes, scriptures, and outline. I let Ken read it: he said I had enough for a talk double that amount. Good! I'd rather have too much than not enough. My hardest part is figuring out what to use and what to cut.

I took up my time and then some. The BP told me before church that his wife (the other speaker) wouldn't mind if I took more time. He would have even let me have the whole time, but I wouldn't do that! I gave her at least twelve minutes!

I was tired after that. I am told I am a very energetic speaker; this exhausts me. Unfortunately, I could not rest on my laurels for the second hour and sit quietly in RS. They needed a sub in Jr. Primary, so I went.  That was a circus in itself....one child crying and writhing on the floor, the others terribly distracted by her. I used my crazy wiles to keep them on track. I even printed up a coloring page for them (I was able to eprint right from my phone to the church copier. Cool! I showed the Primary Pres. and she was over the moon with that trick!) and used one of my VIPKid reward slides on my phone plus zoo videos as an incentive (bribe) to behave. Hey, I'm all about tricks!

BE MINE

Spring?
The trees want to believe it; they are bud-tipped. Daffodils and pushing up out of the ground. Squirrels are frisking and birds are busy chirping and nest-building. Skunk roadkill is on the rise (stinky AND messy). I have seen a few wasps and even swatted a rather large-ish mosquito.

But, it's not really there. Yes, Thursday was a balmy, wonderful 71 degrees. Turn off the heater and open up the windows! Yet by Friday, it was below freezing again. Saturday even saw a few, short-lived white flakes. Huddle down into those blankets once more!

The Crazy World of Mary Poppins
The hardest thing for me to reconcile on our busy, full schedule it Analiese's rehearsals. I'll tell Jonathan he can have the car and then turn around and realize he can't - Analiese has rehearsal before he gets home from work. I've done it to him at least twice now. I feel bad about that.

We went for a second round of sponsor-hunting this week. I just accompany her; she does all the talking. I think we've visited about 15 different businesses. She's had four sponsors, a few maybes and several nos...but everyone was willing to put up a poster when the company gets them. I think she's been very diligent (I would have dragged my feet, went out once...and only briefly) and I'm proud of her efforts.

She received her production t-shirt Friday evening.

Now, we'd hoped she would have had it BEFORE we went schlepping around for sponsors, but such is life. She's happy, though. It's been so much fun for her and an amazing opportunity.

More Babies
Okay, just one. I went over Wednesday to one of my MS's homes. The pregnant one. Well, she was pregnant until they induced her Monday morning. Now she has a sweet little baby boy.

I went over to help watch her toddler because the dad had work and the kids had school. Supposedly, Mom wouldn't come home from the hospital until that evening. But she managed to talk the doctor into letting her leave that morning. So when I got there, she was sleeping in bed with the baby and I was out in the livingroom with the toddler. Holding down the fort, as it were.

She did come out a little later to eat and try and feed the baby (he just wanted to sleep!). That's when my fun came in. I got to hold him while she ate lunch. Two days old! So tiny! But I had to give him back...he kept rooting at my finger...and this dairy's been closed for years!

She was back in her room sleeping when the kids came home. I had promised them PB chocolate chip cookies when the baby came so I had brought some, along with some soup I'd made, rolls, and a couple ham-and-cheese quiches (kid-friendly) for their freezer for later. Let me tell you, the minute they saw me, they asked about those cookies! The oldest, funnily, told me what kind of cookie I could make for them the next time I came over!

Sweet Valentine
I feel like our family is so close with love and unity right now. Everyone is thinking of and looking out for each other. Valentine's Day was another example of that.

I'd purchased little things for my seminary kids and small boxes of chocolate for my home kids (what else do I call them? My blood kin? LOL) and a large box for Ken (of course). I'd purchased an appropriately swarmy card for Ken - I really liked the message - and wrote personal notes for Jonathan and Analiese.

Ken and I made a special dinner for the missionaries that evening - grilled Italian chicken, green beans, pasta, and homemade cherry pie.

Look at those cut-outs! First time I've tried that!

Ken took me out to lunch, since we knew we had dinner guests. Plus, he purchased a special DVD of a movie I really liked. For some reason, it's been hard to locate. "Undercover Blues," with Kathleen Turner and Dennis Quaid. You should watch it. It's so cute and funny. Actually, the whole family did that afternoon...we laughed at it's silliness.

Jonathan came home from Walgreens the evening before with chocolates for everyone and a red rose for me.

I gave him an extra kiss - I love flowers. Wednesday night at YW, Analiese had dipped chocolates and brought them home for the family.

  See how thoughtful everyone was?

VIP Slow
Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Chinese New Year is interminable.

One of the workshop teachers this week (I try to do two every week) asked me how I was doing. I told him these last two weeks had me nervous. He said, "It's the same for everyone. It's the worst time of the year for teaching." So, I've let my anxiety simmer down a bit. I think they have one more week of the holiday, maybe two. I'm being positive here...March WILL be better!

Evening with a General Authority
It's that time of year for Seminary & Institute teachers to come together and watch a broadcast from Salt Lake. Our Stake provided us with a lovely take-out dinner from a popular Mexican chain here at the Institute, inviting our spouses as well, so we could dine, socialize, and enjoy the broadcast. Ken had to work, so he was unable to come, and neither child wanted to go with me, so I went solo.

Elder Ronald A. Rasband was the speaker this year. When he was introduced, it mentioned he became an Apostle in 2015. Has it really been that long? He's one I don't know very well, though Jonathan said he'd visited the Guatemala CCM (MTC) when Jonathan was there.

His message was sweet and poignant. He mentioned that the Prophet had asked him to be on the Utah Governor's task force about teen suicide. It was heartbreaking to hear the statistics and to think of the pain that these kids are going through. The upside of his message was about Jesus Christ's Atonement and how we really need to teach it and get it into the hearts of these kids. To give them hope and a reason to keep trying. The adversary it trying to stop these noble young souls from growing up and contributing to the kingdom. My momma bear instinct kicked in...I so want to love and protect them! But I do what little I can do, even if Elder Rasband called us "first responders."