Disappointment & Gardner Village

So it's been forever since I've posted. Life has been crazy. Our entire family got the gumbo a week ago and everyone was throwing up and just plain miserable. Of coarse it followed just days after getting all our carpets cleaned (luckily we avoided major disaster).

Then I did a little soul searching over the past week and evaluated myself as a parent. I've been crazy driving McCall to 4 hours of dance a week, 1 hour of violin, Elizabeth 1 hour of dance, trying to keep a 1 year old entertained the whole time, doing homework and practicing dance and violin and I was just feeling really strung up. So I talked with some good therapists (my friends) and was able to step back and look at what result I wanted and what I was doing to get there.

I found that I was placing too much pressure on my kids and that I needed to step back. There is such a fine line between not expecting enough out of your kids and then on the other side of the spectrum putting too much pressure and expectations on them.

A Stake President in Alpine once said that kids should be allowed to be involved in two things. He split it up into one thing they want and one thing the parents wanted. As I have evaluated and read, and talked to other people I admire...I really saw the negative effects of over stimulating children in too many things and I also understood the effects of the other style -- not allowing children to develop skills and talents, not expecting high things out of them.

So I am really trying to back off a little on my expectations and the pressure I put on my kids. I still expect lots of great things but I am laying off just a bit.

I also am focusing on getting up early to take care of the all important scripture study and prayer and trying to implement better morning prayer with the girls before school -- which I haven't been very good at.

AFTER all this soul searching I was really looking forward to a St. George trip with some of my friends but the week had been so hard on my family being sick and all and we have the drama with Elizabeth now...swimming...memories of throwing up...she thinks if she eats dinner she will throw up now...she cries and covers her mouth up at the dinner table now...we told her she'd have to go to bed if she doesn't try and she doesn't even battle it...she just goes and gets her pajamas on and gets into bed. It is heartbreaking!!! But what can I do -- I won't force her after all the trauma she's been through.

Anyway, I was so excited for this St. George trip but mid week I realized I just couldn't leave them for the weekend. I was so disappointed but thank you Mandi for cheering me up. Mandi and I headed up to Gardner Village on Saturday and did some shopping (I am loving my new top and necklace) and we grabbed some yummy food at the restaurant, which I'm craving right now... Did a little house touring (if I had an extra $100,000 sitting around this house on her block would be mine! Someday when it's right it will happen.) I found a tv stand that I think just might work...oh, and Pumpkin fudge is in season. So all around it was a great trip! Thanks for cheering me up and making me happy & laugh Mandi!

I had book club this week too and I just LOVE the girls at book club. We just have the neatest women and we always have the best discussions. There are so many women I look up to and so it's so great to get together once a month with them.

I'm so grateful for a Father in Heaven who has a plan for each of us. For the angels he sends to comfort and counsel and help us through! I feel really blessed!!!!!!!