"We'll See"

The two most powerful words I know are "we'll see."Any successful parent ( and by successful I mean ' still standing') knows that the first rule of parenthood is to NEVER COMMIT TO ANYTHING. Delayed disappointment always trumps immediate disappointment and works to our advantage in myriad ways.

In our house there are three levels of "we'll see":

1. we'll see---the general, non chalant answer (given only so they will think you are listening) in response to basic questions such as

Can we have Tootsie Pops for breakfast? (we'll see.)
Can we have a sleepover? (we'll see.)
Can we watch CSI Miami? (we'll see.)

If all the stars and planets align perfectly AND I am feeling particularly generous that day and/or exceptionally lazy, this "we'll see" sometimes, OCCASIONALLY, morphs into a disgruntled yes. Off the record, of course.

2. We'll See---A level 2 response, given when the odds of me acquiescing are slimmer than the chance of me fitting back into my high school jeans (pun intended) but more probable than the chance of me cleaning my baseboards any time soon, usually given in response to queries such as

Can we get out the poster paints? (We'll See.)
Can we build a fort out of every blanket/pillow/couch cushion in the house? (We'll See.)
Can we make sugar cookies? (We'll See.)

3. WE'LL SEE--This is where, as Rich says, we "BRING DOWN THE HAMMER." This "WE'LL SEE" means, technically, that over MY COLD DEAD BODY WOULD I EVER LET YOU DO THAT but of course, we never let the children in on this secret. This special response is reserved for delicate requests such as

Can you take us swimming at the Legacy Center in January? (WE'LL SEE.)
Can we decorate the Christmas tree by oursevles this year? (WE'LL SEE.)
Can we rent Free Willy 3 again? (WE'LL SEE.)

The beauty of the "we'll see" plan is that it's not saying yes, it's not saying no---it's just a crafty way of delaying your answer until hopefully the children forget the original request or else behave just badly enough for you to blame them, i.e. " I was going to let you have Tootsie Pops for breakfast tomorrow (etc) but now that you've doorbell ditched your own house all afternoon I can't let you. Remember, there are consequences in this house for certain behavior, mister."

It's foolproof!

This mess is so big

And this mess is so big and so deep and so tall...
We can not pick it up. There is no way at all.
--------Dr. Seuss

The above sentiment pretty much describes not only my house but my life right now. Any fellow members of the "mess is so big" club out there? As I was pondering recently about the fact that

• my house is never going to clean itself
• my scriptures can't inspire me unless I actually open them
  
• maybe, just maybe there is a better use of my free time than watching TV
• laziness is not a virtue
• staying in pajamas all day is not good for my self image

I found some ideas that inspired me. Maybe they will inspire you, too:

• "I do not think it pleases the Lord when we worry because we think we never do enough or that what we do is never good enough." ---Boyd K. Packer
• 
  
• "I believe that there are so many ways to be a good and happy family, and I worry that in our church we sometimes get too narrow. Some of us seem to think that all righteous families must follow the same routine, they must all interact the same way, follow the same behavioral prescriptions. When mothers, particularly, hear of how someone else's family does it, we want to buy the pattern and impose it on our own, or we just settle for feeling 'less than.'"---Virginia Hinckley Pearce

• "Sameness is to be found most among the most ' natural' men, not among those who surrender to Christ. How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been; how gloriously different are the saints."--C.S. Lewis

So this week my goal is to COMPARE LESS AND CELEBRATE MORE. I'm going to throw caution to the wind and embrace my

dirty house
impatience with my children and spouse
afinity for pajamas
laziness
impatience with myself
poorly planned FHE

and instead I am going to celebrate

4 beautifully imperfect children whom I adore
a wonderful husband who takes good care of his family
pajamas
and the fact that my family is wonderful in its own right, even though we are so far from perfect

and I am going to remember that we were all put here to SUCCEED AND BE HAPPY. Maybe I should go get dressed.....

COMPARE LESS AND CELEBRATE MORE!

Fun with my camera

Why is it that smiles like these make all those night time feedings worth it? (Almost)

Why is it that Garrett is always climbing something?

Sorry, I ran out of catchy things to say for this photo. Could be because I was partying all night with the subject in the first picture and my brain cells are sleepy. But I will give my completely unbiased opinion and say....what a beautiful girl.

First Picnic

Somehow I just can't stay inside when the weather approaches 50 degrees.....I am and always will be an "outside girl", as R calls me. Here are a few "outside" shots from our first picnic of the year ....and Sam's first picnic ever.



P.S. Please disregard my previous post about a certain someone sleeping through the night...evidently that was just a passing fad :(

Breaking News.....

This just in........a certain Samuel J. King of Lehi, Utah SLEPT 8 HOURS STRAIGHT IN HIS CRIB last night. Proud parents Richard and Kelly King couldn't be HAPPIER (or less tired). WAY TO GO SAM!

BEN 10

Happy 10th Birthday
to our

smart, funny, talented, athletic, witty, helpful, wonderful, handsome
sure-to-be-future-Utah-Jazz- point-guard

Benjamin Richard King

WE LOVE YOU MORE THAN A GAME-WINNING 3-POINTER!

LOVE,
mom,dad, cass, chicken and chicken little

Jinxed

NEVER, under any circumstances, BRAG about how all of your babies have slept through the night by 6 weeks of age or you just might JINX yourself and run out of luck. (Every party has a pooper that's why we invited Sam...the 2,3,4 and 5am pooper).

The sympathy well has run dry

After listening to the 7-year-old bemoan her horrible, wicked life this morning, I offered to trade places with her.

"Trade places?" she questioned, puzzled.
"Yeah, you know, I'll deal with your problems for a while and you deal with mine."
"Be serious, mom," she scolded, "my problems, are like, REAL."

Since I have run out of sympathy for my children's perceived injustices, I've compiled the following list of the things that are apparently ruining their lives. As soon as I find my magic wand I'm going to swap some of my troubles for some of theirs:

The 9 year old
Problem #1: Being in the same state as his sister
Problem #2: Wheat bread (scary, I know)
Problem #3: The daily email I receive showing all his grades and assignments

The 7 year old (where to begin)
Problem #1: Making her bed every morning ("my arms get soooo tired")
Problem #2: Having soooo many brothers (3)
Problem #3: Having to clear her dishes after meals ("like every day, mom?")
Problem #4: Not having earrings to match her socks (or socks to match her earrings)
Problem #5: "Why do you make me read every single day?"

The 4 year old
Problem #1: Having to turn the TV off anytime during waking hours
Problem #2: Being gullible and having older siblings who could be top sellers in any MLM organization ("Mom ALWAYS lets us eat roly polies. They're good for you.")
Problem #3: Any foods other than macaroni and cheese.

The 6 week old
Problem #1: Being awake
Problem #2: Being awake and not eating
Problem #3: Being awake and not being held
Problem #4: Being in the same room with the 4 year old (hazardous)

So you can see how the children do suffer. Their existence is precarious from moment to moment, and we're not at all sure whether they will make it or not. So I just have one message for my fearsome foursome---Take courage, my little ones----one day you'll grow up and all of your problems will, too. !

So Blesed

A beautiful day...filled with people I love and a gospel I love....and a little guy named Sam that I adore.