Monday, January 23, 2012

A Happy Reynolds

The Airplane Race

Grandma looses again

I am so thankful that have this opportunity to stay here and play with the kids.  In the morning we made paper airplanes and the wishing cube.  Plus I tried to make a paper frog.  Then I introduced Reynolds to checkers on the itouch.  He couldn’t get enough of it.  Then to direct him to something else, we played “Hi Oh Cherries ohs” And Jr Yazee and in my down time I  did the laundry.  What a fun fulfilling day.

On our way back from Colorado Springs I was reading the background on President George Albert Smith.  I am so grateful that we are studying his teachings.  The one thing that I keep pondering was what he learned from his teacher Dr Maeser when he was 12 that guided him all of his life.  He said “ Not only will you be held accountable for the things that you do, but you will be held responsible for the very thoughts that you think.”  He pondered the meaning of it for some time as a boy and then  it came clear to him that of course, you will be held accountable for your  thoughts because when your life is complete in mortality, it will be the sum of your thoughts. “   I think he meant that your thoughts precede action.  We are what we think. This thought struck a familiar note.  I have always tried to control my thoughts because I understood from an early age that unhappy thoughts only made me unhappy.    Our thoughts will determine how we perceive life and effect our interpretation of the events in our lives.  Take for instance; I view my family life much different than that of my siblings.  Yes, it was difficult but I choose to remember the good things that happened in my life and the negative things were my parents just being mortal.   Do I slip and feel sorry for myself, and feel used and abused?  Of course, I do, but I realize that as soon as I start thinking of myself and how others are treating me (as I perceive them at that time) I am unhappy but if I choose to look at things positively, I am happy.  That has been reinforced during this time that I have been here.  I wake up in the morning thinking about all the things that I can do with the children and things I can teach them.  I look forward to each new day and enjoy each moment.  I haven’t had to act like a mom of little children for a long time.  It is fun being reminded of why I enjoyed being a mom so much of little ones.   They actually listen to you and think you know everything which definitely changes with time. But that is life and the way it is suppose to be.  We have the power to choose our thoughts thus effecting our actions. I think that is why it is so important that children are monitored in the things they watch.  Sarah has done an excellent job doing this and it is reflected in the children's play.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

How thankful I am for the nursery experience I had at church. This morning we played “ring around Rosie”  , “Motor Boat” and played bowls and tin can. They identified the tones whether they were lower or higher.   I had Jane tap back the rhythms that I clapped.   She did very well.    She didn’t badly on a new app I got that has them tap to the beat.  She also brought home more reading words and Sarah called to inform me of her math and reading homework to be done.  Boy has school changed.

I am so thankful that Willard came along.  I don’t think I would be able to do everything because it does take two of us to get things done around here.  I had to laugh, in the evening he was playing the memory game and Reynolds kept beating him.    These kids really keep us on our toes.

I am also thankful for thoughtful daughters.  Deborah text me and asked me when we were going to speak in Sacrament meeting.  I wrote back that we were because we had spoken just a few months ago.  Then she asked if we were going to have an open house.  I told her that I hadn’t even thought of it and we just wanted to leave quietly.   She text back that she and Betty would have a open house at her house on February 12^th.  That was so sweet of them to think of us.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Alice walking in Jane's Shoes

I taught Jane the difference between beat and rhythm.  She can identify quarter, half notes and whole notes and tape the rhythm. Also she began to learn where the home keys are on the computer. I found a great free website that is just right for her to learn it is http://www.techconnect.glencoe.com/techconnect/keyboarding/start.htm  She has such great finger dexterity, that typing is a natural for her.    I also taught her the importance of practicing and doing over and over.  I gave her my "cow in the grass speech"  She understood and  she did the excesses 3 times.  Which was a real stretch for her but I was so proud of her that she did it.   I am so grateful that there are great programs on the computer to help the children learn. It is so fun to watch the kids play.

  I started getting a fever in the evening.   I fear that I am getting the children’s sickness. 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

I am grateful for feeling well.  I will have to be patient.  I didn’t feel very well and still had a fever but still worked with Jane because she wanted her music lesson.  So we went over the rhythms and note value.  She really loves to learn.  Then of course she had to do her typing.  She went on to the second lessons and practiced it 3 times!

I love experimenting with Jane's hair

 I was grateful that I had put the Family Indexing on my computers.  I indexed 208 of WWII draft cards. 

Friday, January 27, 2012

I am grateful that I am feeling better today.   No fever just feeling a little weird. It seems that infections always go to my glands so they are feeling a little sore.

I love watching the kids play

 Jane is so excited that she was up at 6:45.  For her music lesson, I taught her what a dotted half note is and played musical math.  Then I found a wonderful web site for preschooler which has interactive activities on pitch. It is http://www.smartboardmusic.org/freegames.html .  Jane of course did wonderful and what surprised me was that Reynolds even enjoyed it.  He especially liked the one with the spaceship and the Martians.  Jane went on to the time test and did it 3 times.  She can type the home key at 3 words per minute.  That was the first day she did the time test.  She is so great.

Jane helping with the rolls

I am so grateful for the “No Kneed Rolls” recipe because they always bring a smile.  Reynolds and Jane helped me make the "NO Knead Rolls" with half white and whole wheat to go with the Chicken and rice dish that I came up with. It actually turned out really good. I put 4 cups of water with 4 bullion cubes. Cut up some carrots, celery, and onions with a package of your chicken cut up.  Then I put in 2 cups of minuet brown rice.  After it was all cooked, I added a can of cream of chicken and cheese and sour cream.  It actually came out tasting good.    Reynolds wasn't too excited about the dinner until after the rolls came out.  Then he was all for eating all of his dinner.  They both gobbled up their chicken and rice and Reynolds ate 6 rolls.  They declared it was the best dinner ever!   We had enough left over to have it again on Sunday.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

I am so grateful that I was feeling well enough for us to go and help Joe and Catrina.  Joe was so excited that he was able to get a real good deal on a 60” TV that was 3D capable and a new sectional for the down stairs.  It was really nice.

Then Willard helped Joe put together his new office desk and filing cabinet.  They started to put on the child locks but found that the screws just split the wood on the cabinet doors. So Catrina, Saroja and I went to the store to look for other options.

We first went to BED BATH and BEYOUND and got some things for the kitchen to help organize it.  Then she found the same bedspread that she really liked on the Penny’s website but it was about $30 cheaper so she got it.  Then we went to Wal-Mart and found some industrial grade Velcro to see if that would work for child locks.   We found some sheets that went perfectly with her new bed set.

Such pretty girls

I put the Velcro on the doors and it worked out beautifully.  I cut a stripe of about 4” and 3\8”wide.  On the cabinet I found that for it to stay I had to wrap around a bit around the corner so it wouldn’t pull off.  I put a strip both on top and on the bottom.  Thank goodness for Velcro, what a wonderful invention. I was grateful that I felt well enough to help them.

I am so thankful that the Lord answers prayers and is so aware of each of our needs. Last night I went to bed early because I was losing my voice and wasn’t feeling well again.  I went to take out my contacts.  The contact popped out and I know I saw it land on my thumb but bounced somewhere.  I shook my hands to see if it was still on it somewhere; I looked all over the sink about 3 or 4 times.  Then I shook out the rug, and crawled on the floor, took some toilet paper and wiped the floor; even stuck my head in the toilet because the lid had been up, to see if it has popped in.  I did this several times.  I was praying all the time that the Lord would help me find it.  I didn’t have the money to replace it and didn’t have eye insurance.  I just couldn’t find it anywhere.  I was resigned that I would just have to wear my glasses but then I thought of reading music and I just can’t do it without contacts.  To say the least I was really worried and sick that I couldn’t find it. I gave up and was just going to go to bed.  Then I looked up at the mirror to check on my tonsils and there my contact was.  It was stuff on the end of my nose!  This was truly a miracle to me because at anytime that contact could have fallen off any place.  I was so thankful for the Lords protecting help.  He can work miracles in our lives. 

Sunday, January 29, 2012

I stayed home with Alice because I am not feeling well. My voice is gone.  However, the good new is that I have entered 393 names since I have been here.  At least if I can't breath or talk. I can accomplish something.