Room for Baby

My little baby is growing up too fast!  I was looking around his room the other day, just wanting to freeze that little nursery and that little boy forever.  I love this sweet little age.  I'm so sad I won't have a baby ever again!

 

Since we didn't know what we were having, I had to put his room together in bits and pieces after he was born.  My mom sewed the curtains for me and helped me cut out the vinyl, I found the growth chart (none of this is too fancy, I know) at Michael's on clearance, and I made the pics with scrapbook paper before he was born (I made one for boy and one in case it was a girl).  I know none of this would be considered to be a fancy nursery, but it has nonetheless been fun.  The quotes are from a song my dad used to sing to me when I was a child, which coincides with the title to my blog.  It is the "House at Pooh Corner" by Kenny Loggins.

 

Who knows how quickly this room will have to change, as E just escaped from his crib two nights ago.  I'm not ready for this.  In several senses.  :)

 

 

 

 

 

This had the words of "You'll Be in My Heart," by Phil Collins (lyrics here-- aren't they beautiful?).

I made this little "quote board" and printed off quotes to inspire me while we rocked (I wish I could say it worked).  The one I left on the longest was "Song for a Fifth Child" by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton-- see end of post.  One of my favorite motherhood poems of all time.

Notice the cute little handprint at top!  Oh!~

Song for A Fifth Child

by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Mother, oh Mother, come shake out your cloth,

Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,

Hang out the washing and butter the bread,

Sew on a button and make up a bed.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?

She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little Boy Blue

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due

(Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).

The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew

And out in the yard there's hullabaloo

But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.

Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?

(Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).

The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep.

Church in New York and a Mormon Moment

One thing I like about being a Mormon is that the church is the same wherever you go.  People in Brazil sing out of the same hymnbooks (in their own language of course) that people use in Minnesota.  You would get the same lesson in China as in Kentucky. 

We went to church in Pamplona when on our honeymoon.  It was over a bar.  That was a little different for me, but once we got inside, the people were warm and welcoming.  I even bore my testimony to the muffled snickers of all the children (which told me the adults had been very polite about my Spanish).  While there are minor differences, the same thread weaves through all.  The same songs, the sacrament torn by young white-shirt clad teens, the same feeling, the same togetherness.  It makes even a new, foreign place feel like home.

So I was curious about church in New York.  My sis walked me to the building, which we found on Mormon.org.  One of the differences I could see at first was that there were other families arriving in taxis.  That was new for me.   Never been to church in a taxi or seen anyone arrive in a taxi.  The building was a small high-rise with an elevator and classes on different floors.  We had Sacrament Meeting on the uppermost floor. 

Demographically it was a little different for me-- not many kids or teens.  It was more diverse than where we live in the West (I wish there were more diversity where we live!), with one man bearing testimony in Spanish (it was really touching-- he was so sincere and humble... and I actually understood bits and pieces, which surprised me because I'm so rusty).  The leader of the congregation was African American.  Not that I care one bit what his race is, it's just, people don't always see Mormons as being a diverse people.  And one little boy, cute little Asian boy, bore a long and cute testimony about how many times he wants to punch his brother (complete with balled up fist for demonstration) and how the Spirit stops him from punching his brother (other hand comes up to stop the enthusiastically punching fist).  I was impressed with his endearingly sweet and innocent and childlike testimony and thought that his parents had taught him well.

To see a beautiful rendition of a Mormon tradition, pioneer trek, see here.

To read about an experience that changed my life, and not just in religious ways, see here.

Infographic on Mormons here.

This video about Mormon missionaries trying a new tactic on a busy New York street made me happy and sad all at once. It brought back so many memories! See the looks on the people's faces? I got very familiar with that look when I was a missionary in Dallas.  Yet being a missionary still helped me love people in a deeper way, a way I never had before. I love how the missionaries in the video take it all in stride with a good sense of humor.

I know I don't talk about my faith very much, but it means the world to me.  I feel like everything good in my life has come from that direction.  I know we (Mormons) can be viewed as weird, or that we seem brainwashed, or restrictive, or secretive (I may cover more of this later).  But if you just step inside our world for a moment, it is beautiful.   It makes sense, undistorted by all the misconceptions and misconstructions out there.  All of the crazy media coverage lately has exposed some of the awful things people think about Mormons, but I hope it will also expose the truth-- that most of us are just trying to live good lives, be like Christ, forgiving, loving, kind.   Even if you don't believe the way we do, come walk in our shoes for a minute.  It feels good.  I promise they don't have horns or extra wives. :)  But they might have blisters, worn for God and others.  :)

New York Day 4 1/2

First part of day four in New York here.  After a wonderful trip to the Immigration Museum and a ferry ride with one of the cutest baby boys that ever lived :), I thought I'd hoof it to the Tenement Museum.  (I love to use Frommer's when we travel, example here...because it rates "attractions" with a zero to three star rating) 

I figured walking there would be no sweat.  But I don't get data on my phone, and I miscalculated how big Manhattan really is (ha ha, oh well).   So after gettting slightly lost in this cute district just north of the financial district, I took my second of two Satan taxi cab rides while in NYC (my sister took us on the first one, she said the guy was tame, but I thought he was going to kill us and a few bikers/peds along the way). 

When I got to the Tenement Museum, it looked really classy (funny, because it is about understanding the poor living conditions of immigrants in the early 20th century), but wouldn't allow children under 5.  Ouch.  I did get to watch a free movie inside while I nursed baby away from the heat.

(I saw this quote on the wall of a Salvation Army building toward the end of being lost.  LOVE it.)

Then I got lost.   Then I got on a bus.  Then I walked a lot because I miscalculated how far my sister's apartment was.  Then I got sort of lost again.  But it was fun!  (mostly)  I finally broke down and got more pizza when I saw what looked like a bunch of locals enjoying a corner pizzeria.  It was enjoyable.  And I tried it New York style, folded in half, and shared with cute Emerson.  YUM.

After a brief moment in Tia's apartment, where it was clear that Emerson was bored after being so entertained outside, we went back out.  We went to the New York Public Libary (beautiful building, closed, but baby loved running around), Grand Central Station (wow-- gorgeous...), and the Chrysler Building (Art Deco lobby with mural on the ceiling).  Then I met my sister and we walked some more, had more pizza, and laughed that we miscalculated the closing time of the library and some other attractions.  What a great day. 

Super Grandma

This woman is Super Mom and Grandma.  (with a little help from Super Grandpa and Dad)

Not only did she help me with Miguel's 40th birthday, she helped with the kids while I went down the Snake River, then, as if that weren't enough to wear someone out, she prepared her second annual "Kid's Camp," which she carried out while I was in New York.  She watched the kids a total of 5 days, the longest I've ever left them!  She made t-shirts for three different days.  She had a theme for each day-- bugs, space, and I can't remember what the last one was.  They did crafts, made snacks, went for a hike in the mountains, and looked through a telescope at Saturn (K said they could see the rings!  how cool is that?).  I wish I had half her energy.  My kids and I are sure blessed to have such wonderful parents/grandparents (and Miguel's dad is no exception!).

New York Day 3 & Some Other Bits

New York day 1 here and day 2 here.  Here are some bits from day 3 and a few bits from other days.

Entertaining the baby on the subway.

Lunch in Central Park with Tia's friends.  I liked them (and Central Park) a lot. 

So did Mr. Emerson.

American Museum of Natural History.  Kept wishing Kaedon were here!  Another gorgeous museum.

Dinner at the Waverly Inn and Garden...my sister made early reservations so we could bring baby without worrying.  It was perfect-- we had the garden room all to ourselves!  What a beautiful atmosphere.

 What cute dates I had, huh?

Beet salad...super delicious.

This is deluxe mac and cheese, let me tell you.  My first taste of truffles (in case you're new to them like I am, in this photo they're the shavings on top of the dish).  One of the yummiest things I've ever tasted in my life, with a price tag to prove it!  (my sister kept whipping out her wallet everywhere we went...I felt so guilty....but thankful for such a kind and generous sister)  

Have you ever tried truffles?  What did you think?