Oh, there is a lot to be thankful for this year.
1. birth of my baby boy Tavish. Not any regular birth, but a natural, epidural free, free flight experience. I've always wanted to try that. Like some people want to experience sky-diving, or ride an elephant - having a completely natural birth was on of my bucket list wishes. So, what if it's my fifth try. 4th actually. But 5 babies all together in the end.
2. my kids. All of them and each one of them in their own unique way. Despite occasional anxiety attacks they cause me, I love them with my whole heart and am proud of all their efforts to become decent people.
3. my husband. He is so rad. So sweet, and generous, and helpful. He is patient to get his turn of my attention after the little munchkins have received theirs, and after I've checked my Facebook account, and Vkontakte account, and my e-mail, and texts. After I've talked to my Mom on Skype and washed the dishes. I am thankful that he took over the laundry for me. And for putting the twins to bed. And for helping me to get the package together for my Russian family. Even if the shipment costs like $125. Ouch. So thankful for this man in my life.
4. my sister graduated from BYU this year - yay! She's been working on her degree for the past 8 years. She came to the States with $20 pin her pocket and now she's landed a $70K job right out of the college with no debts whatsoever. Pretty stellar for a poor immigrant girl from Russia.
5. books. I'm finally making a consious effort to read more and I've discovered that my left (or right) side of brain, the side which is responsible for Language and Arts area of study is my strength. I still think that I am a wittier and more intelligent person in Russian. And I still have no clue when exactly to put "a", "the", or no article at all, but I feel the drive to sort things out. Not only in English, but in French too.
6. neighbors. We have absolutely amazing next door neighbors. They treat us like family. This is thanks to our boys, Ethan and Levi, they are adored and treated like Gods in the Gordons' household. I guess, they are THAT cute. It's an older couple with three grown sons. Our 4 yr-old twins are great friends with their 20-something year-old boys. But even better friends with Mr. Gordon and Mrs. Gordon. Once in a while we find a ziplock bag sitting by our front door, filled with my twins' socks and a note: "We found these in our laundry and it made us smile. We washed them for you."
7. jill johnson. She is an angel friend we have and we are so thankful for all the bread she'd baked for us, for many times she watched our kids, for being always, ALWAYS, there for us. She and her whole family: Dan, Ethan, Ally, Tucker, and Landry.
8. trip to DisneyWorld this past summer. We made it with all five kids. The kids had a blast. Mom and Dad (we) survived as well. But I think it cost us lots of money, and now we are poor, and will be, for I don't know how long. But we can mark it off for the next 5 years.
9. church. My calling is still to be pianist in RS, which is great. It gives me a chance to improve, and still is pretty lax. Many friends I made at Church. We have a great Ward. We have Jenny Oaks Baker in our Ward and she is my Visiting Teaching companion. Church is such a huge part of who I am. I would be really lonely without it. I love the direction I receive there, the clarity, the wisdom, the goodness, and the fun. I love the Gospel and I know the Church is true.
10. Jesus Christ and his creation. This beautiful world we live in. I can't get enough of these dense woods our house is standing in, the birds singing, the sun shining through the brilliant emerald of greenery in the spring. The warmth of the sun and abundant growing season. For incredibly bright colored autumns, for mild winters. I am thankful for good food, and water, and all other elements of this Earth that make it such a joy to inhabit.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Ha-ha! You have to have a sense of humor to be a Mom. Yesterday morning I woke up and reached for my glass of water and almost had a heart attack. A swarm of earthworms in there! And a flower on the night table next to it. Thanks boys! You really do know what makes me happy. That's just an intro to my new day.
Like earthworms were not enough to wake me up, I got a phone call from my dear Russian friend asking me to babysit her little girl for 6 hours starting, like, in 20 minutes. And I haven't gotten out of bed yet. If only I hadn't gone to bed at 2 am last night helping Nadia with her school project carving the Supreme Court Building out of foam board.. If only my sister was still in town.. If I had not been so depressed about her departure.. I guess, I had no choice, sooner or later I would need to start living a life full of preschool-age kids and a baby. Of course, I can babysit!
It's one thing when you're dealing with them one at a time, or two at a time. But when you have them all at once - it's nuts. So be it! The house is officially invaded by an army of little people. I let them jump around, bring in bugs and piles of dirt, heck, I even let them do the dishes!
The water has been running for a little too long, for as long as Tavish has been feeding, to be precise. Do I dare to walk into the kitchen and witness the cruelty of my life? I take a peek. The pile of dishes in the sink is as monumental as it was this morning. Dish soap has changed its form from orange liquid in the bottle to thick lather on every counter top up to the ceiling and covering hard wood floors in the 5 ft radius around the kitchen sink counter. Mamma mia!
The most obnoxious thing was that the boys were having a little too much fun, sliding on the slippery floor. I was insulted that they did not even feel bad for the mess they made. Anger boiled inside my head, I rushed towards them, grabbed them by their arms and dragged them up the stairs with the intention to lock'em up in their room for the longest time-out EVAR!
But what do you know? These two were laughing the whole way, loudly and uncontrollably. They were not even a little bit upset at the prospect of sitting in their bedroom for the rest of the day! (duh, the party will just go on upstairs, haven't I learned that?) This obviously was not working. I stopped halfway, and sat on the stairs across from them. They continued laughing out loud into my huffing and puffing face. I could not hold it any more and... bursted out laughing back at them. They've won. My two little captives have totally won this battle. When there is nothing to lose and a time-out is how this awesome fun is going to be ruined then LAUGH. Laugh hard, laugh uncontrollably, laugh your lungs out, kill the party-killer with your positive attitude! They were my teachers that day, no doubt. But my supermom ability to seize the moment and teach my posterity a lesson jumped right into action.
"Ok, guys, that was fun, wasn't it? Did you have a good time? Do you wanna do something even more fun? (They nod enthusiastically.) Then come with me!" (They follow.) I get three kitchen towels out of the drawer and give one to each boy. "This is what we'll do." And I start wiping the soapy floors supporting my action by excited comments like "Oh, this is great fun! Join me! Let's do it together!" They do. Soon, our guest girl is excited about this too and asks for a towel. I hand her my towel and let the kids finish "cleaning" the kitchen. This was a much better ending to the story, I think. I'll save "time-outs" for more serious crimes.
Like earthworms were not enough to wake me up, I got a phone call from my dear Russian friend asking me to babysit her little girl for 6 hours starting, like, in 20 minutes. And I haven't gotten out of bed yet. If only I hadn't gone to bed at 2 am last night helping Nadia with her school project carving the Supreme Court Building out of foam board.. If only my sister was still in town.. If I had not been so depressed about her departure.. I guess, I had no choice, sooner or later I would need to start living a life full of preschool-age kids and a baby. Of course, I can babysit!
It's one thing when you're dealing with them one at a time, or two at a time. But when you have them all at once - it's nuts. So be it! The house is officially invaded by an army of little people. I let them jump around, bring in bugs and piles of dirt, heck, I even let them do the dishes!
The water has been running for a little too long, for as long as Tavish has been feeding, to be precise. Do I dare to walk into the kitchen and witness the cruelty of my life? I take a peek. The pile of dishes in the sink is as monumental as it was this morning. Dish soap has changed its form from orange liquid in the bottle to thick lather on every counter top up to the ceiling and covering hard wood floors in the 5 ft radius around the kitchen sink counter. Mamma mia!
The most obnoxious thing was that the boys were having a little too much fun, sliding on the slippery floor. I was insulted that they did not even feel bad for the mess they made. Anger boiled inside my head, I rushed towards them, grabbed them by their arms and dragged them up the stairs with the intention to lock'em up in their room for the longest time-out EVAR!
But what do you know? These two were laughing the whole way, loudly and uncontrollably. They were not even a little bit upset at the prospect of sitting in their bedroom for the rest of the day! (duh, the party will just go on upstairs, haven't I learned that?) This obviously was not working. I stopped halfway, and sat on the stairs across from them. They continued laughing out loud into my huffing and puffing face. I could not hold it any more and... bursted out laughing back at them. They've won. My two little captives have totally won this battle. When there is nothing to lose and a time-out is how this awesome fun is going to be ruined then LAUGH. Laugh hard, laugh uncontrollably, laugh your lungs out, kill the party-killer with your positive attitude! They were my teachers that day, no doubt. But my supermom ability to seize the moment and teach my posterity a lesson jumped right into action.
"Ok, guys, that was fun, wasn't it? Did you have a good time? Do you wanna do something even more fun? (They nod enthusiastically.) Then come with me!" (They follow.) I get three kitchen towels out of the drawer and give one to each boy. "This is what we'll do." And I start wiping the soapy floors supporting my action by excited comments like "Oh, this is great fun! Join me! Let's do it together!" They do. Soon, our guest girl is excited about this too and asks for a towel. I hand her my towel and let the kids finish "cleaning" the kitchen. This was a much better ending to the story, I think. I'll save "time-outs" for more serious crimes.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
My sister went back to Utah. I don't like it when people leave. It means relearning my life's routine all over again. It means no more Давай Поженимся с Ларисой Гузеевой (Russian TV show), no more teatime with chocolates from the Russian store. No more staying up late waiting for Ksusha to return from her date, and then later still, talking about it. No more "Let me go for a run", or "Look, I found Tavish's tickle spot!" No more dishes being washed while I put the kids to bed. Or laundry done while I drive the kids to and from their activities. My best friend is gone to live her new exciting life. All I want for her is to be happy. All I want for me is... to live in the same town. Ok, state, at least.
I don't think visiting us was the perfect vacation spot. It's more like a labor camp here. :) But she is loved here. Tavish and I will miss her the most. All the best in Utah and come again soon!
Baby's "scary" eyes say it all - Tavish with his new baby-sitter. It's going to take some time to get used to life without aunt Ksusha.
I don't think visiting us was the perfect vacation spot. It's more like a labor camp here. :) But she is loved here. Tavish and I will miss her the most. All the best in Utah and come again soon!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Yesterday we had a mega-busy day. Sunday, Sabbath, the day of rest.... Where art thou? Morning - whipping up zapekanka. I am at the zapekanka stage of my life and the local Russian store knows it. This is the third week in a row that I am buying 3-4 pounds of tvorog (russian style farmer's cheese) from them to experiment with yet another zapekanka recipe.
While my zapekanka's in the oven, the ribs are getting ready to dive into the crock pot for the next 10 hours. It's going to be a long day. First, Church, then drop off Dave at the Birthday party, then Nadia's Harp Recital, then home sweet home with yummy dinner, Tres Leches torte included.
Oh no, the twins are already outside with their pajama pants down, peeing on the front lawn. This is impossible. Do I pull my 3 month-old baby from the breast and run out to yell at them, or do I pretend they are not my children? Moral dilemmas... They could cause hours of heated conversation in internet forums dedicated to raising children. Thank goodness, I am not alone in this. Tavish, full of milk and warm like a brand-new cookie out of the oven, is eventually handed over to my sister who loves him to pieces. Nadia rounds up the twins. And I escape to the shower. Scott is at school for the rest of this month. I say, GWU ranks last at being a family-friendly school. Even if you are a non-Christian or atheist professor, why not leave Sunday alone?! Are there not enough days in a week? I don't get it.
Surprisingly, we make it to Church on time and even get a soft seat. Towards the end of the Sacrament meeting, the only members of our family still in the chapel are David and Nadia. Ksusha took Tavish out, and my job was to hunt Ethan and Levi down and bring them back on the straight and narrow. Remind me again, why are we at Church? Definitely, not for my spiritual nourishment. Good thing, I know it's not about me, I am not too selfish. I hope one day I will receive a confirmation to my efforts watching my boys bless and pass the Sacrament.
In the meantime I LOVE the second and third hour of Church when Ethan and Levi are placed in loving care of their Primary teachers, bless their hearts. I have to mention that instead of walking reverently with arms folded (as opposed to running) my boys like to imagine they are kitties or puppies, or, even better, caterpillars. This technique enables them to crawl out of the Chapel, through the Church hallway, and into the Primary room sort of reverently. It's a site to see. We exchange our good-bye waves - they show me their "clawed paws" like they're bears. I exhale blissfully watching my boys sitting on their chairs ready for class and suddenly I miss them so much and don't want to leave them. I make an effort to turn around and hurry into the Mother's Lounge to feed Tavish and even possibly take a short nap. That beats Sunday school, if you ask me.
We had to leave half hour early. David's very best friend had a birthday and he pleaded with David to please come. Not only him, but his sweet Mom called and asked if David could come. She knew that we don't do this kind of stuff on Sundays (last year David declined their invitation) but this is the only day they can do it, so, please, please, let David attend their party. We love this family, they've been so kind to David, so, I let David make a choice. And, despite our family tradition to devote Sundays to Church and family, David decided to go to Gianni's party. The first fruit of free agency dropped unexpectedly on my head with a 'thud'. Did he set the precedent? Are we getting swayed by the world? Today, on the way back from Dave's violin recital I asked him what did it feel like breaking the Sabbath and would he do it again? You know what he told me? Said he: "Maybe... no! (yesss, I thought to myself!) Unless.... (uh-oh!) it's Jesus's Birthday." (Phew!) I have it written down, o child of mine! And I am so proud of you for choosing the right in the end.
And that's not even it for one Sunday. Nadia's harp Recital was also yesterday. As we were getting out of the car at the Recital place, my sister said something to the effect of how cool it is that we have such a big family and so many of us are coming to support Nadia, making her feel all loved and all such things. He-he. When our gangsta filed into the dead silent room of NAfME, filled with proper people ceremoniously seated, it's like we hit the electrical wall, not sure if we were invited. It is how it is. We are loud, and laid back, and not competitive, and we are here for Nadia and hope that she can have fun doing what she is doing. I don't care if she makes mistakes, or if she gets her trophy. I just want her to be happy. Every time Tavish smiled (he smiles kinda loud), we were sure to catch three or four stern looks looking back at us. The twins could not sit still for 5 minutes and they spent a lot of time out in the hallway with Scott and me taking turns watching them. But they felt right at ease when it was all over and were the first in line to load up their paper plates with refreshments. No inhibitions whatsoever.
There were some amazing harpists and pieces played were mind-blowing. I loved it! But to us, Nadia was the best of all, of course. And she did get a trophy for practicing over 1100 minutes in the month of May. Here she is at home playing her Mother's Day gift to me a month ago. She is pretty good for a beginner. Good job, Nadia!
While my zapekanka's in the oven, the ribs are getting ready to dive into the crock pot for the next 10 hours. It's going to be a long day. First, Church, then drop off Dave at the Birthday party, then Nadia's Harp Recital, then home sweet home with yummy dinner, Tres Leches torte included.
Oh no, the twins are already outside with their pajama pants down, peeing on the front lawn. This is impossible. Do I pull my 3 month-old baby from the breast and run out to yell at them, or do I pretend they are not my children? Moral dilemmas... They could cause hours of heated conversation in internet forums dedicated to raising children. Thank goodness, I am not alone in this. Tavish, full of milk and warm like a brand-new cookie out of the oven, is eventually handed over to my sister who loves him to pieces. Nadia rounds up the twins. And I escape to the shower. Scott is at school for the rest of this month. I say, GWU ranks last at being a family-friendly school. Even if you are a non-Christian or atheist professor, why not leave Sunday alone?! Are there not enough days in a week? I don't get it.
Surprisingly, we make it to Church on time and even get a soft seat. Towards the end of the Sacrament meeting, the only members of our family still in the chapel are David and Nadia. Ksusha took Tavish out, and my job was to hunt Ethan and Levi down and bring them back on the straight and narrow. Remind me again, why are we at Church? Definitely, not for my spiritual nourishment. Good thing, I know it's not about me, I am not too selfish. I hope one day I will receive a confirmation to my efforts watching my boys bless and pass the Sacrament.
In the meantime I LOVE the second and third hour of Church when Ethan and Levi are placed in loving care of their Primary teachers, bless their hearts. I have to mention that instead of walking reverently with arms folded (as opposed to running) my boys like to imagine they are kitties or puppies, or, even better, caterpillars. This technique enables them to crawl out of the Chapel, through the Church hallway, and into the Primary room sort of reverently. It's a site to see. We exchange our good-bye waves - they show me their "clawed paws" like they're bears. I exhale blissfully watching my boys sitting on their chairs ready for class and suddenly I miss them so much and don't want to leave them. I make an effort to turn around and hurry into the Mother's Lounge to feed Tavish and even possibly take a short nap. That beats Sunday school, if you ask me.
We had to leave half hour early. David's very best friend had a birthday and he pleaded with David to please come. Not only him, but his sweet Mom called and asked if David could come. She knew that we don't do this kind of stuff on Sundays (last year David declined their invitation) but this is the only day they can do it, so, please, please, let David attend their party. We love this family, they've been so kind to David, so, I let David make a choice. And, despite our family tradition to devote Sundays to Church and family, David decided to go to Gianni's party. The first fruit of free agency dropped unexpectedly on my head with a 'thud'. Did he set the precedent? Are we getting swayed by the world? Today, on the way back from Dave's violin recital I asked him what did it feel like breaking the Sabbath and would he do it again? You know what he told me? Said he: "Maybe... no! (yesss, I thought to myself!) Unless.... (uh-oh!) it's Jesus's Birthday." (Phew!) I have it written down, o child of mine! And I am so proud of you for choosing the right in the end.
And that's not even it for one Sunday. Nadia's harp Recital was also yesterday. As we were getting out of the car at the Recital place, my sister said something to the effect of how cool it is that we have such a big family and so many of us are coming to support Nadia, making her feel all loved and all such things. He-he. When our gangsta filed into the dead silent room of NAfME, filled with proper people ceremoniously seated, it's like we hit the electrical wall, not sure if we were invited. It is how it is. We are loud, and laid back, and not competitive, and we are here for Nadia and hope that she can have fun doing what she is doing. I don't care if she makes mistakes, or if she gets her trophy. I just want her to be happy. Every time Tavish smiled (he smiles kinda loud), we were sure to catch three or four stern looks looking back at us. The twins could not sit still for 5 minutes and they spent a lot of time out in the hallway with Scott and me taking turns watching them. But they felt right at ease when it was all over and were the first in line to load up their paper plates with refreshments. No inhibitions whatsoever.
There were some amazing harpists and pieces played were mind-blowing. I loved it! But to us, Nadia was the best of all, of course. And she did get a trophy for practicing over 1100 minutes in the month of May. Here she is at home playing her Mother's Day gift to me a month ago. She is pretty good for a beginner. Good job, Nadia!
Friday, June 07, 2013
I come to realize time and time again that I am hopeless at keeping up with my life. It keeps me busy up to my eyeballs. I have no chance at writing a memoir. Things zoom by too fast, and I forget about them even faster. So, here's a few highlights I came up with while I made an effort to pause, look back, and reflect - which I perceive as such a luxury these days.
1. This is the 4th day in a row that I've faithfully attended gym. How's this possible, you ask? My dear husband made some calculations recently and announced that if I go through the gym door every day 5 days a week it costs us $4.50. If I only go once a month, that one-hour class of mine costs me a whooping $80. He said that from now on I must regard gym as my daily chore and make an effort to put on my tennis shoes every morning and treat myself to a nice workout. I suddenly felt many antagonistic feelings towards the said gym, but I kept my composure and let the guilt brew inside me to make me a better person. (This guilt thingy is not for everyone, but it works for me.) No matter how uninterested I've suddenly become towards exercise in general, I was determined to prove my husband that I CAN keep my commitments and I CAN get rid of my blubber abs. Such is the life of a woman married to a man with a type A personality - you just keep up and you just do it!
If it were just me this new job of mine would just mean enduring some degree of physical pain on a daily basis. But I have an army of little people that have to be in my close proximity at all times. And this, my friends, requires a completely different kind of stamina. I don't even want to get into details of getting these munchkins ready each morning, it might discourage you from ever wanting to have kids. I have to make myself believe that I can do it and just go with the flow. If the shoes are missing - that's ok. If they are mismatched - that's better. If nobody is hungry - it's good. If everyone is happy and agreeable - my day is a big success! I truly don't know if putting myself through a cycle class is much harder than getting three little boys under the age of four into the gym kids' room on time. But I know this, if I pull through this extra work on top of my gym duty - I can do ANYTHING! Very empowering! Gym transforms my day from torture to bliss. I love to feel this contrast. I LOVE leaving the gym! It's totally worth the trouble going in.
2. Ever since the arrival of The Parenting Breakthrough book this week,
I am trying to train myself to be a different Mom. I suspected there is a better way to raise the children, something that involves milking a cow and pulling the weeds. I knew I was doing something wrong by being a hovering type of Mom, rescuing my kids' school projects and depriving my darlings of dishwashing and toilet-scrubbing opportunities but pushing them into a number of after-school activities instead. This book is quickly convincing me that my 8 year-old's ability to do his own laundry can bring him just as much self-esteem as advancing to his next tae kwon do belt. The purpose of parenting is to raise independent human beings that would be "righteous, productive, skilled, smart, helpful, wise, intelligent, and hardworking." The book is a find for anyone who has young (and not so young) children. It's a perfect game plan for doing our job of helping our kids "out of our lives and into successful lives of their own." In other words, it teaches me, a Russian Mom, to do it American way. I've noticed though that Americans themselves are starting to deviate from this tactic. It's definitely not easy. Instead of quickly fixing lunches for everyone, I now spend more time and energy teaching my 3 year-old twins how to make their own peanut butter jelly sandwiches, or how to pour milk in their cereal. Can't wait to see the fruits of my hard labor in about what... 15 more years? Meanwhile, so much to do...
1. This is the 4th day in a row that I've faithfully attended gym. How's this possible, you ask? My dear husband made some calculations recently and announced that if I go through the gym door every day 5 days a week it costs us $4.50. If I only go once a month, that one-hour class of mine costs me a whooping $80. He said that from now on I must regard gym as my daily chore and make an effort to put on my tennis shoes every morning and treat myself to a nice workout. I suddenly felt many antagonistic feelings towards the said gym, but I kept my composure and let the guilt brew inside me to make me a better person. (This guilt thingy is not for everyone, but it works for me.) No matter how uninterested I've suddenly become towards exercise in general, I was determined to prove my husband that I CAN keep my commitments and I CAN get rid of my blubber abs. Such is the life of a woman married to a man with a type A personality - you just keep up and you just do it!
If it were just me this new job of mine would just mean enduring some degree of physical pain on a daily basis. But I have an army of little people that have to be in my close proximity at all times. And this, my friends, requires a completely different kind of stamina. I don't even want to get into details of getting these munchkins ready each morning, it might discourage you from ever wanting to have kids. I have to make myself believe that I can do it and just go with the flow. If the shoes are missing - that's ok. If they are mismatched - that's better. If nobody is hungry - it's good. If everyone is happy and agreeable - my day is a big success! I truly don't know if putting myself through a cycle class is much harder than getting three little boys under the age of four into the gym kids' room on time. But I know this, if I pull through this extra work on top of my gym duty - I can do ANYTHING! Very empowering! Gym transforms my day from torture to bliss. I love to feel this contrast. I LOVE leaving the gym! It's totally worth the trouble going in.
2. Ever since the arrival of The Parenting Breakthrough book this week,
I am trying to train myself to be a different Mom. I suspected there is a better way to raise the children, something that involves milking a cow and pulling the weeds. I knew I was doing something wrong by being a hovering type of Mom, rescuing my kids' school projects and depriving my darlings of dishwashing and toilet-scrubbing opportunities but pushing them into a number of after-school activities instead. This book is quickly convincing me that my 8 year-old's ability to do his own laundry can bring him just as much self-esteem as advancing to his next tae kwon do belt. The purpose of parenting is to raise independent human beings that would be "righteous, productive, skilled, smart, helpful, wise, intelligent, and hardworking." The book is a find for anyone who has young (and not so young) children. It's a perfect game plan for doing our job of helping our kids "out of our lives and into successful lives of their own." In other words, it teaches me, a Russian Mom, to do it American way. I've noticed though that Americans themselves are starting to deviate from this tactic. It's definitely not easy. Instead of quickly fixing lunches for everyone, I now spend more time and energy teaching my 3 year-old twins how to make their own peanut butter jelly sandwiches, or how to pour milk in their cereal. Can't wait to see the fruits of my hard labor in about what... 15 more years? Meanwhile, so much to do...
Friday, May 10, 2013
A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. April 24th Tavish and I flew to Utah to see my little sister graduate from BYU. She has accomplished a lot since she has come to the States in 2005. From working as a nanny in Texas, to passing TOEFL, to Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from BYU. She went through some tough times, working nights, studying on an empty stomach, paying for her tuition without any assistance from family or government, and, finally, making it through school with no debts whatsoever. I think she is simply amazing.
The weather in Utah was perfect. I remembered how much I loved that place! Brilliant blue skies stretched from the East Mountains to the West. Wide perpendicular streets with virtually no traffic! Cozy and clean neighborhoods. Temples, churches, Deseret Book and modest clothing stores... And, of course, my favorite Marion Berry and Graham Canyon ice cream from the BYU creamery. I want to live and raise my family there. At least, I want my kids to get a great kick start in life by building strong family- an service-oriented foundation attending BYU. It is a different world out there, for sure. And a good, solid one.
The best part of our trip was staying with my mother-in-law. Kathy was so great taking us wherever we needed to go and just being kind, to me in particular. She is awesome. Another good thing was taking my sister home with me for the next month and a half. We flew to DC together in the morning of April 29th. She is so much help to me, I am so glad to have her by my side. I hope she is not overwhelmed by the amount of children and chores awaiting for us every single day. I hope her first in the past 8 years "vacation" time is not a huge disappointment for Ksenia. A change of scenery, at least? Perhaps. But this is another story.
We also got to see some family and friends. Nieces and nephews are growing so fast, Lauren is already driving, Tanner is in the high school band playing saxophone, Matthew is pretty advanced violin player, Carver is in the competitive soccer team... Good kids! All three sets of four of them. The best part is that their parents are still hip and young. And I felt young too, having the newest baby in the clan. This must be the peak time of our lives - we have our beautiful talented kids to show off, and we are not yet too shabby ourselves.
The weather in Utah was perfect. I remembered how much I loved that place! Brilliant blue skies stretched from the East Mountains to the West. Wide perpendicular streets with virtually no traffic! Cozy and clean neighborhoods. Temples, churches, Deseret Book and modest clothing stores... And, of course, my favorite Marion Berry and Graham Canyon ice cream from the BYU creamery. I want to live and raise my family there. At least, I want my kids to get a great kick start in life by building strong family- an service-oriented foundation attending BYU. It is a different world out there, for sure. And a good, solid one.
The best part of our trip was staying with my mother-in-law. Kathy was so great taking us wherever we needed to go and just being kind, to me in particular. She is awesome. Another good thing was taking my sister home with me for the next month and a half. We flew to DC together in the morning of April 29th. She is so much help to me, I am so glad to have her by my side. I hope she is not overwhelmed by the amount of children and chores awaiting for us every single day. I hope her first in the past 8 years "vacation" time is not a huge disappointment for Ksenia. A change of scenery, at least? Perhaps. But this is another story.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
I ironed about 15 mens shirts today. Phew! I hate ironing. I can't believe growing up we ironed t-shirts, and sheets, and maybe even underwear on top of everything else. Talk about child abuse. At least, we never had so many clothes or people living in one place. Here I take care of seven. Five of them males. Sunday shirts is what they wear to Church on Sundays. Saturday should always be my ironing day. But it rarely is. For as long as humanly possible I try to ignore my ironing board with a growing mass of white cotton on it. It's done now, and I feel liberated from ironing duty for the next couple of weeks.
I got to talk to my Mom and my sister today. Both are doing fine. Ksenia got her driver's license. Finally! It only took her 8 years living in the States. Alright, she's been way too busy with school all this time. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel now, she's graduating from BYU this week!
The rest of my Saturday I spent taking David to his violin lesson, taking pictures of my twins jumping on the trampoline, and taking care of Tavish. I am tired to death, so I'm going to hit the sack.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Besides Borscht
Since I can't put aside my everyday chores and children and pull myself together physically and mentally to write a decent blog entry, I'll try something different. I'll drop a line at the end of every day no matter how unremarkable and ordinary. Just to make it feel like my life is not slipping away into the abyss of my small and insignificant existence. I know, I know, I am building the cathedrals, carving that tiny bird under the roof that no one can see. This will be my way to pat myself on the shoulder, and remind myself that this gift of ordinary days is something I've always considered a blessing. So it is. Sticky munchkin faces and all.
So, today's accomplishments are:
- a 30-minute run with Nadia and the twins. Levi put his superhero cape on and announced that he's going to be like a superman. His brother Ethan put his helmet on and said that he'll be a bicycle-man, which is apparently just as cool. He rode his bike while his superman brother insisted on riding in the double stroller.
- I made borscht (Russian beet soup). A big pot of it. Nadia and Levi appreciate my cooking more than the rest of the clan. Oh well, I've done my duty to my family for today.
- dinner discussion on the topic of Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Well, I said, they were from Russia. Nadia: That's kind of embarrassing. I: Not all Chechens are crazy. David: But all crazy chickens are chickens. Nadia: Chechens, not chickens, child!
- I found a nice crib mobile for Tavish on amazon. Lamaze brand. Tomorrow I need to decide if it's worth $50 though.
- good news from Boston. The remaining suspect was found and is now in custody.
Good night.
So, today's accomplishments are:
- a 30-minute run with Nadia and the twins. Levi put his superhero cape on and announced that he's going to be like a superman. His brother Ethan put his helmet on and said that he'll be a bicycle-man, which is apparently just as cool. He rode his bike while his superman brother insisted on riding in the double stroller.
- I made borscht (Russian beet soup). A big pot of it. Nadia and Levi appreciate my cooking more than the rest of the clan. Oh well, I've done my duty to my family for today.
- dinner discussion on the topic of Boston Marathon bombing suspects. Well, I said, they were from Russia. Nadia: That's kind of embarrassing. I: Not all Chechens are crazy. David: But all crazy chickens are chickens. Nadia: Chechens, not chickens, child!
- I found a nice crib mobile for Tavish on amazon. Lamaze brand. Tomorrow I need to decide if it's worth $50 though.
- good news from Boston. The remaining suspect was found and is now in custody.
Good night.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Salt and Pepper, Jellybeans, and Easter Bunnies
I think it's officially springtime from now on. Ah! I love the sun and the hope that snow is gone for good (or till next Christmas, as my kids would have corrected me were they not busy coloring Easter eggs.)
Celebrations in the Thompson household are not planned-ahead-martha-stewart-style festivities. Boxes filled with seasonal decor usually surface the main floor the day before the event. Christmas, perhaps, is the only exception. Something is telling me that Easter is a big holiday too. Without Easter there would be no Christmas, said my favorite Prophet. It's just that when it comes to multi-tasking, I am not a multi-tasker. Especially when one of the tasks involves a newborn baby. That's just too much for me.
Solution? Like I said, children are in charge of the egg-dying business. For this purpose my 8 yr-old son boiled 18 eggs earlier this morning. Dad made a cross for our object lesson. Nadia taught us about the Atonement. The twins were the cutest Easter bunnies stealing plastic eggs. Baby Tavish basked in the sun on the deck where we all gathered. I pretty much conducted our spontaneous pre-Easter Saturday Family Home, no, not Evening, more like an early Afternoon. Those who speak Mormon, know what I'm talking about. For everyone else, FHE's (or Family Home Evenings) aremandatory delightful family activities that we, as good LDS parents, try to hold every Monday and teach our kids all kinds of good things while they attempt to throw tantrums or play Minecraft. We have taken a long break from FHE's by reason of the new addition to our family, but it's time to get back on track. And this is how it is done by me. (By the way, it really does not have to be Monday, it just needs to happen. Every so often.)
First, you need to have an Ensign magazine at your home. Then, you need to have a good husband, who will go on a very short notice to the craft store and dig out nothing else but a nice fake palm branch. Then you send your 3-yr-old boys to find you a rock and two twigs, not too big, not to small. Everything else is on me: 2 pennies, 1 pair of old glasses, a piece of bread, salt and pepper, 7 plastic eggs with 4 jelly beans in each.
Now to prepare, I filled every plastic egg with Scripture verses, describing the events of every day of the Easter week. And I wrote numbers on each egg, so we know which day of the week we are talking about.
We started out with a song chosen by Ethan which is called 'Easter Eggs'. Have you heard of it? Me neither. But it goes to the tune of 'Jingle Bells' or otherwise known as 'Elmo's Song'. It sounded nice. Levi chose himself to say an opening prayer. The twins had fun lining up those eggs in order and taking turns opening them one by one and distributing jelly beans among the 4 jellybean eaters. The older kids were either reading from the Scriptures or retelling the story in their own words. Scott's mission was to keep the eggs safe from our enthusiastic helpers until it was time for them to be opened. My role was to present every object in connection with what was being read and it went like this:
1. Palm tree branch - Palm Sunday. (Matthew 21:1-11.)
2. Glasses - Jesus healed the blind and the lame in the temple. (Matthew 21:12-17.)
3. Two pennies - the Savior delivered some of His memorable sermons such as His teaching about the widow's mite. (Luke 21:1-4.)
4. Piece of bread - the Last Supper. (Mark 14:12-26.)
5. Salt and pepper - Jesus prayed and suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Matthew 26:36-56.)
7. Rock - the stone of the tomb removed, He is risen! (John 20.)
It was a good time, in spite that half way into it Ethan and Levi lost interest and went to explore the backyard. Then for fun we had a couple of Egg Hunt Races, where the kids scattered their plastic eggs all over the lawn and on my mark they ran to pick them up. The winner was the one with the most eggs, of course. Counting those eggs on the deck, the kids and I were still (as in the years past) puzzled with the relationship between Easter Bunny and the eggs. Why does he bring them? Did he steal them from a hen, or did she give them (her future babes) voluntarily to be eaten on Easter Morning? Or were they up for adoption? What's the story there?
Happy Easter, nonetheless!
And this is the bunny that kept me company while I was blogging about the other bunnies.
Celebrations in the Thompson household are not planned-ahead-martha-stewart-style festivities. Boxes filled with seasonal decor usually surface the main floor the day before the event. Christmas, perhaps, is the only exception. Something is telling me that Easter is a big holiday too. Without Easter there would be no Christmas, said my favorite Prophet. It's just that when it comes to multi-tasking, I am not a multi-tasker. Especially when one of the tasks involves a newborn baby. That's just too much for me.
Solution? Like I said, children are in charge of the egg-dying business. For this purpose my 8 yr-old son boiled 18 eggs earlier this morning. Dad made a cross for our object lesson. Nadia taught us about the Atonement. The twins were the cutest Easter bunnies stealing plastic eggs. Baby Tavish basked in the sun on the deck where we all gathered. I pretty much conducted our spontaneous pre-Easter Saturday Family Home, no, not Evening, more like an early Afternoon. Those who speak Mormon, know what I'm talking about. For everyone else, FHE's (or Family Home Evenings) are
First, you need to have an Ensign magazine at your home. Then, you need to have a good husband, who will go on a very short notice to the craft store and dig out nothing else but a nice fake palm branch. Then you send your 3-yr-old boys to find you a rock and two twigs, not too big, not to small. Everything else is on me: 2 pennies, 1 pair of old glasses, a piece of bread, salt and pepper, 7 plastic eggs with 4 jelly beans in each.
Now to prepare, I filled every plastic egg with Scripture verses, describing the events of every day of the Easter week. And I wrote numbers on each egg, so we know which day of the week we are talking about.
We started out with a song chosen by Ethan which is called 'Easter Eggs'. Have you heard of it? Me neither. But it goes to the tune of 'Jingle Bells' or otherwise known as 'Elmo's Song'. It sounded nice. Levi chose himself to say an opening prayer. The twins had fun lining up those eggs in order and taking turns opening them one by one and distributing jelly beans among the 4 jellybean eaters. The older kids were either reading from the Scriptures or retelling the story in their own words. Scott's mission was to keep the eggs safe from our enthusiastic helpers until it was time for them to be opened. My role was to present every object in connection with what was being read and it went like this:
1. Palm tree branch - Palm Sunday. (Matthew 21:1-11.)
2. Glasses - Jesus healed the blind and the lame in the temple. (Matthew 21:12-17.)
3. Two pennies - the Savior delivered some of His memorable sermons such as His teaching about the widow's mite. (Luke 21:1-4.)
4. Piece of bread - the Last Supper. (Mark 14:12-26.)
5. Salt and pepper - Jesus prayed and suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane. (Matthew 26:36-56.)
Nadia put together a great object lesson on Atonement. It was pretty cool, actually. She poured salt on a plate, representing our pure clean lives when we come to this world. Then she sprinkled pepper on top of salt which symbolizes our sins, or the sins of the world. Then comes the magic: a plastic spoon, electrically charged by rubbing it on the carpet (got science?) goes over the salt-pepper mixture and attracts just the black particles, leaving the white behind. This spoon is supposed to symbolize Jesus cleansing us from our sins which represents a marvelous gift of Atonement.
6. Cross - Christ's great and last sacrifice that made salvation possible. (Luke 23.)
7. Rock - the stone of the tomb removed, He is risen! (John 20.)
It was a good time, in spite that half way into it Ethan and Levi lost interest and went to explore the backyard. Then for fun we had a couple of Egg Hunt Races, where the kids scattered their plastic eggs all over the lawn and on my mark they ran to pick them up. The winner was the one with the most eggs, of course. Counting those eggs on the deck, the kids and I were still (as in the years past) puzzled with the relationship between Easter Bunny and the eggs. Why does he bring them? Did he steal them from a hen, or did she give them (her future babes) voluntarily to be eaten on Easter Morning? Or were they up for adoption? What's the story there?
Happy Easter, nonetheless!
And this is the bunny that kept me company while I was blogging about the other bunnies.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Back in the Saddle (Sort of...)
6 weeks postpartum I celebrated in the gym. I surprised myself braving the weather and running there pushing my double-Bob full of 70 pounds of babies. The twins got so much bigger ever since Tavish was born, I probably shouldn't call them 'babies' anymore. I had a rough start, I'm so out of shape, so I had to walk up every hill the first mile. The second mile my heart got into the rhythm with my feet and running against the gusty winds felt glorious.
The boys were happy to finally play at the gym. More so, to see their favorite kid-size potties at the kids' place bathroom. Some of the gym staff (mostly childcare workers) were glad to see us back and were asking about our new baby.
The free weights, on the other hand, looked like they didn't recognize me at all. I had to lift much less than what I did at 37 weeks pregnant. I was tempted to stay for the strength class, but I ran out of time quick, Tavish was not going to sleep through his meal, and my family would not forgive me for banning baby formula at our house.
The best part of the day was night. I haven't had such a deep, good sleep for months and months. I had hard time sleeping when pregnant, and even worse time with Tavish (no need to explain, right?) Last night I woke up at 4 am and I could not even remember, did I have a baby, and, if yes, where that baby was. I was terrified to find my small sweaty butterball right next to me - oh, my! - I could have squished him! I didn't remember taking him out of the bassinet and feeding him. It's like when I was breastfeeding Ethan and Levi sitting on a couch and snoozing away, only to wake up an hour later to be horrified at the thought that they could have slipped out of my arms and fallen on the floor. But then, you are too tired to chastise yourself, you just go back to sleep, and it. feels. good.
The boys were happy to finally play at the gym. More so, to see their favorite kid-size potties at the kids' place bathroom. Some of the gym staff (mostly childcare workers) were glad to see us back and were asking about our new baby.
The free weights, on the other hand, looked like they didn't recognize me at all. I had to lift much less than what I did at 37 weeks pregnant. I was tempted to stay for the strength class, but I ran out of time quick, Tavish was not going to sleep through his meal, and my family would not forgive me for banning baby formula at our house.
The best part of the day was night. I haven't had such a deep, good sleep for months and months. I had hard time sleeping when pregnant, and even worse time with Tavish (no need to explain, right?) Last night I woke up at 4 am and I could not even remember, did I have a baby, and, if yes, where that baby was. I was terrified to find my small sweaty butterball right next to me - oh, my! - I could have squished him! I didn't remember taking him out of the bassinet and feeding him. It's like when I was breastfeeding Ethan and Levi sitting on a couch and snoozing away, only to wake up an hour later to be horrified at the thought that they could have slipped out of my arms and fallen on the floor. But then, you are too tired to chastise yourself, you just go back to sleep, and it. feels. good.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
First Day of Primary
January 6, 2013
Ethan and Levi started Primary today. (It's a Church class for children after they graduate from Nursery). They actually were "helpful and cute" (teacher's words). And to think that they would cause trouble or get expelled on the first day. How silly of me! They are good boys! (When they are not running around naked, toilet-papering the whole house.)
Ethan and Levi started Primary today. (It's a Church class for children after they graduate from Nursery). They actually were "helpful and cute" (teacher's words). And to think that they would cause trouble or get expelled on the first day. How silly of me! They are good boys! (When they are not running around naked, toilet-papering the whole house.)
Bach Minuet 2
March 16, 2013
"How was your music lesson?" - I asked Nadia and David after they came home from Nadia's harp teacher where they rehearsed their duet piece for the recital. "Good! First time we sounded like a couple of constipated elephants, but the second time around we sounded like dancing flamingos." Nadia is good at being funny when she uses her words.
"How was your music lesson?" - I asked Nadia and David after they came home from Nadia's harp teacher where they rehearsed their duet piece for the recital. "Good! First time we sounded like a couple of constipated elephants, but the second time around we sounded like dancing flamingos." Nadia is good at being funny when she uses her words.
Brotherly Love
March 17, 2013
Twins are taking a bath. Dad walks in to find Ethan out of the tub all in bubbles pointing into the toilet: "Poop in the toilet!" Dad: "Good job!"
Ethan: "No, brother pooped in the bathtub. I put it in the toilet." Looking at his hands: "With my fingers - DISGUSTING!!!!"
Twins are taking a bath. Dad walks in to find Ethan out of the tub all in bubbles pointing into the toilet: "Poop in the toilet!" Dad: "Good job!"
Ethan: "No, brother pooped in the bathtub. I put it in the toilet." Looking at his hands: "With my fingers - DISGUSTING!!!!"
Monday, March 25, 2013
What's in 15 years of marriage?
1 family 2 languages 3 musical instruments 4 bedrooms in our house 5 children 6 gallons of milk a week 7 birthday cakes a year 8 military moves 9 is bedtime at our house 10 unfinished DIY projects 11 is a prime number, as we should all know 12 countries we've been to together 13 Articles of Faith memorized by our children 14 (at least) U.S. states visited 15 years of military service and service to each other together as a family.
1 семья 2 языка 3 музыкальных инструмента 4 спальни в нашем доме 5 детей 6 галлонов молока в неделю 7 тортов ко дню рождения в году 8 военных переездов 9 часов - отбой в нашем доме 10 незаконченных домашних проектов 11 простое число, как всем должно быть известно 12 стран, в которых мы вместе побывали 13 символов веры, заученных наизусть нашими детьми 14 штатов Америки, которые мы посетили 15 лет военной службы и жизни вместе.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Nadia's Happy 12!
My girl has turned 12 yesterday! Happy Birthday to my best friend, my sweetheart Nadia! She is awesome and funny, smart and beautiful. I am so happy she is my first-born. I'd be lost in this world without her and with all our boys.
At our Church, 12th birthday is a big deal. 12-yr-olds graduate from Primary and join the Youth programs. One of them is a Young Women's Organization for girls 12 through 18. So, introducing you a brand new Young Woman. She is beyond excited to finally be with the girls her size. Primary felt too dull a place for a smart cookie like Nadia.
Now, let's get the party started! There were times when I was a serious party freak. Not any more. "Simple" is my goal in life these days. So, here is what we came up with 2 days before the party. A simple fold-up invite without any scrapbooking bling or stickers. Ironically, I even ran out of color ink. A picture of math equations from internet is on the front page along with Nadia's own formula for a happy 12th Birthday Party. I thought it was perfect for her gifted and talented classmates.
Inside, on top was the info about the party. And the bottom half had Nadia's great idea of collecting donation items for a local charity instead of presents.
Oops! "Thanks you" was an accident. Late night, frazzled brain..
Between making a cake, cleaning the basement, and breastfeeding, my only decoration item was this garland. I made those flowers out of old plastic table cover and sewed up a big button in the middle. I think they are cute. Not quiet Pinterest worthy, but hey, try making them 15 minutes before the party with the fussy baby by your side.
And here is our crowd. It was so much easier to admit to the girls that we could use some help setting up the table, or holding the baby, in other words, free myself from the super-mama complex. I did not have any games, or activities, or crafts planned. But I think they were completely content watching the Life of Pi and socializing. The cute Thompson boys were not formally invited but were a hit (nuisance, occasionally) among the girls. So, yesterday I learned to trust in guests' abilities to entertain themselves.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Winterland
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiezC6huLFc
Snow, finally! It makes me miss Germany so much. Garmisch to be precise. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has the most beautiful, magical winters that make you feel like a child lost in the fairytale land. Virginia, ummm, not so much. But the good thing is, Nadia and David are out of school. When was I last excited about that? When was I last crazy about the prospect of observing my 4 children displaying addictive behavior toward the electronic devices, or toward the stash of treats suddenly discovered in our kitchen cabinet. But the new truth is that ever since Tavish was born, I like it when my older kids are home. They keep the twins busy and happy, freeing my set of hands for our newborn baby. So, Love, love, LoVe this white cold wet fluff falling from the sky today.
Snow, finally! It makes me miss Germany so much. Garmisch to be precise. Garmisch-Partenkirchen has the most beautiful, magical winters that make you feel like a child lost in the fairytale land. Virginia, ummm, not so much. But the good thing is, Nadia and David are out of school. When was I last excited about that? When was I last crazy about the prospect of observing my 4 children displaying addictive behavior toward the electronic devices, or toward the stash of treats suddenly discovered in our kitchen cabinet. But the new truth is that ever since Tavish was born, I like it when my older kids are home. They keep the twins busy and happy, freeing my set of hands for our newborn baby. So, Love, love, LoVe this white cold wet fluff falling from the sky today.
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