Some random thoughts

Today as we were coming out of the grocery store, Anna excitedly announced, "Look its snowing". Now, I am really sick of the snow. So I was happy to see that it wasn't really snowing. The wind was blowing the white blossoms off the trees.

Alex and Anna have about done me in. I hope I can keep up with them, and I try hard to. Alex decided to go on a tour of the neighborhood by himself. I was sweeping the driveway on the side of the house. Alex was playing in the fenced back yard. Most of the time, I could see him playing while I swept. For a minute, I couldn't see him. I just figured he was by the swingset where I couldn't see him. A minute later, Anna called me from the front door. After she yelled "MOM" three times, I went to see what the problem was. She said, "Look, there's Alex". He had run across the street and was running down the sidewalk on an adventure. Of course I was upset and ran after him and brought him back home. I yelled at Anna for letting him out the front door. Later I apologized, and I realized that someone bigger than her must not have shut the front door tight. Our front door is rather hard to open. The screen door (or whatever you call it since it doesn't have a screen) is simple to open. Alex had gone in the back door and out the front. In the news recently there was a story about a toddler the same age as Alex that got out the door and tragically was run over. I feel so bad for that family. I realized that it could have happened to Alex. I really do try to keep track of him.

I thought this was funny. About a week ago someone asked me if my older two children were from a different marriage. She said, "They sit so perfectly at church and your younger two are such a handful." I assured her that they all came from the same parents, and that I'm sure our younger two will mellow out someday. After all, Rachel and Caleb used to be difficult during church. Dan and I get a workout in sacrament meeting. I literally am sweating by the time the meeting is over, from trying to keep Alex under control. It doesn't help that church is at 1:00 and both Anna and Alex are extremely tired and grumpy.

Did you know that you aren't supposed to bring toy guns to school? I'm certain that you and I both know that you shouldn't. I thought my kids knew that. I guess Caleb didn't. Caleb, being a boy, likes to play fighting/battle games at recess. Not real fighting. Just pretend. Usually they find sticks on the playground to use as their toy guns. One day, he snuck and brought his toy cap gun (that my mom bought him) to school. He didn't take it out until recess. You can probably guess how this ended. He had to sit at the principal's office for over an hour with his head down while he waited for her to get out of a meeting. He was also suspended(but given the option of in-school suspension). He remained very stoic at school. But when I tucked him in that night, he sat on my lap and cried for a long time. He felt so bad. I am thankful that the principal was not too hard on him, since he is only 6 years old and he didn't know any better. Now he knows.

It is hard being a parent. But it is so worth it. I love my children so much. They mean the world to me.