Wonderful Day

Yesterday was a disaster. Capital D. Font Size 200. That bad. I'm not sure of all the contributing factors. Something about Lady not napping, Brother whining, too much crying by all parties (me included). All day long I thought to myself, "Why are we having three kids again?" Not my best mothering thought.
Today? Miracle.
Again, I'm not sure of all the contributing factors.
We did have an FHE lesson last night on communication... long story short, I say, "Remember the Whales" and Brother is supposed to stop interrupting, whining, yelling etc. He's allowed to say it to me when needed to. Maybe that was factor #1. Our communication today was bliss. There was almost no whining, no crying, no yelling. Ahhh. I'm pretty sure I can't give all the credit to one tiny lesson, but still.
Factor two? I got to go to my Stake's religion/Book of Mormon class ALL BY MYSELF. Lady is old enough to go to the nursery. I got to sit and soak up instruction for an hour and fifteen minutes with no distractions or interruptions. This might have seemed like such a huge blessing since I miss all the lessons at church. I'm currently playing the piano in Primary, and between that and children- its been a few years since I got to sit and listen to a lesson- not just read on my own. I l.o.v.e. hearing others points of view, insights etc. That was a HUGE blessing in my day.
Factor #3. Lady napped. Napped long. Its amazing what a bit of sleep does.
Factor 3.5 I slept better last night. The night before last an unnamed little one kicked my ribs and stomach all night long and I could never get comfortable. Last night someone must have told her a thing or two because I only woke up twice with leg cramps or uncomfortableness. Nice.
Factor #4. A friend I haven't seen in years is in town (from across the world) and is planning a visit Thursday! Hooray for old friends!! They always make you smile!
Factor #5. This should have been listed first. Last night after a horrific day I spent EXTRA long praying, pleading with Heavenly Father to bestow huge amounts of patience on my head. Not only for my sake, but for my children as well. Don't underestimate the power of asking. I love the quote (not quoted here) that talks about blessings waiting in store for us if we will only ask. Now, mind you, I ask for patience LOTS. Lots and lots. But I got an extra special portion today. It was lovely. And much appreciated.
Factor #6. I had such a good little helper for a son today. Where stubbornness ruled as king yesterday, today I had an angel. He helped unload the dishwasher, wash the floor, plant some new plants that unexpectedly (and wonderfully) arrived in the mail to replace ones that had died a few months ago. He helped with his sister, apologized when he'd bonk her, shared, cooperated. I could go on and on. The crowning moment for his day was probably our trip to DI. He found a tiny etch-a-sketch (remember those!) in good condition and I showed him how it worked. It didn't have a price tag on it- but he asked an employee (by himself!!) how much it cost. $.75. He had enough pennies- so he paid for it himself. He looked SO VERY proud of himself. He's been working hard to finish potty-training to earn those beloved pennies. It took every last one (and three of mine) but he did it. He clutched that tightly the whole way home and announced he was going to earn more pennies!! I'm so proud of him!
Long story short. Today was wonderful. I have felt so blessed today. There was nothing miraculous in and of itself- nothing I'd normally write home about. Nothing that was life changing in and of itself. Its just that I felt so many tender mercies of the Lord. I had quiet time to reflect and learn, time to enjoy playing with my children, time to rest, and time to work. It was the perfect balance. To top it off. King is finally on his way home and I'll get to spend the rest of the evening with him!

I hope your day was even half as lovely- and it still would have been a good day!

Summer Catch-up.

Over 360 pictures later, I realized I was a bit (...ok, a LOT) behind uploading my meager documentation of the summer.
So humor me as I peruse through some of my favorite pictures of our VERY crazy busy summer.

Thanks to a kind friend, we've been able to visit the zoo a million (ok, half dozen) times this summer. Brother thinks its neat to be as big as a (baby) gorilla.
Some trips I can't tell if Brother likes the dinosaur displays, the fake animals, or the actual animals better. Sister thinks everything barks or growls- and pretty much just goes around for the ride.
See what I mean?(See this joy- all from a fake horse...)

We've also taken trips to the dinosaur museum, the aquarium, camping excursions, and the latest Labor Day camping at Yellowstone with Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle J. The park was suprisingly animal-less (we didn't see even ONE herd of buffalo, just a lone one here and there), but we did see an occasional animal, and enjoyed the scenery. If you ever want some free entertainment, ask brother about the geysers.Grandma and King helping the kids play on the rocks.
(I'm not sure how I didn't get any pictures of Grandpa...)Uncle J.Throwing rocks in the river.
(Who needs animals when you've got rocks and water?)Lady travels in style.And gets carried around to boot!The scenery.The kids. Whatever brother does, Lady must do also. We're going to have a duo-visit to the emergency room one of these days. I'm sure of it!King and Brother exploring the river.

Here's hoping you documented your summer better (or at least didn't get as behind as we did).

Failed Mother's Intuition

Anyone out there have spotty Mother's intuition.
It seems to me that if I hurry and rush my child to the Dr. there is NEVER anything serious wrong (like teething... seriously...). But if I try my best to treat what I see and wait things out, by the time I head to the Dr. one of two things happens:
Scenario 1) The fever/illness subsides the INSTANT I call the Dr. and then I'm left wondering if I should keep my appointment. 1/2 the time I show up and wonder how foolish I look.
Scenario 2) I go in, and it was something more serious I should have shown up for earlier. Like... scarlett fever. I'm currently apologizing to my daughter over that one. What I thought was eczema over-reacting was something quite different. Shows how well I'd do as a doc, ey?
Good grief.
I need my mothering instincts to hurry and reboot before baby #3 gets here!