Happiness Tools, last week and this week

Ooops, I'm getting a little behind on the journaling for my challenge. This is going to be a long one. Sorry.
Last week I decided to read in Jesus the Christ every day. How did that affect me? Well, first let me say that it isn't the easiest reading! Many times I'd get to the end of a paragraph and I'd say huh? and go start over again. But I love learning these interesting things about the Saviors life and how His world was. Part that I read was about the Samaritans. I always thought that the they were part Jew, part Gentile, but they are actually part Gentile, part of the Lost Tribes or Israelites. I know, I know, I was thinking umm, is there a difference between Jews and Israelites? Yes, there is. Remember in Seminary/Institute learning about how the 12 Tribes split after Solomon died, the tribe of Judah and half of Benjamin and a few odds and ends following Solomon's son and the other tribes following the other guy (their names are Jeroboam and Reoboam, I just don't remember which is which). So, the ones that followed Solomon's son took the name Jew (Jew, Judah) and the others took the name Israelites. I have no idea how this all works into modern day Israel. Anyway, eventually the 10 Tribes were conquered and scattered, but part of them remained behind and repopulated the country with the Gentiles that had conquered them. So the religion they practiced was a little Jewish and a little Gentilish, they had historically deserted the rightful King, and they couldn't be clean because they couldn't come to Jerusalem to worship at the temple, add it together and that is why the super strict Jews hated them and the Samaritans thumbed their noses at the Jews. Or whatever the culture's expression of "Whatever" was at that time. Huh. I know, not terribly exciting, but I thought it was kind of an A-Ha moment, and I understood the why's of our Sunday School lesson on the Woman at the Well a little better. So last weeks Happiness Tool stretched me a little and gave me some insights as I study the New Testament this year. This week I've been feeling yucky more, so I've slacked again. But I've been reading the Ensign with my breakfast and I've found some wonderful articles that I need at this time.

This week I decided to do the Happiness Tool: Share the Good News: Write in your journal about some good news you shared with someone else and how it impacted your positive outlook on life.
As I was scanning through the list of tools, I almost laughed. What a perfect week to share The Good News! So background: After Seth, even though he was such a good baby, very mellow, I thought we were done, no more kids. We'd always talked about having five kids, but with three running crazy while I was nursing, I was very tired. And then...I had a feeling that we needed to have another baby. I don't get these kind of Feelings a lot, I guess I need to work on being more in tune, but this was a strong one. So while I'm sitting on my bed in the middle of the day because I feel awful from morning sickness, at least I know that I'm doing what I'm supposed to! And then after about a month of it, I still know I'm doing the right thing, but my stomach is defiantly overriding any feel-good feelings about being pregnant. Then on Monday I went to the doctor, she's great, and we told the kids that night during Family Home Evening. Seth, of course, has no idea he's about to be supplanted as the Baby (that's going to be interesting), but the other kids were so excited. I think they were glad, too, to know what was wrong with tired, cranky, somewhat sick mom. Felicity immediately started talking to the baby and they were trying to decide boy or girl (Felicity wants another boy--she enjoys reigning as Supreme Sister and Caleb thought we needed another girl, Joseph was pretty much just jumping up and down). What makes you feel better than joy coming from loved ones? Stomach yuckiness--gone. Yeah, it came back, but any relief is good. Then on Tuesday I called my parents and bros and sis's. I had Felicity call my parents, they were delighted. Then she called her cousin Rylee so Rylee could tell her family. Chad and Tarilynn had pretty much guessed at Christmas time, anyway (I swear I did not say four and a half kids, Tarilynn!). As I worked my way down the family I felt happier and more excited. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about having baby #5 even without people telling me they are excited, just sometimes I catch my breath thinking, whoa, can I really do this??? But sharing happiness with loved ones rebounds it right back to you, it makes me feel stronger having their support and love. And when I'm focusing more on good, my stomach doesn't complain as much. I also put on here and on Facebook my hints and it was fun to read comments from friends and more family. Yes, Amy, rolls would be good, too. Hmmmmm, I might have to get some started... So sharing good news has helped me physically and mentally and especially emotionally. I know in most parts of the country telling people that I'm about to have kid #5 would get winces and probably a few lectures on responsibility, but I am very grateful for the people around me that have cheered and hugged and wanted to help. This week I also had to share bad news, my dentist told me I needed a root canal. I've never had one and I have heard horror stories...I was worried about the medicine I would need and how it would affect the baby and I was worried about the pain (low tolerance me. And yet I've had four babies...they are worth it), and worried more about the baby. As I shared the bad news, I still got support (no cheers) and hugs, and that helped me a little, but dwelling on it wasn't good. Sharing good news boosts you up, sharing bad news helps because you get reassurance and support but the good news is definitely better. I've wandered enough in this topic, so I'll finish now. Shout your good news from the roof tops and let people enjoy it with you!
p.s. More good news: the root canal was much, much easier than I thought it would be. I can't eat on that side of my mouth yet but I don't have to take pain killers. My imagination of the doing was much worse than the actual doing.

It's a hint.

Get it?

Joseph story

This morning in church Caleb had to read a scripture for Primary Sharing Time and I went in to watch. When it was announced that Caleb was going to give the scripture, Joseph lifts his hands into the air and in his not-so-quiet voice, begins to chant "Go Caleb! Go Caleb! Go Caleb!" just like he was at a sporting event. Reverent? Not so much. Loves his brother? Ohhhhh, yeah.

His primary teachers assure me that he's "not that bad in class." They are very sweet ladies.

Just have to put this in...

Caleb just gave me a note that he'd folded into an envelope and set on our bed. It was one of those awwwwww moments, so I just have to share. Here it is with his spelling (and some interpretation):

From Caleb
to mom
Bethiny tolde me how to kick The Ball up into The air And ive igscaverd {discovered} how it gos into The air if you Want to know how it gos into The air ask me.

then on the back he wrote Mom twice, in bubble letters, with the instructions "colr" {color}

'Kay, now everybody say awwwww. I've got to go downstaris and learn how to kick a ball into the air.

Wellness Challenge

BYU has a program for employees and their spouses where they are challenged to make their lives better, through continually learning and being more physically fit, spiritually stronger, and emotionally healthier. All year they put together 6-week challenges and when we complete it we get a prize (we've won everything from a duffel bag or beanie to an exercise ball), and our health insurance gives us a small kickback at the end of the year (wahoo!). The challenge we're working on now is called Building Wellness:Improving Your Happiness. We're supposed to exercise for at least twenty minutes/three times a week. Then we pick from a list of "happiness tools," complete at least one every week and (since that's what we LDS people do!) record all about it in our journals. I'm not the greatest about writing in journals, Farris does a much better job. That's one reason I started this blog as motivation to write down some of the things I wanted to remember about our family. SOOO, I'm going to write about this challenge in here. And if any of you would like to join us in the challenge I'll have to see what I can cook up for a prize for you--something homemade, crafty or yummy, you can decide! Some of the happiness tools are:

Savor the Moment: Stop and notice the smells, sights, feelings, etc. around you for at least 10 minutes, 3 times each week.
Share the Good News: Write in your journal about some good news you shared with someone else and how it impacted your positive outlook on life.
Learn to Cultivate Optimism: Practice improving what you say to yourself when something bad happens and record your daily experiences with practicing.
Volunteer: Spend at least 30 minutes this week volunteering at a community center, for an event, on a project, etc. If you already have a set volunteer role (such as a church calling), do so in a creative way that brings new life to your offering
Serve a Friend or Your Spouse: Improve your relationship with a friend or your spouse by doing something nice for them. You could make breakfast for them, bring them a treat, or perform some other small act of service.
Random Acts of Kindness: Do five random acts of kindness this week. You can smile at a stranger, hold the elevator door for a co-worker, let a car in front of you on the highway, etc.
Enroll in a Class, Join a Book Club, Hiking Club, or Other Group: Meet with the class/group and get to know the people in your class who share the same interests or circumstances as you.
Listen to Music or a Humorous CD: Keep a CD of happy, upbeat music or of a comedy routine in your car to listen to as you travel.
Do Something You Love: Free up at least an hour this week and do something you love but never have the time for, like trying a new recipe, knitting, reading a book, or attending a sports event.
Enhance Your Spirituality: Pray, read your scriptures, or read a Church-published text (i.e. the Ensign) more than you normally do. You should either pray once more a day, read your scriptures 10 minutes more each day, or read one more church article each week.
Set a Personal Spiritual Goal: Set a goal about a spiritual aspect of your life you would like to improve and record your experience throughout the week.
Write Down Your Problem: Write out possible solutions to a problem you are having and strategically decide on a plan to overcome the problem. Carry out the plan and evaluate and record the outcome.
Fix a Problem: Forgive someone by taking responsibility for your part in a disagreement, staying constructive, proposing solutions, and focusing on what you value about the other person.

This week I decided to do the Savor the Moment tool. With four busy kids running around, I tend to get caught up in the laundry, mopping, picking up, feeding, and all those other million things that happen every day, over and over again. I enjoyed taking time to sit and watch, think about, and rely on all my senses. My dentist told me once that he gets a lot of women in who fall asleep in the chair because its the only time they sit down for longer than a minute. How crazy is that? Maybe all of us need a few minutes every day to savor the moment.
After school one day the kids piled out of the van and immediately began playing in the snow. My first impulse was to get them in the house, get homework and chores done. But instead I sat on the stoop and watched them. It was hard to sit when I knew there was so much to get done inside, but it was finally (kind of!) warm and the snow was melting. The kids were happy and giggling, even Seth was crunching through the piles of snow. Another favorite time was watching Farris read stories to the kids. After a few minutes our snuggle-bug Caleb came and curled up on my lap. He's almost 7, how much longer will a little boy snuggle so happily onto my lap? The other ten minutes was split up in a couple different times of watching the kids goof off, snuggling with Seth, or looking out the window. It was hard to give myself permission to not be continually thinking "What's next? What do I need to be doing now?", but you know what? The laundry got done (errr, except that load that I still need to fold...), the floors got mopped (until Joseph spilled honey today), and the kids had enough food to eat. All those things happen over and over again each day, why not enjoy life as it comes instead of trying to be the Perfect Housewife all the time? I think being a better mother and a happier person is much more rewarding than a dustless, spotless, laundry folded as soon as it's out of the dryer woman without energy to appreciate the many, many blessings that are poured on each of us every day.
I think next week I'll try the Enhance your Spirituality tool. I decided to finally get all the way through Jesus The Christ this year, and I did really good for about a week...then kind of tapered off. So I'm going to get back in the habit of reading a little each day so I can finish my goal of reading it this year.
Anybody else want to try the challenge? Let me know, and I'll start thinking of a prize for you!

Losing teeth

Last night Caleb lost a tooth. It was his second, which reminded me that in my pre- and post-Christmas rush I never wrote in here about his first. We were at my parents house in Idaho after Christmas and his tooth was getting very loose. See, he was a little worried about the actual losing of the tooth, because Big Sister Felicity had informed him of what happened. I don't think she meant to scare him, but she is our Drama Queen so when she said "blood," she made it sound a little gruesome. So he was nervous and excited, but didn't want anyone's interference. Especially after I told him (maybe Felicity learns it from me? whoops) that if he told Grandpa about a loose tooth, Grandpa would get out his pliers and pull it out. When I was little he always offered the pliers, but if we had accepted, I really don't think my tenderhearted dad could have done it. So back to the story, Farris was helping Caleb brush his teeth and noticed that it was just hanging in there, but Caleb would not let him put his hands in his mouth. So what does Daddy do? Calls in Mommy, while pantomiming a yank behind Caleb's back. I told Caleb I wanted to see, and then pulled. Yuck, I know. It wasn't more than a little tug. OK I'll stop with the details (I know you're gagging right now, Julie, sorry). Caleb yelped and then was excited. But he was more careful. When his next tooth started getting wiggly the next day, he wasn't about to let anybody in his mouth. The Tooth Fairy decided to wait until we got home (ummm, yeah, it's not because our T.F. is a little slow and forgetful, I'm sure) and Caleb even bribed her with some candy. He only got two dollars (which I think is pretty good), so he decided the candy hadn't helped him. Last night Farris was helping him brush his teeth--sound familiar?--and called me into the bathroom for more dirty work. This time when I told Caleb I wanted to see, he opened his mouth, I reached in, he backed away and said 'Just don't pull it out!" I held up my hand and said "Are you sure? 'Cause look!" He hadn't even felt it that time, it was so loose. This time the Tooth Fairy worked quickly and exchanged the tooth that night. But no candy, so he only got a $1.50. That'll teach him.
And by the way, what do you think the Tooth Fairy should do with those teeth? Felicity always wrote a letter to the tooth fairy asking if she could keep her teeth, and then would lose it in the next couple of days. Vacuum. But Caleb lets the tooth fairy keep them, and she's a little at a loss...is it bad parenting to throw them away? Because with four kids, that's a lot of teeth piling up, and kind of grosses me out. I'm not dentist material. Except for the tooth pulling, I'm an expert on that.

Short and sweet I love

I know I'm behind and I haven't finished my year end review...I'm not sure if it's going to get done! We're settling down from our Holiday traveling/back to school/yucky sickness time, and I'm trying to get back on schedule. And of course, now we have a a four day weekend to break it up further. But the kids have had fun so far and we have a fun idea for today (we're going to paint the snow with spray bottles filled with water and food coloring--hoping that not too much sibling painting will happen). So anyway, I'm trying to get back into my routine now. So here's my I love for this week...
I love...when everyone gets better after a bout with flu or whatever. It makes everything seem brighter! When I could eat again: so happy. I love food, and I hate it when my stomach can't even stomach the thought of ice cream. So we're all eating and enjoying again, we made fajitas yesterday...yummmmm. We even made cupcakes on Friday and decorated them on Sunday (Saturday was a little busy).
I love...the Carl Bloch exhibit over at BYU. The paintings were amazing! Carl Bloch was a painter in the 1800's in Denmark. As a devout Lutheran a lot of his paintings were of Christ's life, eight were for Alter paintings. His style is a lot like Rembrandt, whom he studied, so the effect of light in all his paintings is incredible. The faces are so very detailed and life-like. There were a couple paintings that stood out to me, the one of when they took Christ off the cross to prepare him for burial was beautiful and tender. Another favorite was when Christ was being comforted by an angel in the garden of Gethsemane. The pain and utter exhaustion are shown so clearly, and the tenderness of the angel. Many of the paintings we recognized, the Church uses a lot of them in different publications. Like the one of Elizabeth greeting Mary, the Sermon on the Mount, and the healing at the pool of Bethesda (that one is permanently at BYU, and some of the small etchings, too). If you live any where around Provo, try to come to it before it ends in May. It's free, but you do need to get tickets online at: http://carlbloch.byu.edu/ Do it!
I love...that I'm not scared to go to parent/teacher conferences! We don't have to worry that the teacher despises our kids, or that they've been horrible in class or they're far behind academically. Felicity and Caleb are both doing great, especially in reading (imagine that!). Felicity is starting fractions which she has been struggling with, but I was the same way so I understand what she's going through. If any of you have ideas on how to visually get her to see what fractions are, let me know please! She has been wanting to cook with me alot, which I think will help. Most of my recipes I double or more, so she can start getting that part of it.

All of you have a lovely day! Enjoy the snow before it's all gone!