Lessons in Parenting Vol 1

Since I am an oh-so-amazing parent, I thought I'd dish out some parenting know-how for the day. (I hope you're catching my sarcasm here)

I was chatting with my sister today about our cousin-twin boys. She casually mentioned that Kyle's feet have been growing like a mad man and she's having a hard time keeping the kid in shoes.

I said, "That's funny. Todd's feet haven't really been growing at all. But I do need to get him some new shoes for the summer so he can go sockless and stop destroying pair after pair of socks."

Fast forward a few hours to some family birthday shopping for moi (happy birthday to me). We were in an sporting establishment which just so happened to have the shoes I had in mind for my little men. So I asked the friendly try-on man if he would measure Todd's feet. "Sure. What size has he been wearing?"

"Um. . .I think size 2, maybe 2.5" I said.

So he measured the feet in question and gave me a look meant for a crazy-mommy-lady. "Looks like he's measuring a size 5 or 5.5"

Yep. I'm that cool.

He hasn't even complained, seriously. Well, he complains that he hates to tie his shoes, but about the fact that his shoes were 2 sizes too small (I checked and his tennies are actually size 3)? Nope. Not once.

So, if you ever find yourself in this situation, here's what you should do:

• Repeat aloud ten times "You are an awesome mom."
• Smile, because seriously it's kind of funny to miss stuff like that.
• Then go order some shoes off Zappos.com (sorry shoe-measuring man. They're too expensive in your store and you don't have any cool colors).

Warning. . .potty story

I probably shouldn't post this. But it was hilarious. . .

Some of you will be absolutely appalled by the fact that I still help Ben wipe after he goes #2. I am just seriously opposed to underwear skids and poo-smelling boys. I find it a small inconvenience in my day to keep certain hygiene standards. However, I have recently realized that Ben is almost 5 and really needs to learn the important skill of self-wiping.
So we had a talk the other day in which I informed him of his new job--wiping himself after using the bathroom.
His main concern was a valid one, "Yuck. I don't want poop on my hands."
We discussed proper technique and I shared with him the fine art of wrapping toilet paper about one's hand to make a "glove."
He countered with his own version of the "toilet paper wad" which he claims to prefer.
After many discussions, he finally responded in the affirmative but later came back with a negotiating point, "How about when it's not very messy I will wipe, but if it's really messy you will wipe."
"Deal," I said, a bit unsure as to the specifics but willing to encourage any form of independence.

Well, moving on to yesterday afternoon. He had been in the bathroom for quite a while so I decided to check on him. I found him precariously perched on the bathroom counter, bum toward mirror, legs spread so he could bend over and look through his legs to the mirror. It was a shocking scene until I figured out just what it was he was doing. . .
"Not too messy, mom. I can wipe it."
And there you have the checking method. Nicely done, my little man.

Women's Conference 2010

Random male passerby grudgingly took this picture for us. He was trying desperately to avoid eye contact as he walked by. . .but we didn't let him.
Chelsea and Alysia masterfully crafting stockings at the service project

Allyson. . .nearly finished

Me and my mom

Another mom with her little family. Apparantly she didn't get the memo that you can't bring infants to Women's Conference. This little family was strolling across the parking lot.

Mom said she'd adopt Chelsea for the weekend.

Me and my super cute mom

The North Las Vegas ladies

I just love this annual post!

BYU Women's Conference 2010 was fantastic. I'm pretty much set on it being an annual tradition, so if you want to join the party, just let me know. I drove to Utah with friends from Vegas and met my mom there. We stayed in the dorms for the first time this year. Somehow, they did not seem as magical as they did when I lived in them. And the towels were absolutely miniscule. Perhaps they just gave us the hand towels and forgot to hand out the bath towels. But, the nostalgia was great. We stayed just across the street from my own freshman home. Lots of great memories.

The classes were fantastic, as usual. My three favorites were the keynote addresses. I'm sure that everyone took away the message that was meant for them, but these were the high points for me:

Sister Beck, who is an absolutely amazing woman, spoke about priorities. She talked about how many years ago she realized that she needed to evaluate her life. She prayed and studies and came up with three categories: essential, necessary, and nice. Those things that were essential were things that would ensure eternal life for herself and her family (personal revelation, scripture study, prayer, fasting, making and keeping covenants). Necessary things were those that would make her environment a place where the spirit of the Lord can dwell (think "homemaking", smiling, teaching, self reliance). Nice things were reading a book for pleasure, going to lunch with friends, etc. these are things that are nice to do, but will not save us. I have pondered these ideas over and over, realizing that where our heart is will determine what we do, and what we do will determine what we will be and where we will ultimately end up. Some of these things I do well, and some I need to change. I have some priorities to shift. I also have some paradigms I need to readjust.

Sister Renata Forste spoke about sisters being perfectly joined together. She talked about sustaining each other in our choices and how charity and thankfulness creates a bond of perfectness. She spoke about how we're all at different levels and we all have different talents. I may be a 7 at sewing and you might be a 4, you might be a 9 at patience and I am a 2, she might be an 8 at missionary service and another is a 6. But together, we are all a perfect 10. Why do we as women always feel inadequate and why can we not just be happy for the good things others can do? Is it jealousy of each other or a lack of confidence in ourselves? I need to work on this!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks was the concluding speaker--what a beautiful privelege to hear an apostle of the Lord speak, to be in the same room and feel the spirit. His message was about selfishness. He had many amazing things to say, but the one that has been rumbling around in my head for these last weeks is, "IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME." As a parent, a wife, a friend, in my calling, in my family, it is not about me. It's about other people. His mother used to say, "It's amazing how much you can get done if you don't worry about who gets the credit." If I didn't have a moral standard against tatoos, I'd put this one on my forehead. I can work on this.

So. . .these and so many other things to learn and think about. If you want a run-down of the rest of my notes, call me up and we can have a cup of hot cocoa together and I'll tell you all about it.

Thanks, Mom, Chelsea, Allyson, Alysia, and Karen for a great weekend with the girls.

Thanks, boys for holding the fort down and letting me get a spiritual uplift.