Sunday Reflections: Children

don't mind Huggle's yogurt mouth

I read a blog post yesterday evening that was very memorable for me.  I pinned it in Pinterest... that's how inspired I felt it was.  Its a message I feel needs to be spread.

This particular blog is written by a fellow homeschooling mamma.  I don't know her personally, but I find her posts to be very insightful and inspiring.  She really takes time out of her day to focus on how precious her children are.  This is something I need to do every day as well.

The blog is Finding Joy: beautiful, connected, life

This particular blog post titled, 51 Things You Can Do That Will Bless Your Kids.

I loved the list she laid out, many of these things I do, but more than half of these things I don't do well...or at all.

I decided that I needed to focus on one for now.  Start somewhere making better habits and memories.

The list talks about letting your children try, let them fail, let them succeed on their own...and with your help, love them, and tell them that you love them every day...and so on and so forth.  You should really read it, because maybe you will find something to focus on too.

I chose # 36 "Let them end the hug."

My family didn't hug a ton while I was growing up.  We still don't hug much.  When we see each other, we do a little side hug.  Hoss's family are "huggers"... always hugging.  It was a lot to adjust to when I first married into his family.  It was a good adjustment though.  My family had other ways of showing affection.. like punching each other in the arm, giving a dead leg, a noogie, or playing sports and games together.  (Family::  Do I remember wrong?)

When we moved to the south, I had to learn a new appreciation for hugs.  I hug my kids, and Hoss plenty, but friends and acquaintances?... not likely.  Just ask my good friend Chris...when we parted ways upon my moving to New Mexico, I went and said goodbye to her.  We both stood there looking at each other saying, "Well.... see ya later."  I had thought about giving her a friendly thump on the arm, but I refrained.

The culture here in Southern New Mexico seems to be of the kind to hug upon greeting, and usually upon parting.  "Huggers" were everywhere!  But, I think I have adjusted, because hugs are wonderful, and I'm not quite as taken off guard when someone offers a hug!

So why do I choose to focus on letting my kids end the hug?  Because, I felt inspired that it is what my children need.  I put it in practice immediately.  Last night, after family prayers and before bed, I gave Bug a hug first.  I smile as I write her reaction.  We hug often, but never like this.  I just held onto her, and you know what?  She just hugged me back.  I think we hugged for around five minutes.  And when she finally pulled away, she was beaming, and so was I.  When I hugged Bunny, she saw Bug's hug, so she was prepared.  She too just let me hold her in my arms as we hugged.  When she finally ended the hug, she too was beaming, and I was positively joyful!  Such wonderful things a hug can do!

Today, I have been thinking about how blessed I am to have such sweet, lovely, funny, and wonderful children.  My heart cries out for them, and I only want to help them along in their lives to be the most successful in whatever they choose to do.  I only want to arm them with faith in God, a testimony in Jesus Christ, and a hunger for the scriptures, or the word of God.

Give your children a hug from me....or from you!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Activity Day: Service Project

This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I couldn't handle sitting in front of the computer with the horrible migraine that erupted shortly after sitting down to edit the pictures.  It was a bad one... that's what I get for not wearing my reading glasses while on the computer.

So here it is... written two days ago (Wednesday).

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My camera's battery died, so my cell
phone camera had to work.

I walked into my calling with the rest of the year mostly planned out, which is nice.  It gives me an idea for what the girls have done, and what they like.  For yesterday's activity, the plan was for the girls to make Thanksgiving cards to give to the families who will be receiving food baskets from the youth.  Great idea!  Right?  No need to change it in my opinion!

Why not add to it though?  These girls have a tendency to run around, and skip out of the activity before we are officially closed.  I have to say, this is a really hard habit to break!  I have my work cut out for me...but I'll be darned if those girls keep it up!  So, to add more to their plate, a sister from the ward asked me if the activity day girls could make birthday cards for an older widow who does not have anymore family alive.  She is in a nursing home, and I guess, that is one of the things she really misses...cards, letters... you know, receiving something...anything in the mail.  I can feel for her.  I always walk to the mailbox with a hopeful feeling that just maybe I'll have a card or a letter instead of bills.  Alas, it is usually bills.  Sometimes I day dream that there is a check in the mail for a cagillion dollars....

But I digress.

I have a firm belief that these kids need to grow up learning how to help other people.  They need to learn how to set aside time to think of other people.  I am afraid that this coming generation is not getting enough of that.  I am afraid that they are left too much on their own, and they are missing out on valuable lessons in work, service, and studying.

My goal is to have an underlying point to everything we do.  The girls are working to earn their Faith in God awards...so, these activities are mainly to help them get there.

After our opening exercises, I explained what we were doing.  They were all very excited to be doing something crafty.  They got right to work.  But it wasn't just about making cards with no thought... so I began to explain to them about this older woman who was all alone, and missing on the sweet little things in life.

I asked, "Why do you think it is service...making these birthday cards for this woman?"

They all answered so wonderfully.  One thing that I am not surprised by.  This upcoming generation is very intuitive... or at least, they can be.  They understood that this woman needs to feel loved, and to look at those fun little cards that used to come in the mail from family.  It is an opportunity to bring a smile to her face, and help her feel loved.

The same with the Thanksgiving cards.  Each family will not only get an outpouring of blessings, in the form of food, but they will get a card that shows that someone was thinking of them!

Happiness is in the little things...and if I can help my kids, and any other kids I am fortunate to mentor, I hope they learn that too.  I am sure thankful for this calling!  It is so much fun, and I can feel it preparing me for other adventures!

Happy Thanksgiving... a little early!

Sincerely,

Evelyn Curtis

Bonus Post: Mother's Day!

The other day, all five of us were driving in the van.  I do not remember where we were going, or what time it was.  I only remember the fact that Baby K was so upset; he was screaming his head off.  He was fed, and he was changed... he was just sleepy, and he wasn't going to give up easily.  He was in the seat directly behind mine (the passenger seat, since Hoss was driving).  I was twisted around so that I could give Baby K his pacifier.  While trying to sooth him, I began to sing to him.  I sang about five or more songs, and he began to quiet shortly after I began.

Cuties that I am blessed to call my kids

Once all was quiet, I glanced to the very back of the van to see Big T and Little H watching me intently.  I'm going to be honest with you, at first, I was a little startled.  I smiled at them and winked before turning around in my seat.

Big T and Little H were so quiet and careful to listen, because they love to hear me sing.  I don't want to sound like I claim to be an awesome singer, because I do not claim such a thing.  I can carry a tune, that's about it.  :)  The girls ask quite often if I will sing them a song at bedtime (mostly Little H), but I don't do it very often.  But since having Baby K, I have been singing a whole lot more, because he loves to hear it.  Much of the time, when he is upset, it is the only thing that will calm him down.  He will even try to sing with me by cooing and making cute sounds while I sing... so needless to say, I have been singing a lot more since he was born than I have in a long time, so its no wonder why T and H stopped to listen.

I pondered the incident in the van, and I thought back to my own childhood.  I loved to watch my mother sing.  I loved to hear her voice.  It was just one of those things that made me happy, and helped me feel safe, warm and loved.

My wonderful, talented, and beautiful mother Kathy!

I have a memory of sitting on the kitchen counter when I was quite young... maybe a little younger than Little H.  My mom was singing a song that she wrote.  I was trying to sing along with her.  The only part that I can think of right now is the part that says, "Someone's spilling milk on the floor."  *Mom, you did write that song correct??*

My mother is a wonderful woman.  She is the reason for all of my good qualities.  She taught me how to work, to have a love for music, and a love for our Savior Jesus Christ.  She taught me what it means to serve and love our fellow men.  She taught me through example to have faith in the Lord, and to put all trust in Him.  I have a wonderful mother, who I have patterned my own mothering after.




So, Happy Mother's Day, mom!  I also want to extend the wishes to my Grandmothers Charlotte and Mary Lou, my sister Kendra, my sisters-in-law, and last but not least, my mother-in law, Dixie.  After all, she did raise my most wonderful husband!

T & H's personalities: Princess & Goof

Well, I had better get going, the dinner won't cook itself, the baby won't feed himself (yet), and the girls are calling for my attention!  Who was it that said, "A mother's work is never done?"... I wish they were wrong!

Happy Mother's Day!

20: Confusing Feelings

Witold sat in a small windowless room, on a flimsy metal chair with his hands patiently in his lap.  The walls were made of light stone blocks, which gave the room a cold feeling.  There was a metal door with a small window toward the top.  Witold was told that this was where he would be staying while in the human realm, all though there was no bed.

He stood up and walked to the door.  He reached for the door knob to ask Jess how long until Sora would be back, when he realized that there was not a handle.  The only thing there was a circular plate.  The door must have opened from the outside only.  Witold pressed his face up against the glass window to try and see Jess.  She was no where to be seen.

Witold had played off the stories about humans as a story to scare little Kiswan into doing what they were told.  If you didn't do what was expected, then the humans would come and get you.  Even Jess seemed to tiny and harmless, that he immediately put all thought of dangerous humans out of his mind... until now.  He began to pace the room looking for a way out.  He was not going to get this far and lay down.  If tiny little Jess could make him feel so comfortable, then turn around and lock him up, what might she have done to Sora?

That thought stopped him in his tracks.  He hadn't thought about that.  Was Sora alright?  He pulled the stone out of his pack and cradled it in his hand like it was a delicate flower that was beginning to wilt.  The glow that came from it was brighter than it had ever been.  Sora had to be close!  But what if something bad had happened to her, and the stone was left behind?

Picture Source

He marched over to the door and began to pound on it.  The sound echoed through the entire building, but no one seemed to be around.  Where had Jess gone?  What was she going to do with him?  She was so tiny that he could have lifted her with one hand and tossed her aside.

The turmoil inside was alarming to Witold.  He had never had such hostile feelings toward anything.  His heart was pounding in his chest.  He had to break free!  He began pacing again as he felt his adrenaline building up.  Unsure of what he was doing, Witold walked up to wall next to the door and kicked it with all of his might.

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As they waited, Sora and Justin sat on the tailgate of his truck.  The wind had begun to pick up, and in the distance they could see a brown haze.  The trees put off a fragrance that permeated the air, showing off its lush healthy foliage.  Had it not been for an odd twist in events for the day, Justin would have been completely content.  He had never met a girl like Sora before.  She was so down to earth, and exotic.  Her drive alone was an intriguing feature about her.  She never seemed to stray from what she was supposed to be doing.  He admired that about her.  Ever since Sora had seen her friend Witold, she hadn't said much at all.  She seemed to be thousands of miles away, yet she sat right next to him.

Even her sweet aroma trumped that of the lush trees in whose shade they waited.  Justin leaned back in order to pull an apple from the ice chest.  His heart pounded with excitement as he sat back up.  In the split second it took to retrieve the apple, he acted upon impulse.  Justin quickly put his arm around Sora.

She removed her attention from the gravel road and looked Justin directly in the eyes.  They seemed to glow, with the flecks of gold adorning the beautiful brown eyes.  Before she could say anything, Justin leaned in, his cheeks flushing... the sun must have gotten hotter... He paused slightly...


Jess's voice could be heard shortly before it cut out completely, followed by the purr of her little car.  Sora hopped off of the tailgate and dashed through the trees only to see the tail lights of Jess's little blue car.


"Justin!"  Sora called back toward the truck, "She left!  Let's go get Witold!"


Justin slowly slid off of the tailgate and whispered to himself, "Right... Witold."  He wondered why he felt like Witold was more than just a friend to Sora.


Sora was apparently impatient, because she ran back toward the truck, nearly bumping into Justin.  "Let's go in!"


"Wait!  Hang on!"  Justin couldn't help but smile at Sora's percistence.  "We need to go in slowly and quietly to make sure no one else is in there.  The last thing we need is for the mayor to call the police on us for trespassing."


"Trespassing?  What's....." Sora was interrupted by Justin.


"Trespassing is when one person goes in another person's house our yard without asking first."  Justin crouched down next to a bush in order to observe the building.


Justin looked up at Sora, "Well, come on!  You don't want to be seen!"


Sora obediently crouched down as well.  "How long do we have to wait?"


"Well, we need to make sure that Jess is not coming back."  Justin took a bite of his apple and chewed then swallowed.  "We need to give it at least ten minutes."  Another bite..... "Then we'll go in."


Sora sighed and leaned against a tree.


**********************************************************************************


Sitting across from Justin, Sora had time to reflect on what had just happened.  She knew that she liked Justin, but something about the feelings felt so wrong.  She absentmindedly picked the bark off of a stick.  She wanted nothing more than to choose a partner that she loved, not just the partner that she was told to partner with.  Something strange had happened just before Sore had left the Kiswone Nation.  It was unsettling, and she had tried as hard as she could to push it out of her mind.... until she actually saw Witold riding in Jess's car.


Needless to say, Sora was very grateful for the distraction that prevented Justin from kissing her.  She had to focus on her task at hand.  If she didn't succeed, it wouldn't be very long before no one would be able to fall in love.


Sora timidly said, "Justin, I..." she stopped, "I can't," was all she could get out.

"Why?"  Justin's voice sounded truly hurt.

"I don't know...I just have to focus on my quest."  Sora tossed the stick aside and stood up.

Justin remained squatting down, giving himself time to think.  "Well, I suppose, now that your friend is here, you won't be needing my help."

Sora was very confused at the change in Justin's tone.  Humans were very sensitive beings... even if Justin had Kiswan blood running through his veins.

Justin interrupted his thoughts, "Look, forget it...we can go now."

He climbed the fence and turned around expectantly waiting for Sora to follow.  Once she was over, Justin looked back and forth, and began to stealthily walk toward the building.  Before he could take two steps, they heard a loud crash come from within.  Both Sora and Justin forgot about being sneaky and sprinted, closing the distance between them and the building much faster.  Justin tried the doorknob, and oddly enough, it was unlocked!  He turned the knob, and pulled the door open, trying to see inside through the dim lighting.

Sora stepped through the doorway first, pausing to let her eyes adjust to the sudden darkness.  There was not one light on, and there were not any windows in the large room.  Sora glanced down each wall, and found a short hallway scattered with broken cinder blocks.  Emerging from the hallway was Witold, a fierce look in his eyes.

19: Planning a Break Out

King Otto sat in his throne room patiently listening to the complaints and concerns of the villagers.  He had just finished listening to a Kiswan from the neighboring village of Dulder express his concerns about his crops.  The Kiswan's name was Nule.  He farmed tuber roots that the Kiswan called poppers.  The poppers were a staple in the Kiswone Nation.  Most meals that were fixed, were fixed with the poppers in mind.

Nule's dress was simple.  He wore a long pant and no shirt.  His coppery skin was smooth and well muscled from plowing and harvesting over the years.  His only sign of aging was in his face, where wrinkles garnished his face, and his eyes twinkled with years of wisdom.  He was worried about the earth soil, because it was dry and without nutrient.  Nule had tried to call on the earth core to replenish the earth soil, but nothing came.

Otto knew that if the nutrients were not replenished, then the poppers would not be able to grow.  He had promised to go and see for himself after mid day sup.

The problems throughout the kingdom were all the same.  It appeared that the Kiswan were losing their power, and Otto did not know how to fix the problem.

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Justin and Sora stepped outside into the warm sun.  It was ten o'clock in the morning, and already, the temperature was nearing seventy degrees.  Sora closed here eyes and pointed her face at the sun.  The raise penetrated her skin, giving her goose bumps all over her arms and legs.  She smiled and headed down to Justin's truck.

Justin hurried ahead and opened the door for her.  She hesitated, but climbed into the truck.  "Thank you.  What do we need to do before we leave?"

Justin shut the truck door and walked around to his side, while getting in, he said, "We have to get gas in the truck... so it can run for a long time, and we have to get some food at the store," he paused, "so we don't have to stop very often."

Sora turned and looked out the back window.  There was a red box in the back right under the window.  Justin had dumped all of the ice from his freezer into it, forming a layer around the six cans of Coca-Cola inside.

"So if we put drinks and food into that little box, they will stay cold?.. even in this sun?"  Sora doubted the theory.  She smirked and sniggered at the thought.  "But the sun gets so hot here!"

"You'll see."  Said Justin.  "We will get even more ice at the store.  It should stay frozen in their for at least the day, and then some."

He put the truck into drive and headed toward the Farmer's Country Market.
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Witold sat in the passenger seat of the tiny car while the human, Jess, talked non-stop.  She talked about her 'boyfriend,' and her 'job.'  She had an awful lot to say... about everything.

The one thing that kept Witold in his seat was the stone that he held in the palm of his hand.  Its glow began to brighten with each mile they drove, until finally they drove into a 'city,' and the stone was warm to the touch and growing even more brightly.

There were homes everywhere, with cars and humans walking along the 'road.'  Some huge buildings, nearly the size of the feasting hall were everywhere.  Witold wondered what important humans lived in those buildings.

Witold pointed at a store and asked, "Is that where one of your kings live?"

Jess laughed out loud, "No, that is a store.... where we buy things?"

Witold still looked puzzled.

She sighed, "When we need something, like food, we go into that store with money and exchange for the food."

"Oh!  Can we go in there?"  Witold was excited about going into a store and buying anything you need!

"No."  Jess glanced away, "We are going to go to Sora, remember?  We are almost there, we just have to go to the place she is staying."

Jess' instructions were to take Witold to a warehouse north of Roswell.  She wasn't to stop anywhere.  Cartwright was sure that if Sora knew that another one of her people were captured that she would come looking for him, and they could capture her too.  Jess' heart pounded with excitement as she passed a busy gas station.

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Sora had been amazed at how ingenious the humans were with preserving food.  Some food was put in cans and sealed.  It would keep like that for years!  After they paid for the food, they made their way on to the next adventure... the gas station.

Justin wanted to show Sora how to fill his truck with gas.  He put a plastic card into a slot on the machine, and pushed a few buttons.  The machine beeped, and Justin opened the hole on the side of his truck, pulled off the nozzle, and inserted it into the hole.  He pulled the lever back and she could hear the liquid rushing into the gas tank.

"Its like feeding it!"  Sora had exclaimed.

"Kinda!"  Justin laughed.

Sora walked back around to the passenger side of the truck.  She leaned against the truck to watch the cars drive by while she waited.  Looking down the road, she saw a little blue car coming their way.  It had to have been Jess' car.  She watched as the car approached, and was shocked to see a human looking an awfully lot like Witold.  Sora's heart thumped, and her stomach fluttered uncontrollably.

"Justin!" She ran back around the truck to where Justin was putting the nozzle back on the machine.  "I just saw Jess drive by!"

"Okay," She's probably just going to work.

"No!  She had Witold in the passenger seat!"

"Who is Witold?"  Justin asked coolly.

"He is my... err, he is a Kiswan!" She looked down in thought.  "But how did he get here?" she said more to herself than to Justin.

"Someone came with you?"

"No!  I came alone," Sora said.  "I don't know why he would be here.... but we have to go and get him!  Who knows what Jess and Cartwright are planning to do with him!"

Justin grabbed his receipt and got back in the truck.  "Let's go then!  Let's see if I can catch up to her."

Sora hopped back into the truck, and Justin was pulling away before she even had the door shut!

He pulled onto the street and sped after Jess's car.  "If they have turned off onto another road, then we might not be able to find them."  Justin was leaning forward and weaving in and out of traffic, and after a few minutes said, "Hang on... is that her car?"

Ahead was the little blue car.  "Yeah!  It is!"  Sora sat up as if she could will the truck to catch up faster by leaning forward.

"Wait a second," Justin said.  "I wonder..."

Sora turned suddenly toward Justin, "Wonder what!"

"I have heard rumors, that Cartwright has some property north of town.  He keeps it chained off, with plenty of security.  I bet that is where she is taking him.  He most likely won't get away if they get him in there."

"Well what are we going to do?"  Sora asked.

After a few minute pause, Justin broke the silence.  "I think I have an idea."  He slowed way down, in order to back away from Jess' car.  Once her car went over a small hill, he turned off of the road, onto a road made of dirt.

Justin sped the truck down the road heading east.  A line of trees followed along the road on the left, and a farmer's crop spanned out to the right.  The line of trees began to get thicker the further Justin drove down the road.

"Where are we going?" Sora was anxious, and it was obvious.

Justin slowed down, and pulled into a group of trees on the left hand side of the road.  "Cartwright has a reputation of being somewhat erratic and crazy."

"Yeah, you mentioned that already."

"Well, he owns some property out here in the country.  Some friends of mine and I would sneak out here to spy on him."  Justin pointed through the trees.  "He has a warehouse in there.  He built it to house aliens when he would catch them."

"What?"  Sora jumped out of the truck and peered through the trees.

Sure enough, on the other side of the six foot chain link fence, was a giant building.  It stood about one fifty feet away from the fence, and sure enough, Jess' little blue car was pulling up at that moment.  Sora wanted a closer look, and she began to approach the fence.

"Sora, come back."  He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "We don't want her to know that we are here, or else we won't be able to rescue him."

"I want to see him!"  Sora tried to pull her arm free, but Justin pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her in order to contain her.

"Shhh!  Or they will hear you!" He knelt down with her and nodded toward a small opening between the trees.  "You can see through here."  Justin let go of her, and watched as she peered through the trees.

She watched as Witold got out of the car and stretched his long legs.  Justin noticed Sora's reaction as the Kiswan looked around and hesitated to follow Jess into the warehouse.  Sora's full attention was on him.  She seemed to have forgotten that Justin was there.  Her eyes followed him until he had disappeared into the warehouse.

She seemed to snap back to reality, because she stood up and began pacing back and forth.  "What are we going to do?"  She paused to look at Justin who was still kneeling on the ground.  "How are we going to get him out of there?"

Justin stood up and moved to the truck.  Leaning up against it, he said, "Well, my friends and I used to come out here to see if old Cartwright had anyone locked up in there.  Some of the younger kids thought that he performed experiments on regular humans that he accused of being an alien."

At that, Sora stopped pacing, and her cheeks paled.  "Experiments?  What kind of experiments?"

Justin opened the cooler that was full of the fruits and vegetables that they had bought for their trip east and pulled out two cans of coke.  "I don't believe he ever did any experiments.  I think he just tied them up and interrogated them."  He handed a can to Sora who cracked it open and took a long gulp.

Coughing because of the carbonation, Sora said, "So, do you have a plan?"

"Why yes, I do!"  Justin took a sip of his soda.  "We just have to wait for Jess to leave."

"You think she will leave him in there all alone?"

"I most certainly do.  She isn't one for sticking around."  Justin said.  "We just need to be patient."

Time passed slowly as they ate some snacks and waiting quietly in the shade of the trees.  Sora was to pensive to talk much.  She was thinking about all of the questions that she would ask Witold.  She even wondered how their reunion would be.  She felt somewhat guilty for befriending Justin, yet, at the same time, she felt guilty for thinking of Witold.  What a confusing day.