Motherhood - Chapter 12 - Mental Snapshots

I am not a photographer. I stand in awe of those talented people who are able to look through a lens and know how to use their camera to make the image they snap look even better than the real thing. My sister and sister in law both have this gift. When they take photos of my kids or family I often think the photos of us look better than the real things (even without tons of photoshopping.)

But I have neither the knowledge nor the artistic gifts necessary to take really great photos like that. My photos never seem to capture life even remotely as cute as it is in real life. I see something really cute my kids are doing and go to take a photo and the picture I capture is always only a shadow of the cuteness I was seeing.

And so I have been taking mental snapshots my whole mothering career. And I am taking thousands of them now. I only hope that in heaven I will be able to recall these mental snapshots with the clarity of mind I had in the moment I took them. For the sad truth is that most of my mental snapshots fade in minutes from my too human memory.

I would invest in learning more about photography and trying to improve my picture taking skills, except that I don't really like taking pictures. I like the pictures. But I don't like being behind a camera trying to capture a moment. So I have to live with my mental snapshots as I am sure most mothers around the world do.

My girls, on the other hand, love being behind the camera. I suppose most kids do, right? Well Annie took some photos of Harrison the other day before his baby shower and somehow she managed to catch some really good ones. I was tickled to see a few of my mental snapshots come to life through her camera lens. Maybe I should invest in my girls learning more about photography ... someday. Check out Annie's mad untrained photo taking skills!

All photos taken of Harrison at 2 weeks old.

My Princess

My mother gave Ann Marie a journal for her baptism. I had her sit down and write out how she felt that day and what she could remember about the day before she went to bed that night. One thing she wrote struck me. She wrote that when she was being confirmed a member of the LDS church and given the gift of the Holy Ghost she felt like she was in a castle.

I loved this observation of hers. If you have never seen someone confirmed - the person being confirmed usually sits on a chair and those confirming him or her stand around the person with their hands placed upon the person's head. In Annie's case, there were several people participating in this confirmation. Her father gave the blessing but he was joined by her grandfathers and several uncle's in doing so. So all these men (at least 7 of them) stood in a circle around her with their hands on her head. She was in a way surrounded by these stone pillars of the priesthood. How fitting that she should say she felt as if she were in a castle.

Her description inspired me to write a little something to help her remember this feeling and how on point her feeling was. It isn't the masterpiece I wish it were. But it is better than nothing written at all.

My Princess

Little girl dressed all in white, a true princess clean and pure.
You sit in a tower of priesthood stone, feeling sublimely secure.
Hands placed upon your head, crown you with Heaven's gift.
A comforter to be your friend and always give you a lift.

Here you are safe.
Here you are sure.
Here you are surrounded
By love,
By faith,
By family,

Out into the world you now must go, outside of your castle walls.
Choosing daily between good and bad, defining just who you will be.
Oh remember the princess you are, and the Friend who is yours to seek.
Keep Him with you to guide you Home and you will always be free.

I love this girl!

Tomorrow my little Ann Marie is going to take a giant leap closer to Home as she follows the example of the Savior by being baptized. My sister helped me put together a baptism announcement card. The above picture is the front with the baptism details in the white space to the left of Annie. The back is featured below.

I am excited for this special occasion. I just can't believe that my little Annie is already 8. My how time flies. This little lady is going to be sneaking up on me in her growing up for years to come I think.

I love this girl. I love this girl. I LOVE this girl!!!

Look Who Is 8!

I am a bit late with this post. But better late than never. Our little Ann Marie turned 8 a couple weeks ago. She had a Tangled party the week before her birthday. It was a lot of fun with 15 friends. We took them to Tangled in a theatre and then picked up bean and cheese burritos for everyone on the way home. That was Annie's food request. After the burritos we had ice cream cake.

We hurried and opened presents as parents arrived to pick the kids up. Annie had a good time. That is what is most important.

I remember the day she was born. It was an 83 degree January day in Long Beach, California. Her birth was fun. It was almost too easy. 5 hours from checking in for induction till delivery. I had about 3 contractions to breath through then I got the epidural. I played games with my sister in law Elizabeth and Jonathan waiting to be ready to push.

When I was ready to push we waited about 20 minutes for my mom to arrive and then Annie came on out to join us. She almost came out by herself. I hardly had to help at all. She was a beautiful baby. But she was quite the crier. She is my little rose, beautiful, complicated and yet there are thorns to watch out for. I love her for all her beauty and all her thorns. She is a masterpiece in my eyes.

Happy Birthday my sweet, beautiful, smart, super soft skinned, super fast running, strong and iron willed Annie. I love you more than you can know.


Photos below were taken by my sister Lesli for her baptism invite cards. We used others for the card. Can't wait for everyone to get them. They turned out awesome. Thanks Lesli!

Ogre

Tonight Annie got to go spend some birthday money at Target. She picked the Shrek Movies. I told her as we walked to the register how I don't really like those movies. She asked why. I told her it was because they are crude and have lots of potty humor in them. She asked what I meant. I said they make lots of jokes about things like toots and the like.

She noted that her dad also thinks toots are funny. It is true. I told her I just don't like that kind of humor. She said, "Well Mom, Shrek is an ogre. What can you expect?" Point taken. So then I asked, "Well Annie, what about your dad? Is he an ogre then too?"

Her reply -- "Well, maybe half an ogre. He doesn't look like one but ..."

I just had to laugh. This girl's mind just makes me smile.

Not Sure Where She Puts It

Today I went to the school just before the lunch break and kidnapped Ann Marie for a lunch date with Mom (and Noble.) She had earned enough stickers for a date and has been so patient with my busy schedule. We have had to put off our date a few times as other things came up.

So today there was no way we were going to let anything else get in our way. I picked her up and told her we could go to lunch any place she wanted. She said she wanted to go to IHOP. I back tracked. I asked her what kind of food she wanted. She said pancakes. So then I gave her the options of the Original Pancake House or a new place I have been wanting to try called the Sunrise Cafe. She chose to try the new place. 

We sat down and she saw they did have pancakes on the menu. She was happy with that. She also was tempted by the French toast. She said that if there were 6 pancakes in the order of silver dollar pancakes she would get pancakes. If there were only 5 she would get French Toast. I told her I would get the French toast and let her have some. So she got the pancakes. 

The order came with 8 pancakes that were more the size of your average pancake than silver dollars. I was sure she wouldn't finish especially after drinking a big juice she also ordered. To my surprise she finished her 8 pancakes, a piece of bacon, a piece of my French toast and a few goldfish I had there for Noble. I am not sure exactly where she put all that food. Surely it can't all fit in her tiny little tummy.

From there we went to the Cupcake Lane Bakery next door to get her teacher a cupcake. We ended up getting a dozen for the office staff for "Teacher Appreciation" week. Last stop was at Trader Joe's for some flowers for her teacher. Annie had asked her what her favorite color was and picked out a lovely blooming pink flowery plant. 

We arrived back at the school with arms and bellies full. 

I remember having breakfast dates with my mom when I was a girl. I loved the alone time with her and bringing a treat back to my teacher was always fun. I think it is funny that when I have done this with my own girls for lunch they have opted for breakfast food every time. The time may be a little later but the "breakfast date" tradition continues on.

Socratic Method

I had to post this today because I just thought it was so awesome.  So today we are getting a double scoop. :)

So my little 5 year old Ann Marie is incredibly bright. I have known she was bright from a very early age. I don't mean she is just able to memorize things easily. I mean she is able to put things together in her mind very quickly. I mean she taught herself how to read after I taught her the letter and sounds kind of bright. Now she reads chapter books. She has a very logical mind with an above average dose of common sense. This makes her a challenge to parent because she is just too smart to fall for many parenting techniques.

I remember once she was being naughty when she was about 18 months to 2 years old.  I told her to do something several times and she wasn't doing it.  I told her again more frustratedly and she turned to me and yelled "NO!" That was it for me.  No kid of mine was going to scream at me like that.  My face changed to that "oh no just didn't look," you know that Mad Mama look that we can get to let kids know they have crossed the line.  I do a good one and boy it came out right then. Suddenly, Annie's expression changed from one of defiance to one of calculating caution.  Then she put her hands both up in front of her, palms facing me and said in her little tiny girl voice "Mama, take a deep bweth." Of course I burst out laughing at this. 

Anyway, so today Annie and Lauren were arguing or debating about the emblem on Lauren's bathing suit.  You can see it in the picture above.  Lauren was calling it a sun and Ann was trying to correct her and let her know it was a flower.

So the dialogue goes thusly:

Annie: It is a flower

Lauren: NO It is a sun!

Annie: No Lauren it is a flower.

Lauren: NO IT IS A SUN!

Annie: Lauren, do suns have leaves?

Lauren: No.

Annie: See these green things on your suit? What are they? See they are leaves. 

Lauren: silent and looking at the leaves.

Annie: So it is a flower because flowers have leaves.

Lauren: ... thinking ... NO ... IT IS A SUN!

Mama: Maybe it is a sunflower.  

Lauren: Yes it is a SUN flower.

Okay what I LOVE about this is that my five year old just used a law school teaching technique called the Socratic method. It is a method of teaching by asking questions to help people realize your point by themselves. I just think that is awesome.  My little loving Ann Marie is AWESOME!