Sunday, May 22, 2011

Excused Absence

Okay, so I guess it's been a while since I posted anything on my blog. A long while. Like, five months. But in my defense, I have a good reason. I actually have a few reasons:
1.) We are moving. My husband has been unemployed for a while now and with the job market the way it was, and with our finances the way they were, we knew something had to give. We decided that Peter would go back to school this fall. Law school. He has wanted to go for while now. He brought it up to me nearly 4 years ago, took the LSAT, and applied to the only school I would sanction: the nearby University of Utah. The U, more concerned with 'diversity' than quality applicants, turned him down flat, despite his above average LSAT score and GPA.
That was the end of the conversations about law school for a while. We went through an extended financial boom with my job that lasted until January 1st, 2010, when it abruptly stopped. (Thank you, Mr. Obama and members of Congress...) The idea of law school was resurrected as a way for Peter to acquire some skills that would offer him a chance at meaningful employment. But we knew that the Univ. of Utah was probably still out of reach. He applied to six schools, of which we selected the University of Idaho. A 12-hour drive from our home in Utah. So we have taken all the necessary steps to prepare to move a family of 7. We rented out our home, found a house in Moscow, Idaho to rent, I quit my job, and we started packing. We are now less than 2 weeks from The Day. The kids are excited; I have mixed emotions.
2.) I have 5 growing kids who are increasingly busy.
Brandon is nearly 8 and has had a goal to read the Book of Mormon this year before his baptism in September. He needed some help, it's a heavy read. I needed some help at times! But we did it together and finished about a month ago. It was really satisfying for him to reach his goal. He felt pretty proud and I was proud of him.
Nathan will be 6 this week. He is my child who is most like me, so we butt heads a lot. But I love him dearly and have really enjoyed watching him blossom through kindergarten this year. He has also recently discovered some artistic talent. He entered and won an Arbor Day poster contest at school in April, which made him feel pretty neat. His grandmother, herself a very accomplished and prolific painter, has taken a special interest in him and has him over every other week for some painting lessons.
Ian, turning 4 June 1st, is my sweet little cherub. He has the chubbiest cheeks and sweetest disposition. He is the most gentle-hearted little boy. It has been such a joy for me to get to spend time alone with him this year. The 2-3 hours during which the twins are napping and the big boys are at school are so pleasant. He calls it his "Mommy-and-Ian-time." I feel like I've gotten to know him so much better. He amazes me with his vocabulary, sensitivity, and empathy. What a gem he is.
Andrew and Olivia turned 1 on April 7th. I can't believe the first year of their lives has gone by so fast! It feels like just yesterday I was waddling around town... As they get older, bigger, and more mobile, the challenges of raising twins change. They are now in to everything! Especially Andrew, who doesn't stop moving from the minute he gets up in the morning until he goes to bed at night. Olivia is more mellow, but definitely a drama queen. She can definitely hold her own with Andrew and the big boys. And with Daddy, for that matter!
Now that I'm a stay-at-home-mom though, it's almost like a commandment that I have to blog. So I will try to be better about it.
So yeah. Raising kids, working, and preparing for a major move has kept me a little busy.