Me and My Daddy

I should have posted this on Father's Day.  I'm lame.  I guess my only defense is that we had a little bit of company.  Like, on Father's Day, there were 15 people living at my house.  (I know!  My house can hold 15 people!  Come visit!)

But anyway, just because I'm lame and didn't get it up on time doesn't make this post any less true or any less sweet.

You should hear this girl when her father comes home. She shrieks out, "HI DADDY!!" I'll see if I can get it on video sometime.

Loves.  Lots and lots of loves.

When the morning is beautiful...

and the flowers are blooming...

{Look at these flowers I own!  Yellow roses!}

{And lavender!  And this is just a small sampling of the gorgeous flowers that I suddenly find myself in charge of.}

Anyway, when the morning is beautiful and the flowers are blooming...

and the girls are cute...

The girls are so cute. 

I can't stop with trying to get shots of the piggies.  They are devastatingly cute in person.  I don't know if I'll ever be able to capture their perkiness on film.

Hello you sweet thing.

I was having so much luck with the little one, I thought I'd give all three of 'em a shot. 

Boom.

Beautiful Day.

The Summer Craft List

Well friends, for whatever it may be worth to you, here's what we're doing this summer.  You'll notice that it's all pretty simple, because that's my level, but hey, if you're tricksier, by all means, share your crafting amazingness on this little flickr group--The Summer of Craft.

Kid Summer Craft List

Week of June 14: Hot Rocks or Hot Paper Drawings

Supplies: smooth rocks or paper, oven or griddle, crayons

(You can follow her instructions if you want to use rocks as your medium, or if you don’t have smooth rocks like that, you can use a griddle and place a sheet of paper over the griddle.  When you color, the wax will melt and make cool pictures.  Make sense?  Gotta decide what you’ve got and which method poses less risk to your particular kids.  :)

Week of June 21: Bubble Snakes

Supplies: old water bottles, washcloths or old socks, rubber bands, bubble solution (you can make your own, of course!)

Or if you want to get extra adventurous, here’s an idea for making humonstrous bubbles:
http://lobstermonkey.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/06/making-giant-bubbles.html

Week of June 28: Black Magic Art

Supplies: Light colored cardstock, crayons, sponge paint brush, black acrylic paint, something to etch with (such as a fork or toothpick). 

Week of July 5: Spun Fireworks

Supplies: Salad Spinner, paper or paper plates, liquid water color or watered down tempera or food color, splat mat

Or here’s another fireworkish craft idea…

Supplies: Doilies of different patterns, paint, paper

Week of July 12: Recycled Paper Beads

Supplies: old magazines, glue, something round to roll the beads around, scissors

Week of July 19: Flower, Fruit and Veggie Painting

Supplies: All sorts of flowers, fruits and veggies paint, paper


Week of July 26: Shape Collage Art

Supplies: different colorful shapes, paper, glue

Week of August 2: Corn Syrup Paintings

Supplies: Corn Syrup, glossy art paper, food coloring, crayons paint brushes

Week of August 9: Yarn Flowers

Supplies: Flower colored yarn, green yarn, fork, paper clip

Week of August 16: Bottle Cap Bugs

Supplies: Lots of caps!  Paint, googley eyes

Or, just ‘cause bugs are fun, here’s another buggy idea:

Supplies: Wire, beads, big wooden beads, googley eyes, hot glue gun

Week of August 23: Sugar Rock Candy

Supplies: water, white granulated sugar, glasses, food coloring, bamboo skewers





Runners Up:  I'm not going to be all tidy for the runners up...


http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2010/04/guest-post-found-object-mosaic-wall-art.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2FiTVx+%28The+Crafty+Crow%29

Boy I really do want to do this… but I just don’t know if I’ve got the patience to do it with my kids…



http://inanutshell.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/scented-gel-paints.html 
My concern with this is that she says it’ll stain.  Uh.  She lost me at that, but it looks cool!

http://www.creativejewishmom.com/2010/05/a-field-of-cupcake-liner-flowers-for-shavous.html
Cute, easy idea.


And a few other ones that didn't QUITE make my cut, but maybe you'll like 'em better than the ones I chose.

http://alphamom.com/family-fun/crafts/spring-flower-pinwheel-craft/

http://thelightgarden.blogspot.com/2009/05/making-mondays-sunprints.html



Happy Crafting!  :)

Real Men Camp in Pink

Fathers and Sons Campout, take 2 for the year.  (That's what happens when you ward hop around this time of year!)  But this time, they went to Givens Hot Springs.  And the only tent we own?  Comes courtesy of Aunt Susan G Komen. 

Along with the customary roasting of marshmallows and hot dogs, 

the boys went swimming in the hot springs...

and menaced people with swords. 

Oh have you ever seen a happier boy?  Ever? 

Crafty Summer... you in?

Don't ask me why, but somehow in my brain, being a good mom is related to doing crafts with your kids.  I don't know.  I'm weird.  But whenever I think, "I should be a better mom," that thought is always followed by, "I should do more crafts with my kids."  Something about spending quality time and being creative and being involved and making their brains grow.  Plus, my kids get all buzzed from seeing buttons and glue and paper and stuff.  I don't know.

So, I have made a goal.  It's not lofty, by any means.  It's attainable.  It's real.  One I'm pretty sure I can keep, no matter how busy the summer gets.  I'm going to do a craft project with my kids once a week.  (I know, you're like, "Uh, Bethany?  That's like some big deal goal for you?  I do that in my sleep."  And I will say to you, that's why you're a better mom than me and I'm trying to be like you.  Okay.

But I know that in order to get this done, I've got to be organized.  On the ball.  Like Julie Young.  And if you're unfortunate enough not to know who Julie Young is, just imagine the most organized person you know.  So I'm planning it out.  I'm picking the craft for each week of the summer, linking it up to the blog where I found the idea and putting together a supplies list for each week.  That way, I can use my coupons in advance and make sure I'm stocked up on the stuff I'll need before the week hits.  See how organized?  Wow, huh?  ;)

So then I thought to myself, "Self, hm.  I wonder if there's anyone else who might want to do this and might just be happy that I did all the work of following craft blogs and picking crafts that look fun to me and writing down all the supplies."  So... are you?  Would you like my little list?  I mean, I'm sure all of our kids will have different craft abilities and likes, but it's somewhere to start, right?  What do you think?  You interested?  And if so, how shall I disseminate the information?  Would you like everything all posted in one big post?  Do you want an email with my list?  Do you want me to make a post with the info for next week's craft? 

ALSO, if there are crafts lurking around out there that you've been wanting to try?  Send me a link!

And then, if I get REAL ambitious, I might start a little Flickr group and we can all post what we did and won't we just feel like the best moms in the world?

What say you?

Student of the YEAR

That's right, hear me people, student of the YEAR.  That's the award Nathan received today at his end of school awards assembly.  We got a letter in the mail saying that he was going to receive an award, but they didn't specify which.  So we went to the gym, camera proudly in hand.  But as the hour turned into an hour and a half and they read sportsmanship awards, citizenship awards, etc etc etc and Nathan's name was never called, we started to get a bit... um, antsy?  Bored?  We thought perhaps there had been some mistake.  Until the last award of the assembly (for the Kindergarteners).  Kindergarten Student of the Year.  How d'ya like that?!  Along with his award and coupons for free stuff (yay!), he gets his name engraved on a plaque that will stay in the halls of his school for all time.  Man, that's good stuff!

I sent Daddy up there to take pics and he did me one better.  A video.  So here, the proud moment:



Nathan's Student of the Year Award from Bethany Weed on Vimeo.


Way to go, Nathan!  We think you're the awesomest kid on the planet!  :)

New Ward, Take 3

So we went to our 3rd new ward in the 5 months that we've lived here today.  (Very small sigh.)  I give a very small sigh because of two things--first, this should be our last new ward for a while.  So that's what makes the sigh small.  But the sigh still exists because oh my goodness it takes a lot of energy to meet new people and to put your family's best foot forward, you know?  I mean, otherwise, if child who shall remain nameless but produces an awful lot of earwax goes to church with an earwaxy ear, you just say, "Eh, they've seen his ears before.  They know he's usually clean eared, just today he's not."  Whereas in a new ward, you notice how waxy he is and you break out into a small panic because his teacher and his primary president and the people behind us are seeing him for the first time and earwax buildup is the sign of a not very well cared for kid.  Dang.

But our new ward, man.  It's amazing what moving 5 minutes away will do to your ward.  Our ward is humonstrous.  And apparently it was split a year and a half ago for being humonstrous.  But you want to know the sad thing?  The sad thing is that the geographical size of the thing is about half a mile wide at its widest and about a mile and a half long.  Um?  Guess where the primary meets.  In the chapel.  Why?  Because they don't fit in the primary room.  Not even remotely.  And they fill the chapel!  They could be their own ward.  Cuh-razy. 

But, today, on our first day, I've already got a visiting teaching assignment!  That's amazing efficiency!  Way to go, Ginger Creek Ward.

PS-Oh, and funny sidenote.  Everyone kept asking us where we lived.  I started with our subdivision's name, figuring the ward is SO SMALL, they certainly MUST know our subdivision.  Nope.  So I went for our street's name, thinking perhaps that's what people around here call this subdivision, since it is just one street.  Nope.  I kept trying to explain where it was, only meeting confused looks.  Until finally, someone said, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh, you live in the Skittles neighborhood."   Uh, yes.  Yes, I guess I do.  Or, "Oh, you mean the fruits neighborhood... ohhhhhhhh, right."  So I've come to learn that no one refers to my neighborhood by any of it's proper names, but when trying to explain my location, I just need to go for, "I'm in the colorful neighborhood."  :)

The Graduate

Nater had his Kindergarten graduation today.  We were way in the back (go figure--we even got there 8 minutes early!!), so we didn't get many good pictures of the program or the actual graduating, but here's what we got:

The Program.

The Ceremony.  

The Smirkle.  I swear, there has never been a smirkle such as this kid can produce.

The Teacher.  Oh Mrs. T (called Mrs. T because of her giggle-worthy last name), we love you.

And then, when we got home, Nate sang a few of the songs from the program.


Nathan's Kindergarten Graduation Songs from Bethany Weed on Vimeo.



Kindergarten, sweet Kindergarten.  I'm sad to see it go.

What I Wish I'd Said

So I went to get my hair and nails done the other day--a rare treat, courtesy of my mother (thanks, mom!)  As I'm sitting in the hair chair, the gal was asking me all about myself.

"So what do you do?"

{Wipe bums, boogers, tables... no, I didn't say that, but I should have because that is what I do.}  I knew she was asking for an official type of employment, so I said,

"Well, I have a Masters in Social Work and I am a therapist.  I worked as a therapist for a few years, but right now I don't work because I'm a stay at home mom."

Oh.  Okay.  That answer seemed to go over okay.  And may I have a ps at this juncture to say that I'm always interested by that question.  I know that those who ask it are looking for a "real" job, so I feel like I have to say what I used to do--why don't I just say, "I'm a mom" and leave it at that??

Anyway, the "conversation" progressed (I put "conversation" in parenthesis because it wasn't much of one...) and during the course of conversation she tells me how she quit college, etc etc etc.  Ok, I don't need to go into the whole thing, but suffice it to say, at one point it was appropriate for me to say,

"Yeah, I had my son during the first semester of my graduate program.  I went through school with him, and used to take him to class with me.  It was tricky, but I thought it would be easier to get school under my belt now, and that it would only get harder as time went by."

Her response:  "Yeah.  You can't let something like that ruin everything."

I didn't have a response.

"Something like that?"  Like what, my child??  And heavenly mercy I'm glad you don't have kids if that's how you view children.  Something that just comes along and ruins everything. Wow, is your life really so selfish?

As she cut my hair the rest of the way, I sat and stewed over the comment.  But I wasn't dexterous enough to make any sort of response.


So after I finished with the hair cut, I went to the nail spot.  The gal sits me down and what do you know, asks the very same question, "What do you do?"

Ah HAH!  I'm a little bit more ready for that one this time.  "I'm a mom.  I used to be a therapist, but I don't work at the moment."

"Oh, so you stay home with your kids?"  (Eeeeeeeeeever so slight disdain in her voice.)

"Yes I do."

"How old are they?"

"6, 3 and 1.  Let's not talk anymore because I don't like you."  I'm pretty sure I only said one of those sentences, you decide which.

"Ooooohhhhh.  They're little.  I bet they drive you crazy."

"Uhhhhmmm, sometimes..."

End of conversation.  But that bothered the stink out of me, too.  "Oh, you have children?  Well you must just HATE it!  You have children?  Oh everyone I know just goes CRAZY if they have children!" 

And again, I'm still bothered with what I didn't say. 

Try, "Um, no, actually I like them."

Or, "Well, sometimes, but mostly we have a great time."

Or, "Actually, I love being a mother!"

I left the salon feeling about 3 and a half inches tall.  Not just because walking into any place of that nature makes me remember how I completely do not fit in with people who's entire lives revolve around physical beauty, but because I felt like I let someone trash my kids and I didn't stand up for them. 

So for the record, since I wasn't quick enough to say it at the moment:

"I love my son, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me.  It was harder to go through school with a child, but he is totally worth it.  He's a freaking fantastic kid."

And "Yes, it is hard to be a mom sometimes.  But I love my kids.  They fill my life with joy and purpose and meaning and fun."

And also, "Get a life.  A real life.  That involves caring for something or someone other than yourself."

OK.  That's what I wish I would have said.  And now I said it.