So I feel like bragging on Nikki today. I got a progress report from her teacher at preschool that just warmed my heart to no end. She commented, "I just love your daughter! She is a joy to be around. She is attentive and eager to participate." What a wonderful report! She really does bring a lot of joy to our home. She is always saying something that Nate and I get a kick out of, and she is such a devoted little sister. Hannah could never ask for a better audience than Nikki. Even though I may complain about her little independent streak sometimes, I really think she is just adorable inside and out.

Living in luxury

We made a major purchase yesterday. Lowe's had a riding lawn mower on clearance, and I all but jumped to get one. I'm in the middle of a family finance class from BYU, and one of the principles the professor teaches is that spending money on things we value leads to feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment. And conversely, money spent on things we don't value leads to feelings of frustration and futility. So, we must value something about a riding lawn mower because we have definitely been satisfied and even excited. First of all, I'm excited that we got it on clearance and didn't have to pay the amount we thought we might. Then, we just cut our whole yard, including pushing the ditch bank and around the trees, in about an hour and a half, which has taken us all summer just pushing it at least 3 1/2 hrs. That was so wonderful!! So maybe it's my time that I value so much. Not to mention that the job was a whole lot easier! Yes, I am an American who is always looking to add a little pleasure and convenience to my life, and I am very grateful that I can do more than just worry about surviving from day to day. We are so blessed.

I was skimming through the owner's manual that came with it and came across a sentence that I thought was pretty funny for a LAWN mower. "WARNING: This unit is equipped with an internal combustion engine and should not be used on or near . . . grass-covered land unless the engine's exhaust system is equipped with a spark arrester meeting applicable local or state laws." Soooo, where else would I use it if not on my grass-covered front yard?

little sayings

The girls have just been saying the cutest things lately.

This morning when I woke up Hannah, she asked me why she had to get up. I told her it was a school day, and she said, "School again?!" And today is only Monday.

Nikki has gotten into the habit of adding "you remember?" onto the end of almost anything she says. "Mom, I want apple juice, you remember?" or "We're going to the library, remember?" It's funny to me, but it sounds kind of rude and I hope she doesn't say it to her teacher at school.

Another frequent saying Nikki has begun (although it's not that cute), whenever Hannah leaves for school, is to ask, "what am I going to do?" Everyday walking back to the house from the bus stop I get to hear this one.

Then there was one afternoon that Hannah came home from school and with the most serious face and voice she told me that she now says bookbag and not backpack. That was kind of interesting to me because I grew up saying bookbag, but I guess no one else in my high school in Utah called it that, so it has been a long time since I have said it. Is it a North Carolina thing to say bookbag? I'm figuring it is, and I like the idea of passing on another small piece of NC heritage that will always make her feel a connection to her roots (okay, so that's stretching things, but she still made me smile).

And of course I love hearing their little southern accents. Nikki's teacher's name is Mrs. Lynn, and she pronounces it, "Miss Ly-unn."

Nikki went to preschool for the first time today. She didn't really want me to leave her, but she was really brave and did very well. I was surprised at her reluctance because she has just been dying to go. She was especially happy about the Smarties that she got as she was leaving. I tried to ask her about her day, and I guess she has learned well from Hannah because her response was, "I don't know."

So, for all my plans to be so productive and enjoy my time alone while the girls are in school, I couldn't believe what I had to do this morning after I dropped off Nikki. I had to go to the laundromat! Our dryer broke last week and Nate had to order a part to fix it that won't be in until Thursday. I had a mountain of laundry to do and my mother-in-law is coming to visit tomorrow, so I had to at least have some clean sheets for her to sleep on. Laundry is my least favorite chore, but going to the laundromat actually made it a lot easier. I had 7 loads going at once (of course their machines are really small to make you do more loads), and so I got everything washed, dryed, and folded in about an hour and a half. What is usually an all day job got done pretty quickly. Too bad it costs too much to do that regularly. At least it kept me too busy to really think about having both of our girls gone to school.

Ernesto

I can't remember the last time I watched anything on TV other than PBS Kids, so obviously I haven't been keeping up with the news very much. I did know that Tropical Storm Ernesto was coming, but I thought he was going to make landfall in Florida and so would be just a rain storm by the time he got all the way up here. So last night when the winds were loud enough to wake the girls up and have them end up in our bed I was taken by surprise. Then having four bodies in our bed, with three of them on my side since nothing else will fit on Nate's side besides him, I couldn't really rest very well through the night with a raging storm also keeping me awake. Sometime in the middle of the night I remembered that I had left our cooler outside of our garage to dry out after cleaning it, as well as an empty can of deck stain and a paint roller brush on our deck. I could just imagine one of our neighbors going door to door asking who was responsible for leaving a paint can outside to come crashing through their window when a tropical storm passed by. Luckily, everything remained in our yard. Although I just remembered that one of our tiki torches blew off the deck and I haven't gone out to find it yet. I guess there still is a chance we might have an irate neighbor.




School was closed today because of the storm, probably mostly because of flooded streets. So the girls broke out the paints and library books and princess dresses and movies and the chalkboard and all kinds of things to keep them busy on a wet, wet, wet day. And of course they played in the huge puddle in our driveway. So, Ernesto took me by surprise, but we had a fun day anyway.

A day of firsts

Nikki had her first day of dance class on Wednesday. She has been looking forward to this for almost a whole year. She was just so adorable. I was nervous that I had the wrong time when we got to the studio because there were no other cars in the parking lot, but it just turned out that no one else was there for her class that day. So she got to be the star of the show as the only one in class. She was absolutely in heaven. She thought the ride home took forever because she couldn't wait to show me everything she learned in class. It took a lot of bribery to get her out of her leotard and ballet shoes that afternoon.

It just so happened that Wednesday was also Hannah's first day of Kindergarten. I was probably more nervous than she was. She came home with so much energy. I think she loved it so much that she was just wired for the rest of the day. And she actually told me about what she did, which is a totally different experience from her preschool days last year. Nikki and I missed her so much that day. Around 10:30 Nikki started asking to go pick her up from school. I noticed that night as we were cleaning up the house before bed that there really wasn't that much to clean up with her gone for the better part of the day. That was a nice bonus.

I just can't believe my baby girls are so grown up.

Roughin' it

Nate & I went camping last weekend. I was so surprised when he said he wanted to go because he hates camping. His last camping experience was when he was Scoutmaster in Georgia. For a Utah cityboy, to go camping in the swamps of the deep south was a totally new experience. He was too hot and too tall for the tent, so he left the tent door open and stuck his feet out all night long. Needless to say, I had never seen so many redbugs on a pair of legs in all my life. He hasn't wanted anything to do with camping since then, but we did have a good time last weekend. It was really peaceful and fun to have no entertainment other than ourselves. We were really excited that we got such a good fire going. Nate let me help start it and feel useful, but I couldn't have kept it going -- I cheated on too many requirements during my Girls' Camp days. It was hot, so we want to take the girls to the mountains in October when the leaves are changing and it's cooler. To be completely honest, we spent the first night in a tent and the second in a hotel. Boy did I sleep good the second night! And smores are actually better cooked in the microwave than over a campfire. =)

Blueberry pie

I love desserts, and my sister-in-law, Alli, made this blueberry pie a couple of weeks ago. It was so yummy, and I actually have one in the oven right now. It was really easy to make. I can't wait for it to be done. Here is the recipe.

Blueberry Pie

3 c. fresh blueberries
deep dish pie crust (regular or graham crust -- both are good)
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream

Put blueberries in the crust. Combine the other ingredients and pour over berries.

topping -- 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. flour, 1/4 c. softened butter. Mix together and sprinkle on top.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Enjoy!

Kindergarten blues

We got a notice in the mail today informing us of who Hannah's kindergarten teacher will be and what time her bus will pick her up and drop her off. I'm so nervous for her!!! I'm so afraid that I've sheltered her too much and haven't taught her enough. I can't believe she will be away from me for the better part of the day for most of the week. She is so clingy and dependent on me that I really am afraid she is going to have a hard time. She also has no qualms about breaking down into a crying fit, and I can just hear those mean boys calling her a baby. I certainly won't mind her growing out of that really fast, but I hate to think of someone being mean to my little girl. And the bus is a whole issue all on its own that has me scared spitless. If I let her take the bus, she will only have a 10-minute ride, so I suppose I shouldn't be so worried about it. I just don't like to think of a busload of kids practically unchaperoned because the busdriver is only one person and should be focused on driving. Or if the driver is focused on the havoc the children are raising, then she isn't watching the road well enough and my child is in danger of a car accident. I rode the bus when I was in kindergarten, but I had an older brother and sister with me. I would have been terrified if I was by myself. Can I really let Hannah go to school on her own? I feel like I have done such a poor job in preparing her for this new stage of her life. I can only hope that she is more ready for this than I am. I guess we'll see in two weeks...

A special experience

I had the privilege of playing the organ for a funeral this morning. I hope it's not too morbid to say that I enjoyed it. I have actually been able to play for at least six funerals since moving here last year, and since I'm new to the area I have been able to participate without having the strong emotions of close family or friends. They have all been spiritual experiences for me. I think the words spoken today for the lady who just passed away would be the kind of words I would hope to have said about me. She was described as a lady, very classy, and at the same time one of her grandchildren remembered her fearlessly leading them into the surf at the beach with a storm brewing, causing huge waves. She also rode the rides at amusement parks with her grandchildren. And the two most important parts of her life that struck me were her faith and the love she and her husband shared. I think those are the greatest legacies she could leave, and I'm grateful that I got to hear about her life. I feel inspired to live a little better after hearing of her example.

I really love being able to play the hymns as prelude and postlude for such occasions. One of my favorite hymns is "I Believe in Christ," and here are the words to it. I was grateful for the opportunity to reread them as I played the organ this morning.

I believe in Christ; he is my King!
With all my heart to him I'll sing;
I'll raise my voice in praise and joy,
In grand amens my tongue employ.
I believe in Christ; he is God's Son.
On earth to dwell his sould did come.
He healed the sick; the dead he raised.
Good works were his; his name be praised.

I believe in Christ; oh, blessed name!
As Mary's Son he came to reign
'Mid mortal men, his earthly kin,
To save them from the woes of sin.
I believe in Christ, who marked the path,
Who did gain all his Father hath,
Who said to men: "Come, follow me,
That ye, my friends, with God may be."

I believe in Christ -- my Lord, my God!
My feet he plants on gospel sod.
I'll worship him with all my might;
He is the source of truth and light.
I believe in Christ; he ransoms me.
From Satan's grasp he sets me free,
And I shall live with joy and love
In his eternal courts above.

I believe in Christ; he stands supreme!
From him I'll gain my fondest dream;
And while I strive through grief and pain,
His voice is heard: "Ye shall obtain."
I believe in Christ; so come what may,
With him I'll stand in that great day
When on this earth he comes again
To rule among the sons of men.