one week down

One week down, one more to go, not really counting because it was a great week, just cheering for the success! As I mentioned in my last post, I am babysitting the Halls kids while they are cruising over in Europe for 2 weeks. Our prayers this week, I told the kids on the first morning to include in every prayer protection and health & strength. As long as we all stay safe and healthy, we will be just fine. As a result, I have felt a nuclear bubble of protection around the Hall house this week, a literal sustaining watchful care holding the energy of protection and power. Thank you.
I was surprised at how relatively easy this week was, it was actually a lot of fun. Heather had everything organized, right down to Valentine's and 'ask the kids to take notes at ward conference today'-I don't know how she does it. That is why I babysit these kids, it's actually to watch how Heather and Jeremy run their home and raise their family. They are incredible.
The week was pretty regular, I was extra tired, so when the kids went to bed, so did I. It was actually really nice to go to bed at 9:30 and get up at 6. I function SO much better with good sleep. Hmmm, weird.
Anyway, a little more about this week. Taylor pooped everyday this week. Like full to the max diaper and beyond, I have never seen him poop that much and I don't know how that kid had that much poop in him. However, he ate REALLY well this week, was very regular, and was very happy, AND hardly any seizures which is always a plus. No complaints changing poopy diapers if this results in a happy Taylor.
Valentine's day was great. Heather had left full length mirrors with inspirational messages on them for Spencer, Allison, and Robyn and for Taylor and me she had left some divine balls of chocolate somethings...I think they were those cheesecake balls, anyway, WOW. They were my guilty pleasure throughout the week. :) And here is Taylor enjoying his... he LOVED them. I think its great that somehow, even though most of his food simply goes in and glides down the throat, Taylor always knows when it is chocolate or something yummy and perks right up. Happy Valentine's Day Taylor!

Yes, even a bit up the nose. :)

On Thursday it was a full moon, so Allison and I (Robyn had already gone to bed) did the 'moon dance' and on Friday all 3 of us did the moon dance even though Spencer announced that it was only 99% full. (sigh) gotta love that boy. The background on this is, one weekend my sister and I were goofing around and dancing outside under the full moon and we found this great 'moon dance music' so whenever there is a full moon we do the "moon dance" and play this music while we dance under the full moon. Well, there was a full moon one weekend that I was at the Halls, so I went out with Allison and Robyn and introduced them to the 'moon dance'. This was a couple of years ago, but it is one thing they still remember and remind me of. Allison actually choreographed a little dance with Robyn and performed it for me. Too dark to video, but here are some pics.

Friday night crisis-couldn't find the TV remote! This is serious for the Halls on the weekends, especially pizza and movie night. So they watched it on the computer and settled for that. Phew! If the technology breaks in this house while I am here, good luck. I am of no assistance in this department. So this is the other thing I pray for-it's right up there with no medical emergencies.
Saturday I went to my dance rehearsal and Kelly, Heather and Jeremy's sister-in-law, covered for me. Saturday afternoon I made my list of errands-drop off t-shirts, pick up at Wal-Mart, groceries, fill prescription, etc. So the kids were really good as we went around town crossing these off my list because one of the stopping points was my office. We stopped there to play games. Spencer and I played ping-pong, we got pretty good at rallying after a while. We played some air hockey with Allison and Robyn and Taylor loved the giant love sac that he hung out on. Something for everyone for an hour or so. Then I took them to see my desk and raid the candy jar and jelly belly bowl. They just had to test every flavor... shoot. I was right along with them on this. Then we went to Denny's for dinner-kids eat free on Saturday nights. Perfect. Since Taylor was technically the adult over the designated child age, but eats like a child, Spencer got to pick his adult meal. Spencer was VERY happy about this. And go for it he did with a ginormous cheeseburger and fries. I got their hickory chicken sandwich that was not so good, so they swapped it for a burger. Allison and Robyn had their grand slam-breakfast for dinner, and Taylor had mashed potatoes and chicken nuggets (super clean and easy foods to feed him since I totally forgot his wheelchair). Everyone had a good time.
Sunday I made pancakes for breakfast, I learned my lesson last week after hungry and grouchy kids after church, they need substantial breakfasts on Sunday morning. It was ward conference and it was really really good. Centered on Temples, so the Stake President and Bishop spoke about going to the temple more frequently and maximizing our attendance. The sunday school lesson was AWESOME! It was given by the stake sunday school...counselor (I think). Anyway, he had been preparing for months, so the discussion we had was very rich and mature. They are making an effort to point primary children and youth in the direction of the temple and basically having everything we do lead and point to the temple. Wow, that seems young to me, but it is very wise being that that is the broader goal even to baptism, church attendance. It reminded me of the principle I have been thinking about recently and that I spoke about in church a few weeks back about 'all going home together'. AND connecting to the Tribal Leadership book I read, we are all on Heavenly Father's team (tribe :)) and we are all going home together. The goal is to go home together-not alone, that is why we are in families and grouped in wards and stakes-to strengthen each other to all go Home. This principle also bleeds into many arenas and I was thinking about it in the context of parenting and families. Kids deserve to know that their parents are on their team (routing for them, committed to their success, etc.) and when we are all on the same team, then we support each other, we route for each other, and we create a family network that is extremely powerful.
I have been thinking about mission statements recently and thought this would be a great mission statement:
"We're all on the same team!"
Some food for thought.

This is the fort that Spencer and Allison built on Sunday...for reading and for the sake of building a fort-the best thing to do on Sunday of course. Speaking of reading, so Spencer is having a reading competition at school, so he is reading any chance he gets, LITERALLY. He asked me to sign off on his reading hours for each day this past week. 10.5 hours on 2 days and 9 hours on the other 2 days, WHAT?! That isn't humanly possible, he is not even awake and able to read that much in one day. He is so funny, he recorded that he was waking up between 1-4 am to read and then going back to sleep, that's how he got all those hours in. I didn't believe him, he would be WAY more grouchy if he was doing that. So I didn't feel good about signing off on it. Shoot. Spencer was not happy. We finally agreed that he would lower his hours even though 'I was making him a liar'-don't worry Heather, it was okay, I would be frustrated too if I was him. And that he would tell me when he was reading along the way to verify his hours. We also worked it out that he would not get up in the middle of the night, but go to bed early and wake up early to read. It was the most compromise-able I have ever seen him, Good Job Spence!