All the Questions

Do you live in a house?

Why don't you swear?

Are you racist?

Do you believe in God?

Do you know Kohl's? (clothing store)

Do you know Tide? (laundry soap)

Are you Mormon?

Are there murderers in UT?  (???)

Do you play video games?

How many siblings do you have?
You play INSTRUMENTS?!?

This is a small sampling of the diverse and interesting questions my children have been asked during their first week of school. We have received a very warm welcome from many of our new neighbors, our new church congregation, and for the most part, the teachers and administrators at school. We are grateful for those that have greeted us with smiles, handshakes and words of welcome as soon as they can tell that we are "new" (and I mean that in a "special" sort of way.) 

Through no fault of their own, a few of the other kids at school sometimes come off as interrogative.  I believe it's out of sheer curiosity in observing someone who is so different.  I'm SO happy with how my kids have handled it. Even though I'm getting the story second-hand, I believe my kids for the most part just politely answer, while inside they are thinking, "What? Why are you asking me that?"

Here's one example:

8th grader: Why don't you swear?

Adam: I don't find it useful.

Adam has been the target of the majority of the questions that kind of leave you scratching your head. Maybe it's because he's going to middle school and it's just the age of angst, but he really does stick out like a sore thumb. I remember the night before I went to 7th grade. I lived in the house I grew up in, in the state I grew up in, with the promise of all my friends from 6th grade being there in the thick of it with me the next day, and I was still completely TERRIFIED! So I can't say that I blame Adam for the tears he shed the night before, listing all the things he was worried about. "I don't even have the HOPE of finding someone I already know at school tomorrow." I just listened and let him cry until he drifted off to sleep.

Our tradition for the first day of school is for Weston to give each of us (including me) a Priesthood Blessing.This year we all particularly felt the need and desire to have a blessing before starting school, for reasons stated above. Pretty sure I have more anxiety than any of the kids, but I'm trying to be brave and trust God.

Adam was told in his blessing that as someone who holds the Priesthood of God, he would have angels going before him and behind him to help him meet these challenges. He was told that he would offer light to many people wandering in darkness and looking for truth. Also that many others would be watching him, even when he's not aware, to see how someone with faith in Jesus Christ lives. I found a lot of comfort in hearing Adam blessed with the assurance of help from God and angels.

 And then I walked him to the bus....  

First day, he came home, head hanging low.

Me: No smile?.....like, at all?

Adam: It's like a prison

Second day, he came home with a bit more cheer. But only a bit. He launched into a story.

Adam: Mom, so after class I went up to my math teacher and told him his swearing makes me uncomfortable.....

Me: Oh? 

Me inside: I really hope this story has a happy ending because I did not see this coming AT all.

Adam: I was so scared, I almost started crying while I was walking up to his desk but then I said, 'So, it makes me uncomfortable when you swear.'

And then he said, 'When do I swear?' and I said, 'You know, like Oh My G....?' and then the teacher just asked if he could abbreviate it and just say OMG and if that would be ok, and I said yeah that's fine.

Third day, Adam came home GRINNING. Not kidding, ear-to-ear. 

Adam: Oh! mom. So, before class, my teacher asked me to stay after cause he wanted to talk to me so I was kinda scared like wondering if I was in trouble. So I went up to him after class and he said,

'So, I'm guessing that you and I have different religions, right? So, when I say OMG, I'm talking about MY god, not your god.' And I said, 'K, I guess I never thought of it like that' but then the teacher said, 'But I also just want to tell you that NO ONE, ever, not anyone, ever, in all my years of teaching, has EVER talked to me like you did. You were really brave!' and then he said 'so, what is your religion, anyway?' and I said, 'I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' and he said, 'so are you a Mormon?' and I said, 'well, we don't really like to call ourselves that' and he said, 'Oh, really? why not?' and I said, 'well, cause it's the church of JESUS CHRIST.  Not Mormon.' and he said, 'ok, cool.'

Me: (Jaw dropped) 

Me inside: Yes yes yes yes yes!!!! I can hardly believe that conversation happened so naturally and was still almost perfectly scripted. There are so many things to be thankful for in this scenario, not the least of which is the gracious attitude the teacher chose to adopt and that he praised Adam for being brave instead of feeling criticized. For all the time I spent worrying about all the negative things I've heard about this middle school, how far away it is and whether I could possibly get a variance so Adam doesn't have to go there, I am now just happy to have him stay where he is. Even though he has to endure a constant barrage of cursing (OMG being the least offensive), I'm so grateful to have him gaining experience with identifying with his faith and having it be a positive experience in talking to people who are curious about it. No, not because I think he's going to save everyone. Actually, the opposite. I hope that this experience will help him recognize the value of his faith and the gift it is in his life to have the Holy Ghost, the Priesthood, and knowledge of the restored gospel.  I hope having these things in the forefront of his life all the time will help him value what he has and what he knows.

Staples

On Saturday night, I was upstairs in my bedroom enjoying a quiet solitary space while simultaneously wishing my children would magically put themselves to bed, per usual.

Then I heard this:

THWUMP!

Waaaahh!!!EEEEEEE!!!

Me: silently calculating the need to run to the scene

Weston (to big kids): Just TALK! Tell me what happened!

(Me: OK, he's on the scene, no need to run, and I am slightly nervous about what I'll find once I get there so I guess I'll mosey on down.)

The scene involved everyone: Weston huddled on the floor holding Michael and 4 big kids standing around crying and nervously trying to provide their dad with supplies to absorb the blood.
As it turns out, Michael had lobbied for a piggy-back ride from one of his older siblings. Older sibling picked him up by the legs before he had a chance to grab on so he flipped and landed on a transition in the flooring that spliced the back of his head.

It was pretty clear we would need to take him in, so after a frantic phone-call or two (since we are so new to the area and we don't know who will accept our insurance), we decided to take him to the only urgent care that was open after 10pm.

He ended up with 4 staples in his head and no concussion, that we could tell.  They just told us to watch for signs of lethargy and by the next morning he was undeniably back to his old bubbly self again.

We had to follow up at the same urgent care the next day so Weston and Michael got a free pass to stay home from church.  They sent me this picture on the way home.

And really, the only reason I am putting this up on my blog is because Michael journaled the whole thing in one of his little homemade books; a pile of paper stapled together. Which I think is the sweetest thing ever.  So, here's the whole story told in pictures by Michael:

The Happiest Day!

Meet the new Mr. and Mrs. Jared Proctor!

My niece, Jordana, got married last week and it really was the Happiest Day Ever.

Not just because they are so well matched (I could expound on that but I won't) and will do such great things as the newest family in our family, but also because I was able to be there for the wedding, despite the fact that we just moved really, really far away. 

In about mid-May, I started to see the writing on the wall that if Jordana didn't pick a wedding date soon, it was going to be after our move and I would miss it. I asked her repeatedly to supply me with the date. Well, it kept not coming and at the same time I could see that we weren't high enough on the VIP list to be planned around, which is fine.  It just meant that I would have to fly back. 

Which we did....

About 10 days after we arrived in Maryland.

It's a little (read: extremely) crazy but...that's apparently just how we roll.

It was a fun girl trip and neither of my girls had flown before, that they could recall. (Annelise did when she was 1).

We stayed with my friend Falisha who was so generous and helped us get everything we needed. We were in a hurry getting out the door so she did Ginny's hair. Which was WAAAAAYYYY cuter than anything I would have done. 

Angie also traveled from out of state to be at the wedding.

Photographer: Now bride and groom kiss, and everyone else act really disgusted.

Groom: So....business as usual?

Ha!

Jordana wanted everyone, even those not in the wedding party, to coordinate with her colors of pale pink, dusty rose and gray. Even though it's not the typical request, I really liked it.  It was so fun to have all the little girls and ladies in the family color coordinated, and I think it will pay off in her pictures. (fingers crossed!)

Angie and I had to go through the line multiple times to get this picture!

We usually try to get a picture with all the siblings.  We're just missing Becky in this one. For some reason, I always look like the shortest one even though I'm pretty sure (maybe not so sure now?) that I'm taller than Angie, at least. But by this time I had taken my shoes off so I'm just going to blame it on that.

Such a happy day! I'm still smiling!