Flying Fail. FHE Win.

Last week I finally gave in to Jonah who has been asking for a kite every time we go to Costco. 

"Mom, I have always wanted a kite my whole entire life!"

"It would be such a fun activity to do as a family activity!"

"I'll pay for part of the kite with the money in my piggy bank!"

Yes, I gave in.  I have great memories of kite flying when I was little.  We'd go to a park by our house right behind Dominic's and it being the Windy City, I don't remember ever having real problems.

Well, that night in Tualatin was not a Windy City night.  There was absolutely no wind.

Aaron made a good attempt.

He's good daddy.

Can you hear the puberty in Lucas' voice??

Jonah was SURE he could get the kite flying.

It was such a nice night out, none of us really minded the kite not flying. We decided we need to take the T-Rex kite to the coast in order to find our wind. 

We tried to top off our fun evening with frozen yogurt but then Jonah threw a maniacal tantrum because we weren't going to cross the park to play in the playground.  Oh well.  You just have to treasure the pleasant moments when you can.

My Life & Times #4: How I Became a Bird in Sacrament Meeting

It was my sophomore year at BYU.  My friends and I had moved out Helaman Halls and into Condo Row just off campus.  It was a great apartment with a pretty good ward.  We decided that to get know people better we needed to be involved, so 3 of us joined the choir. It was a good sized choir of about 40 people and it was fun to sing together.

A few months in, our choir director introduced a new song to perform.  She started out by telling us a little bit about her family. She and her brother were American Indians adopted by a white family.  And they were a large musical family.  They even traveled places to put on shows, singing and playing their instruments.  She goes on to say her family was very respectful of her and her brother's heritage and would perform a few numbers representing the American Indian culture.  Her brother had passed away when he was teenager and she wanted to do a tribute to his memory.  He apparently always sang "The Lord's Prayer" while the family did sign language in the background.  But this wasn't American sign language. This was American Indian sign language that included wide swinging arms, poking beaks, swirling bodies and extra large gestures.

Now this was pre-mission and I was easily embarrassed and easily made uncomfortable.  Apparently I wasn't the only one.  Every week our choir group dwindled by a few more members and a few more members.

My friends and I sat down to have a frank talk.  Now we did not want to be disrespectful or rude to her brother's memory or culture and we wanted to support our director, but not one of us felt comfortable doing this in sacrament meeting and in front of our young single adult ward.  Not one of us wanted to do it AT ALL.  But we felt bad because people were dropping like flies and pretty soon she wouldn't have a choir any more and nobody to support this special tribute.

So we came up with a plan. We'd quietly talk to the bishopric and tell them we didn't feel this number was appropriate for sacrament meeting.  The 2nd counselor listened to us and said he would check it out.  At our next practice he sat in the front row and we knew he would think this was not quite right for church.  Much to our chagrin, he came up to us afterward praising the number! Saying it was beautiful and just right for church.

Dang it.  The performance date was approaching and one roommate and I had missed some practices due to school so didn't know it very well, adding to our desire to run away like the rest of the cowardly choir.  Again we sat down and talked. And we decided to do the right thing and just go for it.  Who cares really!?  This meant so much to our choir director and she had no one left. We would do the right thing.

So that Sunday, out of 40 or more people in our thriving choir, only the 4 of us showed up to perform.  Me, my two roommates and the director climbed on stage (because we had church in the Varsity Movie Theater in the Wilk).  We made our one roommate stand in front because she knew it the best.  "Dubber," our good friend, sang beautifully while we danced/signed/pretended to have beaks and made eye contact with no one.

I know.  You had to have seen it in order get the full picture and to truly appreciate this story, but let me tell you, it was glorious! And I'm sure no one has given it two thoughts since that day, but it was years before my face stopped blushing while retelling that story.

My Life & Times #3

A few weeks ago I was talking with a good friend about most embarrassing moments and I realized that I have just a few quality experiences in my life.  It got me thinking.  A lot of my experiences are most likely preserved in a journal somewhere, I'm sure. But others I'm not so sure.  So I decided to record them for all to enjoy. 

So, enjoy!

They will be written in no particular order or schedule.  :)

The year was 1996.  I was at college.  And on a date.  The boy and I had known each other for 4-5 months but only recently started to go on actual dates. 

We had gone to a play in Salt Lake and were now back at my apartment.  It had been a great evening, good conversation and a fun time. It was curfew and time for the Boy to go home.  I walked him to the door and he goes in for the very first good night kiss.  All of a sudden I start to feel nauseous and light headed...and I faint.  Yes, folks.  I fainted during our first kiss.

And it wasn't a graceful "movie" fall to my side with the back of my hand on my forehead. It was a slumping to the floor, falling back, head hitting the wall, knees flying open along with my skirt kind of faint.  Not graceful nor cute. It took me a minute to figure out what had happened and then I was too shocked to even react.

The Boy helped me to couch as surprised as I was.  He got me some juice and we sat there just awkward.  And then we just busted up laughing.  I realized that with class, homework, the gym, and getting ready, I hadn't eaten since 3:00pm. And it was midnight.

I looked at the Boy and said, "You must feel very swanky, as Grandpa J would say.  Feel pretty good, Mr. Suave?"

He tried to be serious and say he was just worried about me, but he couldn't resist smiling and we laughed again.    And he said he wouldn't tell anyone but then we decided we had to share with roommates. I was completely embarrassed but it was a classic story.  It was too good not to share.

For the next few weeks, I had to live through a few knowing smiles from the Boy's roommates while he suffered through "way-to-go!" nudges.  Poor guy.

At least he'll have a good story to tell when his own son starts dating.

Random Jonah Quotes

Aaron and Jonah had gone swimming as usual. Which is funny because Jonah can't swim.  Aaron  throws him and he can paddle enough to get his tiny face above water until Aaron rescues him.  Aaron was getting ready to toss him and he yells, "Physics don't fail me now!"

Sitting in church I hear Jonah excitedly whisper, "Yes! I WON!  I am SO awesome!" I look over and he's fist-pumping with joy. I look down and he's playing Tic Tac Toe...with himself.

 

Playing on my phone with a new "pottery game" he turns to me so serious, so determined,

"I need to create something rather dashing!"

Aaron carries a screaming Jonah into the house after he accidentally gets hit in the head with a metal pole as the boys were putting up the trampoline.  When this kid gets hurt he doesn't want anyone to look at him or his wound until he's ready.  So he runs upstairs and slams his door.  I give him a few minutes to calm down and then go in.

In the most pathetic, sad wail you have ever heard, "They were right!!  I was wro-ong!!  I'm just a little boy!  I'm NO-OBODY!"

I just lay down next to him to cuddle on his bed. He is so sad and so devastated.  Whaa?  Nobody??  I couldn't track where his thoughts had gone and why they had landed here.

"I'm nobody!  I should just go to another family!"

What is going through his brain and how in the world can this boy think he is nobody? We talk a few minutes about how he's my favorite 5 year old in the universe, how there wouldn't be a Team Williams without him, etc.  Not quite sure what is needed.

And then it was like something in his brain switched on and his countenance completely changed. He smiles and jumps up.
"I'm not down!  I'm ready to take them on! (Fist-pumping) Jonah is back in the game, baby!" 

Off he runs back outside ready to take on the world just like his old, confident  self.

We have a strange kid.

Mini Makeover

Last summer I decided to take on the downstairs bathroom.  I wasn't up for anything major, basically just paint.  I found a light blue paint I loved and went from there.

So the before...

I painted the walls and the cabinets, hung a few pictures, added a rug, painted the light fixture dark grey and....that's about it.

 

The lighting is bad because there is very little natural light.  Sorry, but that just makes for bad pictures.

 

I made this printable/quote/thing on Picmonkey all by myself and then printed it at Costco.

Never done that before.

Your view sitting on the john.  Thanks Julia!!

 

Again, not a very big makeover, but made a big difference to me!!

Lukey Update

Lucas. Where do I start with Lucas?  Well probably one of the most important items to him is that he is now officially taller than me, by about 3 inches. He's actually right between his nana and his Aunt Genet, according to our door frame chart. "Short One" has become my new nickname by this kid who isn't bothered by the fact most 14 year olds are taller than me.  He's shaving regularly and has feet are just about bigger than Aaron's.  It's fun to see him grow and change but I love that he still likes to cuddle and hug.  Sweet boy.

I had to sneak up and take this picture of him because usually this is what I get...

He's trying out track this year.  Much to the delight of his father.  He's doing the long jump and the high only right now and seems to me like he has good form and does well.  That's just a mom's opinion.  We wanted him to get a feel of it before high school and hopefully he'll go out for that team. He's built like his daddy so track is a good fit for him.   Too bad tennis is the same season because he really has to pick one or the other.

He's still playing in the bands at school and will continue into high school.  They just started a marching band so he's excited to be a part of that.  He'll get a little practice this spring when the junior high will play and march in the Junior Rose Bowl Parade.  He plays the trombone and the baritone but I still wanted him to take lessons to actually learn theory and all that stuff.   So he's now taking piano again.  He actually practices without me bugging him all the time and is learning some fun songs.

Lucas is off to church dances and loves having friends over.  I am so grateful for the wonderful group of kids he has for friends.  Both members and non-members, boys and girls and they are good kids, polite, respectful and fun.  I enjoy having them over and feeding them. :)  They'll all go to high school together next year.  This place has released time seminary which bugs Aaron because he wants his kids to sacrifice as much as he did starting seminary at 5:45am.  I can't really complain because the first two years were in my basement.  :)

I am so grateful for this child.  He has his struggles and weaknesses but what makes all the difference is he is a good talker.  He will talk to us about his problems and issues, his day, his friends, his crushes (he's has crushes on girls since he was 2 1/2), what is exciting to him, etc.  We are very blessed in that way!  He's my buddy.

Jonah Update

I'm back.  I decided I wanted to start blogging again for family history value.  I want to record Life for the kiddos but it's always hard to start back up when you've taken a such a long blog vacation.  Be kind as I try to strengthen up my writing muscles again.  So I'll restart as I usually restart...

With an update on the boys.  I mean, they are the reason I keep this history.

Let's start with JB.  

This crazy kid turned 5 at the end of last year and though hasn't grown much physically, he has grown a ton emotionally.  He's always been very competitive, stubborn, quite self righteous and hasn't gotten along well with many kids.  But lately "sharing is caring" has been his mantra and play dates go so much better.  It's like night and day.  Go figure.  I love it!

His "zombie face"

He's Williams man.  He's a quoter of everything movies or TV. He does accents as well! Some of the stuff that comes out of this kid's mouth is baffling. 

For example...

Last week Jonah and I were in the playroom with a random collection of action figures, going on quests from the Batcave.  I dropped one of our recruits and I got quite the reprimand.

He looks at me calmly, "Mom, if you break my toys, you will force me to shut you out of the family dynamic."

Whaa???

Lucas had to clue me in that it's from Phineas and Ferb.

________

Today the cousins were over and we were all picking up readying to go home. I grabbed a plastic Power Rangers mask off the table and to my surprise out popped my head-sized, white ceramic apple do-da thing that I keep on our coffee table.  It splattered all over the kitchen floor.  After of moment of surprise, Jonah burst into sobs. "It was SO beautiful and it's my fault it's broken!!"

He runs upstairs and slams his bedroom door.  After I clean up, I go to comfort my weeping boy.  We lie on the bed together and looks in my eyes and just sobs, "I broke our only lovely thing!  Now we have no more things that our lovely in our home!!"

He pauses and smiles.  "No, we still do!  We still have you!" 

_____________

We were in sacrament meeting one Sunday and Jonah started making loud zerbert noises on my arm.  I of course quieted him and tried to talk to him about reverence, that people were praying, thinking about Jesus and asking forgiveness for their sins.

He casually looks around and states, "Yeah. I'm not gonna do that."
_____________
Jonah earned $.75 for picking up all my wood scraps from the dining table I was making. A penny for every piece.  :)  He then decided he wanted to buy something at the "Home Store" and bought 9 Hershey kisses from me.  3 per quarter.

He went to tell his dad and I noticed he was walking funny. So I asked him of he was poopy.  He looked me in the eye and said, "No."

"So I can look right now and your underpants will be clean?"

"Um...."

 "Are you poopy!?"

 "No."

 "Then let me look."

 "Um, ok. I am poopy.  Please don't tell Daddy." (He knew Daddy would be very disappointed.)

 He went to time out for lying to me.  I sat in front of him and talked about lying.  That it drives away the Spirit, makes me sad and Daddy sad and it makes him (JB) sad.

 As a matter of fact as it gets, he looks me in the eye and states, "No it doesn't.  Look, I'm not sad."  

This kid!

He goes on, "What would make me sad is if you died and I couldn't cuddle with you any more!" Pulls out the poppy-dog eyes.  " Would you be sad if I died?...  But you don't have to worry because my spirit would stay by you and protect you forever." 

And the thing is, he's sincere. He actually has a huge heart when he wants to.  He loves to cuddle and kiss and he's quite the momma's boy.  He loves to wrestle with his dad and go swimming with him as much as possible.  He bugs Lucas as much as he can and Lucas bugs right back.  It usually ends up with both of them on the floor wrestling good naturedly.

Halloween 2013

Jonah loves people!  He is not afraid of anyone and talks incessantly to whomever will listen. It's so funny to me how many people come up to me at church saying Jonah is their special buddy.  He just loves people.  I sometimes have to take him to YW activities with me when Aaron is out of town and that kid is in heaven!  He is the biggest flirt. He'll snuggle right up to any of them, give them hugs out of the blue or snatch their phones running away with glee.


I couldn't find a more fitting video of how Jonah attacks life....