Casual awesomeness

 Jane is so awesome she keeps it on the down low out of humility.     She's soaring to the top with her piano.   She continues to love working with her teacher Gretchen and her musician class at the U.  Here she is at her Spring Recital.  

She tried out to be the piano accompanist for the Advanced Jazz Band at Alta High and made it!  

She played on the Alta Middle School tennis team and continued to develop her skills as a tennis player.    She played varsity doubles most of the year with her friend Alexa.   I loved watching her play and seeing the enjoyment in her face. 

 She's planning on devoting a lot of time practicing with some of the Alta High tennis players this summer and doing some matches to get ready to try out the the Alta High team at the end of the summer. 

Jane's been wanting a job since she's turned 14.  After Spring Break she decided she couldn't take being poor with so many wants in life.   She cranked up the intensity and applied to any where she heard will accept 14 year olds.     I warned her people don't like to hire 14 year olds because of all the child labor laws.   Jane wouldn't be crushed when she didn't hear back from most of them and then one week Reese shared a post from Plato Closets (a second hand clothing store) about a hiring day for 14 year olds.   

I drove her to the interview, she confidently walked had the interview and came out.  I asked her about it and she said they asked her questions about her self and then said have you had any other jobs.  Jane replied not technically but my Aunt hired me to organize her house.  The owner replied that's good because this job requires a lot of organizing.   

I wasn't surprised at all when she got a second interview.  This time it was with the manager who asked her how she would rate her organization skills from 1-10.   Jane replied "I don't want to brag but I'm really good at organizing and hope to be a professional organizer some day so I'd say a 9.5-10.  

During this same time Emily suggested Jane text her friend Ava who's mom friends owns a snow cone shack up the road.   She called her and met up with her for an interview as was hired on the spot.  Soon after she got a call from Platos that she was 1 of 3 out of 15 who got the Plato's job.   

Jane went from no jobs to 2 jobs and is learning about how to handle the stress of juggling different schedules and being effective at communicating.   It's still up in the air how much each place will work her and if she needs to pick one but Jane's just counting her blessings that soon she will have enough money to buy some Dr. Martin sandals she's wanted for a while.  

Jane is such a great friend and kind to everyone.   She chose to be a peer tutor for a Special Ed. student and as she tells me how she handles helping him complete his assignments.   His goal is to stay in his seat but he is Mr. social and wants instead to roam the room.  Jane said sometimes I take his stuffed animal he carries around and say Your doggy really wants you to stay here and keep working or others time I say just do one part and then you can get up.  When we were walking around looking at all the winners of the district art show he was there and came running up to her and told his parents, this is my friend Jane.   She's so compassionate and kind and is a natural teacher  if she tells me he stresses her out trying to keep him in his seat.

She loves to hang out with her friends yet loves her alone time reading teenage romance novels and keeping her space clean and tranquil.  

 She makes it look so easy to be awesome but I know she works hard and is diligent in all her endeavors.   I love this girl and continue to thank the heavens she's my daughter.  

Mother's Day 2023

My heart is so full I get to be these kids mom!   They are my forever besties and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I texted Bart as I was driving Jane home from the U  saying " I'm really craving your chocolate chip cookies."    When I got home he was finishing up working so hard in the yard all day and gave me a hug and said Happy mothers day I slaved away in the yard just for you.  Sorry I didn't get your message.   The next morning I woke up to Bart making his famous cookies and later he gave me an orchid and some trader joe pretzels.   He really outdid himself this year.  

My other kids spoiled me with lots of gifts.   I particularly enjoyed Spencer's keychain he made at school of a picture he drew of he and I watching Bluey.  "It's our nightly ritual where we cuddle and laugh together". 

I love that my girls ask me to take pictures with them.   I grew up the tallest in my family so it's a little strange to look at pictures with girls the same height as me.  

 

One Act Play

 Emily tried out for the Senior Directed One Act Play and made the part of the ghost of Emily Dickinson.  Boy did this girl shine.  Like literally.  I was blown away by how beautiful and glowy she was on the stage.   Maybe there was a little type casting because her name was Emily but she leaned into the part and did such great acting that she portrayed a perfect Emily Dickinson.   

Emily is also so happy and appreciative whenever her friends come to support her.  

It was a tricky night with kids going in all sorts of directions and Bart hosting the Deacons at our house but Jane and I made it to see her performance.   

Can't wait so see more of this in the future from Emily.   

Little Drummer Boy

 Emily's drum line friends were in charge of the Alta High Car Show Fundraiser event.   Along with the Car show they had a mini drum line camp for kids.    Emily took Spencer to the event and Spencer loved the camp.   In addition to teasing all of her friends,  especially going up to Liam and saying "Your Emily's Boyfriend" to see if he would turn red,  he loved getting his own drum sticks and practicing for the performance.      I made it just in time for his performance.    He didn't miss a beat drumming those Home Depot buckets.  He told me on the way home that I was right "Let's play music really prepared him for this camp because he advanced to the next level right away while some of the others needed a lot of help."   He even said one kid just hit the drum over and over again and didn't follow along at all.   

The rest of the day Spencer was on a mission to find all the different boxes and buckets to practice his new drum skills.  He remembered how to hold the sticks and showed me a few tricks.   He kept begging me to buy him a drum lid that goes on top of  a bucket so finally I sat down with him and searched amazon.   The drum lids were around $20 and it the suggested part of the screen he noticed a full drum set for close to the same price.   I told them it was more for a toddler but he didn't care he wanted the drum set.   So using my very best "bribery" parent skills I told him I would buy the whole set for him if he was his very best at school and only got good marks on his behavior tracker.  He agreed he could do it for his last 10 days of school.   Later that night I noticed him on the ground reciting things he could do when he started having problems with others kids.   He would repeat "I can use my words to solve problems."  "I can get a teacher to help solve the problem".  I can keep my body safe and to myself.    I'm sure he has been learning these things at school.  

A "Beary" good Birthday

Spencer turned the big 7 and wanted to celebrate his birthday at Build a Bear.    He's a lover of stuffed animals and when I showed him pictures of Emily's party we did there when she was turning 6 he was sold.  

He chose to invite his primary class plus 1 good friend from school.   Bart and I both drove the troops up to the Fashion Place mall.  

My neighbor informed me that discount gift cards could be purchased at Sams club.   It was such a good deal that I opted for the bear + an outfit package for each kid.   The kids had such a good time looking at all the outfits to pick out their favorite one.    The staff were super fun and helpful and even gave Spencer his bear sized cake with a candle that lit up.    

He felt so special but didn't particularly like it when the whole store sang him happy birthday!

We then went to the food court where we ate his "Bear" cake and punch.   He told me later I am amazing at making cakes.   I smiled and said yeah I think it's my super power.      

Happy Birthday my Mencie boo!!!!   You make my heart so happy!  

 

Who Knew

I heard a snippet from a lecture from a child psychologist.  The idea he shared was that we are not engineers of our children but shepherds.   It stated that kids come with their own unique genetic makeup and we as parents cannot alter or shape them into what we want them to be.   All we can do is shepherd them which means protect them and give them green pastures and sit back and enjoy the show and watch what they uniquely will become.

Recently I had a "I am not engineering this" moment with Jane and Aaron.   

1st story:   I'm in the kitchen with Jane and she mentions that her teacher keeps asking her if I've gotten an invitation to an art show.   I'm like I don't think so why would I get invited to an art show?   Jane says it's not really anything and I wasn't going to tell you but my teacher keeps bugging me to see because I won an award for the District Middle School art show.    I'm respond.  "What? you won a district award for art and you weren't going to tell me". Jane. "Seriously mom I don't know what the big deal is."   I hadn't gotten the mail in a few days and sure enough in the mailbox was this invitation.  

 

I inform Jane the we will be going to the awards reception!

It was a quick ceremony where they displayed a picture of each persons art on a slideshow.  Jane won an honorable mention for her work "cheesy cheesecake".

We then go find her artwork on the other end of the mall and I'm floored about how good the watercoloring is.   Other than a couple of art classes in school Jane hasn't done a lot of painting.    Modest Jane didn't want me gloating over her project and gave me the "side eye" (meaning don't embarrass me mom) when I told her when it comes home I'm framing this and hanging it somewhere in the house.  

Story 2:  

Not even a week later Aaron comes home from school and told me he heard over the intercom today that his video project was selected as one of the top 6 movies for the district film festival.   I told him I have not idea what he is talking about.    He explained that in school during stem class he made a documentary filming all the other kids making their movies and he was selected.   He then said his teacher told him we should go to the festival at 6 pm that night?  He said they give out prizes to the winners so he wanted to go.   Bart was in Vegas that day for a quick autograph tour so I rearranged my night so Aaron and I could go see if he won.   

They had the placed decked out with Hollywood characters and a red carpet.  

I think I hyped Aaron up a bit too much but I didn't want him sitting there thinking there was no way he could win.   He left really disappointed that his name wasn't called.    I wasn't disappointed at all but so impressed that he was one of the top 6 with a project I had knew nothing about and have no skills to engineer him to win!  

A skiing they will do on Spring Break

 My kids came home from Brian Head anxious to go skiing with their dad.   So Bart took the boys up to Nordic Valley while us girls were in Vegas seeing Taylor Swift.  Spencer was so excited to show off his new skills to Bart. 

My kids and I always have different spring breaks.   Nordic Valley had a last of the season spring break sale price for $19.   Since I don't ski and had to work anyway Bart took the day off for a little skiing fun.    Everyone was so excited because the day before 3-4 feet of snow fell on the ski resort.   Easy breezy they thought.  Well......

I guess once they got there the 1st lift to the top of the mountain was broken.   So they all had to hike up to the 2nd lift that took them up to where they could ski down.   Here is an image I got over text with the caption.  "I hate this so much" "I knew I shouldn't have come today".    I responded "a little hike won't kill you.  Exercise is good".   "She responded the Lord was trying to stop me from coming but I listened to the devil instead".   

They all got a lot more happy once they made it to the other lift and had a good time.   

We ended Spring Break going to Lagoon on their opening day.    It was chilly but the sun was out.  We all commented that we have never seen snow at Lagoon.    It seemed we were experiencing Lagoon in Feb. and not April.