It happened today

That's right!  She left the primary...gasp...my little girl is a young woman.  I watched from the piano bench as they came to get their newest member and I didn't know whether to cry or cheer.  I video taped the ordeal...not that it was all that ceremonial, but I just knew I'd want to relive/cherish that moment later and let it sink in a little more thoroughly.

Today, she, Sarah and a friend sang "I am a child of God" in sacrament meeting.  Tonight, she is going to stake youth choir.  This Wednesday she goes to her first Stake combined youth activity.    Where has the time gone?  Wasn't she just learning to ride a bike?  Losing her first tooth?    Or starting kindergarten?  For heaven's sake, she's in sixth grade now!  Wish I could freeze time time  long enough to allow my brain to grasp what's going on here.  She only has six years left until she leaves home and that just seems too short.  I'm not ready for this. 

Yeah, I know, I should be used to the thought because my oldest only has 3.5 more years and our second oldest has 4.5 years left.  It really shouldn't phase me that she has a whopping six years left.  Right?  However, for some reason it's hitting me a little harder than I thought it would.  Not that I'm happy to see her brothers go, but it's that I've been preparing myself for them to leave since they were toddlers.  Telling them about the day they would leave home and serve a mission in a far off land.  I haven't talked much with Miriam about the day she flies the coup.... so it's a new thought for me.

Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a tiny bit.  The truth is, I knew from the beginning of this motherhood experience that one day, I'd wake up and they'd all be gone.  I knew that this was an enevitable part of "the plan".  I just didn't know how all the milestones in the middle would affect me.    

Definitely time for some pie!

...Just a book...

That's what she wants for her birthday this year and every year.  She didn't really play with toys...ever (except for occasionally with her doll house from 2-6 y.o.)...she always went for books.  Books were what motivated her to crawl.  I'd sit with open arms and call to her.  she'd give me a glance, then turn back to her goal: the bookcase.  She wanted to touch them, pull them down off the shelf to surround herself with them, she wanted to look at them and digest them with her huge eyes.  She never put them in her mouth, she never tore any pages, nor did she color in them.  She was so careful and nimble at turning the pages that it always surprised people I would let her have a real book or a non-board book.  She'd spend hours studying them and waving her hands with excitement.  When she was 13 months old, she would flip through the pages and tell stories about what she saw.   Her imagination guided her into a world of words and language that very quickly turned to being able to read the actual words on the pages.  She was reading words just after turning two,  reading Dick and Jane books just before her third birthday,  Magic Tree House by 3 1/2, Harry Potter by 5, Dickens by 7.  She read every book she could get her hands on including Daddy's medicinal chemistry books.  She has an amazing ability to comprehend and retain the information in the material she reads.  She astounds me constantly with her broad knowledge and stellar spelling abilities!  She competed in the school spelling bee three months ago and took second place overall in the school, only beaten by an 8th grade girl. One could also say she is very driven and determined to excel at whatever she sets her mind to.  She plays the flute, piano, sings, and plays basketball ...so she is pretty well-rounded. She's just amazing...and she's turning twelve!

Flushing

Seems like a very simple act...if your toilet actually responds and does its job properly.

All three of our toilets have a BIG problem doing this simple maneuver for some reason, so we have to help them out here and there.  Sometimes it is multiple times per day.
           All part of the routine...along with the deodorizer and fan...you could say it's a different kind of ambiance.   Can't say I'm accustomed to it yet, but I'm going with the flow.

A few months ago, I tried to teach the kids how to plunge for themselves, but that made more work than it was worth.         ):Trust me:(

 So, I'm on call 24/7.   However, when "the call" comes after ten pm, after I've already gotten into bed, it makes me want to build an outhouse right next to the trampoline...are those legal in San Jose?
Or maybe we can install a throne on top of the sewage clean out next to the basketball hoop.  Nothing beats direct access!  That should also keep us from having to buy so much Lysol.

I'm certain things could be worse...oh, the joys of running a busy household!

Speaking of which...
I've been working on lyrics for a song...dedicated to my children....this is what I have so far:

Have you ever wondered why you can walk across the floor?
Or how it's possible to get through any door?
What happens to all those tiny rocks?
Or who rounds up and washes all the socks?

It's not magic it's not a mirage
That keeps everything tidy in the garage!
Nor is it a pixie, brownie or fairy
That keeps our house from looking so very scary!
Yes! I agree it's quite miraculous, there's always food in the fridge
So maybe, just maybe you could help me just a smidge!

Have you ever noticed there aren't any dust bunnies under your bed?
Or any cobwebs up above your head?
Do you think the toilets have auto-plunge?
Or the walls wipe themselves with a sponge?

It's not magic it's not a mirage
That keeps everything tidy in the garage!
Nor is it a pixie, brownie or fairy
That makes sure our house isn't so very scary.
Yes! I agree it's quite miraculous there's always food in the fridge
So maybe, just maybe you could help me just a smidge!