Streams of Light

Chickenpox girl is almost better...now we are waiting to see if we have a chickenpox boy in a week or so.
I think I might have a handle on some kind of patterning for this new school year. I hate "routine" and everything associated with it...but certain children and a husband function better with one... so we are going to try a concept that I've made up called 'patterning'. Not rigid but with a certain consistency. We will see how this works. Essentially that we will have certain guidelines to follow but with maximum flexibility. Chaiya's stuff, middle kids school, my work etc... the hope is that we can get the important stuff accomplished. Once upon a time I was a complete anal organizer and even had little color coded cards for everything from scrubbing baseboards ,to contacting certain persons once a quarter, to dusting all the tops of the picture frames etc.....this was NOT flow! Not in any way, shape or form.
I like flow. I like magic. I like light and energy in my home. So I am on to a new flowing and flexible streams of doing things.

summer soul

There is nothing as refreshing to my soul as the summer monsoons here. I love flinging open the windows wide and letting the fresh breeze through. Aww I love living here!

Lydia awoke this morning with the chicken pox...all over! Which she thinks is funny because one of the books on her shelf that we have been reading is Marc Brown's "Arthur and the Chicken Pox". She also lost a tooth in the middle of the night and is looking forward to receiving tooth fairy loot.
Only problem is will Thayne break out also? They have been all the same places. I am still breastfeeding him slightly so we will see...
Breastfeeding by the way keeps the breasts full and lovely ... it is a totally vain thing. I know when I stop they will shrink and be hollow again. Hmmm.. coming to grips with the age factor isn't happening to well.

Little Mermaid Comforter

It is 3:40 am! I just rolled over on a banana in my bed at 3 :15 am! I am very awake now. My bed is now remade at 3:30 am with a Little Mermaid comforter. It is the only thing I can find clean to place on the top of my bed because I have a 2 year old. The 2 year old obviously had a banana in my bed at some point in time yesterday. Given to him by his father ("I only gave him three"). It was squished under my normal comforter and seeped through the sheet. When Michael first got into bed several hours ago , he mentioned there was a small wet spot but failed to investigate further. It's 3:40 am.

Pioneer children sang as they walked and walked

We picked up a very very dirty, slightly sunburned pioneer named Chaiya . Who had one of the most amazing experiences of her life!!!! It was so good for her to 'live' this. She said she will be grateful for showers and running water forever. I spoke with her trail mom and of course she said Chaiya is an amazing girl. We all already knew that! So glad she is back home.

My girl Chaiya is out on the prarie. Okay .... she is out in the middle of the woods north of Williams wearing a bonnet, apron, long skirt and pretending she is a pioneer. It's dark tonight and I'm sure it's been raining up there. I sang her lullaby and thought about how many stars she is seeing tonight and how much this will change her perspective.

The world feels fresh and new this morning. The summer monsoons always are a joy to my spirit, they are one of the reasons I revel in living here.
Each morning if I am not pressed for time I love to read something inspirational to start my day. This morning it was a selection from Wayne Dyer's book 'Wisdom of the Ages'
On Sunday Lydia gave a talk for Primary. It was the first time she has spoken out loud in church. She usually is quite silent prefering to sign.
I had wrote a little talk on Noah and how his family had supported him and followed the Lord. She did a great job!
Yesterday afternoon, Chaiya babysat for a family whose daughter informed her that all the girls in her class were making fun of Lydia. Ouch on my heart!
So when I opened my book this morning , my very random selection just happened to open to a section on judgement that helped heal my heart.
The last of the section is this:
*Refuse to make judgments about the importance or value of others based on what you have come to assess as normal. See the unfolding of God in everyone and all life. Know that no one is superior in the invisible realm of the spirit and that our outer shells all come in a variety of shapes, sizes and conditions.
*See the genius in everyone you encounter. Just as the mountain cannot crack a nut though it can carry a forest on its back, so too does every living creature have its own perfection built into it. Make every effort to look for that perfection rather than being misled by appearances of the host container.
*Let go of judgments that compare others to what has come to be labeled normal. Just because most people can see doesn't render the blind insignificant. And just because most folks walk about and talk, that does not imply that those who lie in silence are less precious in any way.

I am grateful that I have Maliea and Lydia as my daughters. They both struggle with their human forms a great deal. They both have taught me a lot about unconditional love; not only for people with different bodies but for people with different views. Maliea and Lydia have helped me love with a open heart and an open mind , this has been a wonderful gift!

No hearing aids for Lyd right now. It's still up in the air if she will benefit from them. I'll post more tomorrow!

Flagstaff

We took a mini vacation up to Flagstaff! It was just what I needed. I spent a few hours in Bookmans. Yes!!!! I found copies of Mothering magazine for $1, even the current one still on the stands. Several books I wanted for homeschooling and some fun books to read for the little ones. I love searching through shelves and shelves, wishing I had hundreds of dollars and more bookshelves at home to hold all the treasures awaiting in a turned page. Alas time and budget kept me at a minimum but there is always next time.
We took the kids to Sunset Crater. Lydia was a little concerned when we told her it was a volcano but now she loves to describe how it is a dead one with her tongue hanging to the side and her eyes all squashed up. We also went up to Lowell Observatory. Very very nice and worth the money to do it both during the day and to go back at night on a clear evening.
The older kids were able to visit with their grandparents from Tennesse for a day. The Wilsons were staying in a timeshare and had just a little time before heading to Colorado.
The few days up there away from work and the little stresses of home was what each one of us needed. Except Maliea got horribly sunburned from swimming with her grandparents and is still suffering. Quayde loved the pool and the free breakfast! Now it is back to reality whatever that is.