An Ethan Quote: Episode 2

I remember a book my friend had about mis-heard lyrics to songs. My sister suggested making an LDS version because my kids sing the wrong lyrics ALL the time with primary songs.  Ethan always wants to sing the "Ninja Song" in primary. Well, it turns out, he's been thinking the "Hinges Song" is actually the ninja song:

"I'm all made of ninjas cause everything bends

From the top of my head way down to my ends

I’m ninjas in front and I’m ninjas in back

I have to be ninja so I can attack!"

He has movements that go with it and everything.

Oh, and my nephew does a great rendition of "Love is Smokin Here."

This has been an Ethan moment. The author of this blog claims no responsibility for the contents of this quote, nor does the said quote necessarily reflect the parental abilities or disabilities of this blogger. Stay tuned for the next, and always exciting, Ethan quote.

We Are So Grateful When We Hear A Baby Crying At Church

I was able to attend our Stake Auxilary Training Meeting on Thursday. The Stake Relief Society presidency was leading a discussion about some of the problems and questions we had in our individual ward relief societies. One of the questions we discussed had to do with reverence during the Sunday lesson, and what to do if babies are being loud or distracting during the lesson--and the mother of the child won’t take them out. One lady in the room sat still and listened while we discussed “proper” ways to deal with the problem. She is the Relief Society President of the Fallsbrook Branch, a small branch made up of humble members living in the trailer court near our home. She finally raised her hand and said quietly, “We are so grateful when we hear a baby crying in Relief Society, because it means that the mother is there. It means that she is at church where she needs to be. And it means that that sweet baby, a child of the rising generation, is there, too, where he can learn about who he really is.”

I like that. Sometimes we nit-pick at the small problems and judge too quickly instead of seeing the big picture. 

Picture of the Week: Waiting for Church

I told them all to smile and this is what they gave me!

Shingles Update 2

Somehow, it makes me feel better to write things down. I guess I don’t really need to share my problems with the millions who read my blog (okay, the 3!), but somehow, sharing helps too.

My friend who I car-pool with to school informed me that last week, Gabe said quite seriously on the way home, “I think my mom probably lost her eye today while I was at school.”

We told the kids that the doctor said there was a chance I would lose my eye because of the shingles, but I guess I can’t complain about the doctor not choosing his words very well because obviously I didn’t explain it very well to my own kids.

Two weeks ago, I went to the eye doctor, and he told me I have a "serious condition" where the nerve that moisturizes my eye is not working, so my eye is drying out. He said if they could not fix it, I would lose my eye. I worried about it all week long, and finally met again with the doctor. He said the eye is looking better, but still has inflammation in it that could scar. He put permanent plugs in my eye to try to keep the moisture in and has started me on a steroid. The steroid will help the inflammation, but it also causes pressure to build up in the eye, so I can't be on it too long. He told me that as we get older, our eyes get more dry, so it is likely that years down the road, I will have to have my eyelid dropped or part of my eye sewn up in order to better protect my eye. As for now, I feel okay about this, and actually relieved. He answered many of my questions, and I do believe that my eye will be okay and that my eyesight will return fully. I am grateful.

I cleaned out the drain yesterday, and was sick when I saw how much hair I pulled out. It was almost as much as was on my head. It was that much! It hasn’t been that long since I last cleaned the drain, probably only 3 months. I learned a few months ago, that the shingles are also making me lose my hair. It kills the follicles of the scalp, and the hair will not grow back. It has been devastating to me. But as a friend reminded me, I am grateful that there are options available to deal with it. My sweet sister-in-law told me she would even learn how to put in hair extensions for me.

In other news, the headache is still a constant companion to me. It varies to a dull pain to sometimes a sharp pain. The left side of my head is still numb which really bugs me, but I think maybe if it weren’t numb, maybe I would be in more pain so it could be a blessing. Because it is numb, I don’t feel a thing when I pluck my eyebrow. And when I cut onions, I don’t even shed a tear, not even one. And my allergies only bother one eye!

I think I talk about these shingles a lot, and everyone is probably tired of hearing about them. I know I am tired it always being on my mind. I’m ready to move on. Part of the problem is that I have to put eye drops in my eye constantly, so that is ALWAYS reminding me of the problems I am dealing with. So I came up with this kind-of corny idea to help me. I got these stickers with the picture of the Savior on them when I was in Primary, and so I put one sticker on each of my medications. So every time I use them (which is ALL THE TIME), I try to remember that what I am going through is nothing to what He has gone through. Seeing Him gives me hope, hope that I will have a perfect body in the resurrection, and hope that things will all work out okay. I am hoping that that hope will make me complain less, have a more positive attitude, and have more patience. Remembering Him does make me want to be more like Him.

Children of the Candy Corn

This year, our stake planted a stake garden. It was a huge success, and a lot of fresh produce was donated to people who could use it. The harvesting ended a few weeks ago, and the stake said that anyone could go glean whatever vegetables were left. We don't always have the best or most prepared family home evenings, but on Monday, we had the best and most prepared family home evening! I told the story about two young girls, Mary and Caroline Rollins, who saved many of the pages of The Book of Commandments from a mob who was burning down the shop where the revelations were being printed. They ran out into a cornfield and hid among the corn stalks, laying on the pages they had saved. The mob never found them. So after hearing the story, we went to the church garden and played hide-and-go-seek in the field of corn. I especially liked how Nate would growl monster-like and thunder through the corn stalks when he found someone. And Gabe would hold a corn stalk over his head while he walked so he was always really camouflaged! We had candy corn and fresh corn on the cob for refreshments. I think it will be a memorable FHE, and no one even cried!

An Ethan Quote: Episode 1

My mother-in-law overheard Ethan playing with his cousin a few weeks ago, and they were playing with some little action figures. The cousin said his action figure was his dad because his dad was the strongest. Ethan that his action figure was actually the strongest because it was his dad. So the cousin said, "Well, then mine is Jesus because he's stronger than everybody."
Ethan thought about that for a minute, then said, "No, because Jesus is on everyone's team . . . but yours can be the bishop!"

This has been an Ethan moment. The author of this blog claims no responsibility for the contents of this quote, nor does the said quote necessarily reflect the parental abilities or disabilities of this blogger. Stay tuned for the next, and always exciting, Ethan quote.