"I Will Go and Do"

"I will go and do the things which the Lord has commanded, for I know the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save he shall prepare a way that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." (1 Nephi 3:7)

I received a great compliment today. A couple of friends came over unexpectedly today and so the house was in a bit or a whirlwind from a busy morning. As I discreetly picked up diapers and tissues and little car toys from the couch, I invited them to sit down and to please ignore the mess. I could do a little tidying, but the bulk of the mess was the contents of our 72-hour emergency kits. I have been working really hard this month to get these packs complete. Just this morning I dashed out to Canadian Tire to pick up some great knapsacks to keep the contents in (40% off!). The result being that the contents of the kits are currently all over the floor in the living room as I take inventory and distribute the items.

Feeling like less than a perfect housewife amongst all this, my friend turned to me and said "You're like the perfect mom! You've always got everything together." I laughed and commented that in fact, I knew several other moms who fit this description much better than I. I often look to these moms as role-models for myself, vowing that "one day I'll have things together like they do!"

"No way," my friend said. "You are so 'I will go and do'! You're just like Nephi!" (referencing the above scripture). "Everything we're told to make sure we get done, you just go and get done!"

(72-hour emergency kits are one of the recommendations in our church - they recommend that each person be prepared with a kit in case of an evacuation or local emergency).

Then she added: "You wanted to build a fence, or start a garden, and you just go out and do it! It's like you don't even think of whether or not you can - that doesn't seem to be an option for you."

I was so flattered. I mean, I try my best to be the best I can be, and to be bettering myself each day. But it just feels like there is so far to go. And it's not like the light at the end of the tunnel gets closer - in fact, the more steps I take the further away it seems!

Sometimes, though, it takes viewing yourself through someone else's eyes to see how far you've really come. I just put my nose to the grindstone and push away as best I can. And maybe I have come farther than I've realized. It's nice to know that I really am "going and doing" and getting things done!

These are a few of my favourite (green) things

1. My two feet. I am a powerhouse walker. With only one car in the family (that James takes to work 5-6 days a week), walking is the only way to escape from the confines of the house. My friends say they see me everywhere around town. We have an assortment of carriers, strollers, toddler cars and the like to keep things varied and interesting. I have an umbrella and a stroller cover and I'm not afraid to use them.

2. My dishwasher - or lack thereof. We have a lack of space in our kitchen, and I really don't want to take up precious space with a large and bulky dishwasher (built-in is not an option). But I don't mind. I try to do dishes after each meal, and while I'm preparing dinner, so that there isn't a pile up. I treat myself to a more expensive dish soap that smells of lavender and reminds me of the lavender fields in France. In truth, it is somewhat of a therapy for me. I know "water-therapy" is used for all sorts of things, and I truly feel the calming properties as I wash up.

3. Windows. We didn't have air conditioning in our apartment, and although we have a wall-mounted unit here, we have only turned it on twice so far. (In fact, there is a problem with the water draining tubes and so both times we turned it on led to water dripping through the kitchen ceiling, which led to turning it off). I can't stand the chill an air conditioner creates in a home - it gets into my bones like an awful winter bite. Conversely, I love the smell and feel of a fresh breeze, and I open all the windows as often as I can, letting in both the natural light and cooling system our earth provides. You'd be surprised at the air conditioning the air can provide!

4. My washer and dryer - both energy efficient. Luckily they came with the house, because these appliances can be awfully expensive. I don't have the time for line-drying at this point in my life, and so I revel in the fact that I'm doing at least a bit more this way.

5. My push lawnmower. Cutting the grass is everyone's favourite duty. Although probably a little more work than gas or electric (I wouldn't know - I've never used either), it's a fantastic way to exercise. Even Colin loves to help push. This is probably the only chore around the house that never gets missed!

Remember...

Every time Colin takes off his shoes and puts them back on because I put the wrong one on first...
Every time he gets back in his chair to get out of it by himself...
Every time he screams because I skipped a stair on the way up...
Every time he yells "I do it!"...
Every time he is crying because he can't seem to do it but won't accept any help...
Every time he won't eat a snack because it's not in the right container...
Every time he repeats his demands as though he didn't hear my emphatic "no"...
Every time he has to go back and find a very specific pine cone...
Every time he melts down because I opened the door and he wanted it closed...
Every time he lock horns with me in a battle of wills...
Every time he is frustrated because the toy won't work...
Every time he struggles with me...
Every time he resists me...

...I just remember that come ten years or so, I will be grateful for his persistence independence, making him the one to lead and not blindly follow or give in to peer pressure. It may nearly kill me today, but I know one day I will be filled with gratitude and relief because of these characteristics.

Biking

After walking through the heat this morning to buy bicycle helmets for the family, I was disappointed to learn that there is no way to bike safely with a baby under 1 year. My "on foot" destinations are becoming fewer, with the increased heat and added weight of a growing baby. We found one of those "pull-behind" bike attachments for kids to go in, but I have learned that I can't put Caleb in it this summer. Too bad - I was really looking forward to biking around with them!

Beautiful

The weather is absolutely perfect. Sun shining, light breeze, warm air. The trees on our property provide a mixture of sun and shade. This afternoon, during a rare moment of coinciding naps, I lounged in my deck chair and indulged in a few chocolate chip cookies while perusing a book ("100 photos that changed the world" - a fascinating read, if you get the chance). Then I pulled out my recipe books and created a meal plan for the week, complete with shopping list for later today. Somehow "work" never seems like work when you can do it sitting outside in the sun on patio furniture (where I am now).

I have taken a break from the rigorous activities of fence building and gardening these past two days. Instead I have just spent the time sitting on our swing or in a deck chair, taking in the rare perfection of a summer's day. It won't be too long before the weather takes a turn for the unbearably hot, and we are barely out of the coolness of spring. These days don't last forever and so I will spoil myself with this break.

The emerald leaves shimmer with a twinge of silver in the sun and the birds serenade me from their nests.

Beautiful.

Colinisms

"Daddy! Your cell phone is ringing!"
(I think it's hilarious that the word "cell phone" is in my two-year old's vocabulary)

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"I'm just working right now."
(work = sorting pieces of fabric, playing with a game, inspecting a pencil, etc.)

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Guess what, Mommy? The wise man built his house on the rock, and then the rains came down and the floods came up, and the house stood still. And the foolish man built his house on the sand, and the rains came down and the floods came up, and the house on the sand washed away."
(Based on a song he learned at church. But Colin narrated this to me as though he had witnessed the event!)

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"...because..."
(Colin is not only speaking in full sentences, he is now combining two thoughts with the word "because". Ex: I need some Cheerios because my tummy is grumbling and I am hungry.")

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"Um..."
(He always starts his answers to a question with this now. We nearly die from laughter each time, because he says it with such purpose, as though this was the most important part of the answer!)

Mom-sense Postscript

Tonight I fed Caleb, sang to him while sitting in our armchair, then put him down in his crib. He cried, and so I sang to him as he lay there until he calmed down and fell asleep. All within 15 minutes. Moms - always trust your gut.