My boys are all about April Fools jokes today. It actually started yesterday when I was walking T home from school and he said, "Guess what Mom, no homework today!" and in the very same breath yelled, "APRIL FOOLS!" (The things they learn at school these days...) He started laughing hysterically while Quinny laughed along (because she adores Talmage like you can't imagine) and Everett stared at him blankly like, what the heck has gotten into you? The next block brought a long explanation from T to Ev about how on the first day of April it's really funny to say or do tricky things and then yell April Fools as loud as you can. Ever thought the idea brilliant and so they used yesterday as a practice run and today they've been all about it. "We ran out of milk for our cereal, APRIL FOOLS!" "I don't like tomatoes in my lunch anymore, APRIL FOOLS!" "I think it's crazy hair day at school, APRIL FOOLS!" Luckily it's all been tame and silly, and both boys think it's the funniest. There was a line drawn in the sand, however, when T mentioned that they should take out the cream filling from an oreo, fill it with soap, and try to feed it to a friend. Ever's face squished in disgust and he put one hand on his hip and said, "Dat. is. so. wuuuuuude! Dey would eat dat oweo and it would be disgusting. How about we just give dem a good oweo? You don't want to waste a good cookie." T thought about it for a moment and then agreed that the soap idea was not a good one. I laughed so hard over T's sneaky ideas, Ever's animated reaction, and their agreement to go back to the drawing board for a new trick.
April fools day is funny and my boys are the best, but really I sat down today to write about cutie Quinny. We spent our Spring Break in Utah so this week I've spent a lot of time playing catch-up. Laundry, bills, cleaning, organizing, planning, shopping, doctor's appointments and other to-do's have filled my days and nights...and nightmares! In theory Quinn and I share a lot of alone time while the boys are in school but in reality that time is usually spent scurrying around at neck-breaking speeds trying to get things accomplished before the after-school rush ensues. By Wednesday Quinny was desperate for fun and attention. She followed me from room to room as I tried to put away laundry crying, "Sooos, a-sigh. Peaaaaas!" (Translation: Shoes, outside and please!) In an instant I put down the laundry, scooped up my baby, and we headed out for a morning of fun at the park. She insisted on wearing her necklace and shades but I drew the line at the backwards Yankees hat she wanted to wear--it was her first time in little mullet piggies for goodness sake and I couldn't have her covering them up! From the park we headed to pick up Ev, and then it was time for lunch and naps (Quinn in the kids room, Ever in mine). Before long we were picking up T, racing to get our homework done and dinner started and then rushing off to the boys' gymnastics class. We got home at the exact same time James arrived home from work and all the way up the elevator I explained to him how crazy the afternoon was, how Quinny needed me all morning, and basically how our apartment still looked like a bomb went off with suitcases, laundry, toys and junk everywhere. He opened the door and quickly realized that I wasn't kidding, it was ugly. But then he turned to me and said, "You know what, I think you chose that good part." His words and confidence in my decision really touched me, and I've thought about it a lot the past couple of days. James, of course, was referencing the scriptural account of Mary and Martha who were both trying to serve their Savior in different ways (which were by all accounts both good ways) but Mary's approach of sitting at the Master's feet was better than Martha's approach of fixing dinner. It reminded me of a favorite Conference talk I hadn't read in ages, but found once more, called "Choosing Charity: That Good Part" by Bonnie D. Parkin. My favorite passage says:
"Like Mary, I hunger to feast at the Savior’s feet, while, like Martha, I need to somehow find the laundry room floor, empty my in-box, and serve my husband something other than cold pizza. I have 15 grandchildren whose tender little spirits and daily challenges I want to better understand, yet I also have a slightly demanding Church calling! I don’t have lots of time. Like all of you, I have to choose. We all are trying to choose the good part which cannot be taken from us, to balance the spiritual and the temporal in our lives. Wouldn’t it be easy if we were choosing between visiting teaching or robbing a bank? Instead, our choices are often more subtle. We must choose between many worthy options."
Don't you just love that? With so many little kids with so many activities, a busy husband, my church calling and school responsibilities, running a household plus my desire to still know me in the mix of all that it is so hard to find that good part because it's almost all good! It's about finding the best in a good, better, best situation. My inner-Martha is a force to be reckoned with and oh how I love an organized space and a to-do list chock-full of checkmarks, and frankly I know that serving my family by cleaning and shopping and cooking is showing love. But on this occasion I'm glad that my Mary won and I showed my love for Quinny by pushing her on the swings, collecting mounds of sticks and cheering as she slid down the really big slides. I agree with James, I think I did choose that good part. I hope I remember to do it more often.
"Sooos, a-sigh. Peeaaasss!"
One thing I hope I remember about Quinny is how fun she is to take to the park. (On the playground she makes me a nervous wreck because she has no fear, but at the park she is a little dreamboat.) She notices EVERYTHING! She picks up sticks and rocks, she barks at every dog, greets every fellow park-goer and chases every squirrel. She giggles and screams when an airplane or helicopter pass overhead and she desperately tries to join any sports practice happening nearby--regardless of the players age. She makes new friends by naming off their body parts, "Eye! Nose! Bewy!" (Belly button, and yes she tries to lift up their shirt!) and there's not a snack known to man she is not wanting to and willing to share. She's a firecracker that one, and I love her so much.
No comments:
Post a Comment