under the same sky

"Whenever me and Kate see each other, it's like our hearts just JUMP out of our bodies and give each other a big hug!" Maryn exclaimed to her mom as they made their way down the winding canyon road.

Her description could not be more perfect!  Kate and her closest cousin, Maryn (born exactly 10 weeks apart mid-winter 6 years ago) are best friends.  Although on the outside, they seem like opposites (one has long hair, one short; one has blue eyes, one brown; one sings low, the other high), in their heart of hearts, they are the same.

Kind of like their moms.

We, too, are different in many ways, but have always shared a part of our hearts, as sisters.  When we watch our girls together, it is like our childhood is being re-lived and witnessed from the outside.  Only, as if we were twins.  We've often wished we were (except during that one rough year in Jr. High, when we were glad that we weren't!)

Sadly, these two (four) hearts live 600 miles apart.

This past weekend, however, hearts reunited in a weekend spent together.  My sis and I joined our third sister (equally heart-linked, but a few years younger) and parents, too, for some together time at the cabin.  My Kate's heart was full with the company of her cousin.  They played and laughed and hugged and giggled.  And, they stayed up late into the night singing and laughing and loving their hearts' connection.

They made up a song: silly and nonsensical, and EXACTLY the thing Kami and I did together when we were young.  They sang it over and over again.  We smiled at their creativity and laughed at their antics.  We reminisced about our own created songs and plays and performances from so long ago.

And, Kami pulled out the guitar and taught the girls a {real} song about hearts that are linked:

Underneath the same sky

Even though you're not close by

It feels just like

We're right beside each other.

Even though we're far apart,

Your friendship fills my heart.

It's so good to know, we're under the same sky.

Tonight, as my kids bedtime-snacked together, Kate started singing the made-up song.  Dallin smiled and said, "Hey, did you make that up?"  Amazingly, he hadn't heard her singing it, even though she and Maryn must have performed it 100 times over two days.  It's because he was busy being with his heart-linked cousin, too, doing whatever it is boys do when they are together under the same roof.  And, the same sky.

xoxoxo to our cousins, far away!

winner

There used to be more competition in Elementary school.  We had letter grades in 1st grade.  We did 'Whiz Kid' reports and got a ranking that came with a color-coded button you could wear around, like you belonged to an elite club in the school.  There was that water conservation poster contest I took 2nd in, in the 6th grade (blast that Lee Shun and his poster that beat me out!) We knew who the top students were in spelling and math and reading.

And, in my 4th grade class, there was the Valentine's Day Box Contest.

Everyone made a box, as creative as possible, and the teacher chose a winner.  The prize was prestige, maybe a certificate, and {drum roll please} a glitter pen; a pen whose shaft was full of water and glitter which swirled and swayed when you shook it.  It was a treasure to behold. 

My idea for a Valentine's box was really more like a sculpture.  I used saved strawberry baskets (the little green square ones they used to use).  I stacked them up like a pyramid, paper mached the whole thing, and painted it to look like a dice tower.  Don't ask me where I got this idea.  Or why I thought a stack of dice had anything to do with Valentine's Day.  Or why I'd use messy paper mache (which, by the way, got me quarantined to the basement and the little piece of linoleum I couldn't ruin with my project) instead of something reasonable and elementary-school-ish like construction paper.

Whatever the reasons, the result did the trick.  I won.
And, I loved that pen.

 

My kiddos had a GREAT time making their Valentine's Day boxes this year.  They did most of the work themselves while I was busy with the Littles, and were so proud of their finished products.  No awards were given in their classes, but I would give them both a glitter pen, if I had some!

Because now days, they aren't so competitive in Elementary School. 

definitions

se·cede – to withdraw formally from

ab·di·cate – to give up 

a·ban·don –to leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert; to give up; discontinue

sep·a·rate -to set apart; disconnect; dissociate; to remove or sever

re·pu·di·ate –to cast off or disown

However you define it, the date is set.  March 2nd, me and the braces are finished.  Phew!

 

 

 

soul medicine

Insanely beautiful weather

in January

going without socks

on an outing to the zoo

with a giraffe-crazy two-year-old

a sweeter-than-candy baby

and a Daddy who holds your hand

and enjoys the hippos

just as much as you.

Perfect!

together

I was grateful, as we held hands and made our way into the church building, that I’d pulled myself away from the cozy sofa and the dishes in the sink and the email to check to brave the chilly night air and go to our ward’s Relief Society Mother/Daughter activity.  Kate seemed excited to have a special night out, especially when I told her that fingernail painting was involved.  As we made our way to the Relief Society room, I reminded my little lady that she needed to act grown up. “Like Leslie?” (her favorite babysitter), she asked?  “Yes, just like Leslie.” 

Thankfully, the infamous Leslie was there, too.  Kate was thrilled.

After a short introduction and explanation, I let Kate lead the way to the break-out classes she was most interested in.  Not surprisingly, we stopped off at the fingernail painting table first.  A few minutes (and 10 hot-pink nails) later, my girl was all smiles and admiring her hands.  Next we took in the 'make-up dos and don’ts' class (and finished with a dolled-up 6-year-old).  With Kate looking more grown-up than ever, we finished the night at the exercise class (“Because I like it when we do yoga together, Mom.”) 

Spending time, one-on-one, with Kate is priceless.  I didn’t realize how little of it we have together.  Usually we are surrounded by babies, and because she is the world’s greatest baby helper, I use her company as ‘help’ more often than not.  But, every now and again it is a blessing to realize that my Kate is more than just a mini-mommy.  She is a growing girl with lots of ideas to share and questions to ask; feelings to work through and learning to do.  

She is amazing.  And, I’m honored that she’s mine.

new eats

I've been on a 'trying new recipes' kick.  Dinner was in need of some shakin' up!  Some recipes have resulted in lots of smiles.  Others have been tossed (recipe AND leftovers) for the dumpster rats to enjoy.  The experiment tonight yielded 12 thumbs up.  Well, Lea didn't exactly get to taste it 1st hand to give her opinion, but I'm sure she'll love it when solids become a part of her repertoire.  Anyway...I stole it from my fab friend, Shaina, so I'll just link you to it here.  Enjoy!

sunshine