I wrote this a few days ago, finally finished:
I first want to thank each of you that commented on my blog yesterday! All of you said words that validated my feelings, which made me feel better. There were also words of encouragement, which helped me tremendously, so thank you!
Morgan sent me a text message yesterday afternoon. It read, "Hey Mom, guess what? English went great today!" I was so happy to see those words! We still haven't heard back from the teacher, but tomorrow night there's an open house where we'll get the chance to meet all of his teachers. We'll probably try to get a feel from there, to see if we need to make an appointment to talk with her. She accepted Morgan's late paper, which is a good sign! He'll still need to use one of his coupons, but that's better than a zero.
You know the phrase, "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven" from the Hymn Praise to the Man. Well, that phrase came to my mind this morning. The definition of sacrifice is, "the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else more important or worthy." That definition describes exactly how I've felt this week as I've woken up at 4:45 AM to feed the baby, get dressed, and drive Morgan and his two friends to seminary. Even though this has been a hard transition for me, many blessings have come my way.
1. I now have a great start on my day! I'm up before my kids, and ready to face each day bright and early.
2. I have an hour of alone time, which you know is very precious for a mother of seven.
3. During this alone time, I have decided to read my scriptures or jog. I usually alternate the two.
On Wednesday, I went jogging and managed to read a little from my scriptures as well. It was great! As I was jogging, I thought about the different struggles I have in my life. I prayed, trying to make sense of things. When I got back to the car, and opened my scriptures, I felt the spirit. I felt so refreshed, like I could tackle anything that came my way.
Then it was time to drive them to school. The two boys that ride with Morgan in the morning, just moved here from New York. The are very well mannered and seem like great kids. I asked them if they had early morning seminary back East, and I don't remember their response, but something from our conversation did stand out. One of the boys asked me if I had noticed that there seemed to be less passion for the gospel here in Tucson, than back East. He said that the members hardly sing the Hymns here, and barely voice "amen" at the end of the prayers. He said he was embarrassed at first, because he felt so loud compared to everyone else. I told him, "whatever you do, don't you ever loose your passion for the gospel!"
I can't begin to describe the effect this question had on me. I started contemplating, wondering just how passionate was I for the gospel of Jesus Christ? I thought of the many passionate leaders I had as a youth, and their strong testimonies. Those leaders were filled with passion when they bore their testimonies, which had a great impact on me. Their passion-filled testimonies were catalysts for me gaining a strong desire to find my own testimony. I have since yearned to be just as passionate about the gospel.
I came home and typed the words "zeal for the gospel" in the search field on lds.org. I found another great talk Preserving A Heart's Mighty Change by Elder Dale G. Renlund. From that talk I gained insight for my life, things just started making sense. All of the confusion that I had previously spent time trying to sort out, was gone, and I saw the big picture. What a blessing! That phrase in the song, Praise to the Man, had new meaning for me. "Sacrifice," truly does "bring forth the blessings of heaven!"
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Uplifting vs. Belittling
All of the kids transitioned smoothly last week, which was a great sigh of relief for me. Yesterday things changed, for Morgan that is.
Apparently he was late to his honors English class on the first day of school, and the teacher made him an "example" of what an honor student is not, in front of the whole class. He was tardy because another teacher at the front of the school, was telling the kids that they needed to pick up a new, revised schedule. Morgan eventually realized that he already had the schedule they were talking about, and headed off to class. While belittling him in front of the whole class, she asked him how he was assigned to her honors class. He told her that a certain guidance counselor had placed him there. She then proceeded to say, "Um, no. No, no, no. You see, Mr. _______ is a teacher over special ed...."-- need I say more?
She evidently handed out a writing assignment before Morgan arrived to class. Morgan didn't think to ask her if he had missed any assignments from being tardy. I should have prepared him for that better. She called Aaron yesterday at work, and was really irate over the phone, with Morgan standing right there. She explained what a "hole" Morgan had already put himself in for not turning in the first assignment. She said that she had no idea why Morgan didn't know about it, since all of the 35 other students had completed the assignment. Morgan said that she told him, that she "didn't think he'd make it through the year in her class, and that he could drop honors English at anytime." She then said in front of the whole class that "Morgan would never be a ________"( a certain special name she gives her students whom complete her class). He wasn't a student with those kind of qualities.
I'm sorry, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I work so hard at building my children's self worth. I can not even begin to tell you how angry I get when someone comes along, and tries to make my child feel like he/she has no potential and is worthless. I know Morgan didn't do everything right, and has made a bad impression on her. That's understandable. However, to belittle him in front of the whole class like that, that's just low. I thought teachers try to build a child's self worth, not bring it down.
Unfortunately, there are no other teachers that offer honors English. If we decide she is not a suitable teacher for him, his GPA will suffer, unless we can put him in another honors level class.
I emailed her this note last night:
Dear Mrs. Mongielloa,
Morgan informed me of how he missed his first assignment, the 500-700 word personal narrative. He felt terrible about missing this important assignment, and would love to make it up. He would like to use 1 out of the 2 "zero zapper coupons" that you mention in your syllabus.
My son wants to succeed in your class, and we as parents want to help him in his efforts. He is a good kid. This will be a difficult transition for him, since I homeschooled him during his Middle School years.
He thinks the reason, he never received the assignment you passed out during class, was because he was tardy. He explained his tardiness by stating how a teacher in front of the school told him to get a new schedule. He eventually realized that he didn't need a new schedule, he already had the right one. I think he was confused, and felt overwhelmed.
Is there a way that I, as a parent, can know what his assignments are each and everyday? I would love to assist in anyway. Thanks for your help on this matter.
Sincerely,
Trina Barry
Morgan, Aaron, and I were up till 12:30 last night working on that assignment. Let me tell you, waking up at 5 AM for seminary was painful for all of us! I just hope Morgan makes it through the day.
Apparently he was late to his honors English class on the first day of school, and the teacher made him an "example" of what an honor student is not, in front of the whole class. He was tardy because another teacher at the front of the school, was telling the kids that they needed to pick up a new, revised schedule. Morgan eventually realized that he already had the schedule they were talking about, and headed off to class. While belittling him in front of the whole class, she asked him how he was assigned to her honors class. He told her that a certain guidance counselor had placed him there. She then proceeded to say, "Um, no. No, no, no. You see, Mr. _______ is a teacher over special ed...."-- need I say more?
She evidently handed out a writing assignment before Morgan arrived to class. Morgan didn't think to ask her if he had missed any assignments from being tardy. I should have prepared him for that better. She called Aaron yesterday at work, and was really irate over the phone, with Morgan standing right there. She explained what a "hole" Morgan had already put himself in for not turning in the first assignment. She said that she had no idea why Morgan didn't know about it, since all of the 35 other students had completed the assignment. Morgan said that she told him, that she "didn't think he'd make it through the year in her class, and that he could drop honors English at anytime." She then said in front of the whole class that "Morgan would never be a ________"( a certain special name she gives her students whom complete her class). He wasn't a student with those kind of qualities.
I'm sorry, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves. I work so hard at building my children's self worth. I can not even begin to tell you how angry I get when someone comes along, and tries to make my child feel like he/she has no potential and is worthless. I know Morgan didn't do everything right, and has made a bad impression on her. That's understandable. However, to belittle him in front of the whole class like that, that's just low. I thought teachers try to build a child's self worth, not bring it down.
Unfortunately, there are no other teachers that offer honors English. If we decide she is not a suitable teacher for him, his GPA will suffer, unless we can put him in another honors level class.
I emailed her this note last night:
Dear Mrs. Mongielloa,
Morgan informed me of how he missed his first assignment, the 500-700 word personal narrative. He felt terrible about missing this important assignment, and would love to make it up. He would like to use 1 out of the 2 "zero zapper coupons" that you mention in your syllabus.
My son wants to succeed in your class, and we as parents want to help him in his efforts. He is a good kid. This will be a difficult transition for him, since I homeschooled him during his Middle School years.
He thinks the reason, he never received the assignment you passed out during class, was because he was tardy. He explained his tardiness by stating how a teacher in front of the school told him to get a new schedule. He eventually realized that he didn't need a new schedule, he already had the right one. I think he was confused, and felt overwhelmed.
Is there a way that I, as a parent, can know what his assignments are each and everyday? I would love to assist in anyway. Thanks for your help on this matter.
Sincerely,
Trina Barry
Morgan, Aaron, and I were up till 12:30 last night working on that assignment. Let me tell you, waking up at 5 AM for seminary was painful for all of us! I just hope Morgan makes it through the day.
Monday, July 19, 2010
1st Day of School- 2010-11
All of my worst nightmares are gone, the first day of school turned out great. They all had fun, and liked their teachers. That makes me one happy mom! :)
The sun was so bright, Christian kept shielding his eyes with his hands and looking down at the ground.
Anderson and I all alone after Christian hopped on the bus.
Daddy waiting to pick up the kids, we were so hot! This was our only shade from the hot, scorching sun!
The sun was so bright, Christian kept shielding his eyes with his hands and looking down at the ground.
Anderson and I all alone after Christian hopped on the bus.
Daddy waiting to pick up the kids, we were so hot! This was our only shade from the hot, scorching sun!
We waited and waited. Aaron called his Dad, while we waited. We took this silly pic of our feet while we waited...
And then, FINALLY, they arrived! Everyone had smiles on their faces, and had plenty to say. They had a great day!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Thump, Thump
I think I'm having anxiety attacks! Seriously, about a week ago, I had Aaron bring me to the ER because I thought I was on the verge of having a heart attack. It started happening several weeks ago, and continues to do so. I get this weird thumping feeling in my chest, feels like a flutter, then I get dizzy. It happens mostly when I'm resting or standing-- I'm totally fine when I run. They ran all the typical tests and found nothing. I'm supposed to follow up with the doc, but I haven't been able to get in yet. I'm not sure if it's the heat, or anxiety, maybe it's something totally unexpected. All I know is that it's freaking me out!
Speaking of anxiety, I'm extremely anxious for tomorrow-- the kids start back to school. I'm even more freaked out for Friday, the day Morgan starts Seminary-- and High School! Yikes, my life is really starting to change. I feel like it's spinning out of control, and who knows where it's going to land when the spinning stops. Well, time to go make those lunches, and hit the hay! Man, the paperwork's already killing me, why must they send so much home?
Speaking of anxiety, I'm extremely anxious for tomorrow-- the kids start back to school. I'm even more freaked out for Friday, the day Morgan starts Seminary-- and High School! Yikes, my life is really starting to change. I feel like it's spinning out of control, and who knows where it's going to land when the spinning stops. Well, time to go make those lunches, and hit the hay! Man, the paperwork's already killing me, why must they send so much home?
Saturday, July 17, 2010
A Rare Treat
I never thought I'd ever miss rain, after living with it almost on a daily basis in WA. While living in WA, I craved seeing the blue sky and sunshine, something I had always taken for granted back home. When we first moved to AZ, I would find myself exclaiming to the neighbors, "wow, it's a beautiful day!" They'd look at me a little funny and nod, like they had no idea what I was talking about. I realized that sunshine and blue skies was just, well, normal. All of my friends would talk about rain like it was something really great, something to yearn for. I thought that I would never reach that point, where I would actually crave rain.
We haven't had rain for months, and all of us (including myself), have been holding our breath for rain. Summers in Tucson come with the expectation of rain-- it's Monsoon season. It's a time when we have wonderful thunderstorms, however, they can be quite scary.
For the past week or so, it seemed that the heaven's were taunting us. We'd see rain clouds and lightening in the distance, but the storms never quite made it our way. My friend, Amber, posted this great quote on FB for her status: ""Clouds still with shadowy moisture haunt the earth" - Keats. I think he must have lived in S. AZ during monsoon season." I think that was a perfect way to describe how we were feeling.
Well tonight it finally R-A-I-N-E-D!!!!!!!! :) Yes, if you were on FB, you may have seen this already. Aaron was at work, so it was just the kids and I at home when the storm hit. We were all jumping around, happy and excited. The storm started with a sprinkle, and then, in a matter of minutes-- DOWNPOUR, LIGHTENING, THUNDER, and WIND!!!
The kids all seemed to look a little nervous. Then the fear set in. No one would get near the windows and I have to write down what I heard:
Sarah asked me if she could eat with a plastic spoon instead of a metal one, she was sure she would attract lightening.
Christian said, "the windows are going to blow in."
Anderson kept saying over, and over, and over (he's really into the whole repetition thing), "it's raining!"
Madison said, "you can hear it on the roof!"
Kaitlyn- "can we splash outside in the puddles when the storm's done?" Which we did. :)
Morgan kept repeating over and over again (maybe it's a boy thing) "this is AWESOME," with his bedroom blinds pulled wide open.
Even little Abigail open her mouth and said, "AWE", while pointing to the window.
It was great, and when it ended we had the most beautiful sunset to top it off! What a blessing, R-A-I-N!!!!!!!!!!! :)
We haven't had rain for months, and all of us (including myself), have been holding our breath for rain. Summers in Tucson come with the expectation of rain-- it's Monsoon season. It's a time when we have wonderful thunderstorms, however, they can be quite scary.
For the past week or so, it seemed that the heaven's were taunting us. We'd see rain clouds and lightening in the distance, but the storms never quite made it our way. My friend, Amber, posted this great quote on FB for her status: ""Clouds still with shadowy moisture haunt the earth" - Keats. I think he must have lived in S. AZ during monsoon season." I think that was a perfect way to describe how we were feeling.
Well tonight it finally R-A-I-N-E-D!!!!!!!! :) Yes, if you were on FB, you may have seen this already. Aaron was at work, so it was just the kids and I at home when the storm hit. We were all jumping around, happy and excited. The storm started with a sprinkle, and then, in a matter of minutes-- DOWNPOUR, LIGHTENING, THUNDER, and WIND!!!
The kids all seemed to look a little nervous. Then the fear set in. No one would get near the windows and I have to write down what I heard:
Sarah asked me if she could eat with a plastic spoon instead of a metal one, she was sure she would attract lightening.
Christian said, "the windows are going to blow in."
Anderson kept saying over, and over, and over (he's really into the whole repetition thing), "it's raining!"
Madison said, "you can hear it on the roof!"
Kaitlyn- "can we splash outside in the puddles when the storm's done?" Which we did. :)
Morgan kept repeating over and over again (maybe it's a boy thing) "this is AWESOME," with his bedroom blinds pulled wide open.
Even little Abigail open her mouth and said, "AWE", while pointing to the window.
It was great, and when it ended we had the most beautiful sunset to top it off! What a blessing, R-A-I-N!!!!!!!!!!! :)
N-I-C-E, N-O-T
Well, that's not exactly what I'd call the man who tailed me this afternoon, it's a long story, so he we go:
Let me start from the beginning. A couple of days ago, I wrote this blog entry An Answer for the Unanswered. Well, I was pretty vague on why I was thinking about the "why" of things. I unfortunately have to continue to be vague, because there are somethings that I just can not share with the whole world. All I can say is, that Aaron has been striving really hard to attain something, and that something did not work out for him recently. It was a real disappointment. That got me thinking about the "why" things in life. "Why" didn't this work out for him, and for our family?
So today, I decided to go for a short drive. I thought I'd go to Heavenly Father in prayer, and try to make sense of everything that was on my mind. I pulled over and decided to pray. I felt close to him and felt that he loved me, and I told him that I'm trying so hard to put my faith in him, that he knows best, because quite frankly-- Aaron and I are trying to figure out where our lives are headed.
I got back on the road, with tears rolling down my cheeks. I came to the main road, and turn onto it. I felt I had allowed adequate room, but evidently the driver behind me (that was bearing down on me) did not. He then proceeded to tail me as close as he possibly could, so I would notice just how horrible I was for pulling out when I did. I pretended to ignore him. I guess he didn't like that, so he passed me, and then cut in front of me, all the while holding his middle finger up with great emphasis! He then held his hand to his head, pretending to pull the trigger. Was he trying to tell me I should kill myself, or was he threatening me? I still can't figure that one out, but it was weird.
The whole time I was thinking, dude, I'm in the middle of saying my prayers, tears are still streaming down my face, and you have no idea (not that he'd care anyways). I actually felt sorry for him.
Let me start from the beginning. A couple of days ago, I wrote this blog entry An Answer for the Unanswered. Well, I was pretty vague on why I was thinking about the "why" of things. I unfortunately have to continue to be vague, because there are somethings that I just can not share with the whole world. All I can say is, that Aaron has been striving really hard to attain something, and that something did not work out for him recently. It was a real disappointment. That got me thinking about the "why" things in life. "Why" didn't this work out for him, and for our family?
So today, I decided to go for a short drive. I thought I'd go to Heavenly Father in prayer, and try to make sense of everything that was on my mind. I pulled over and decided to pray. I felt close to him and felt that he loved me, and I told him that I'm trying so hard to put my faith in him, that he knows best, because quite frankly-- Aaron and I are trying to figure out where our lives are headed.
I got back on the road, with tears rolling down my cheeks. I came to the main road, and turn onto it. I felt I had allowed adequate room, but evidently the driver behind me (that was bearing down on me) did not. He then proceeded to tail me as close as he possibly could, so I would notice just how horrible I was for pulling out when I did. I pretended to ignore him. I guess he didn't like that, so he passed me, and then cut in front of me, all the while holding his middle finger up with great emphasis! He then held his hand to his head, pretending to pull the trigger. Was he trying to tell me I should kill myself, or was he threatening me? I still can't figure that one out, but it was weird.
The whole time I was thinking, dude, I'm in the middle of saying my prayers, tears are still streaming down my face, and you have no idea (not that he'd care anyways). I actually felt sorry for him.
Friday, July 16, 2010
What's up with... CHRISTIAN?
- He's still missing his two front teeth.
- He just turned 5 on July 5th.
- He'll start Kindergarten this Monday, and is super excited.
- He's very active.
- He loves to play the Wii!
- He can focus on a particular subject for a long time, and is very persistent.
- He has a love/hate relationship with Anderson.
- He loves to volunteer for family prayer and is the quickest one to do so.
- He was the most excited (or at least expressed the most excitement) about the temple open house.
- He loves fishing.
- He loves camping.
- He has a new shadow friend, which I find interesting. We've never had a kid have an imaginary friend before.
- He loves playing with the baby. He gives her hugs all the time.
- He had the best time on the father/son outing!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
An Answer for the Unanswered
Isn't it funny how we can go through life, doing all the everyday stuff-- like housework, shopping, visiting friends, exercising, going to work-- without a care in the world, and then Wham! It happens. You realize life isn't always hunky-dory. Maybe you got sick, or a friend of yours loved one died, or maybe it was even your own loved one. You realize how short life really is, and all too often that question of "why" seeps in. "Why" me, or "why" them. "WHY?"
Sometimes I've found that little "why" word to slip in when I've prayed many times for something, but it seems to go unanswered. I can find myself thinking, is my will in line with Heavenly Father's, or is the timing off? "Why" did this happen, or "why" didn't that happen? It can drive you mad trying to figure out the answers to so many unanswered questions.
I came across this article, But if Not, by Elder Lance B. Wickman, in my quest to find answers.
It helped me realize, what I already knew-- that I must remember that God sees the big picture. Just because things don't turn out the way I think or thought they should, he is aware and will always do what he thinks is best. He knows all, and with that, I know I must trust him with the details of my life. I need to give all my unanswered questions to him in faith, and in return, he'll strengthen me to handle what ever comes my way. He will give me the peace I seek.
Sometimes I've found that little "why" word to slip in when I've prayed many times for something, but it seems to go unanswered. I can find myself thinking, is my will in line with Heavenly Father's, or is the timing off? "Why" did this happen, or "why" didn't that happen? It can drive you mad trying to figure out the answers to so many unanswered questions.
I came across this article, But if Not, by Elder Lance B. Wickman, in my quest to find answers.
It helped me realize, what I already knew-- that I must remember that God sees the big picture. Just because things don't turn out the way I think or thought they should, he is aware and will always do what he thinks is best. He knows all, and with that, I know I must trust him with the details of my life. I need to give all my unanswered questions to him in faith, and in return, he'll strengthen me to handle what ever comes my way. He will give me the peace I seek.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Another Trip to Madera Canyon
What a great way to escape the heat of Tucson in July. We had a great time, and hopefully made some lasting memories. We saw a few lizard's and a BEAR!!! Yes, my over-protective mothering instincts kicked in and I couldn't help but get my little ones out of there ASAP! Aaron kept telling not to worry, the bear was no threat, hmmm, yeah right! I've heard of the bear maulings that have been reported in this neck of the woods. Here are the pics:
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