Breaking things & Making things

I started my marriage with two dozen glasses. Twelve of them came from Frank and Jill as a wedding present: spiraled, light blue, Libby glasses. We used them for a long time without incident, until I got pregnant with Edward and became even more slippery handed than usual. That first pregnancy I broke several glasses, plates, bowls, and anything Pyrex that I happened to touch.

It happened to a lesser extent with my second pregnancy (because I had a dishwasher then and wasn't doing everything by hand), but then Edward got old enough to help empty the dishwasher and we when through another brief period of heavy breakage.

Well, after eight and a half years of marriage, after two children, and heralding the arrival of the third, the Last Blue-spiraled Libby glass broke.

Frederick, who is a good boy, cleared it from the table and threw it in the sink, because he is a crazy boy. This brings my total number of glasses down to only 5 of my original 24. We did buy some giant plastic cups last year to supplement our supply, especially after moving into a house that is 100% tile. Yikes.

Anyway, I made something cool yesterday! I've been meaning to make this wreath since last year when I saw it on Home Made Simple.com, but I hadn't gotten around to the "actualizing" stage. Until the other day when I was at Home Depot and happened to be buying 5-gallon buckets and lids, which happened to be near the paint section of the store, when the idea came again: "Get paint cards, something round, and some clothespins. Let's make this happen!" Home Depot sells clothespins? Yes.

So the round thing is a ceiling fan "medallion" which runs for $8.75 and the clothespins were 50 for $2.50. I already had the ribbons (thanks Shellie and Stephanie!), and I used a nice all-purpose glue to put 16 clothespins on the back. I like this wreath because I can change the colors and swap out the ribbon for any holiday or season (I already picked out some summer shades for May). The medallion does have flowers and fronds on it, but they're very classical-Corinthian* so no one will mind come winter time. (*See Melinda: this is me using Humanities in my everyday life.) Plus it's quirky and not quite perfect, like me.

Maybe I'll come back later and do a post about gardening called "Staking things and raking things".

The Primary Presidents

i wrote a rather long message to marcie and thought i'd just post it here for you all.  sorry no bullet points or headings, just random rambling.

i'm still primary president, and it's going really well.  i've seen people step up and accept callings that were overwhelming for them and now they fit nicely.  i've felt love for these little people and the urgency to teach them to know Christ and to choose the right.  it's been overwhelming and humbling, and i know i'm not a "great" leader, but i have felt inspired now and then, and when i do, things always work out well. 

i met sister wixom the general primary president last sunday when she came through american samoa.  she was delightful.  she said we should represent the Savior in primary.  which is hard because i have some "special" kids at primary, who also happen to be in my class at school.  i'm like dr jekyll and mr. hyde.  but it's ms temple and sis temple.  same kids, different environment.  isn't that terrible?  but they know i love them no matter what!  and they love me.

we went up to meet sister wixom after the meeting. in an island-wide primary leadership meeting the only white people are pictured there in that photo, so i bet she spotted us out of the crowd.  btw, in the photo is myra a teacher (filipino), me, sis wixom, dolores a teacher (guatemalan/american), and donna my 2nd counselor.

when sister wixom talked to me it went like this:

SW: And what brings you here?

Me: (confused, thinking "i've always been here, i never left, this is where i live, i'm not on vacation, how do i answer this")

SW: Are you from here?

Me: No! My husband works here.

SW: Well, aren't you LUCKY!?

Me:  Yeah, I'm SOOO LUCKY!! (lol)

we told her about our international ward and how we have many nationalities, but we teach in English.  she thought that was really cool.  she was very sweet and kind and personable.  i was so happy to meet her.  maybe i'll get called to the general primary board and then we'll have to move to utah!  ooh ooh pick me pick me!

we have to speak in church next sunday.  and i'm doing sharing time.  ephraim's the new assistant ward clerk.  the records are all confused.  so ephraim's gotta make some sense of it, but no one really knows how to use the system.  they called all new clerks at the same time, and the old ones were never properly trained. sooo...

our area presidency asked us to do auxiliary meetings twice a month now, and set aside one night a week for visiting families.  so that's great, but busy.  i've enjoyed visiting people.  but i hate making the appointments.

i'm freaked out with grad school.  this semester i'm doing educational research.  ephraim helped me with an assignment last night until 12.30.  he's so GOOD at all this research stuff.  i could write narratives forever and he can write scientific papers forever.  so i totally need his help.

teaching first grade is crazy.  it fills all my time.  except i'm slacking off lately and getting more family time in.  we did dr. seuss day on friday and this friday night we're doing a music festival.  our class is doing the 50's, so we're singing yakety yak and rock around the clock.  it'll be good enough.  i had to get poodle skirts made for the girls.  i found a sewing shop that will sew them for $7 each and then i'll print a poodle on iron-on thingys that someone brought from the states.

we went to the beach on saturday.  ephraim and isaac surfed in little waves, and we played in the sand.  it was refreshing.  i can face another week.

love this guy! ephraim sometimes gives owen a ride down our road.  they usually beat us home like this cause our road ain't meant for cars.  (don't mention the air-hay ine-lay, he's quite self-conscious :))  i know owen toes could get cut off in the spokes.  but the kid is incapable of wearing and keeping shoes on.

ephraim's seriously researching a career change- to be a physicians assistant.  it would require schooling for maybe 3 years.  1 for prereq's and 2 for the program.  but the career seems to suit him very well.  where he's at now is fine, stable, offers growth, but we'd have to stay HERE forever. so we're considering our options.

the kids are great.  smart.  playful. helpful.  growing very fast.  ella's taken to novel-writing during sacrament meeting. she already has the titles for the 25 novels she's going to write.  today she started her first Sarah and the Horrible Orphanage.  She drew a cover picture of a gate in the foreground and an imposing brick building in the background.  The first sentence of Chapter 1:  "Fold your clothes, all of you!" Ms. Whip shouted.  "There must not be a wrinkle!"  Sounds like it's going to be great!  Stay tuned for more.

Tofa Soifua for now!