Allen's Assembly Recap and More

We had our Special Assembly Day yesterday. At our brand new assembly hall! It's absolutely gorgeous! I would have taken pictures, but it was so crowded! Anyway, it was really neat, and the program was so very good!

Anyway, for Allen, these were the highlights:

• The huge screens on either side of the stage, that projected the speaker so that everyone in the auditorium could see him. 
• The baptism and the baptism pool. It's really a gorgeous pool, and Allen really wanted to go into it. It was really neat because they projected the baptism on the big screens, so we were able to see our friends (four in our congregation) without fighting the crowd to see it at the pool.
• Lunchtime. He's six, so what do you expect? As soon as the session started, he leaned over to me and said, "I'm hungry and thirsty." So I'm sure he was THRILLED when he was finally able to eat.

He also informed me that he wants to get baptized, probably sometime after Daddy and I are dead. Like when he's Justin's age (a 13 year-old boy who got baptized yesterday). Boy, he's killing us off soon, huh?

For me, the highlight (other than the material) was seeing Allen enthusiastically singing two of the songs. He's been listening to them in the car with Nana, so he was very familiar with them. He was so cute! (Papa may or may not have cried). 

This morning as we were driving to school, I had the radio on, but the volume was down. Our radio has a screen that shows the band and the name of the song on it. Allen reads that the Rolling Stones are on, and says, "Doesn't Papa like the Rolling Stones?" I said, "Yes, he loves them." Allen was quiet a minute, and the said, "Please turn it up!" I love that he's so observant, and that he wants to listen to what we all like :)

We were also discussing the week ahead, and who was picking him up today, and such. He remembered that I don't work Saturday, and so that means I can go in service with him. He said, "The best part about you, Mommy, is that you get to go to Gramma's [for field service arrangements]. You get dressed so fast -- you're amazing!" He made this observation because Nana rarely gets to go to arrangements because she's taking care of Gigi. It's so funny what goes on in Allen's head :)

Well, that's all for now! I'll try to post more as the week progresses!

xoxo,

Leggy

Cheeseburger

I know. I know. I'm sorry. Not going to make any excuses. Just going to say that life has been "Hectic" of late. To try to appease you, I'll post some pictures, and even a video!

Allen is taking violin lessons. I forgot how serious music lessons are. This is no tennis lesson where the kids run around and maybe hit the ball and goof off. Oh no! This is serious. We have to practice! We have to be focused! It's been a little challenging, but I think he does like it. Wanna see him? Here he is learning where to put his fingers ...

Poor Allen. Spring Break wasn't very fun for him this year because Gigi needs round-the-clock care, so we couldn't really plan any day trips. But, Allen kept himself -- and us -- entertained. One night he went to help Nana get Gigi ready for bed. Suddenly, we were greeted downstairs by this:

Allen loves messing with Gigi's wig!

We also tried reviving Buck during Spring Break, but he is still rumenating (kind of like hibernating, but he's still conscious. Sort of)

 Brian and I were able to take him to a Fun Park on the last Saturday of his Spring Break. He got to ride Go Carts with Daddy! He was so funny ... all the other kids riding with the parents are waving and smiling. Not Allen. He was concentrating so hard on helping Daddy steer. He didn't even notice me on the sidelines.

This morning, I read Allen the school lunch menu, and he picked the cheeseburger. As we pulled up to the drop-off at school, the following conversation ensued:
Allen: I've had the cheeseburger before. It tasted pretty good.
Me: I love a good cheeseburger
Allen: (Reaching around my backseat to put his arms around my neck) You're my good cheeseburger.
Me: (laughing). And you're my good cheeseburger.
Allen: And Daddy is our good cheeseburger.

That's all for now. For those who read my blog, I apologize again for the long absence. I will try to do better.

xoxo,
Leggy

PS Allen has his first Bible reading on April 25!

Rare Moment

Allen is snuggling with me. Granted, it's because he's cold, and he's watching SpongeBob, but I will take it any way I can get it. Love my little boy who is growing up too fast!

Adventures in Allen World

So we've been super busy lately. Doug & Heidi are visiting, which means major excitement for Allen (and awesome presents ... yay for Legos. And for Star Wars. And for Star Wars Legos). We've been day tripping and movie watching and staying up late. And I had two parts on the meeting last night that I had been trying to prepare for in the midst of all the fun. By yesterday it was crunch time, and I only had the morning to work on them because Allen was having a play date. Here's how my morning went:

I came downstairs and explained to Allen -- who was happily playing in the living room -- that I needed to go into my office for a little bit to work on my talk. Allen followed me and then handcuffed himself to my chair. Now, this was not handcuffing to be with me. This was handcuffing like I was holding him prisoner and he was a spy. Talked and talked and talked in his spy character until bad mommy threatened to take the handcuffs and the sword (because every spy needs a sword) away. Eventually he left me in peace long enough to finish my talk.

The rest of the day passed without too much excitement (other than Allen's and his friend's over being able to have a play date together. They held hands in the car. It was precious.). When Nana got home, she and I rehearsed the part that we had together. Allen came in and declared that he wanted to come on stage with us. When I asked him if he wanted to read a scripture, he agreed! Now, those of you who know my son know that he rarely behaves when he comes up with me during a part. So the prospect of him joining us on stage ratcheted up my nervousness level about a million notches.

We get to the meeting. As we're saying the opening prayer, Allen informs me he has to go to the bathroom. So for the next 20 minutes, I waited outside of the stall while he went Number Two. Finally comes out, and as I go to push up his sleeves, I realize that he's gotten poop on one of them. Not a lot, but still. So we try to clean it up, and I end up just turning up the cuff of his sleeve so we can't see it.

Next we go to the second school for my talk. As we're walking aback, Allen tells me he wants to come up with me. Last time Allen came up with me during a talk (also in the back), he picked his nose and burped in my ear. It was not a good experience. So there was no way I was going to take him with me this time. His solution? To wrap his arms around my arm to try to keep me from going up without him. Then freaking out (seriously) and wrestling with Daddy to try to join me. Good times.

Last part. The three of us get on stage. Nana and I have the stand microphones, and a brother has provided me with a roving microphone in case Allen actually wants to read the scripture. It is placed on a chair and (wisely) not given to Allen. As Papa is introducing our demonstration, Allen decides that he's going to act like he's scared (his words) and hide behind me. He continues to move around during the presentation, but when I ask him if he wants to read the scripture, he says YES! As I'm grabbing the hand-held microphone, Allen is standing on his toes, stretching himself out to try to reach the stand microphone. Very cute. Read the scripture beautifully. He's redeemed himself.

Until after the meeting when he decides to balance on the step of the stage and jump off of it. And then talk non-stop in the car on the way home. Some of what he said to us?

• In response to my asking if he wanted to be on the Theocratic Ministry School and give a talk: When I'm 18. We eventually negotiated him down to 7.
• (Immediately after the above conversation ended)Mommy! I made a square with my hands!
• When I grow up, I'm going to work where Daddy works and be the boss.
• Can I have ice cream when we get home? I shouldn't have asked you that because I already had a Butterfinger for dessert. Me: Do you want the ice cream? Yes, but I shouldn't have said it.

Maybe all the stress and excitement is why I didn't go to bed until 1:30 this morning. Which I am way too old to do. Better rest up tonight because tomorrow we're taking Allen and his friend to see Monsters Inc. 3D!

xoxo

On our way

Headed o the circuit assembly this weekend. Got a late start, so we're still driving.

Allen had to dress in his mask and cape and bring his sword. A few moments ago "Sword Man" had a bathroom emergency. Imagine, if you can, a kid with a cape and Zorro mask on with his pants around his ankles peeing on the side of the highway.

Lesson from a tragedy

When I heard the news of the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, I was sick to my stomach. Then, as I began reading the then sketchy (and inaccurate) details, I cried. It was so hard for me to continue at the shop, smiling at customers, helping them with their purchases, when I knew that sweet children -- children Allen's age -- and the people who cared for them so much were brutally murdered. And each time I thought of the families of those little victims, I felt nauseous as tears welled up.

I listened to CNN on my satellite radio on the way home from work, Friday, and cried. Cried as I heard little voices of survivors describe what they saw. Cried to think how these children would have to live with this traumatic event for the rest of their lives. And I cried again for those parents whose children did not run to them.

Brian greeted me at the car. And he said, "We have to stop. Allen can't see the news. He can't hear about this right now." So I wiped my tears away, went inside, and immediately scooped Allen up into my arms (at 51 lbs, and 4 feet tall, this was no easy feat for me). I held him tightly as long as I could ... until he was bored and started to pull away. We turned off the news, and we got on with our evening as best we could.

At bedtime, after I read Allen's story to him, we said prayers, and we told each other our "verbal" stories (or makeup stories as my Daddy used to call them), we snuggled down for a few minutes before he went to sleep. Allen, blissfully unaware of the tragic events of the day, laced his fingers through mine, and held my hand. Immediately I leaned close, closed my eyes, and prayed for those parents.

Once upstairs, Brian and I discussed it and I thought I was OK. We moved onto to watching other things on television (Brian refused to let me watch the news constantly) and checking Facebook. And then it hit me. The anguish those parents, siblings, spouses, relatives must be going through. And I started sobbing ... thinking that these parents will not be able to hold their children until our Heavenly Father makes everything right. Thinking about the wave of mixed emotions the spouses and relatives of those educators must feel -- knowing they died protecting those children; knowing they died through one man's random act of violence.

The next morning, I decided I needed to be close to Allen for the day.  Enjoy him. Take him in. Play. And that's what we did. We took him out to breakfast and let him get the huge chocolate chip pancake (even though he never finishes it). We spent entirely too much money at the arcade. We bought him foam swords and a pirate hat. And we let him eat frozen yogurt topped with gummy bears and gummy worms. And we had fun because we were focused on him, not on all the other things that typically fill our minds and schedules.

We chose to discuss with Allen a very stripped down version of the events of December 15, 2012. Just that a bad man killed a lot of kids and some grown ups. We didn't mention that it was at a school. We just told him that he was safe and that we want to make sure to pray for the families of those who died ... pray that God will comfort them.

I decided that I have to stop watching all the media coverage. It isn't that I am not concerned. I am. Probably too much. I am most definitely concerned about sending Allen to school (I am not ashamed to be relieved that Allen has Strep Throat and can't be at school for the next couple days). But I am so blessed to know what the Bible says about the conditions of the world, and I know that God will bring an end to the suffering soon.

In the meantime, instead of  being distracted by the endless media coverage of the tragedy or the debate over gun control or the cry for increased care for those who are mentally ill (though I strongly believe that there is not enough done, and that society places such a negative stigma on it that it's no surprise that people don't get the treatment they need), I am going to try not to take my little boy or my wonderful little family for granted. But appreciate all the wonderful little things that take place in our every day, mundane lives.

The people of Newtown, Connecticut will continue to be in my prayers. And I will take what I've reflected on this weekend to heart. This lesson from a tragedy.

This lesson to enjoy my child. To look at him -- and listen -- when he speaks. To play with him. To be present.

xoxo

You can blog about me

The other night, when I was trying to blog and Allen was getting irritated that I was not playing a game on my computer, I explained what a blog was and why I blogged about him. I honestly didn't think he was listening ...

Fast forward to yesterday morning. After Friday's tragedy in Connecticut, I really felt like the three of us needed a family day. I just wanted to be focused on Allen and on spending quality time with him. Brian and I had already discussed what we wanted to do with him, but we wanted to see what he was in the mood for ...

Me: Allen, we're going to have a family day today. What would you like to do?
Allen: we could go to breakfast, and then come back here, and you can blog about me ...

Evidently, he likes the idea that I write about him and you all read it :)

Sadly, Allen is sick (so I guess he was fighting something Thursday night). So we are sitting in bed now, watching SpongeBob ( I loathe this show, but he's sick ....). I think he may have Strep, as his only complaint is a sore throat. Yuck ... I hope I don't get it.

That's all for now ...

Xoxo