To Think About Jesus

It shouldn't be hard to sit very still

And think about Jesus, his cross on the hill,

And all that He suffered and did for me;

It shouldn't be hard to sit quietly.

It shouldn't be hard even though I am small

To think about Jesus. Not hard at all.

-LDS Children's Songbook

Teaching Carson about the Gospel has really been forefront in my mind these days--especially since Easter. How do I effectively teach him about Jesus Christ without making it either over his head or too simplistic? How do I teach him the importance of prayer and how to appropriately behave while addressing our Father in Heaven? How do I help him realise how important and enriching the scriptures are?

As I mentioned in a previous post, this is the first time it has really dawned on me that I have a huge responsibility to fill my child's head with the things he needs to learn--they don't just come fully equipped.
I suppose it all comes with time and effort. He won't just understand everything all at once. But with steady instruction and teaching by example, I think he'll get the point eventually. And if I do a good job, when the time comes, he will have all the information he needs to make the right decisions on his own. (Oh please let me do a good job!)

With that said, I had a moment of reward this past Sunday.

The first hour of our Sunday meetings is Sacrament Meeting. Carson knows if he can make it thru this first hour, he then gets to go to Nursery and play with the other kids his age for the rest of church. He LOVES the Nursery. The minute Sacrament Meeting is over, he makes a beeline down the hall and never looks back until we come for him at the end of church.

I am always impressed at how remarkably well he behaves during this hour. (It hasn't been completely incident-free, of course. I've had my share of containing crying and tantrums, chasing him down the aisles, and dive-tackling him as he runs up to the pulpit.) We bring a handful of small, quiet toys (usually cars) and it's probably the one hour each week when he entertains himself.

Lately, I have allowed him to start taking the bread and water that is passed around during the sacrament portion of the meeting--telling him that it is bread and water to help us think about Jesus, so he doesn't just think of it as snack-time.

Last Sunday as we were waiting for the bread to be passed to us, Carson noticed that Austin's eyes were closed. "Daddy! Don't close your eyes!" Carson said.

I explained that Austin's eyes were closed because he was thinking about Jesus.

A few moments later, I looked over at Carson again, and he was sitting there, hands in his lap, with his little eyes squeezed as tightly shut as they could be. Moved by this, I put my arm around his shoulder. He looked up at me and said, "I'm thinking about Jesus, Mom."

Maybe I'm not doing such a bad job afterall.

It shouldn't be hard even though I am small

To think about Jesus. Not hard at all.

Innoculation Day

Today was the day.

Carson hasn't had any immunizations since he was 15 months. I caught him up before we went to China, but haven't done a thing about it since.

I've been putting it off. It's bad enough to take a little baby in for shots--to see them go from good natured to suddenly feeling betrayed, shocked, and poked.

But now I was facing having to deal with a child who is completely aware and conversant.

To have to explain to him that we were taking him to a place where he would be intentionally put in discomfort's way.

We decided that the best tack was to tell him where we were going and what was going to happen. And hope he wouldn't freak out.

Austin told him we were going to the doctor's office to get some medicine. They were going to poke him and it was going to hurt a little bit, but when it was done he would kiss it better and they would put a band-aid on it. And that we would go get some ice cream after.

At first Carson thought it was all a good idea. Then he started saying that he didn't want to get any shots. We just kept trying to distract him by talking about good things like ice cream and friendly doctors. But his attention would not be swayed. "I don't need any shots," he declared.

I didn't want to be overly pushy, so I just said, "Well, we'll ask the doctor and see what he says about it."

Carson responded, "The doctor will just say I don't need any shots and I need some ice cream!"

He did doze briefly on the way to the Health Department, but as soon as we parked the car he started talking about it again. This time he said, "I'm not going to get any shots. I'm just going to sit on Daddy's lap."

He got distracted in the lobby by the various toys while I filled out all the paperwork. He came over when I started talking to the nurse about which immunizations each of the kids needed. She was super friendly, and after examining the holes in the back of her computer and making various battle sounds, Carson started telling her all about how he was "just punching the bad guys" in her computer. She thanked him for his IT services. And then he told her about how he was going to pack his jammies in his backpack and fly up high in the helicopter and...I can't remember, but I think it involved punching bad guys.

After another short wait, it was our turn to go in for our shots. Carson was out on a potty trip while I went in to get Cora's shots. So sad! :( But she did well and settled down after only a few moments of comforting.

Then Carson came in and hopped obligingly up on Austin's lap. The nurse had excellent shot-giving technique and did a great job distracting him while the needle went in and the syringe was drained. He didn't seem to react much to the first one, but started getting a little worried looking by the end of the second shot.

Then it was time to turn around and switch arms. The last shot was of the sting-y variety, and it pushed him right to the edge of composure, but that little champion never shed one tear. He was excited about the Daffy Duck band-aids and the goofy little sticker they gave him, and was even heard to declare as we were hanging out in the waiting room after, "Yeah! I like getting shots!"

So we stopped by Wendy's on the way home and shared some of Carson's favorite "black ice cream" (chocolate Frosty) in celebration/consolation of the immunizations.

What a relief it was to have Austin with us. He did such a good job prepping Carson and comorting him afterwards. I really don't think I could have made it all happen on my own. I think that's why I put it off as long as I did. Carson was a champion, and Austin was my hero.

May Day--For Reals

For Latter-day Saints, the first Sunday of every month is an opportunity to join with your congregation for fasting and the sharing of testimonies. Typically in my life when I have fasted, it is usually to give a boost to my praying efforts--especially when I have a particularly pressing need. But sometimes, I have the rare occasion to dedicate my fast strictly to things I am thankful for. Today was such a day.

I no longer have a house in Colorado I am trying to sell; Austin is finished with school and finals; he has been offered an internship with Amazon in Seattle, Washington for the summer; my children are healthy; and all my relationships are happy. It's almost ridiculous how good things seem right now. So I wanted to dedicate this post, on this lovely first day of May (which turned out much brighter and more sunny than yesterday), to all the wonderful things in my life. It's not to brag. It's just to say that I'm grateful.

I have a strong, handsome, intelligent, commited, loving husband.
I have an adorable, inquisitive, bright, sweet, hilarious little boy.

I have a beautiful, strong, healthy, happy little girl.

I have a fun, energetic, obedient, cuddly dog.

I have a warm, comfortable, clean, attractive place to live.

I have a stable source of income for the next 3 months.

I have wonderful parents, brothers, and in-laws, all of whom I love and enjoy spending time with and talking to.

The bulbs and fruit trees are all in blossom. The grass is green. The air is fresh.

I have a good life. I feel very blessed and very loved.