The Shotgun Temple Wedding

OK, it isn't what you think--how is that possible to have shotgun, temple, and wedding in the same sentence. In fact, I did a google search, and there were a few things like--they couldn't get married in the temple because it was a shotgun wedding. My favorite was he had a shotgun wedding on the beach and had a symbol on his temple. So here is the story. We arrive at the Provo Temple, and are shown into the waiting room. We don't wait very long, when we are taken up to the sealing room. We are seated: the bride and groom arrive, the sealer arrives. He says something like, "Today you are going to be sealed for time and all eternity, please come forward." He then seals them. The couple exchanges rings, and the sealer allows us to congratulate the couple. We leave the temple. My husband helps his brother get ready. My sister-in-law and I run back to the house to get the kids. We take them back to the temple for pictures. Pictures don't take very long, and we go back to the house and then on to lunch. Fast, fast, fast: that is the definition of a temple shotgun wedding.

The beautiful couple: Mark and Ria

I always love watching the couple emerge from the temple. They are happy, relaxed, loving, and it looks like they can conquer just about anything that lays ahead of them: together.

Thanksgiving Point

We went to Thanksgiving Point on Thursday. My mother in law, the groom, the bride, and my sister in law were decorating the cake. We needed to get all the children out of the house, so they could decorate in peace and quiet. Thankfully, I got to take my kids to Thanksgiving Point. It was so much fun!

The giant slide!

The corn maze.

The milk.

Going down the slide!

The fun dinosaurs.

One of the greatest aspects of our trip: lots of time with my kids. I don't think I cooked one meal, or cleaned the kitchen. I just played, played, and played with them. It was so much fun!

GG loved going to the Corn Maze at Thanksgiving Point. She is such an active girl that the slides, jumping tramps, water, maze, and everything was just perfect for her.

Luke and Anakin had a great time with their cousins.

The weather was beautiful. Fall is usually the best season in Illinois. Summer is too hot, winter is too cold, spring mmmm is sometimes non-existence, but fall is usually perfect. Except this fall it has rained, and rained and rained. I so enjoyed the wonderful sun and clear skies of Utah. The kids had so much fun. My sister Anne came down to see us. She spoiled my kids, and it was so much fun to see her. It was like having the best dessert during a perfect meal.

The Flight

I don't know why I feel I have to tell all the details of traveling alone with three children, but maybe it helps process a difficult task.

My brother-in-law got married one week ago. Kindly, he got married during my fall break, so I did not miss any school! The boys, however, missed three days. But I blame that on the school district. They give the boys about every other Monday off, they could have added those days up for a nice break in the fall during Mark's wedding.

We decided to buy tickets for a these reasons:

1. We did not have much time--we needed to leave on Wednesday and return on Saturday.
2. We never got GG on the travel pass. Up to this point she flew on our lap, so it did not matter. They won't add in the middle of the year, so we need to wait until January.
3. To travel for free, we need to fly from ORD to PHX to SLC. That's a lot of flying for three kids when you don't know if you will get on the flight.
4. We had help buying the tickets.

Mike flew to and from SLC directly from work, so we were on our own.

We almost always take to bus to O'hare. It drops you right off at the terminal, the big bus protects you from traffic as you get everyone set up in strollers ect. Being the cheap person that I am, I refuse to pay for bags: so I figured out how I could take all the kids things, their carseats, and the kids with only carryon bags.

1. Wheel bag.
2. Put GG seat on the wheel bag.
3. Pile the boys booster seats on top of the wheel bag.
4. Put GG in the stroller.
5. Everyone has their own backpack with their own supplies.

We made it to the bus (barely), and rode to the airport. Everyone on the bus was very kind, and the kids were very well behaved.

Security is always a hassle: take off everyone's shoes, put everything through security. Have each child walk through. (They let me carry GG, which was nice. In the past they made me have my toddlers walk through on their own. That may have been when I had a two year old and a six month old, but the trips begin to blend.)

The boys loved walking through American's terminal and seeing all the flags, but missed playing at the F terminal (United) on the airplane exhibit. We made it to our gate, which was the absolute farthest, filled up our drinking bottles, and hung out watching planes. The car seats came in handy because the boys could actually sit on them. We then got on the plane. The boys had two seats across the aisle and GG and I had an entire (three seats) to ourselves. I buckled her in her car seat, which was great--we were off.

The boys colored an played, and GG got out of her seat midway and played with her Backyardigan toys. Later she got fussy, so I put her in her car seat, and she fell asleep. Then I also took a nap. The boys got bored at the end of the flight, but that's OK.

We forgot Anakin's coat, but luckily there was a Grandpa and a coat waiting for us when we got there. Then I drove up to Centerville to see one of my cousins. My Aunt, and two of my other cousins also came over. I was sad that I didn't get to see more Aunts, cousins, and other friends, but also knew I couldn't drag my kids around to see everyone. We stayed at my cousins until Mike's flight came in. The boys watched a movie, played soccer, and jumped on the trampoline, GG had fun running in circles on a carpet.We picked Mike up, then it was on to Provo.

The kids were tired, so we threw them in bed, got to meet Mark's soon to be wife Ria. She is very kind, and easy going, perfect for Mark! Did I mention, she is also an artist. Her paintings are beautiful! We also had a cheesecake run, and then exhausted went to bed.

I counted walking through the airport with my kids and the stuff my exercise for the day. I could not have done it without my Maclaren stroller. It is an amazing piece of engineering: light, easy to fold and unfold, and it can be maneuvered with one hand. It also helps that I have wonderful children who listen, help, stay with me, and love to fly.

What would you name a battleship?

This kid has been naming everything:

Battleship: Battlie
His big blanket: Roostie
His little blanket: Arcy
His square blanket: squares
His boppy (yes he got to keep the boppy we used when he was a child): donie
His water bottle: bluie
His sippy cup: changie
His booster seat: Lighty
His backpack: Silver bluie
His scooter: Scootie


He names things that other kids would also name, like his stuffed animals.

We went to Utah over my Fall Break. I will try to post about the trip in sections this week. My brother in law got married in the Provo Temple. I had a great time because I got to play with my kids every day we were there. It was quick: we flew in on Wednesday, played with cousins on Thursday, wedding on Friday, and flew back home on Saturday. Fast and Fun! As my son might say: it was a fasty trippy!

Can you guess we were?

How do you do closure in public school?

Last Thursday I went and taught my first lesson. It was like riding a bike, only I didn't know how to get off. Let me explain. I worked for eight years in Primary: I was a counselor for five of those years and President for three. It was wonderful! I loved the women I worked and the children. I did this in three different wards, so I just kept growing and learning from others. So when I went into the classroom I brought out all my old tricks: "If you can hear me, make bunny ears ect, ect." I even know how to write up my own curriculum, do centers, work with a variety of ages, all from my church service. But I don't know how to close a lesson in the public school. In church it is so easy: you sum up what you said and bear your testimony. If done with a sincere heart, and with real intent the Holy Ghost teaches the children the principles that all the best teaching techniques couldn't teach. So what do you do in the public arena--I was kind of lost. Here is the basic outline of my lesson:

I came into the class wearing this jacket with extra buttons taped to it, and then this poster on my back.

Students worked in groups: sorting buttons. First, they sorted big, medium and small. Then they got to sort in their own chosen categories.

Kids sorting the buttons!

After the kids finished this project, I gave them big paper buttons to tape to their shirts. They first had to find a button that matched the exact same color. Once they found their partner, they had to find one thing they had in common. After we shared some of their common characteristic, they had to find buttons that had the same number of holes in it. Again, they they found things that the new group had in common.

Finally, we read two books: Friends by Fred Rogers, and the frog and toad book: The Lost Button.

So when all was said and done, I wanted to sum it up, and tell them how important it is to be a good friend. How do I do that.

I said something like this, "As you make real friends this year in class, you have a great 1st grade, and a great life."

OK--I need a little help with my closure. Do you think I can bear my testimony without bearing my testimony?

If the Holy Ghost teaches the truth of all things, how do you bring that into a public classroom?

What are some good closure techniques that you have seen done in church or other learning atmospheres?

I plan to use this lesson again, maybe even when I student teach, but definitely as one of those opening get to know you ideas.

Fabulous Five

My son turned 5 this week. It was fabulous!