December 2, 2017

My back has turned rather nightmarish again.  There isn't a position in the world for me to lie in that doesn't make it stiffen up like a board.  It starts to hurt so badly in the night, that I can't hardly turn over.  I've found that if I get up and stretch my hamstring on that right side, it starts to loosen things significantly.  But no matter what position I try to sleep in, it puts a serious strain on my lower back.  I am at a total loss of what to do.

And I don't run anymore.  Boo!

Today I woke up with big ambitions.  I hit the ground running (like an old man, thanks to my back) and started right away on the little boys' bedroom.  The clutter on the dresser tops and shelves has really been bothering me lately.  In just a short time I had worked wonders in their room.  And with their help, we got things looking mighty fine.

Then I made big, ol' pancakes on the griddle for the kids.  Lance, sweet Lance, has turned so demanding lately.  He is loud and insistent on what he wants.  He woke up this morning with a little cold and it only seemed to intensify his demands.  He usually wants things like, the boys to play exactly what he wants, or for someone to take him outside (but it can only be exactly who he wants or he screams), or he wants me to sit by him, or go upstairs with him, or he wants the show HE wants.

The boys are so good to try to play with him.  When they do, Lance is such a happy camper.  And I'm really trying to let Lance know that he doesn't always get what he wants.  But it involves a lot of crying (from Lance) and patience (from me) and frustrated ear plugging (from the kids).  So, that took up a lot of the day today.  Because mostly, I just play with him and hold him and give him snacks and help him to not drive the kids crazy every second.  I love my little Lancer so much.  But wow, he's been wild lately.  At one point he started crying for his binky (it has been a long time since he had one).  But since they've been watching Boss Baby a lot this week, and he sees the baby on the movie with a binky, he wanted one, too.  I hate to admit it, but I sorely missed his binky right then, too.

By the end of the day, I was a little sad thinking that I hadn't accomplished much today.  And I'd had big plans.  But then I thought back to all of the little things I did do.  I let myself think of each thing I accomplished and feel satisfied with my work.  Sometimes it's hard when the list is so long and the tasks are never-ending, to realize the good that we do.

So.  Here are some of the things I DID do:

-Spring-cleaned the boys' room.
-Made pancakes and cleaned it up.
-Worked with Austin on some basketball moves, right on the hardwood in our kitchen.  Ball and all.
-Went to Austin's game and tried REALLY hard not to scream like a wild woman the whole game.
-Cheered really loudly, though, when he scored 12 points!  His smile was priceless.

Austin's the tall guy!

Austin's first game of the season!

-Stopped at the store for popsicle sticks so Emma could do an awesome project with the boys.

Getting Emma's project ready.  When they finished and let go, those sticks exploded in the air!  It was awesome.

-Talked to Greg about Julia's awesome basketball tournament in California.  In one game, she scored 19 points!  She even made a three pointer.  It was fun to talk to him.  They are having a great time.

Julia's in the back, next to the coach.  Go Julia!!

-Helped Owen complete his homemade Christmas gift for Julia.
-Helped Austin work on his homemade Christmas gift for Lance.
-Registered both girls with USA Volleyball.
-Signed Medical Release Forms and other paperwork for club volleyball.
-Ordered a bunch of things on Amazon.
-Called a woman in our ward who is about to have a partial hip replacement.
-Called her visiting teachers.
-Called the Compassionate Service leader to arrange meals after the surgery.
-Tracked down a few missing Young Single Adults in our ward, and worked on that list.
-Made French Toast for dinner (at the request of all the kids).
-Spent time on the Go Fund Me account for Jaron and Joni.
-Waxed both mine and Emma's eyebrows.
-Visited at the door with my secretary.
-Put the kids to bed.
-Read them all about how to make the world's greatest paper airplane, and how to build a treehouse, and a bit about Robert the Bruce--all from a book for boys.

Reading the Dangerous Book for Boys.
Austin and Owen

-Cleaned in the kitchen until 11:00 pm, while Emma sat on a barstool and visited with me, icing her waxed eyebrows.
-Climbed into my bed and made a Jacobsen Family Ledger for 2018.
-After my prayers, I picked up one of my favorite books, These Is My Words, and started to read.  Oh, how I've missed reading!  I wanted to read myself sleepy, but instead, I stayed wide awake, reading until after midnight.  I finally had to put the book down.

I had wanted to organize all of the papers on my desk.  I had wanted to spring clean the kitchen.  I had wanted to completely prepare for my week of Relief Society.  I had wanted to go to the bank.  I had wanted to fold all of the laundry.  I had wanted to exercise.  I had wanted to shower.  Ha!

But as I look back over that list, and I think about how intense Lance has been, and I think back on all that I did, I feel happy.  I'm going to give this day a thumbs up.  And I even got to read in bed.  Yay!

 Good night world!