Are You Happy, Lucinda…?

I finally updated our blog!!!

Piano/Clarinet Lessons

The girls decided to teach each other how to play the other's instrument. Rachel showed Alex how to play the clarinet and how to properly place her fingers. Rachel went over the notes and Alex got so excited she ran up to me and said, "Hey mom, guess what! The notes on the clarinet are the same as the piano! Can you believe it?" I joined in her excitement and said, "Wow, that's great!"

Alex gave Rachel piano lessons and gave her note cards to study and put tape on the keys indicating each note. She taught her about posture and the correct way to use her hands. She made notes in a notebook to let Rachel know the areas she needs to work on and also gave her very positive feedback like, "You are doing awesome." When Rachel would sit at the piano and get ready to play, Alex would say, "Posture," and Rachel would sit up straight. Alex is a little Sabrina in the making. You did a great job Sabrina. Alex misses you!

Rachel is a natural at the piano and she has already taught herself how to play several songs. And yes, I said piano not keyboard — we finally bought a piano!!! Jeremy was uneasy about us getting a piano because it doesn't have a headphone jack like the keyboard and now he has to listen to the piano being played. Last Sunday he asked if we could have a day of NO PIANO!

FHE-Funnies

We had Family Home Evening the other night and Seth talked to the kids about prayer and what kinds of things we should pray for. I decided to share an experience that I just recently had with prayer. I told the kids that I was having bad feelings about someone and that this person was annoying me and I felt bad about these feelings I was having cause I knew they were wrong. I decided to say a prayer and ask Heavenly Father to help take these bad feelings away and twenty minutes later I felt better and by the end of the day I wasn't even thinking about that person. While I'm trying to be spiritual and share my experience during FHE and teach them by example I get these responses: Alex looks at me and says: "Mom, was it me?" No it wasn't you. Rachel: "Was it me?" No it wasn't you. Seth: "Was it me?" No it wasn't you. Seth: "Oh, I know who it was" (Jeremy wasn't here that night but it wasn't him, either! And for anyone reading this right now, NO it wasn't you either!!! Seriously. Especially if you're related or in a Ray ward! It's not you.)

Memories…

I've always had a weakness for peer pressure! Leave a comment on our blog of a MEMORY that you and I/our family have had together. It doesn't matter if you've known me/us for a short time, or a long time, anything you remember...next, re-post these instructions on your blog and let people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty fun to see the responses. Let's hear them...

Lemonade Anyone!

Rachel, Alex and their friend Maddi were feeling a bit entrepreneurial one Saturday morning and decided to have a lemonade stand. After hustling our neighbors (business was slow so they walked door to door) they made a total of $5.25.

"Jeremy" by Alex

Click to enlarge picture.

Happy Birthday Papa, 1924 - 2006

Today would have been my dad's 84th birthday. All his grandkids adored him and have many wonderful memories of him, like how he always had cookies and ice-cream at his house and of course they were allowed to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Whenever the cousins would sleep over at Papa's house all three cousins insisted on sleeping with him and of course Alex would have to be the one that slept next to him with her arms around him all night. I know that was one of his fondest memories of his grandkids. I think there might be a lesson to be learned here … it's the little things that create the best memories for our kids.