daily december: 6

I went visiting teaching this morning. We spent the time talking about mothering a teenager. Since neither my partner nor I have teenagers, we weren't able to give much practical advice. So does this mothering thing ever get any easier? What do you say, Mom?

Right after lunch, I took Emma to her cooking class. The boys and I went and did several errands. I was lucky that everything I needed to do was all in the same vicinity. We went to the party supply store to get more hats for my show tonight, the library, Roberts and Target. The boys were actually really good too, thank goodness.

The performance tonight went reasonably well. I didn't think it would judging by how the girls looked during the run-through beforehand. They looked like they had no clue! I don't know if I just taught harder songs this time or what. In the end, the show was okay though.

As we were cleaning up afterwards, the boys (who had been AWFUL during the show) were being crazy. The security guard was not happy with us and was practically begging us to just LEAVE! I got a little defensive when I shouldn't have. I should have just apologized but I hate these moments that make me feel like I am failing in my parenting. Sadly, I've been feeling like that a lot lately.

a better week

This week did prove to be better than the last. I cooked dinner every night, kept the house clean, and mostly kept my cool with the kids. It is still not pleasant to think of doing this for several more weeks. In fact, one night I was so upset by that thought that when Dave called I told him I couldn't talk to him for long because I was mad at him for being gone. I do try to keep it all in perspective. I do not have to deal with him being deployed for a year like two amazing women I know. When he came home this weekend, we did talk about the realities of continuing in this job. This is his dream job so we need to figure out how to make it work. I think part of the reason this is so hard this time is that we just did this six months ago. In the future, transfers should only happen once a year and hopefully will get shorter as the process gets streamlined.

Anyhow, back to my week. There was Girl Scouts, Jill coming over to give me a Smugmug tutorial (thanks again, ever-so-fabulous Jill), playgroup at the park, piano lessons, violin lessons, our first class of Kids Co. Christmas session, a ward Halloween party, AND I got to do a photo session with some friends (sneak peek coming soon).

Saturday was such a beautiful day. Emma and I went and got haircuts in the morning. Our Kids Company performance was in the afternoon. It went well despite some rather annoying technical difficulties.

Then we went to dinner with Dave's family to Emma's favorite restaurant, Golden Corral.

Keri and family plus Colin and his "date" came came over for dinner and games tonight. Dave won our Settlers game just in time to head out for the airport. The Vances stayed a while longer, talking, eating, playing video games, and wrestling.

Two weeks down. _____ to go.