solis family

Operation Fatten Up Miya

2011-09-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

Having given birth now to two underweight babies (yikes!) I can say that on both occasions my number one goal after their birth has been to fatten up my children.

Worked quite well with Michael who quickly went from way too skinny...

(his preemie clothes are loose on him for crying out loud!)

...to not so skinny...in just 2 1/2 months.

And after Miya's first 6 weeks, it looks like she's headed in the same direction.

Little Miss skin & bones...

...and now--finally--a double chin!

Happy 3rd Birthday Michael!

2011-09-23T23:05:00.000-07:00

While it's not my nature to fork out money to someone to do what I could easily do, this summer I was ready to pay to have someone else take care of Michael's third birthday party. We wanted to make sure it was extra special for him, knowing it would be so close to Miya's arrival, so we decided to bite the bullet and have The Little Gym take care of everything for us.

It was a good thing we did, as I came home from hospital just three days before his birthday. We enjoyed a fabulous afternoon with family and friends and lots of cake and presents! Michael had a blast! And thanks to my mom who stayed at home with the baby and to what felt like light-speed surgery recovery, I was even able to be there to enjoy the special day with Michael.

Here are some fun pics from the event...


Helping Grandma Chris fill the goodie bags.

Michael loved Miss Andrea, his summer class teacher.

Everything decorated and ready for Michael's party.

The children's eating area

Michael's Thomas the Tank Engine cake


Happy Birthday Michael!

Getting started with play time

Twirling the birthday boy around on the parachute

Pretending to be airplanes

Fast and furious (and incredibly fun!)

Singing happy birthday and blowing out the candles

Daddy and Michael enjoy sitting on the (?) while it's inflated

Lots of running and jumping for all!

Michael's "throne" to open presents on

Happy 3rd birthday kiddo!

Miya Christine: Temple in Christ

2011-09-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

I'll admit that I have always obsessed over names and meanings. I was one of those 80's Cabbage Patch Doll moms who always sent the adoption papers back with a name change request--the name had to be the perfect choice for each one. Then in church, when talks became particularly boring, I would leaf through the Bible Dictionary looking up names and meanings, adding the ones I liked to my years long list. I've always thought about what I'd name my children and while Michael Adam and Miya Christine were never on any of my original lists, Sergio and I did choose them carefully. We love the way they sound and, most importantly, what they mean.

We chose the name Miya Christine for several reasons. First, where we live here in the Rio Grande Valley, the community and culture are quite bilingual, so it's always nice to find a name that works easily in both English and Spanish. Second, we wanted to find ways to connect her name to our families, so Miya is a Japanese name, in honor of Serg's Japanese Grandma Kiyoka and that part of his family's heritage. Christine is my mother's name. Finally, the name needed to have deep significance. We found that Miya, in Japanese, has several meanings--all of which are beautiful: temple, holy place, increasingly beautiful, eternally beautiful, royalty. Christine, of course, means follower of Christ or "in Christ." So Miya Christine, for us, means a beautiful temple in Christ--something we pray Miya will always know and remember about herself.

Welcome Baby Miya

2011-09-23T21:37:00.000-07:00

I'm working my way through my extensive to do list and updating the blog is a big one I'm really excited to check off (and much preferred to tackling all the thank you notes this evening--I'll take that one on later in the weekend).

Almost 7 weeks ago we welcomed our beautiful little (emphasis on LITTLE) girl into our family, Miya Christine Solis. It was a crazy few weeks leading up to her arrival and, as expected, an exhausting 7 weeks since her birth, but we are beyond thrilled to finally have our little princesa in our home!

On Wednesday July 27, a month before my due date, I headed off to another day of work sitting in professional development sessions, not exactly ideal for a 9 month pregnant woman with an aching lower back and very swollen feet. During the morning break I headed out to take care of an issue needing my attention at the school district's central office, but on the way suddenly felt pretty nauseous and felt a big headache coming on. These were out of the ordinary symptoms that I worried might indicate high blood pressure, something I suffered from at the very end of my pregnancy with Michael and was the reason I had to be induced. I decided to play it safe and headed by my doctor's office to have them take my vitals and just rule anything out. I could tell from the nurse's face when looking at my numbers that my BP was high. It was--initially 158/106, later dropping to 147/97 after I'd been lying down for a little while. In addition, I'd packed on a whopping 10 lbs in just 2 weeks (after gaining only 20 lbs total my entire pregnancy) and my edema had--in the past three or four days--taken only slightly swollen hands and feet and turned them into bloated eyesores. The doctor feared preeclampsia so she sent me to the hospital for 24 hour monitoring.

I was glad my doctor was being so attentive and cautious (one of the major reasons I switched from my previous doctor and began to visit her this pregnancy). I headed straight to the hospital, texting to Serg to meet me there. During the 24 hour monitoring, they hook you up to an IV, take your blood pressure every 20 minutes, and test all of your urine for proteins. They also did a full check of the baby via ultrasound--found all to be well but, as had been the case for the past 2 or 3 ultrasounds, found the baby to be much smaller than she should be at this stage. This continued to be a bit of a worry and a mystery to me. The doctor didn't seem incredibly concerned but was a bit puzzled when, until now, my blood pressure had been good.

So, this is all done in a Labor & Delivery room, on a bed that's meant to have a baby in, NOT sleep in...seriously one of the most uncomfortable night's sleeps ever! My BP stabilized with bed rest so I was glad to get the go-ahead to head home but was put on strict bedrest until I reached 37 weeks when the baby was full term--that meant almost 2 weeks of doing absolutely nothing. We decided that I'd stay with my in laws where Carmen could help watch Michael after daycare in the afternoons and evenings until Serg came home from work to pick him up. She was also able to cook for me which was such a blessing. I was able to spend my two weeks hardly sitting or standing or moving much of a muscle for that matter! I watched a LOT of TV and did a LOT of emailing/facebooking/random internet surfing on my phone. I purchased a blood pressure monitor and, as long as I was lying down, my blood pressure hovered just under where the doctor wanted it to remain. I was able to make it to 37 weeks! Oh, and did I mention that Serg (with lots of help from family and friends) moved us into a new house while I was on bedrest? Augh!! Tough on him and also frustrating for me to know everything was being packed and moved without me (read: without my supervision). I wondered how many things would consequently be lost to us for months--simply because I wouldn't know where they'd been put. Ah well, worse things could happen.

On the morning of August 8th, I met with my doctor who gave me my hospital orders and then went to Women's Hospital at Renaissance where I registered and headed to pre-op to prepare for surgery.

The c-section went without a hitch, though throughout the surgery my upper body (what wasn't numb) was shaking terribly. I chalked it up to nerves but during recovery mentioned it to one of the nurses and she immediately said it was a reaction to the anesthesia. She gave me something for it and within minutes I was calm as could be.

I suppose it's what every mother waits to hear during her child's birth, but it seems like the more cause you have for concern, the harder you pray for that first cry to come and to come loud. Miya did not disappoint! That girl announced her arrival with some incredibly loud crying. As with Michael, tears streamed down my cheeks and I offered a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord. I watched as they whisked her over to the incubator to clean her up and quickly check everything. It was clear that she was incredibly tiny, and I anxiously waited to hear the verdict, crossing my fingers she'd clear 5 lbs and avoid having to spend time in the NICU. No such luck. She weighed in at 4 lbs 8 oz and measured just 16.5 inches long. In everything else she appeared completely healthy--blessings!

She was carted immediately off to the NICU and Serg headed out with them. As the doctor cleaned and sewed me up she said that the umbilical cord looked abnormally small and that this may have been what caused her low birthweight. It makes me wonder if the same thing happened with Michael, though no mention of it was made during that surgery. I may see if there's a way to check the records and see if this contributed to them both being so small.

While it's never easy to have to wait so long to hold your baby (this time I had to wait until the next morning to be able to go to the NICU to see and hold her), it was relieving to know she was in good hands and being monitored VERY carefully. That made waiting almost 24 hours a little more bearable.

I pumped through the night to send little tiny bits of colustrum up to the NICU. They poured the drops into a tiny nipple and let her suck it before supplementing with formula. I am a huge fan of breastfeeding and its benefits (and just love doing it), so it was difficult to be OK with her bottle feeding at first, but I knew she couldn't afford to lose any weight, so I didn't mess with it. She did seem to latch on at first but once my milk started to come in she struggled. I thought at the time that it was because her mouth was too small but, looking back, it may have been nipple confusion setting in. To this day (6 weeks later) I am pumping exclusively though I may try to transition her back to the breast in a couple more months when she can afford to lose a little bit of weight during the transition.

Holding her for the first time the next morning was nothing short of amazing. At first I felt like a was going to break her and wasn't quite sure how to hold her tiny body. The nurses encouraged me to have as much skin-on-skin contact as possible--good for her and good for my milk supply--so I cuddled her in a "kangaroo hold" under my top. Heavenly.

I went up to the NICU for several feedings and sent up what I pumped when I couldn't. Only parents and grandparents are permitted in the NICU and you have to scrub down and get dressed in a plastic gown, gloves, etc before coming in. Quite the process but we were, of course, happy to oblige.

The neonatologist was perfectly pleased with Miya and she was, miraculously, discharged when I was. Interestingly, discharging a NICU baby is a bit more involved than babies in the regular nursery. They have to do a carseat test--where the baby stays hooked up to all the monitors while sitting in their carseat for an hour or so--to make sure they're strong enough. I had to attend a parent information class where they demonstrated all sorts of newborn techniques and safety procedures (much more effective than the whole "here's a brochure...here's another...and another" approach the information was conveyed with when in the hospital with Michael), and both Serg and I attended a mini-workshop on baby CPR. We watched a video, practiced on a doll, and then had to demonstrate what we had learned (along with other general newborn info and procedures) to Miya's NICU nurse. Then Miya was ours to take home!

As excited as I was to have her come home with me, I was pretty nervous about taking home a 4 lb baby and, honestly, wouldn't have minded much if they'd told me she'd have to stay longer in the NICU. So disconcerting when they are so tiny! However, home she came!

Michael adores his baby sister and wants to be near her constantly. His overzealous adoration needs a little mediation at times (for Miya's protection!) but overall I'm so glad he loves being around her. He has, however, had a bit of a rough transition, regressing back to bathroom accidents, separation anxiety with mommy, and just general grumpiness and yelling at anyone except (and sometimes including!) mommy. 6 weeks later, he's finally emerging from it all, thank goodness! I guess a new house, new sibling, and having Mom gone for weeks on end--all at the same time--can be tough on a little two-turning-three-year-old.

Mum and Dad were in Australia for the summer and when I was put on complete bedrest and told I likely wouldn't go beyond 37 weeks, she changed her original flight and booked a new one that would take her directly from LAX (from Sydney) to Reno (where she spent the night in a hotel to sleep off some jet lag) to Harlingen. Jennifer picked her up and brought her to Mission, and she stayed with us for a couple of weeks. I don't know how I would survive those first weeks with a newborn without her help! She brought all sorts of presents and art and craft projects to do with Michael, and though he was entirely uncooperative at first (remember, he wanted nothing to do with anyone but mommy), he later warmed back up to Grandma Chris and had a wonderful time keeping busy with her while I got all sorts of extra nap time. The first couple of days without her were...um...interesting (who knew 2 little ones could be such a handful on your own?!?) but I've finally settled into a pretty decent routine and even made a decent homemade dinner last night along with everything else. Progress!

Michael's Music

2010-10-09T07:10:00.000-07:00

Over the summer Michael started learning the words to a number of primary songs. He loves to sing them but, until yesterday, would always refuse to sing with a camera rolling. Finally got a cute clip of him singing!

Spotlight on Michael (uhh...what's new?)

2010-08-28T21:15:00.000-07:00

I'm in love with this photo of Michael and have to get a nice print for our living room. Some things we've noticed about our rough & tumble toddler lately (you know, the details that really no one cares about except a mother):

Adores music--begs for songs such as Grease, Key Largo, Reflections, Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, Hot Potatoe, Stayin' Alive, pretty much anything by "Jackson Michael" or the Jackson 5, Santa Baby, "Jesus Sunbeam," and Beethoven's 5th. He's got the words and music almost completely down for them all....and for a good 50 or so other songs. His repertoire is decidedly eclectic, a definite reflection of the night-and-day musical tastes that he's exposed to between me, Serg, and his grandparents around the corner. However, this kid seriously has an amazing ear for lyrics...he's really lingusitically inclined and I can't wait to get him into a Spanish language immersion program.
Loves trucks and cars--shouts in delight any time he sees a truck, van, car, bike, airplane, or train. His exclamation is usually accompanied by the color of the vehicle. He LOVES to ride in Grandpa's red truck and still talks about his red truck birthday cake
He refuses to eat any vegetables or anything that remotely looks like one. Anything that resembles cake or chips is in his mouth without the need for much convincing. I don't completely get this one--there are all sorts of fruits and veggies he used to eat, but now refuses to. I'm hoping this stage doesn't last too long.
If Michael could eat what he wanted at every meal, it would be pizza, chicken nuggets, cake, ice cream, and milk.
Michael recognizes about half of the alphabet letters correctly. The rest are a bit more hit and miss.
He can count to 10 perfectly, to 20 almost perfectly, and has great one-to-one correspondence (though he sometimes counts some items several times--but one by one). He can also count to 10 in Spanish, but (embarrassingly) although his first words were in Spanish, he now laughs at the sound of Spanish. Again, dual language preschool will begin at age 3!
He's starting to request that I write the letter M...starting to see it as "his" letter
Loves coloring (anywhere and everywhere--lots of floor and wall cleanups lately) and playdough (moved quickly passed the feed it to the dog and eat it myself stages, thank goodness; he's now in the sneak pieces into the living room and stomp them into the carpet stage....grrr!)
He's talking in long phrases and sometimes compete sentences. Some of his favorite "sentence stems:" "I want ______" "I like _____" "I love _____" "Michael's (gerund)" "Mommy's/Daddy's/etc (gerund)" "I see _____"
He loves to get on the phone with Daddy, Grandma, or Grandad
Michael loves to wrestle and play fight with Daddy and Uncle Jason. He absolutely LOVES to visit their school and play with their training equipment
Loves to "jump like a kangaroo"
Still talks about his trip in an airplane
Thinks anything with a machine-like "whirring" sound is a vacuum--an item with which he has a love-hate relationship
Has an adorable cow-lick that I don't believe will ever be tamed beyond an hour or so
Loves to "clean" with paper towels and a spray bottle of water
Sits in time-out for a minute, waits for the timer to go off, and even occasionally puts himself there...so far it's worked really well and he emerges ready to give me a hug and kiss and try again with a smile. To be totally honest, it's not even a form of discipline I was using until he put himself in time out (He said, much to my surprise, "sit in time out?" and plopped himself down on a patch of carpet in the living room that's been his self-designated spot ever since. Kinda easy, I know. We'll see how long it lasts!)
His favorite book right now is Mama Do You Love Me? He's got most of the key words memorized. While being asked to read the same book 5 times in a row during a 30 min period can be a little monotonous, how can I say no to that book? It's a cute one.
He's finally interacting in our super brief FHE lessons and remembering what we're teaching.
Afternoon church on Sundays is a fun one. Church meetings are exactly in the middle of his normal naptime, so Michael's a bit of a mess and either Serg or I spend pretty much all of sacrament meeting out in the hall. I really don't mind off-duty (enjoying the talks in the chapel without a two-year old throwing projectiles at the heads of people in front of us) nor on-duty (hang out in the foyer and socialize with other moms of equally active two-year-old boys).
Loves belts and buckles, clips, and ties. He loves putting pieces together and pulling them apart.
He can down 3 slices of pizza in one sitting
He very literally aims at lamps while throwing small toy balls in the house...not strong enough to really knock something yet, but it's just a matter of time...
Loves to climb, especially on a chair to stand next to me while I'm cooking or washing something. I love it.
He loves apples and peanut butter (but hates apple peel), cheesesticks ("white cheese"), tortillas ("tortitas"), yogurt, bread, fruit snacks
He memorizes names really quickly.
He loves Sesame Street Fiesta and any episode of Elmo's World.
He loves to pull Prince's tail and make him yelp
Michael covers his ears and closes his eyes when in trouble. I can't see you, you can't see me.
He loves being outside and playing in water. Bathtime is a favorite (and sometimes a bribe) as is running in the sprinklers, playing in his tiny pool, going to the water play area at the park, etc. I've got to make sure he starts swimming lessons next summer!

Mr. Michael Turns 2

2010-08-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

Michael has been looking forward to his birthday all week, talking about cake and asking me to sing him the "Happy Birthday To You song" probably close to a zillion times. Last night we had a family party for him and I reveled in the fact that I had time to put a few special things together for him (compared to last year's party planned and executed entirely by Serg, assisted by Priscilla, Jason's girlfriend (now wife!). I simply zoomed over from my frantic beginning of the year preparations at school and joined the party, feeling like a bit of a lousy mom). Birthdays, even the ones where we just celebrated with the family, were always pretty special when I was a kid. Mom's food & cake prep was always at the bidding of the birthday boy or girl and she really put a lot of love into the little things for our birthdays. It was so fun to be able to do a little bit of the same for Michael this year!

A tiny bit of party decorating.

Michael is obsessed with trucks (particularly Grandpa's red truck), so the cake choice was an easy one. The choice, that is. The cake itself was quite an undertaking, but really fun to create!

Michael excitedly waits for everyone to arrive. I'm grateful everyone's a little late so my face can cool down about 5 shades of red after a ridiculously long wait at the Little Caesar's drive through (yeah, I know, I know...I went hardcore on the cake and easy on the main dish--he did request pizza, so that's the way it goes) ...a wait that ended in about 5 minutes of heater on full-blast to keep my car from overheating. Yeah, fun stuff with a two-year old screaming "I want cake birthday!" from the backseat.

Michael tries a little driving to keep his mind off the fact that there's pizza and cake sitting in the kitchen that he's not allowed to touch till the family arrives.

Mom, c'mon. Just a quick finger in the frosting? Pretty please?

And the crowds begin to arrive! Michael runs around the house in sheer joy (and, I'm sure, relief that the pizza and "cake birthday" will soon be his to eat).

After dinner....presents!

Finally, candles and cake!

This was preceded by a very demanding, "Mommy take a picture!"

changes

2010-08-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender who you are for what you could become." ~Anonyomous

So I finally have some time to sit down and blog about the changes I've been making over the past month or so...

Making some sort of change to my career--primarily to find a position where I'm not working 70-80 hour work weeks--has been on my mind on and off for several months now, so I can't say that my decisions during the past several weeks were TOTALLY and completely out of the blue. However, by this past April I was excitedly looking forward to at least one more year with IDEA--as a campus we were heading into our third year of operation and building strong program momentum. When an email blast from TFA in May advertised an open Managing Director of ELA position I decided to go ahead and apply for it, considering it a bit of a long shot and also unsure of whether or not I would accept it if offered.

I informed my new manager that I'd applied for it, but assured her it didn't mean my resignation was imminent--just wanted to give her a heads up as several of my references had connections to a variety of people at IDEA and I didn't want her to be surprised if someone said something. Interestingly, every one of the people I'd contacted to be references then reached out to me with additional job opportunities. I decided to interview for a couple of of them, just to see what doors might open (and because it turned out that the original position I'd applied and collected references for had been filled before I even submitted my application! Ironic, eh?)

So...a little more about the other avenues I explored: One was more of an advocacy/development position, so while it seemed like an incredibly interesting position (and one I would have seriously considered had there been an offer), I wasn't at all surprised when, after several interviews, they called to tell me I didn't have the skill set this job needed. There was also another principalship opportunity, but I new it would be just as demanding--if not more--as my current job, so it just didn't make sense to go that route, as much as I do love principalship. I continue to believe in the power of a school leader to transform their school and definitively close the achievement gap for the students that attend it. It's just not the right job for me right now... a mom with a young (and hopefully, soon, growing) family who doesn't want to miss this amazing (and fleeting!) season of life.

Then, just a day or two before we left for Australia, one of my former principals sent me a job description for an Instructional Leadership Coach position with a local district looking to expand their middle school and high school college readiness program across the district. She and I spoke during my final week in Australia, and I became increasingly excited about the position and its potential--both professionally (total focus on areas I love most and am strongest in--coaching teachers, curriculum and instruction etc--working closely with teachers and administrators, new experiences with secondary teachers and admins, widen scope from school to district, work with a traditional public district that is focused on college readiness reform and values bilingualism, significant pay raise) as well as personally (more flexible, work less days a year (like 40 - 50 less!), daily/weekly work schedule more conducive to my current family goals, etc). I interviewed soon after returning to the U.S. and am still waiting for a formal offer, though after speaking with the hiring manager last week, it looks promising.

I'm also in the middle of interviewing for another Teach For America national office position opening--Director of Design for Elementary Literacy. It's a dream job for me (totally focused on elementary literacy, lots of digging into instruction, curriculum, problem-solving galore, work from home, periodic travel to regions across the country, etc), but it would mean a somewhat significant pay cut--not, however, something I don't think we could handle if we budgeted carefully as a family. It is a job I know I'd love, so I'm in the third and final stage of the interview process there--final interview this Tuesday. Crossing my fingers this leads to an offer.

So...why the sudden obsession with finding a job when, before, it was simply me exploring what's out there? On my final Sunday in Australia I started having a really strong impression that I needed to make a change and now--first and foremost to definitively move toward a job that will allow me to spend more time with my family, and second, to allow my school to begin the new school year with a new principal and not have to make any changes once the school year had begun. As I mentioned earlier, leaving my current position has crossed my mind at times before (and much more frequently what with the job opportunities presenting themselves during the weeks before we left for Australia) but no offers had been made, so without anything concrete to move on to I'd dismissed it. When none of the interviews at the end of the recent school year ended up in offers, it seemed to be clear that I'd stay as principal for at least another year...and while nervous about another year of intense work hours, I was excited about the many innovations we'd be making in our third year (expanding dual language, launching our Teaching Fellows program, lots of new fantastic staff, etc).

However, this feeling on Sunday seemed to be more than just a mere thought--it really began to feel like a strong impression or prompting that I really needed to simply do it. Serg and I had been praying for months that we'd be able to be less and less dependent on my job's income so that I would have the freedom to change jobs, cut my hours, work part time, or even eventually take some time off work altogether to spend more time with Michael, something I've wanted to do for some time. It came in and out of my mind--and then during church at one of the wards in Sydney, a woman named Glenda Alekna (who actually happened to be in our ward years back in Melbourne--I think Mum visit taught with her or they were companions or something similar...) gave an amazing talk on faith that seemed to be everything I'd been concerned about. Every scripture spoke to me, every story she told seemed to be selected just for me, and it become crystal clear what I needed and wanted to do. If I really was serious about having more hours in the day/week/year to spend with my son, then I really needed to let go and pursue that goal head on. It was time to find a different job. I thought and prayed more throughout the afternoon and then talked to Serg about it (via Skype as he was already back in the States). I was a little nervous about how he'd respond to such a sudden change, but he quietly listened to my retelling of what had happened, how I felt, and what I wanted to do, and he agreed to take a day to think and pray about the decision for himself. He later emailed that if I felt that strongly that this was the best decision for our family then he'd support it 100%. Within a couple of hours I had emailed my letter of resignation and promised a call to my supervisor during layovers on the trip back that next day.

So, here I am-- my transition out is over and the new principal (my Assistant Principal, which makes me incredibly happy and confident that the school is in great hands!) is fully transitioned in. I'm still doing some curriculum work from home for IDEA through to the end of August and am applying and interviewing for new jobs. It has been really hard to let go and leave my "baby" (starting a school and building it from the ground up gets you pretty connected to it and invested in its fate!) but I'm so truly happy to be spending time with my most important baby...though not so much of a baby anymore. Michael turned two yesterday! Leaving one job without another lined up has been a bit of a leap of faith, especially when we rely so heavily on my income, but we're trusting that God will provide...he always has.

Yesterday, Michael's birthday, had me reflecting on his birth and the events surrounding it, including the school's opening just days after he was born. I'm still not sure how I opened that school on maternity leave...have to give all the credit to my amazing teachers and a wonderful colleague who stepped in to assist me while I was on leave. However, Michael's entire childhood thus far has been spent primarily with day care caregivers and many evenings with grandparents (or sometimes even there with me at school in the evenings). Not bad things, but not exactly what I want--I definitely wanted to spend significantly more time with my children, working or not. Serg works until 8 or 9 PM most nights, I worked late several evenings a week and even when I was able to pick Michael up before his daycare closed at 6 PM, I usually had 4 or 5 hours of work on the computer ahead of me at home. We both worked most Saturdays. Some women are able to make it work--power to them!! (well, I must admit that most of the women I know that have a demanding high-level job and make it work also have a nanny) but I've struggled to make it work well....maybe given a few more years I could have figured it out, but I don't want to lose any more time. Given my DEEP passion for both my role as a mother and my role leading a new school with incredibly ambitious goals, I've sometimes felt very torn. Sometimes I felt like I was doing my family a disservice by putting so much time and energy into my job and at other times I felt like I wasn't doing enough for my teachers, students, and their families when I prioritized my family. I'm so grateful for an amazing husband who's supported whatever choices I've made--we've tag-teamed parenting pretty deftly during these past two years and he's cheered on my fast track to school leadership every step of the way. On the other hand, he's fully supported this decision to leave that behind for a time and make a sudden career change. A time or two these past few weeks he's reminded me that everything will work out just fine, I'll find a great job, we'll be OK financially, just grounding me and supporting my choices.

While I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss IDEA Mission and my position as principal, I do know I made the right choice. I'm still doing some at-home curriculum work for IDEA and, of course, am interviewing for several positions, but overall I've been able to keep Michael home from daycare several days a week and pick him up early on the other days. We've gone to the pool, the beach, running through the sprinklers, played basketball, visited playgrounds, gone on walks, played soccer, colored, painted, sang songs, and all sorts of other fun activities more during the past few weeks than probably ever before! When I wonder if I've made the right choice, I spend some time with Michael and am quickly reminded that this is exactly what I want--so glad I made the very difficult choice to leave something behind to gain more time with him each day. I definitely feel much more relaxed and truly happy, knowing that while some may consider it a stupid move it really is something I needed to do right now.

While I'd be flattering myself waaaaay too much to compare myself with the woman in this video, I did connect to her story about leaving behind something she loved for a time for something she loved even more. I've found myself having some of the same thoughts and feelings she shares...

forgiveness

2010-08-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I was touched to the core by this video when I first watched it a few weeks back. Totally inspired by this man's ability to let the Savior's love and forgiveness move right through him. I promise, promise, promise I'll catch up on the goings on of my life (recent career change included), but for now just enjoy this story of faith, healing, and total discipleship:

uninspired

2010-05-31T21:23:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking about the whole "if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it really make a sound?" question and found a little more meat in Wikipedia...

Philosopher George Berkeley, in his work, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, proposes, "But, say you, surely there is nothing easier than for me to imagine trees, for instance, in a park [. . .] and nobody by to perceive them. [...] The objects of sense exist only when they are perceived; the trees therefore are in the garden [. . .] no longer than while there is somebody by to perceive them."^[1]

I then had one of those strange *gulp* moments when I connected this question to the fact that I've been so completely uninspired to journal or blog or anything these past many months (years, actually)...and I wondered if my lack of inspiration/energy/ganas to put pen to paper lately is acutally akin to the tree falling with no one around. Is that what journaling is about? Not just a place for me to make sense of my experiences and extract some sort of meaning from everything, but to ensure my experiences aren't left "unperceived" by others? Not sure, though I do know the past couple of years are already pretty fuzzy even in my own mind--much in part, I'm sure, to the fact that I've hardly recorded a thing.

Work has really sucked the life out me lately and drained me of most personal inspiration. A lot of that is my own fault--not managing my time as well as I could--but a lot of it simply comes with the territory. Going to give myself 1 more year to see if it's possible to be a great principal and the kind of mom I want to be. Hoping the inspiration returns.

Merry Christmas from the Solis Family!

2009-12-23T12:46:00.001-08:00

Here's our Christmas newsletter...you can click on the image to see it in larger format.

Michael's Vocabulary

2009-12-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

We still haven't quite figured out which word was really and truly Michael's first (he started saying da-da several months ago yet it seemed to be his general word for everything so I don't think a word counts until there's evidence he knows exactly what it means!), but here are the few words he's using so far...

Da-da (usually said excitedly)
Ma (more acurately--Maaaaaaaaaaa!-- whiny "I-want-this-now" voice...sheesh!)
Tee (Trinity, the name of one of his cousins)
Pa (Grandma, Grandpa)
shoes
ba (bottle, bath, ball, balloon)
go (usually said in threes--"go, go, go!"--complete with pumping hand motions)
muh (more/mas (?), music, mouth)
agua (water, milk, juice, dog pee)
wow-wow (dog or anything furry/moving that could remotely resemble a dog)
uh-oh (something he's saying more and more these days) :)
eye
ee (ear)
duh (diaper)
boom (the sound effect that accompanies his jab, taught by Daddy & Uncle Jason)
boo (book)
ot (hot)
apple
up

I didn't realize there were so many recognizable words he IS using! He still doesn't say "no" but has mastered a vigorous head-shake and swipe of the hand that communicates the sentiment perfectly. I'm still waiting for an obedient "yes" or head-nod--none yet. Some other fun things...he knows that when you say "bye" he is to wave and blow a kiss. If I tell him we're going to brush his teeth, change his diaper, etc, he knows exactly which room to go to (though the cooperation usually ends there). :) I can tell him to pick a book, get his bottle, give me a hug (that one's hit and miss), fold his arms for prayer (also hit and miss), and a few other commands he responds to pretty consistently. And, well, if his needs aren't understood with his few words and hand motions, Michael is quickly mastering the art of the temper tantrum--aaah...toddlerhood.

Home Sick

2009-09-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm home sick with the most horrendous (cough cough) sounding cough ever (truly straight from hell) that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon. All my stomach muscles ache terribly, I'm sick of throwing up (not because I'm actually sick to my stomach but from so much coughing!), I am sick of literally peeing my pants from such intense coughing (yes it's TMI but must be included to illustrate how ridiculous this is!) and I treasure the occasional 2 - 3 minutes of "down time" when my body is NOT taken over by a fit of coughing. Is this a "nobody-likes-me-everybody (cough cough) hates-me-I-think-I'll-go-eat-worms" (cough cough) moment or what?

My baby boy is now 1 (gotta get pics up, though first I better send the thank yous!) and has been walking for about 6 weeks now. He seems like he's on the brink of saying real word or two--right now it's lots of babbling and lots of different sounds but no real evidence that when he says da-da or ma-ma that he REALLY knows what he's saying yet. Pretty soon, hopefully!

School's been in session for over 2 weeks now--I have a lot to catch up on in my other blog concerning the launch of two-way immersion. What an undertaking! (cough cough)

New Blog: Bilingual Ed

2009-07-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

For anyone interested in issues of bilingual education, I've started a new blog about my school's upcoming launch of two-way immersion: http://two-way-launch.blogspot.com/

5K Here I Come

2009-06-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

I decided yesterday that it was time to "ponerme las pilas" (literally: put the batteries in me; in other words: get fired up, get energized, recommit, etc) and really get active again. So...I created a VERY transitional 10 week plan that should take me from my current all-but-completely-sedentary state to running a 5K--something I did periodically in college but something I haven't done in at least 2 years. For the most part I've really done a better job with my eating since spring break, but you can only go so far with food while still sitting on the couch. Less computer, more exercise!

I was showing my plan to Sergio and told him I wanted to sign up for an August 29th run here in Mission, and he said he wanted to do it too, which only makes me that much more excited! We've got a lot to do before August 29th!

Vacation Exhilaration & July 4th Musings

2009-06-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

I went to bed last night with the exciting feeling that I still have an entire week of vacation ahead of me. It's been a wonderfully relaxing holiday so far. I've pampered myself here and there with a manicure, pedicure, and highlights/haircut. I've got several massage gift certificates yet to redeem--will do that Wednesday or Thursday. Serg and I took Michael for his first beach outing--priceless!

We'll be taking him again as we spend the July 4th weekend back at South Padre Island; Sergio's mom was able to rent a beachfront condo from a friend for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Total relaxation!!

It will take me back to our 4th of July celebrations with Grandma and Grandpa Dolman at the beach house on Rincon--celebrations and traditions that turned July 4th into my all-time favorite holiday (yup, it even beat Christmas!) and left me with unforgettable family memories and a deep and sincere love for my country. It's exhilirating to feel such passion for my country and to manifest it through (among many ways) the traditional red-white-and-blue, John-Phillips-Sousa, hat-off-for-The-Star-Spangled-Banner outward shows of patriotism. It 's something that's often equated with what many of my peers consider "unenlightened," didactic, and religious-right conservatism, and their tendency to steer clear of traditional manifestations of American patriotism has given me the chance to think carefully through these traditions and decide what I do or don't want to pass on to my own children. I've concluded that what I feel is a very real patriotism that I've never found incompatible with my political positions regardless of how far right or left I lean on any issue. Nor have I ever struggled to reconcile it with my Australian-American dual citizenship. Getting chills as I listen to the national anthem, insisting that we begin every day at school with the pledge of allegiance, sporting red, white and blue clothing every July 4th, attending patriotic breakfasts and parades, raising the flag in the morning and folding it carefully after retiring it before sundown...all surface-level manifestations of a much deeper love for a country I firmly believe was founded on inspired principles by very imperfect but visionary men. Is it a perfect union? Not even close. Is it a more perfect union than it was 50, 100, 250 years ago? I like to think so. Is there much in terms of policy and politics that I disagree with? Absolutely. However, that's what I feel like I'm celebrating with my outward patriotic displays--the fact that I live in a country where so much happens that I do disagree with, yet I remain consistently inspired by the fact that I and my opponents on issues can argue, debate, demonstrate, and disagree to our heart's content. I hope those who consider such outward shows of patriotism to be ignorant or out-of-style will realize that they don't represent a platform or right/left position but are displays of loyalty and hope for a country that, in spite of its rough and rocky history, has produced visionary men and women each generation who had the courage and freedom to effect deep societal and political change, pushing our nation--ever so slowly but surely--toward fulfilling the ideals that were once simply words on paper.

I'm not your typical straight-ticket democrat or republican...I think less and less of my generation are. I get annoyed with people who try to define me or put me in an ideological box, because it's an outdated framework. Let me lean a little to the left while I simultaneously raise my American flag with pride, sing God Bless America with gusto, and work hard to be a devout and sincere Mormon. I will praise the current administration's stand on education and criticize what I consider complete inaction in the international arena. Some things are black and white in my world, others are not. No matter what, don't underestimate the importance of what happened 233 years ago this Saturday and don't be fooled by those who would have you believe that being proud to be American is backward, ignorant, or out of date.

Recent Pics

2009-05-31T16:33:00.001-07:00

I realized I've been posting all sorts of random thought and events, but without pics of my bub! Milestones reached during the past month (or so)...

* Crawls at breakneck speed

* Pulls himself up to a standing position

* Takes steps to move around furniture (as look as he's holding on with at least one hand)

* Climbs over anything and everything he possibly can (thank goodness no attempts to climb out of the crib have been made yet)

* Claps his hands

* Tries to wave when we wave to him...concentrates ever so hard, wiggles his hand ever so slightly and then finally claps instead of wave

* Weighs in at a little over 22 pounds

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-31T05:49:00.000-07:00

We're in! We've been packing and transporting boxes to our new house for a good week now and can now officially say that we're out of the apartment and into the house! Once again, Chapa's Moving Service made the process of moving all the "big stuff" relatively smooth and painless (and all at only $40/hr!!) though I should probably add that I was at work all day Thursday as Serg guided the movers--he may not say "smooth and painless" quite as enthusiastically as I did. Regardless, we're in and are now in the middle of phase 2: unpacking. Every day consists of at least 10 "have-you-seen?"s or "where-the-#$@-is-the...??". Unfortunately, I've had hardly any time to unpack with all the end-of-year craziness going on at school. We'll get there...

Our new house is a pretty simple and unassuming little place and still needs a ton of landscaping work to spruce up the outside, but the inside is fantastic. 3 bedrooms and a study, 2 bathrooms, laundry, garage, and a nice spacious kitchen, the layout is great. We finally have a real pantry with nice wide shelves and a kitchen you can fit more than 2 people in at once. The only problem we've encountered so far is discovering that the bedroom doorways aren't wide enough to move Michael's crib through. We've tried every possible position but there is no way that thing is getting into his bedroom without first dismantling it completely. For right now the crib is sitting in the study until Serg gets the courage to take it apart and (hopefully) put it back together again in the room. Until then, it's pack-n-play living for the baby....sorry bud!

The yard is a good size but desperately needs some work. Within the next month or two we plan to completely till everything and plant new seed, hopefully in time to have a nice little lawn in place before Michael's 1st b-day bash in mid-August. Serg is already planning the menu for a big BBQ get-together for friends and family, but first we gotta have a place to grill and eat outside!

We've got lots of great memories in our cute little apartment on Colorado St, but we're more than ready to make some new ones in our new place!

[pictures to come!!]

Goodbye Baby Weight, Update II

2009-05-28T18:15:00.000-07:00

I've now hit the 30 lb mark--lots more to go, but it's gratifying to see weight coming off in spite of my insane work schedule right now. I'm gearing up for a much more intensive summer work-out regimen, as I've got to stop losing fat AND muscle weight. Poco a poquito!

Redemption

2009-05-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

Some of the most intimate and powerful dialogues I have with my Heavenly Father take place while I'm driving...it's quiet, I'm alone, and my heart and mind are constantly reflecting on things I don't have a chance to think about or feel when I'm surrounded by people and noise. Today I felt the renewal of strength that comes with redemption. I thought about what redemption really means--deliverance, rescue salvation, atonement, advocacy, freedom--and felt a rush of faith as I thought through the examples of redemption from my life, especially the ones that have blessed and, very literally, saved my marriage and family. Every so often I stand back in awe at the miracle the Savior has worked with me and my family...today was one of those moments. I remembered a time when, desperate for hope, desperate for redemption, I read the words of President Howard W. Hunter: "Whatever Jesus lays his hands upon lives. If Jesus lays his hands upon a marriage, it lives. If he is allowed to lay his hands on the family, it lives." (Ensign, Nov 1979, p.65) I remembered the first time I'd dropped to my knees and pleaded with God that His Son find a way to lay His hands on me, on my marriage, on my family, and I remembered the months that followed--many months--where it seemed that this redemption was not to be. These months were heartbreaking and even hellish, but I learned to trust that my will is and must be subject to God's and that, paradoxically, submission to Him is the water that grows unshakeable personal strength. I learned that no one and nothing can be saved that doesn't want to be (nor should it) and that redemption was something that must be both granted and accepted. I learned, as Elder Maxwell once testified, that the Savior's redemptiveness is relentless, something I would not have learned without those long difficult months of wondering and searching and trusting. I remembered the first time I knew--I mean really knew--that even though I didn't know where life would take me, I knew it would be OK, I would be OK. That realization would never have come without my life having been pulled out from beneath my feet a few years ago, without having tumbled to my knees, without wondering if I'd ever stand again. Then I learned what relentless redemptiveness really means. It's being picked up and brushed off in the middle of the uncertainty. It's having Jesus walk you across the water as the winds get wilder and the waves more menacing. It's knowing you'll be OK even when that's the only thing you know. It's being so completely dependent on something bigger than yourself that you are quite literally filled with power and hope every time you fall to your knees in prayer and every time you search for answers in the scriptures.

All of this flew through my mind and filled my soul in the minute or two spent sitting at the stoplight on Shary Rd and 495. The green light (and horn honking behind me) snapped me back into action and I turned left onto 495 and then right to pull up to Michael's daycare. I rushed in and hugged my beautiful little boy, more grateful than ever for this very real and eternal evidence of the redemption of our family.

Motherhood

2009-05-10T21:13:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make sure I recorded the notes from a talk I gave in church on Mother's Day. It has deepened my gratitude for the privilege it is to be a mother:

The Divine Nature of Motherhood

Introduction

Something with Divine Nature:

1) something that comes from God

2) something that turns us to & teaches us about God

3) something that prepares us to live with and become like God

Elder Holland’s preface to his May 1997 Conference talk, Because She Is A Mother: “To the women within the sound of my voice who dearly want to be mothers and are not, I say through your tears and ours on that subject, God will yet, in days that lie somewhere ahead, bring “hope to [the] desolate heart.” 1 As prophets have repeatedly taught from this pulpit, ultimately “no blessing shall be withheld” from the faithful, even if those blessings do not come immediately. 2 In the meantime we rejoice that the call to nurture is not limited to our own flesh and blood. In speaking of mothers I do not neglect the crucial, urgent role of fathers, particularly as fatherlessness in contemporary homes is considered by some to be “the central social problem of our time.” 3 Indeed, fatherlessness can be a problem even in a home where the father is present—eating and sleeping, so to speak, “by remote.” But that is a priesthood message for another day. Today I wish to praise those motherly hands that have rocked the infant’s cradle and, through the righteousness taught to their children there, are at the very center of the Lord’s purposes for us in mortality.”

The world often characterizes motherhood as anything BUT divine. Here are some things I’ve learned about the divine nature of motherhood from my mother and grandmother and from the words of ancient & modern prophets…

1) Comes from God

As men were foreordained to the Priesthood, women were foreordained to motherhood during the pre-mortal existence.

Alma 13: 2 – 3

Men were foreordained to become High Priests in the pre-mortal existence

2 And those priests were ordained after the ^a^order of his Son, in a ^b^manner that thereby the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.

3 And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being ^a^called and ^b^prepared from the ^c^foundation of the world according to the ^d^{foreknowledge} of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to ^e^choose good or evil; therefore they having chosen good, and exercising exceedingly great ^f^faith, are ^g^called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such.

Sister Shari Dew (Are We Not All Mothers?) : Elder Matthew Cowley taught that “men have to have something given to them [in mortality] to make them saviors of men, but not mothers, not women. [They] are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls … and the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.” 7

Motherhood is not what was left over after our Father blessed His sons with priesthood ordination. It was the most ennobling endowment He could give His daughters, a sacred trust that gave women an unparalleled role in helping His children keep their second estate. As President J. Reuben Clark Jr. declared, motherhood is “as divinely called, as eternally important in its place as the Priesthood itself.” 8 “

2) Turns us to God & Teaches us about Him

Everything of divine origin, everything in the gospel, turns us to the Son of God and testifies of His atonement.

Alma 34: 14

All things point to the Atonement of Christ in the meridian of time.

14 And behold, this is the whole ^a^meaning of the ^b^law, every whit ^c^pointing to that great and last ^d^sacrifice; and that great and last ^e^sacrifice will be the Son of God, yea, ^f^infinite and eternal.

Alma 13: 2 (see above)

The order of and ordination to the Priesthood themselves teach us about the Son of God, the author of redemption. Motherhood can do the same.

Moses 6:63

All things have their likeness and all things are created to bear record of Jesus Christ

Motherhood is a type and shadow of the Savior’s Atonement (as are all principles and ordinances of the gospel)…

1) Physical birth represents spiritual birth through the Atonement of Christ

Moses 6: 59 – 60

Physical Birth represents Spiritual Birth

59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the ^a^spirit, which I have made, and so became of ^b^dust a living soul, even so ye must be ^c^born again into the kingdom of heaven, of ^d^water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and ^e^enjoy the ^f^words of ^g^eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal ^h^glory;

60 For by the ^a^water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are ^b^justified, and by the ^c^blood ye are ^d^sanctified;

2) Mothers’ sacrifice represents the Savior’s sacrifice

Victor Hugo wrote: “She broke the bread into two fragments and gave them to her children, who ate with eagerness. ‘She hath kept none for herself,’ grumbled the sergeant. ‘Because she is not hungry,’ said a soldier. ‘No,’ said the sergeant, ‘because she is a mother.’”

3) Mothers’ role in the creation of physical bodies reminds us of the Savior’s role as Creator under the direction of the Father

Gabriela Mistral, Nobel Poet from Chile, wrote a tribute to the divinity of motherhood and a mother's partnership with Deity in her poem, Meciendo (Rocking).

MECIENDO

El mar sus millares de olas

mece, divino.

Oyendo a los mares amantes,

mezo a mi niño.

El viento errabundo en la noche

mece los trigos.

Oyendo a los vientos amantes,

mezo a mi niño.

Dios padre sus miles de mundos

mece sin ruido.

Sintiendo su mano en la sombra

mezo a mi niño.

ROCKING

Holy ocean rocks its millions

of waves in the sun.

Listening to the loving seas

I rock my little one.

Wandering in the night the wind

rocks the wheat.

Listening to the loving winds

I rock my sweet.

The Father rocks his thousand worlds

silent, mild.

Feeling His hand in the darkness

I rock my child.

--Gabriela Mistral

When we understand what a sacred symbol motherhood and what a glorious role we as mothers have, we realize that the phrase I am JUST a mother comes from the adversary. HE would have us think motherhood is a second rate job.

Shari Dew: As mothers in Israel, we are the Lord’s secret weapon. Our influence comes from a divine endowment that has been in place from the beginning. In the premortal world, when our Father described our role, I wonder if we didn’t stand in wide-eyed wonder that He would bless us with a sacred trust so central to His plan and that He would endow us with gifts so vital to the loving and leading of His children. I wonder if we shouted for joy 12 at least in part because of the ennobling stature He gave us in His kingdom. The world won’t tell you that, but the Spirit will.

We just can’t let the Lord down. And if the day comes when we are the only women on earth who find nobility and divinity in motherhood, so be it. For mother is the word that will define a righteous woman made perfect in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, a woman who has qualified for eternal increase in posterity, wisdom, joy, and influence.

3) Prepares us to return to God: Motherhood is a pre-run on godhood

God finds His ultimate purpose in his role as parent—as should we

Moses 1:39

God’s work and glory is to parent His children as a perfect Father—so that they can enjoy all He has—immortality and eternal life.

Home = great laboratory for godhood

Elder Holland: “One young mother wrote to me recently that her anxiety tended to come on three fronts. One was that whenever she heard talks on LDS motherhood, she worried because she felt she didn’t measure up or somehow wasn’t going to be equal to the task. Secondly, she felt like the world expected her to teach her children reading, writing, interior design, Latin, calculus, and the Internet—all before the baby said something terribly ordinary, like “goo goo.” Thirdly, she often felt people were sometimes patronizing, almost always without meaning to be, because the advice she got or even the compliments she received seemed to reflect nothing of the mental investment, the spiritual and emotional exertion, the long-night, long-day, stretched-to-the-limit demands that sometimes are required in trying to be and wanting to be the mother God hopes she will be.

But one thing, she said, keeps her going: “Through the thick and the thin of this, and through the occasional tears of it all, I know deep down inside I am doing God’s work. I know that in my motherhood I am in an eternal partnership with Him. I am deeply moved that God finds His ultimate purpose and meaning in being a parent, even if some of His children make Him weep.

“It is this realization,” she says, “that I try to recall on those inevitably difficult days when all of this can be a bit overwhelming. Maybe it is precisely our inability and anxiousness that urge us to reach out to Him and enhance His ability to reach back to us. Maybe He secretly hopes we will be anxious,” she said, “and will plead for His help. Then, I believe, He can teach these children directly, through us, but with no resistance offered. I like that idea,” she concludes. “It gives me hope. If I can be right before my Father in Heaven, perhaps His guidance to our children can be unimpeded. Maybe then it can be His work and His glory in a very literal sense.” 7

Motherhood—like godhood—is not easy

Elder Holland: “Sometimes the decision of a child or a grandchild will break your heart. Sometimes expectations won’t immediately be met. Every mother and father worries about that. Even that beloved and wonderfully successful parent President Joseph F. Smith pled, “Oh! God, let me not lose my own.” 8 That is every parent’s cry, and in it is something of every parent’s fear. But no one has failed who keeps trying and keeps praying. You have every right to receive encouragement and to know in the end your children will call your name blessed, just like those generations of foremothers before you who hoped your same hopes and felt your same fears.”

Our Heavenly Father understands the pain and worry of parenting. He watched 1/3 of His beloved spirit children fight against Him during the war in heaven before the world began. Enoch recorded that the Lord wept over the wickedness of His children on Earth. God the Father watched from afar—as He had to—as His only begotten was mercilessly crucified and then willingly gave up His life for the rest of the Father’s children. Yes, when motherhood becomes difficult and sometimes even seemingly unbearable, remember that the path of discipleship—of becoming like our own Heavenly parents—is not easy. It was not easy for our Father in Heaven, it was not easy for His Son, and it will not always be easy for those who want to become like them.

Elder Holland: “You can’t possibly do this alone, but you do have help. The Master of Heaven and Earth is there to bless you—He who resolutely goes after the lost sheep, sweeps thoroughly to find the lost coin, waits everlastingly for the return of the prodigal son. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are and better than you have ever been as you try to make honest effort, however feeble you may sometimes feel that to be.

Remember, remember all the days of your motherhood: “Ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” 10

Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.” 11 You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging. Like the woman who anonymously, meekly, perhaps even with hesitation and some embarrassment, fought her way through the crowd just to touch the hem of the Master’s garment, so Christ will say to the women who worry and wonder and sometimes weep over their responsibility as mothers, “Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole.” 12 And it will make your children whole as well.”

Goodbye Baby Weight...Update

2009-05-03T12:23:00.000-07:00

I posted on April 4th that I was finally cracking down and working to get rid of all this extra weight I've been hauling around since the pregnancy. Since then I've stuck to the South Beach diet pretty religiously (a diet I adore...super healthy so I always feel more energetic on it and I never feel deprived....what's not to love?). However, I've really struggled to find significant time to exercise consistently. I could tell I'd lost a little bit of weight, but I was sooo surprised to jump on the scale this morning (first time since I started dieting) and see that I've lost 20 pounds!! On the one hand, that's huge!! On the other, it's a bit scary that I'm at a point where I can barely tell that I've lost 20 pounds. :) Ah well--better to dwell on the former over the latter.

Getting Sentimental

2009-04-30T22:13:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those strange days where almost everything seemed to make me sentimental. I found an old mix CD stashed away in my car, so I put it in, ready to listen to a lineup of songs I hadn't heard for a while. One of the first was "At the Beginning" from the Anastasia soundtrack--a song that took me waaaaay back to my days living at The Colony at BYU--Jess was almost more in love with this song than she was with the boy--serving a mission in Russia--that inspired her love for the tune (aaah...the JPR + PMC days still put a smile on my face). It was strange how listening to the song in my car today suddenly had me thinking about our big living room with the navy blue carpet and navy blue furniture (my sister tells me it's still the same!) and Jessica, Laura, Jana, Candice, Heather, and I lounging around the apartment late at night chatting, listening to the same song over and over, watching Jana eat a slice of bread with peanut butter and chocolate chips or Jessica munching on a bagel pizza. Heather was probably in sweats and a sports bra...maybe she was still in her room beating up her punching bag or participating in the conversation by shouting from the bathroom while sitting on the pot--door wide-open of course. Jessica and Laura had probably just walked back from the library--backpacks stuffed and overflowing--and laughing their way through a hilarious story like the time Jessica slipped on the ice but couldn't get up because her backpack was so heavy. And the boy who shouted from the other side of the quad that he'd come to her rescue who somehow ended up flat on his back next to her. Maybe Erica or Candi had stopped by for a chat, and more than likely Jana was in PJs, bandanna tied around her hair peasant-style, announcing that she had to get to sleep and could we please please please keep our voices down. Candice and I were at the piano, trying out one of my newest compositions...Candice singing, of course. Wow, I suddenly missed my dear friends more than I had in a very long time. Now beautiful Laura has her absolutely beautiful babies and finds herself a stronger woman than ever having led her family through more trials and hardships this past year or two. Jana now a busy mom of three and Bishop's wife--can't even imagine that right now! Jessica just reached her LONG time goal of running a marathon...you go girl!! Gotta thank Jess for convincing me and Jana to try a little bit of running our freshman year, something I then hated but quickly grew to love (though my post-baby body has yet to get back into it), while Candice and Mark are living the life of east coast artists...raising their babies in the middle of NYC where Mark continues acting and Candice captures magic on her camera. Heather is just what we (and she!) predicted she'd be...mom to a whole houseful of adorable little cowboys and cowgirls. What a blessing to stay in contact with these wonderful women. I also remember our reunion in summer 2006 at the Lewis' cabin in Southern UT--the timing couldn't have been more perfect for me...it was one of the toughest weeks of my life, so being surrounded by such strength and faith was truly a divine blessing. I'm so unexpectedly nostalgic today and feel incredibly grateful for their friendship.

2009-04-17T17:47:00.001-07:00

Michael's been crawling for about 3 weeks now (and--man--he can move!!) and then yesterday he pulled himself up in a standing position for the first time. Augh!! It's all going by so fast! Thank goodness we really are enjoying every minute....like these ones from our trip to San Antonio last weekend.

Serg picked up Michael from day care today and word is that my 8-month-old is already bullying the other kids. Apparently his newfound mobility has also given him the courage to crawl over to other children, grab their hair and pull their heads to the ground until they cry. Noooo!

Goodbye Baby Weight!

2009-04-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

It took me over seven months to really dig my heels in and make it happen, but I'm finally starting to see my oh-so-many pounds of baby weight (and post-baby weight, sadly!) start coming off! I gained about 60 pounds throughout the pregnancy (I know, yikes!) and when you add that to the 15 or 20 I'd been gaining for the few months before getting pregnant and the 10 or so I'd gained since having the baby...well, you do the math and it ain't pretty. In a matter of 18 months my poor body was about 85 pounds heavier than it had been, and it was REALLY feeling it. I was uncomfortable, sometimes in pain, and had a very limited wardrobe (the latter was the final kicker). :) I finally took charge and decided I was sick of feeling so uncomfortable, and no matter how much time I did or didn't have nor how much junk food friends and family ate in front of me (my two pet excuses) I was gonna get that weight off!

I use South Beach diet as a guide, but it basically means I eat lots of fruit, veggies, lean meats, nuts, and 100% whole grains--no white flours, sucrose, nor high-fat low-nutrition foods. No counting calories or carbs or points or anything--just eating smart. I'm making sure I do some sort of exercise at least 20 min a day; it's not much, but it's way better than nothing. My body is thanking me for my renewed commitment to its health! I'm so much more energetic and the weight is already beginning to slip off only 3 weeks in. I'm not weighing myself for a while since that sometimes discourages me--my clothes already feel looser, I've got a ton of energy (usually), and I'm starting to look slimmer. Now I just need to prioritize some time in the gym so that I do some weight training and gain muscle while losing fat--I've let myself get terribly weak over the past couple of years but am determined to make a healthy change!

Family Fun (AKA don't let vacation end!)

2009-03-19T21:55:00.000-07:00

This week both Sergio and I were off from work for Spring Break, so we had a truly FANTASTIC time together as a family. Serg and I spent the first couple of days tackling the mess that is our storage shed and our inside closets--it was a true spring clean. We tossed 2 pick-up truck loads of junk! Now, amid the trash, we also discovered a few treasures here and there--photos, letters, and trinkets that we hadn't seen for years and which prompted a spontaneous "remember when...?" or "have I told you about the time...?" We also found a bundle of Pier 1 gift cards we'd been given for wedding presents (yes, almost 5 years ago!). I

figured it was worth a try seeing if any had money left on them, so after a few minutes talking to customer service, I found that we had a combined $100 + left on the cards! That called for a shopping trip to Pier 1 where we bought a new set of plates, placemats, napkins, etc.

The week also included Michael's first swim. We outfitted him with swimming shorts & shirt, hat, 50 SPF sunblock, the works. He definitely inherited my skin color, so I

am taking NO chances when it comes to sunburns (OK, so maybe this wasn't all necessary at 5 PM but it sure looked adorable).

While it's incredibly warm here in the Valley this week (I'm writing this post at 5:30 PM and it's currently 85 degrees), the water hasn't quite had a chance to catch up--it was definitely a bit chilly. Serg insisted he'd get used to it, so I sat back and watched the crying without too much protesting. However, once Michael's little chin started shivering with cold I had to intervene and make the decision that swimming 101 was over for the day. :) We ended the evening with some delicious Texas BBQ--Serg makes to-die-for fajitas that are nothing less than addictive. Fajitas, barbequed chicken, rice, and hot-off-the-comal tortillas warmed us up very quickly.

Michael thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the park. He adores being outside and could be walked in his stroller forever--constantly watching all the action and listening to the sounds. We took our dog Prince and Jason's new puppy Rambo to romp and run to their heart's content.

Last Friday afternoon my colleague Carrie--principal of another school in the district--called me out of the blue. "Bethany, I'm having such a hard time finding work/family balance and my son's four years old. I can't imagine what you're going through with a baby." We shared gratitude for great husbands that make it possible (both our hubbies own their own businesses and therefore sometimes have the flexibility in their schedules to take care of the kiddos when our jobs as principals require more time on campus than usual). She then proceeded to remind me I wasn't alone and that she's there as a support, listening ear, anything. I so appreciated her spontaneous phone call and have been thinking about the craziness of this past year and how I can better put my family first. Opening a new school as a first-year principal while also living the ups and downs of a first-time mom has been challenging to say the least. I cringe thinking of the times I've had to work late into the night at home--bottle in one hand, typing on the other. I sometimes feel like I give more to other peoples' children than I do to my own. Don't get me wrong--I truly love my career and am deeply passionate about what I do but I don't know that I wouldn't make some fundamental changes if we didn't currently need to be a two-income family. During vacations like this past week, I get a glimpse of everything I miss on the days I'm at work and Michael's in daycare. At the same time, I also get a better sense of the challenges that come with being a stay-at-home mom and trying to accomplish a number of tasks while being the primary caregiver 24/7. Definitely has its own set of challenges I'm not sure I'm totally ready for either. Ultimately, I've got to find a way to flourish at work and feel like I'm giving it my all without feeling like there's not enough time/energy left for my family. Relaxing vacations are a definite first step! :)

Goodbyes

2009-01-18T15:42:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks before Christmas, we took the Primary children to a nearby nursing home to sing Christmas carols to the residents and just spread some general cheer. As we were singing and I gazed around the room at the dozens of sweet elderly residents gathered to listen to us, I couldn't help but let my mind wander to my own grandma, Joan Bates Perritt, suffering from dementia and in the hands of other kind and caring people at a nursing home in Australia. Just days before, Mom had called me with the news that Grandma had suddenly caught an infection and that the doctors said it would be just a matter of days before she was gone. Mom and Dad immediately booked a flight down under while all I could do was call her and say a final goodbye while my aunt Diana held the phone to her ear. As we sang I felt Grandma close and the thousands of miles between us didn't quite seem so far. As I drove home with my counselors and secretary in the Primary presidency, the phone rang....caller ID indicated it was Mom. I knew what she was calling to tell me--and I was right. Grandma was gone.
It was certainly a bittersweet moment...sweet peace that her ailing body was finally at rest and yet bitter pangs of homesickness for this wonderful woman who, though I hadn't been able to see her in years, had a profound impact on my life. It was a strange feeling to realize that all 4 of my grandparents had now passed away. I reluctantly accepted the fact that there was no way I'd be able to make the trip for her funeral. However, my brother Ben made the last minute decision to go (like just a few hours before flying out!) so he took copious notes during the services so he could share them with me and my 2 sisters. Grandma's life and legacy was truly celebrated--Ben's notes give a glimpse into her faith and fortitude (and sometimes just her sheer bullheadishness!) ....here they are:

One story Uncle Rob told was about Grandma as an 18 year old who desperately wanted to join the Air Force. Her mother wouldn't let her and since she couldn't enlist without parental permission until she was 21 she was stuck. So, one day she ran up to her mom and said that she was late and that she needed her to quickly sign her bus pass so she could get going. In a rush, her mom quickly signed the paper Grandma was holding. Grandma turned to her and said, "Thanks Mum, you just signed my Air Force enlistment papers". Apparently this earned Grandma a colorful reply from her mother (according to Mom, she called her a bloody b****).

Rob told another story in which Grandma put together a picnic lunch for the family and they headed out to the park. It started to rain, but instead of going home Grandma led them to a McDonalds. They all sat down at the tables in McDonalds and, to Rob's horror, Grandma began to unpack and distribute the sandwiches from the picnic basket.

Diana told the story of Grandma coming home from the grocery store and discovering that they had given her five cents too much in change. She headed back to the store to return it, while an exasperated Diana told her that it was just five cents and wasn't worth the trip. Grandma responded this way: "If I want to be justified in telling them when they shortchange me then I have to return the money when they give me too much". Later Mom would tell me how Grandma once discovered on her receipt that they had overcharged her and asked Mom to take the receipt back to the store. When Mom told the storekeeper that he had overcharged her, the storekeeper said, "If your mum says that we overcharged her, then we overcharged her" and gave her the money without further questions.

Craig told a hilarious story that took place when Grandma lived near his family in Gerringong. By that time, Grandma's mobility was limited so Craig helped her find a motorized buggy that she could ride on around town or in the supermarket. After some haggling with the bike shop, Craig brought home the buggy. They took it for a test drive, with Grandma riding on the buggy and Craig walking/running beside her to keep up. When they got into town Craig produced a skateboard that he had been carrying with him and told Grandma that he wanted her to come to the skate park with him. Craig had already hurt himself on two previous occasions on the skateboard and had been forbidden by his doctor from skateboarding anymore, so he told Grandma that she had to keep his secret. Craig hopped on his board and started skating on the half pipe when, lo and behold, he came down and snapped something in his leg. Doubled up in pain and unable to walk, Craig's only option was stand one-footed on his skateboard and hold on to Grandma's buggy as she negotiated the way back through the streets of Gerringong. Apparently Grandma wasn't keen on slowing down for pretty much anything, including driveways. The picture of a grown man standing on a skateboard being pulled along by Grandma in a buggy is enough to make me start laughing again.

As was a common theme throughout, Diana spoke of Grandma's thrift and how Grandma would buy second-hand clothes at the op-shops. When she was younger Diana hated it, especially because Grandma didn't seem to even mind crossing the line into buying second-hand bras. Of course now that Diana has her own family she loves second-hand clothes and one of her favorite activities is to wake up early to hit the second-hand tables and put together a good outfit with as little money as possible. From the podium, diana proudly declared to Grandma that her whole outfit only cost $13.51. She added that she does *not* cross the line.

Diana also spoke of being forced to do piano lessons. Grandma would place a wooden spoon at the end of the piano and say "I think it would be a good idea if you stayed and finished your piano practice, Diana."

In another story about thrift, Diana talked about how Grandma would send her to the chicken shop to buy up all the chicken carcasses. Diana would bring them home and Grandma would proceed to have her pick off any remaining chicken that was on the carcasses. They would then freeze that chicken and use it to make a wonderful chicken soup. Grandma certainly knew how to stretch a dollar.

Mike also talked about wooden spoons and how Grandma had a seemingly endless supply of them. Mike and co. would find the wooden spoons and hide them, or Grandma would break them (probably more on Mike than anyone is my guess) and yet there were always more to be found.

Mom gave a beautiful talk. She spoke of dressing Grandma and getting her ready for the funeral. She was applying some hand cream to Grandma's hands and she began thinking about all of the things those hands had done. She spoke of how those hands had loved, worked and served.

One of the stories that Mom didn't have time to tell in her talk was about the time that she was with Grandma and their keys got locked in the trunk of Grandma's car. This was pre-mobile-phones so she didn't have any way to contact anyone to come and help her. Grandma told Mom they should pray about the keys, to which idea Mom was both skeptical and a bit exasperated. Grandma went ahead with the idea and as soon as she finished the prayer Grandma looked over and saw a lady walking by. "Maybe that lady has a key that would fit our trunk" said Grandma. Of course Mom considered the insanity of that idea and must have been somewhat embarrassed when Grandma went ahead and yelled out to the lady to see if she would be willing to try her key in their trunk. The lady agreed and, miracle of miracles, it actually worked!

Barb told a story of Grandma's simple faith in prayer. She had hung the childrens' cloth nappies out on the clothesline to dry and then left to go to the store. While she was at the store it began to rain and, worried that the nappies were going to get wet and that she wouldn't have any to use when she got home, she offered a prayer that they would remain dry. When they got home from the store the entire house and property were wet from the rain, except for the clothesline and the nappies. Grandma was so headstrong, said Barb, that she could even seem to control the weather.

Barb also talked about Grandma's faith in paying tithing. Money was always tight for their family, of course, but at one particular time Grandma was faced with the choice between paying tithing and buying coats for her children. Though she didn't know how, she knew that somehow it would work out for her children if she paid her tithing. Soon after the Parker family came to the chapel with a bag full of coats that their children had grown out of. The coats in the bag were, of course, just the sizes that were needed for the children.

Because of the tight financial situation Grandma was always careful with money. Still, she was unfailingly generous whenever there was someone in need, putting on garage sales or helping others whenever they needed help.

Grandma never gossiped and always found the good in everyone. When one of her children would complain about a person being mean or rude Grandma would tell them that the person may have been going through a difficult time or experiencing something they couldn't understand. She always assumed the best about people.

Uncle Greg read excerpts from Elder Tyler's letter:

Dear Christine, Barbara, Greg, Michael, Craig, Diana, and families

I was saddened but not completely surprised to receive word today of your mother’s and grandmother’s passing. When I spoke to several of you by telephone I was so emotional that I could not adequately express my feelings. Each time I tried to begin I could feel myself becoming unable to speak, so I appreciate the opportunity to write to you some of the special memories and spiritual experiences I had with your mother and grandmother.

When I was a twenty-year-old missionary in 1957-58, my companion and I were boarding in a home in Riverside Drive in Sans Souci and later across the punt in Holt Rd. in Taren Point. It was during that time that we knocked at your door in Frazer St. Your mother said she could not see us at that moment, and so we asked, as we usually did, if we could return at a more convenient time. She consented and said any other time would be good, but not right then so I said “How about in 15 minutes?” When she agreed we were unable to knock on any other doors since had we been invited in we could not have kept our appointment with your mother. So we crossed the street, sat on a rock at the water’s edge and waited for a long 15 minutes. Years later, when Sister Tyler and I were in Australia as couple missionaries, your mother told me that she felt she needed to change from the shorts she was wearing to more modest clothes. After changing she watched us through the window wondering what we would do and if we would return.

Why would a missionary suggest returning in 15 minutes? It made it impossible to do anything but wait. And why did she feel she needed to be better dressed to receive us? I am persuaded that the “15-minute suggestion” was not mine. And her desire to be more appropriately dressed was similarly directed. Many years later, again during the time Sister Tyler and I were serving as couple missionaries, we went together to the Sydney Temple, and she told almost everyone we met in the temple that day that she had “prayed us to her door.” She was indeed directed in her pursuit of the truth. Any missionary who had knocked at her door would have been well received. To have been there at that time has been one of the great blessings of my life.

During the time we were teaching the missionary discussions to your mother and grandmother, we had many spiritually uplifting experiences. One I remember, in particular, was an appointment we had one evening well after dark. We were returning from another activity on the electric bus that ran from Kogarah to the punt in San Souci. There was a small shelter at the punt bus stop, and after the bus had left, we went behind the shelter where it was shaded from the street lights and very dark, bowed in prayer, and pleaded that we might be directed as we taught that evening. Our prayers were answered and our discussion that evening was one I remember as being unusually spiritual. It was from that night, I believe, that your mother was determined to accept the gospel and be baptized.

We invited your father to join in the discussions with us, and though he always treated us with great kindness and respect, he required more time to accept the gospel message. On the day your mother was baptized the Greenwich Chapel had recently been finished and the new baptismal font at Greenwich was used for the baptism. You father drove us to Greenwich, but did not attend the baptismal service. He had other errands to attend to and returned after the service and drove us home. I have often marveled at your mother’s faith and courage on that day. She was all alone the day of her baptism, yet her faith was strong enough to sustain her. She then proceeded over the next several years to lead all her family into the church. Christine was baptized just a week or so before I returned home. You mother’s faithfulness in teaching her children the gospel and praying with them touched your father’s heart and about four year’s later he was baptized and became equally faithful. I received a letter from your mother telling me of his baptism and how excited she was. Not long after that I received another letter telling me that he had been called as a counselor in the Hurstville Branch Presidency (or bishopric; I’m not sure if the stake had been organized by then). I still remember a line from that letter. She said, “How proud I was of my Fred!”

Not long before the time I was scheduled to return home, your mother confided in me that she wanted to have more children, but, for reasons she kept private, felt that it was unlikely. There were then three—Christine, Barbara, and Greg. She asked if I would give her a priesthood blessing and bless her that she would be able to have additional children. It was, I have often thought, unusual that a mature mother of three would make such a deeply personal request of a young single kid like me. The memory of that experience has always been very sacred to me, and I have not often spoken about it. Her humble faith in the power of a priesthood blessing and the request that I give it honored me beyond anything I deserved. The births of Michael, Craig, and Diana followed; each of you owes your very life to your mother’s faith.

Sister Perritt visited us in Salt Lake City on two occasions—once with Greg when he came, as a Stake President, to General Conference, and once by herself while she had been visiting Christine. During the visit with Greg, she went, without a ticket, to each session of general conference and miraculously was given a ticket by one person and then another. It was also during that visit that we decided we would like to attend the Salt Lake Temple together. We set a time, but rescheduled because of some conflict. Then we set another time only to reschedule again. I don’t remember for certain how many times we re-scheduled, but when we finally got there, we were on a session with Elder Jorgensen who had been my companion when we first called on your mother. We had a marvelous visit together in the temple and later again in our home.

During her second visit to Salt Lake, we went to the top of the Church Office Building where there is an observation room where you can look down on Temple Square and out on Salt Lake City. The entrance and other auxiliary facilities at the Salt Lake Temple were being re-built and we had a bird’s-eye view of the construction project. At that time I was serving in the Utah State Legislature, and we went to the Capitol Building, just a couple of blocks from Temple Square, where I got to show her around the State Capitol.

While Fred was still alive, my parents visited Australia with a tour group. I had called and asked Bro. and Sis. Perritt if they might see them. They invited them to your home where they spent the evening singing and visiting with your family. It was the highlight of the tour, and the event they spoke about most often when they talked of their trip to Australia. They formed an immediate bond which lasted until they passed away.

The last time I visited with your mother and grandmother was in May, 2007 when Sister Tyler and I spent two to three weeks visiting our friends in Australia. She was living in Gerringong and we drove down for a most pleasant visit with her and Craig. I thought then that she was failing and it would likely be our last visit together. It was on the same trip that we spent a night in Greg and Sylvia’s home and another in Bob and Barbara’s home. (We got pretty good at sponging off friends.)

While Sister Tyler and I were serving as couple missionaries in Australia during 2003-2004, we had several opportunities to meet in family gatherings with the Perritts. Pres. Walker, our mission president, frequently told the young elders that if they could find just one Sister Perritt, what an impact that would have on the church in Australia in another generation.
We remember being there for you mother’s 80th birthday observance at the Balkham Hills Stake Center. Bob and Christine came from the U.S. I was impressed by the large number of friends who showed up to honor her. On another occasion we were invited to join the Perritts for a family dinner. The family by now was large indeed, and a family dinner had to be held in a church building. We sang together after dinner and then words were spoken and thanks given of which I could not possibly be worthy. Whenever we have contact with the Perritts, I feel I am enjoying the blessings promised in D&C 18:15-16. Except that I haven't had to die first.

We rejoice with you in the life and faith of Joan Perritt—a woman whose faith has wrought miraculous blessing for her family and friends. Your charge is to live worthy of the blessings that have come to you by her courageous and pioneering determination to accept and live the gospel. We bask with you in the glory of her life, and send our love again at the time of her death. It is at such times that the veil seems very thin and we often catch glimpses of things eternal. May you enjoy sacred memories of events surrounding her passing, and may your faith sustain you.

With all our love and respect. Elder and Sister Tyler

Ah, Grandma. May I one day have the deep unwavering faith you had. Your love for the Lord will live on for generations to come through the hundreds of us you shared it with...I promise that little Michael will come to know his Great Grandma Joan very well.

Home For The Holidays

2008-12-26T23:50:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was truly the ultimate white Christmas (and the first white Christmas for lots of family visiting from Australia!) It was such a blessing to have my aunts Diana & Barbara (Mom's sisters from down under) as well as uncles, cousins, etc. It had been 12 years since I'd seen them; in fact I'd never even met my adorable 9 year old cousin Ellie!

Here's a recap of some highlight events from our trip...

Christmas Carolling: Mom was determined to make sure our Aussie family had a perfect small town white Christmas and everything that goes along with it. That included an evening Christmas carolling hay ride with family and friends. Perry Clark hooked up a flatbed trailer to his truck, piled on the hay bales, and drove us slowly around Adin (tiny town of about 300 people) singing our guts out in below-zero weather. Well....singing THEIR guts out. :) Baby Michael and I sat in the truck cab where it was actually pretty warm.

We have a number of Christmas traditions that have evolved over the years. Christmas Eve is filled with them. We watch Scrooge (the musical with Albert Finney), get matching PJs as a present from Mom, eat a dinner from the country of our choosing and learn about some of their holiday traditions (this year was Greece, thanks to the resident Greek of the family--Emmanuel), and, of course, we "do" the Nativity. Now, what "doing" the Nativity actually means has also evolved over the years. What used to be a simple reading of the Christmas story from the Bible has turned into a full-blown Christmas Eve dram

atization of the whole thing. It's actually become a bit irreverent (ie: hilarious!) as we don costumes and act it out and improv dialogue as Mom narrates. We may have to tweak it eventually so we don't lose all traces of spirituality, but for the meantime it makes for some great family memories.

Here's sweet naked baby Jesus himself...

The role of donkey was ceremoniously (ie: by lottery) passed from Dad to Uncle Rob this year. Yes, we struggled to keep a straight face as he crawled around on all fours with a toy reindeer tied to his head for donkey ears and a loud grating "ee-aw" every time he was mentioned in the story.

Here's the entire cast and crew of Nativity 2008:

On to Christmas morning. Along our mantle was quite the impressive lineup of stockings. With 16 people in the house we were packed in tight....so much fun!

Every Christmas morning Dad emerges from his room dressed in his red and white striped "Twas the Night Before Christmas" nightgown and cap. This year he received a new cap. Now, I've been posting pics online of Dad in this garb for at least 5 years now, but never thought much of it. This time there was a little bit of fallout. The day after I added this picture to Facebook (which he apparently forbade my aunt Diana from doing, unbeknownst to me), a friend at church welcomed Dad with a wicked smile and asked where he could get a nightgown and cap like his. Dad turned a few shades paler and immediately looked at Diana who proclaimed her innocence and then ran to tell me what had happened. Sorry Dad, but I'll continue to post them. They're just too good!

It was that much more magical spending our first Christmas with Michael. He spent the entire week being passed from one set of adoring arms to another. Every once in a while we saw our baby boy. :)

Meet Frosty. Possibly the tallest snowman I've ever helped build, he stood at around 8 or 9 feet high and made possible some great photo ops....particularly the one where Uncle Rob, Manuel and Jonathan decided to run out in their typical Aussie Christmas attire (shorts and surfboards) and pose for a few frigid shots.

We all clean up "real nice" for Christmas dinner. It's always the traditional turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, the works! Always delicious but always a lot of work. I think I prefer Sergio's family's approach to this one--the BIG Christmas dinner with family and friends is always on the evening of the 24th, la Nochebuena. That way Christmas Day itself is a little less burdened by food prep and cleanup.

December 26th is Boxing Day in Australia. It's the day you show appreciation for all those great people that make the community run smoothly by giving them boxes (presents!) ...milkman, postman, garbageman, etc. Well, Boxing Day was skating and sledding day for us this year. We gathered the troops and all headed to Luke and Melinda Booker's place for the day. Melinda is a dear friend of Mom's (another Aussie in Fall River!) and her husband Luke is a rice farmer--he filled one of his fields with water which, of course, became the largest ice rink you could imagine! The hit of the day was definitely sledding behind the 4 wheelers. Similar to water skiing, you hold on to the rope connected to the 4 wheeler, jump on the sled/toboggan of your choice and hold tight for a wild ride. My favorite was definitely the inner tube.

We had a great bonfire going and roasted marshmallows and sipped hot chocolate while we waited for our next turn on the ice.

Michael came along but stayed inside the house to keep warm.

On one of Dad's turns he hit some of the cracking ice and went through (only about a foot deep but still wet and cold). He had to come inside for a while to warm up and dry off his wet clothes. This is what I found when I came inside--Dad with a mere blanket wrapped around his waist and his chonies drying in front of the fireplace. We even got a little leg for this shot.

One of our favorite places to visit when staying with my parents is nearby Burney Falls. It's worth the slippery trek down to the bottom of the falls, but there are lots of great views along the way. It really is breathtaking--we never get tired of going.

On Saturday night, Ben and Barb and their gorgeous girls Josie and Claire drove up from the Modesto area where they'd spent Christmas with Barb's family. So, for about 22 hours all 4 of us Dolman siblings were together again (first time in 2 years!) and for the first time ever, all 3 of Mom and Dad's grandchildren were together. Though Serg and I had to leave church after Sacrament Meeting to drive back to Sacramento, we all ditched Sunday School to take photos of the entire Dolman/Turner/Angeloudis crew outside the chapel. What a wonderful week!

For the record, here's everyone (L-R, B-F): Manuel, Diana, Jonathan, Brent, Sergio, Dad, Ben, Amy, Esther, Laura, Uncle Rob, Aunty Barbara, Bethany & Michael, Mom & Claire, Barb, Sophie, Ellie, and Josie. Whew!

Other great memories from the trip: playing 2-pick-up, yummy burgers at the Frosty, going to the movies, celebrating Manuel and Diana's birthdays, seeing deer in the front yard, watching the otter play at the bottom of Burney Falls, snowball fights, Jono and Esther tipping the 4 wheeler, my crash and burn ride through the slush on the inner tube, piecing together lots of different little tables and random chairs and piano benches so we all have a place to sit at the dinner table, the Saturday night talent show (Barb's interactive 12 days of Christmas, Esther tap dancing, Ellie busting out all the moves to HSM3, Uncle Rob and Aunty Barb singing I'll Love You Forever, Ben and I and our "jammin" improv of Silver and Gold, Sophie and Amy's dance routine, all of us singing a rousing version of Waltzing Matilda), getting acquainted with my new Finale Songwriter software (so cool! thanks babe!!), filling up 3 rows at church, potato peeling races, fruit cake and custard, and the list goes on!

A Week To Be Thankful For

2008-12-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about my school district is that we have an entire week off for Thanksgiving vacation. This year my parents flew in for most of the week and Sergio took several days off as well, so we had an amazing week filled with fun, family, and FOOD. 16 of us gathered at Sergio's parents house for the big Thanksgiving feast and ALL took home several days worth of leftovers. I was in charge of the mashed potatoes and stuffing, and we also decided to throw in a fruit salad, apple cranberry cake, and a couple of pumpkin pies. Mom and I had lots of fun together in the kitchen all day Wednesday. As you can see, Serg's specialty is turkey--he baked one and deep fried the other. His mom baked another and cooked a fourth one rotisserie style. Out of control!

One of the things Serg has been itching to do is take my dad shooting--some good male bonding time, Texas style. So while my mom and I spent Wednesday cooking up a storm, the men enjoyed an afternoon together at a local shooting range followed by a hearty meal at Whattaburger. Now, I don't usually enjoy cooking very much, but preparing Thanksgiving food and chatting with my mom as we roll out pastry, mix batter, or peel potatoes, is one time I really love it. We all enjoyed ourselves that afternoon.

Another highlight for the week was a shopping trip to Mexico. We stepped over the border to Progreso and only spent a couple of hours there, but mom and dad had a blast purchasing some goodies. It was Mom's first time in Mexico--she was surprised you could be only a couple of hundred yards from the United States but find yourself in such different surroundings.

Visiting Bethany & Sergio during the winter months means leaving behind the chilly snowy north and heading down to sunny South Texas where Thanksgiving Day temperatures reach into the 80s. Here are my parents enjoying a nice Thanksgiving swim (ok, I will admit it the water was too cold for me, but they were willing to brave the first few minutes of freezing-ness to have their autumn dip), so any and all who grimace at the thought of 3 months of uninterrupted snow and ice are always welcome to head down for a visit!

Family Photo Shoot

2008-12-05T19:31:00.000-08:00

Though the hour leading up to the moment we arrived at the studio was a bit rocky (why does getting family photos always seem to trigger some sort of family conflict?!?), we made it there smiling (miracle!), and our first ever Solis family photo shoot turned out to be a great success! Gerardo Garmendia, an incredibly talented photographer from a nearby ward, captured a little bit of our family personality and love for each other in these pics (just a few of our favorites). If you want to see the rest of the digital prints that we purchased, you can go to: www.flickr.com/photos/bethanysolis. We couldn't be more pleased with how they turned out!

More Michael (what else do I write about?)

2008-11-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

Our little boy is growing up! Now able to hold his head up all the time, we were able to set up Michael's doorway jumper. He loved it! Though he's not yet rolling over, he's moving around like crazy; we put him down in his crib in one position and find him in an entirely different one when we go back in. He's now also giggling and chattering constantly...it's so fun to hear him wake up and start "talking" to himself. This week he also suddenly began to hold on to things--rattles, blankets, hair, everything! He even attempts to hold on to his bottle with 2 hands, though it will be a while before he can actually sustain it. It was also the week he really started keeping his head up while on his tummy. It was quite the week of milestones for Michael!

Motherhood Unplugged

2008-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

The more Michael grows, the more he looks like Sergio...especially this past Sunday as both father and son donned shirts and ties for church.

I adore weekends and the time we get to spend with the baby. I definitely have frequent waves of "I'm-a-terrible-mom" syndrome as I struggle to balance work and family and deal with the realities of opening a new school as a first year principal while also learning the ropes as a first time mom. It means juggling all the demands on my time in a way that gets everything done while still feeling like I'm putting first things first--not always successful on that front (thus the "I'm-a-terrible-mom" moments).

Sergio and I both work long hours, but we've come to understand the fact that, given where we are in our respective careers, this just has to be. We're doing a good job of tag-teaming it with the baby and finding ways to support each other rather than resent each other for time spent working. I'm so thankful for such a hands-on husband--who changes diapers, cleans spit-up, prepares bottles, and takes the baby to the pediatrician like no other. Serg has morning duty--he does everything to get Michael ready for day care and drops him off, while I take over in the afternoon. I leave work by 5:30 to pick up the baby, and we enjoy a few hours together before Serg gets home from teaching his evening Wing Chun classes. It gets a little more tricky when you throw in presidency meetings, family literacy nights, book studies, parent/teacher conferences, and all the other evening events I find myself needing to go to while Serg is still working.

All in all, balancing work and motherhood takes a new level creativity and quite a sense of humor. Case in point: (and just know that the anecdote I'm about to share could be considered by some to be too much information, but those of you with kids know that after childbirth there's practically nothing sacred anymore, so I'm gonna share it anyway) ...I am trying desperately to make sure Michael's diet still consists primarily of breastmilk. This means I need to pump periodically throughout the day, sometimes in less than ideal places....like supply closets or offices with chart paper plastered all over the door window.

Well, our new school still has no office (we're waiting on the city for a permit to turn on power in the portables), so my principal's office currently consists of a desk in the hall. Let me also add that, because we're building in phases, our first building has fairly large student restrooms but only one private staff bathroom, a bathroom that also doubles as a janitorial supply closet. This is the only place I can privately pump, so I drag in a chair (in spite of strange looks from those who wonder what on earth I need a chair for to go to the bathroom) and plop myself down to occupy the only adult restroom for 20 minute chunks at a time, only to emerge with a mysterious and inordinately large black bag slung over my shoulder as I smile nonchalantly at my colleagues waiting desperately (well the small handful who refuse to use the student bathrooms) to go to the bathroom. No, I do not really look forward to this twice daily ritual.

But there's more....given that there's so much to accomplish in a given day, I have to employ some of that extra creativity I mentioned earlier. So I use masking-tape to keep the shields "hands-free" and get work done on the computer while pumping. So there I was--storage closet, chair, masking tape, big black bag, pump, computer, the whole nine yards--when the school fire alarm went off. Ah yes--picture it if you dare. It was a mad rush to get myself presentable and head into the hall to sweep the building and then outside to make sure all students were accounted for. I still can't help giggling out loud as I think of it.

Yes, the lighter side (and unplugged version) of balancing work and motherhood.

Arrival of the Great Pumpkin

2008-11-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

Halloween was pretty low-key (in comparison to what it's bound to be in years to come) but we couldn't resist putting Michael in costume. Serg spent most of Thursday night and Friday with a pretty violent stomach virus, but he was well enough for us to venture over to Grandma Carmen's and Grandpa Sergio's on Friday night for the family to gush over our own adorable "great pumpkin." Honestly, I can't stand the cuteness! :)

Getting to Know the Real Michael Solis

2008-11-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

It seems like Michael's really starting to develop some "personal preferences," unique physical features, and a distinct personality. This is what we've come to know about our son so far:

* He adores baths. He'll start calming down at the sound of running water and, while he hasn't really started laughing yet, his excitement once in the water is the closest he's come so far. Hunger, however, trumps his love for baths....as this rare tearful splash-session reveals:

* Michael, like his daddy, is only grumpy when his tummy needs filling (and occasionally when tired). Other than that, both father and son have incredibly sunny dispositions. Tummy-filling, by the way, has proven most successful; Michael was only 5 lbs 6 oz at birth and then--at his 2 month checkup--he weighed in at a whopping 12 lbs 9 oz. Rolls and dimples everywhere....yay!!

* Michael is quite the strongman. Almost everything is done with fists clenched (including taking very deliberate--and almost calculated--swings at the animals hanging from his mobile), and tummy time looks like a frantic push-up drill (both arms and legs forcefully pushing him up, almost on all fours). Needless to say, my martial arts school owning husband is quite pleased.

* He may end up having wavy hair, if a newly discovered cow lick is any indication of where this is going. I've had to start brushing Michael's hair in the opposite direction, as it was no match for that darn cow lick. I'm crossing my fingers that there's still a chance he'll inherit Sergio's stick-straight thick black Japanese hair.

* Michael recognizes mom, dad, and himself (well, that's what we like to believe anyhow). He breaks into the most adorable grins upon seeing us as well as seeing himself in the mirror. Talk about heart-melting!

* Michael puts up with his mom's obsession with cute baby boy clothes. I have to exert tremendous discipline when out and about on shopping trips, but I couldn't be more excited that he's starting to fit into size 3-6 months clothing--baby boy clothes start getting soooo cute at that size!

* Michael, thankfully, is beginning to sleep through the night. It's happened 3 times so far this last week or two, and mommy is DEFINITELY counting!

Blessing Our Baby Boy

2008-10-04T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday (Sept 29) was a day we've been looking forward to for a very long time...blessing our beautiful baby boy. My parents made the trek down from Northern CA to South TX to be here, and, of course, we had all of Sergio's family with us--they all live here in Mission, just 10 minutes away. It's great to have a set of doting grandp

arents so close; they're always ready and willing to watch Michael so Serg and I can have a moment to breathe every once in a while. Don't get me wrong....being parents is SUCH a blessing, and one we've looked forward to for quite a while, but sometimes just a 10 min trip to the grocery store by myself is a definite treat and can make my day. But back to the blessing...

It was the first time we'd arrived to church on time in months (terrible, eh?)...so early we even had time for some quick pics outside the church building. The blessing itself was beautiful; Sergio was joined by his brother and bro-in-law, our fathers, and the Bishop.

Michael couldn't have looked cuter in his adorable blessing outfit, another cute creation by Grandma Chris (and still haven't figured out how to rotate in blogger....my pics keep reverting to horizontal orientation) (??)

On Monday I returned to work. It was, overall, a good week, though I've been SOOOOOO beyond exhausted (sleepless nights and long work days--yuck!) I can barely think straight. I hoping it doesn't take my body long to adjust to the sleep deprivation that's sure to continue for a while yet. If I wasn't nursing, Serg could share a little more in our 3 AM fun. :)

Little Milestones

2008-09-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how exciting the tiniest milestones are....like a quick responsive smile and a good daytime nap that is longer than 1 hour long. Here are a few more pics of our baby boy (sorry about the orientation; I can't figure how to maintain portrait (vertical) orientation once I upload them here...)

Growing Fast

2008-09-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Michael is growing soooo fast!! He's already close to 9 lbs and measured 21 inches at his 1 month check-up earlier this week. Lots of growth means lots of eating--I'm having a hard time keeping up with his constant hunger this past week. Some days I feel like ALL I do is feed him! Transitioning to motherhood has been both wonderful and challenging, and as long as I'm able to get out of the house at least once a day, I can handle it all quite well. If not....well...it ain't pretty. :)

As I get ready to head back to work on September 29th I have really mixed emotions: part of me wishes I didn't have to return and that we, as a family, were in a position where I could be a stay-at-home mom from here on out....and then the other part of me can't wait to get back into my fast-forward-mode professional life (I must admit I feel a bit guilty about how excited I am to return to work). Meanwhile, time to enjoy my final week at home with Michael.

Weeks 2 & 3

2008-09-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

Just a few more pics of our adorable baby boy...

At Sergio's martial arts school...

In Daddy's office...

Enjoying a generous portion of fist...

Michael's got a bit of growing ahead of him...

Welcome Michael Adam Solis

2008-08-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

He has arrived! Our beautiful baby boy made his long-anticipated entrance to the world at 2:30 PM on Wednesday August 13, 2008. He weighed in at a tiny 5 lbs 6 oz and measured just 18.5 inches....much to his not-so-petite parents' surprise! :) We couldn't be more excited to finally hold Michael Adam in our arms and to finally be "mommy and daddy."

It all happened VERY quickly. A sudden rise in my blood pressure and a sonogram that showed too little amniotic fluid prompted the doctor to send me to hospital Wednesday morning where they began inducing labor. However, when they gave me the initial "test" run of pitocin, even the lightest contractions sent the baby's heart rate plummeting

(and, of course, with all the monitors I was hooked up to, I could hear the rise and fall every time, each drop followed by the doctor and nurses suddenly bursting in my room...quite nerveracking to say the least). The doctor decided that inducing labor would be too stressful on the baby and quickly sent me to the operating room for a c-section. So after being in the hospital a mere two and a half hours, Michael Adam was delivered safe and sound and all wrapped up in the umbilical cord....so the decision to perform a c-section was most definitely the best one in this situation. We thank a kind and loving Heavenly Father for guiding the doctors and everyone involved to ensure that Michael's arrival was safe and complication-free.

He's happy, healthy, and gaining weight like crazy--at his 5 day pediatrician visit he'd already gained 4 oz beyond his birth weight!

Now I'm at home recuperating and thoroughly enjoying a complete break from work to be with little Michael. Sergio and I couldn't be happier and know we have been blessed beyond measure to have this little guy join the Solis family.

Getting Close!!

2008-07-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Only six more weeks!! I've officially reached the super size stage and seem to be able to do nothing but waddle from one point to another. It's quite a sight!!

Me in June....

And July...

Beach Fun

2008-07-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

June included a fun-filled family beach weekend....dogs and all. It was Prince's first visit to the ocean, and while he excitedly waded into the waves at first...

...after being "brutally attacked" by the first real wave (or was it Serg tossing him through the air to dive into the water?), Prince decided he was definitely finished. He frantically headed back to our shaded oasis on the beach. We had such a blast as a family...we can't wait to go back (well, maybe Prince can) !! :)

Growing like a weed

2008-05-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

As you can see, our little bub is growing like crazy...and taking my entire body along for the ride!! :)

Master Solis

2008-05-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

It was quite the year, but I actually did it! Two weeks ago I graduated from Sam Houston State with my Masters Degree in Educational Leadership. Working full time and going to grad school full time (at a campus 8 hours from home!) proved to be quite the challenge...especially when pregnancy was thrown into the mix...but I somehow made it and saw it through to the finish. Whew!! I will admit there were moments I thought either work or school would have to go, but I'm so blessed to have a husband who knows me well enough to know those moments of stress are usually over by the next day--he kept me going and pushing to the finish. Thanks babe!!

What a treat to have my parents there with us--that meant so much.

Definitely a boy!

2008-04-30T22:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's taken so long to post the most recent ultrasound pics of Baby Solis (well, the 16 week sonogram. I'm now at 25 weeks!) It's quite evident we have a little boy on the way. :)

Strong Man Serg

2008-04-30T21:45:00.000-07:00

OK, and I'm back (better late than never, right?) I feel like in just a few weeks my body has suddenly doubled in size...as strange and new and uncomfortable as this feels, I have to admit that it's just way too fun to finally feel AND look pregnant. People can now see there's a reason I act the way I do.

A couple of weeks ago, both Sergio and I were able to take a weekend off and spend a couple of nights in Houston. We returned to the Houston temple for the first time since getting married there in November 2004 (not long after a temple was built in San Antonio which is only 3 1/2 hours away versus Houston's 7), which was nothing short of wonderful.

Then, last weekend, Serg suddenly decided to enter the "Strong Man Competition" at our local Gold's Gym. He ended up coming in FIRST PLACE in the Hummer pull (yep, exactly what it sounds like....they strapped him to a Hummer and he pulled it across the parking lot as fast as he could) and fifth place overall. It was incredibly fun to cheer him on, though I got my first sunburn of the spring/summer for sitting out in the blazing south TX sun for way too long! I took our cute little dachsund, Prince, along for company...the two of us, along with Serg's brother and friend, had a great time representing Team Solis.

Enter Baby Solis

2008-03-21T20:42:00.000-07:00

I've lagged behind most (if not all) of my friends in the keeping-those-I-love-updated business....no blogs, no email blasts, no family newsletters, and no, not even Christmas cards. Well, this August will add a brand new baby boy to the Solis family mix, so I've finally decided to record our family escapades somewhere a little more public so that friends and family can rest assured that we really are alive and well!