On Music

So I wrote a post yesterday about our crazy month and all of the music stuff we're involved in. Something about it didn't ring true, and I pulled the post after a couple of hours. I'm still not sure why. March IS crazy, we ARE very involved with music, and everything I wrote was dead on.

BUT, I think that the post missed the point that is most important to me. All of the varied activities my kids are involved in are for one thing and one thing only (or at least, that's my goal): to help them live a more fulfilled and happy life now and/or in the future. We sacrifice a little comfort and peace right now because in order to be happy adults, they must learn how to do some basic things: work, love, sacrifice, enjoy, and serve.

So all of the various musical activities the kids are involved in are not the end-all, be-all. They play music because I believe it teaches them important short-term lessons, but even more importantly, they're learning for the long term. Are they going to be professional musicians? Likely not. Are they going to be musicians? I hope so. But even if we eventually decide to pull them from private lessons at some point, there are important life lessons that they'll have learned from them.

They'll have learned that progress takes incremental steps over long periods of time.
They'll have learned that making mistakes is part of the learning process
They'll have learned that mistakes can actually teach us what we need to do differently, to take different approaches to old problems.
They'll have learned to take criticism.
They'll have learned to communicate emotions in healthy ways (other than the screaming at the piano bench. That's not so healthy.)
They'll have learned that three people can play the same piece three different ways, with each way being acceptable. Having alternate points of view in life is healthy and interesting.
They'll have learned to pick themselves up after a disaster.
They'll have learned that sacrificing what they want right now (to watch TV) for what they want later (to play their recital pieces well and communicate something to the audience) is worth it.

Each of my children has different abilities and passions musically. One is very gifted rhythmically, one has an incredible sense of pitch. One struggles at dealing with basic corrections. One will play sections over and over again without prodding. One plays for more than an hour a day without being asked, one practices because it's an expectation and because there is no media time before practicing is finished, and one practices only after much struggle Every Single Time. But I think that music has something to teach each of them.

Music can help teach my children those basic life lessons I want them to have: to work, to enjoy, to sacrifice, to love, and to serve. I know that I've learned these things from my musical journey. For us, it's worth the stresses and the struggles. And it's not all stresses and struggles. There are joys along the path, too. Just like life.

Look at me, with another analogy...pretty impressive, isn't it?

My Running Secrets

Isn't that the funniest title of any post I've ever written? I mean, honestly! The nerve! Like I have any secrets? And like I should be giving any advice on running?

However...

I have some friends who have recently put on the running shoes, and since it hasn't been all that long since I started my running (ahem...my father would say "Are you really running? Or is it more like jogging?") passion, I thought I might share some of what I've learned on the trail. Or on the pavement. Or around the park. Or wherever.

1. Get your running shoes from a running store. I love Salt Lake Running Company. They helped me find the right shoes and insoles to avoid the shin splints that plagued me every other time I'd tried running in earnest. And they have never laughed at me. I love that in a store.

2. Choose a race and train for it. It's too easy to get bogged down in how bad the first couple of months feels. Honestly, hitting my first 2 miles straight both exhilarated me and made me want to puke. Having a race to train for helped me look past the pain and misery and torment and have a goal.

3. Find friends and convince them that you'd be a good running partner because of your sparkling wit and the fact that you make good chocolate cookies. Or whatever your talents might be. Then let the pressure of friends waiting on the corner for you help get your rear out of bed at whatever dark and crazy hour you decide you'll run together. You'll discover the joy of running therapy. There's nothing better than working out all of life's problems on a 10 miler with good friends

4. Keep track of your time running and your mileage. It makes you feel so virtuous. And awesome. I love adding my months' totals on the calendar. It doesn't sound exciting, does it? But it is...

5. Running clothes? Yes. Do it. Don't feel silly in running shorts. Even if you get a comment like I did from a passing car: "You really should get a tan." All my comebacks came to me when I reached the next street. Like, "You really should get some manners." Or "Because I really care about impressing you?" Oh, yeah, but back to running shorts. They're good. But maybe I'll look for some longer ones this year, because, you know, I really should get a tan.

6. Look at Runner's World. It's fun. It makes you feel like part of a brotherhood or sisterhood, even if you're slow.

7. Oh, and about being slow. Slow is relative. Slow for you is what you did last month. Fast for you is what you do next month. Don't compare yourself to anyone else. That's part of the joy of it for me. I judge so much of my life based on how close I am to perfection. I'll never win a race. But I'm in it to be better than I was last year, to push myself farther than I thought I could go. And that is freeing in a way I've never experienced. Don't get me started on the life metaphors...I have so many life/running metaphors that I scare myself a little.

8. Wear sunscreen. And if you're a mom, get a good stroller. And learn to tolerate Gatorade before downing it on your first half marathon. And get a Garmin. And have fun. And don't ignore the twingey pains that show up. And figure out how to stretch. And be super proud of yourself for being more in shape than you've ever been in your life. It's all good. Oh, except for the Gatorade experience. That's not good. Not At All. But knowing not to do it? You'll be grateful. Really. That advice alone is worth your time reading this post.

So there. My running secrets. I have more, but I am laughing again at the idea of passing out running advice.

Kate's Treat

So Kate had a recital Friday night, and per tradition, got to choose a treat to celebrate. I suggested stopping at the grocery store for ice cream to share with the family, since the other kids all stayed home. She thought that was great, as long as she could choose cookie dough ice cream.

Once we picked up the ice cream, she asked if she could get one of "those green things that are dark green on the outside and light green on the inside." You know, a cucumber. Did you get it? It took me a while, too. She had had one at school that week when they talked about the Food Guide Pyramid and sampled foods from the food groups, and she loved it. (And yes, I have indeed served cucumbers at dinner. They're not foreign to our table, but apparently they have been off her radar until now.)

So we bought our ice cream and her cucumber and went home. I dished up ice cream to four happy kids, and they dug in.

After eating a few bites, Kate says, "Mom, where's my cucumber?"

I said, "Do you want it NOW?"

She said, "Yes! For my treat!"

So I peeled part of the cucumber, and she proceeded to down it. Half a cucumber. With her cookie dough ice cream.

That Kate...she's one in a million.

Just Some Candids

My funny family...

Blue Steel:


The Hulk:


More Blue Steel (I didn't get the memo, apparently):


And still more Blue Steel (but with a romantic air):


Mom being a little coy:


and finally, Steven dancing the Parasol Dance:



Life with my family is rarely boring.

Matt & Ananda's Wedding

We traveled to California this last weekend for my brother Matt's wedding to Ananda. We've been looking forward to this day ever since they announced their engagement (well, actually even before they announced their engagement). Matt is a wonderful, funny, extremely talented guy and Ananda is an intelligent, funny, beautiful, kind woman. We are thrilled beyond words for the two of them, and can't wait to have memory upon memory with them.

My parents hosted a rehearsal dinner on Friday night. It was nice to spend a couple of relaxed hours with Matt and Ananda before the happy craziness of the wedding day, and to get to know Ananda's family a little better.

Friday morning we drove to Los Angeles to the LDS Temple for the sealing ceremony. David and I were married in the LA Temple 17 1/2 years ago (I KNOW. No way is that possible, right?) and it's been a few years since we'd been back. So many sweet and profound memories flooded back to me as we entered the grounds and the temple. I'm so grateful for the gift of eternal marriage, for what it teaches about the sacredness of the bond between husband and wife.

ANYWAY...

The ceremony was lovely, the weather was perfect, the children were well-behaved. And Matt & Ananda...well, they glowed.

After pictures on the grounds, we headed back to my parents' home to help set up for the reception. The night was a fantastic party, full of love, happiness, good food, dancing, and a chance to celebrate love. And man, it was pretty.

It was a perfect day. Well, as close as it gets in this life, anyway.

Happy Birthday to David

It's David's birthday, so today's post is All About Him...

This birthday is the 20th year I've sung "Happy Birthday" to him. WHAT? That's just plain crazy.

He is an amazing skier. A.Ma.Zing.

He adores children and they respond so quickly to him.

He loves gadgets of all sizes. I do not understand this fascination, but it makes him happy, so whatever.

He's so great at helping out wherever we are. He looks for what needs to be done and does it. Yesterday he vacuumed most of my parents' house before we left.

He makes up funny songs that make all of us laugh.

He is a devoted son.

He understands people and loves them. He reads situations well, and is able to sift through a lot of garbage to figure out how to make things better.

He is wise.

He is funny. Except when his jokes are of the 13-year-old variety. And even then, he thinks he's very funny. And so does Josh.

He loves cars.

He has a cool job.

He loves me fully and completely. Our marriage has gotten stronger and stronger over the years, through both difficult and beautiful times.

I love you, David. Happy Birthday.

Choose your own adventure...

Which day would you rather have?

Disneyland in the 60's, overcast, no line over 25 minutes, with happy happy children, a fantastic brother, and your cute husband...no one complaining, Ben singing along to It's a Small World, kids hanging on their uncle, hitting every ride anyone wants to hit?

or...

Driving home from California for 11 plus hours?

Yeah, me too.

(And I'm not even a Disneyland fan.)